Short-Distance House Moves in Lagos: Why One Truck Beats Many Trips

The new flat is two streets away, so the plan sounds simple: hire a keke, make a few runs, finish by lunch. By the third trip the sofa is still on the old balcony, the fridge is waiting on the pavement and the gateman at the new place has gone to eat.

A short distance does not make a small move. A three-bedroom flat holds the same sofas, beds, wardrobes and kitchen at two kilometres or at twenty. What changes is how tempting it is to cut corners.

Why many small trips cost you more

Each trip means loading, driving, offloading and returning. The driving is the short part. The loading and offloading take most of the time, and you pay for that effort every single run.

Many trips also leave your things scattered. Half the wardrobe is at the new flat, the other half is in the old one, and nobody knows where the screws are. Someone has to stand at each end all day.

One proper truck run changes that. Everything is loaded once and offloaded once. The old place is empty by afternoon and the new place fills in a clear order. For a whole house, a truck or a large pickup van with one planned run usually beats a day of shuttle trips.

Decide what actually needs the vehicle

Before moving day, walk each room and sort items into three groups.

1. Furniture, appliances and heavy boxes: these go on the truck.
2. Valuables, documents, jewellery and chargers: these go in your own car or bag.
3. Things you will sell, give away or throw out: deal with them before the truck arrives.

Moving across a short distance tempts people to carry loose items by hand. Do not let the day turn into a parade of bags between flats. Our checklist on what to carry in your own car when the truck goes ahead covers the small things worth keeping with you.

Check both ends, not only the distance

A short move is often decided by access. Before you request a truck, check:

• the width of the gate and the street at both ends
• whether the estate or landlord needs a notice, a pass or a fee
• where the truck can stand, and whether it blocks a neighbour
• stairs, landings and whether a lift can take a wardrobe

Two streets apart can mean one wide road and one narrow lane. If a truck cannot enter the lane, plan for a short carry from the main road and tell the driver in the notes. Our guide on moving from tight-access homes in Lagos explains how to handle that.

Load once, in the right order

The loading order matters more on a short trip, because everything comes off in the same sequence it went on, only reversed.

1. Heavy and solid items first: fridge, freezer, washing machine, wardrobes.
2. Mattresses and flat furniture next, standing against the sides.
3. Boxes in the middle, heavy ones low.
4. Fragile boxes and lamps last, on top, labelled "this side up".

Disassemble beds and tall wardrobes the day before. Put the screws in a bag and tape the bag to the piece it belongs to. If you have labelled each box with its room, the offload takes half the time. See labelling and numbering boxes for a simple system.

Time the day, not the distance

Because the drive is short, the day is won or lost at the doors. Start early. Have the old flat packed and the new flat open, swept and ready before the truck arrives. Make sure someone at each end holds the key and knows the plan.

Give the driver a clear picture: how many floors, how many people carry, and when the gate opens. A truck that waits for a key wastes the saving you came for.

How to do this on Sphere

Open the Sphere app and choose a truck for a full house, or a pickup van for a smaller flat. Add the pickup and drop-off, and describe the load plainly: "3-bedroom flat, 2 wardrobes, 3 beds, fridge, freezer, sofa set, about 40 boxes". Mention stairs and gate details. Propose a price, and nearby verified drivers will accept or send counter-offers. Agree loading and offloading help with the driver before you accept.

Useful pages: house moving in Lagos and van hire in Lagos.