Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Move In Procedures?

[Ann Lehman (ann]

Thank you very much for all the helpful move-in suggestions....I' am
collecting them and perhaps can share them on the website somewhere in the
future. Others are still welcome.


*Ann Lehman*
*ann [at] zimmerman-lehman.com
<ann [at] zimmerman-lehman.com>**https://zimnotes.org
<https://zimnotes.org>*
*510.755.5701 *

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On Mon, Oct 5, 2026 at 7:40 AM Sharon Villines via Cohousing-L <
cohousing-l [at] cohousing.org> wrote:

> Kudos to these planners! Makes it sound like a big job, and it is.
>
> Many communities wing it but this is a good list of things you will have
> to wing, all at the same time.
>
> Sharon
>
>
> > On Oct 4, 2026, at 7:18 PM, Tara Gallen via Cohousing-L <
> cohousing-l [at] cohousing.org> wrote:
> >
> > Our Urban Village is a 13-unit building in an urban setting in Vancouver.
> > We moved in three years ago. We were fortunate to get some notes from
> peer
> > communities that helped us a lot. I've adapted a few highlights below
> > (including stuff that was applicable for us and stuff that was not) and
> my
> > own more recent notes are marked with ["ed"]. Sorry if the formatting is
> > bonkers. Mazel tov for your move-in and your new community.
> >
> > -Lead up to move-in:
> > --Plan for the few weeks prior to closing to be wholly dedicated to just
> > getting closing completed (anything non-essential should be put off) [ed:
> > seriously, this - assume everyone will be bamboozled]
> > --Focus of meetings
> > ---Plan common space in advance - furniture, supplies, etc. - to help get
> > rid of stuff in advance rather than after move-in [ed: we tried to do
> this
> > a bit via spreadsheet and it was just too cumbersome. Suggest to focus
> > effort on deterring everyone from expecting to store their unwanted big
> > appliances and furniture in the CH. It's just much easier to see what's
> > unwanted once you move in. We might have said 'no' to the many Instant
> Pots
> > that came our way, and that would have been a mistake. But do make sure
> > there aren't twenty dining tables people expect to put in the common
> > house...]
> > --Confirm parking plan (for those with cars, where will they put their
> cars
> > and how do we minimize negative impact on our neighbours)
> > -Coordinating move-in:
> > -Set up a schedule for households moving in (e.g. 3-hour increments (9AM
> -
> > 9PM) over the course of several days for move-in)
> > --Identify priority moves (time-sensitivity, urgency, unstable situation,
> > difficulty)
> > ---Send out Excel spreadsheet for people to sign-up for slots
> > --Space out storage pod deliveries and moving trucks so not all arriving
> at
> > once
> > --Check-in to ensure everyone’s needs are met
> > --If possible for your household, take the pressure off moving in right
> > away and do it over the course of days or even weeks
> > --Secure parking spots in front of the building to ensure moving trucks
> can
> > get in and out - block off with construction cones, etc.
> > ---[Ed: One other coho offered to lend us their orange cones for use
> during
> > move-in. We actually found it more effective to use our own vehicles to
> > block the desired on-street spaces. We'd all snap up the spots the night
> > before, then be ready to retrieve them right as the moving truck was
> > pulling up.]
> > --Set up a plan for disposal and recycling (styrofoam, recycling,
> garbage)
> > ---Designate a spot to leave materials to be recycled
> > ----Have a few people manage posting and coordinating via buy-nothing
> > groups (packing boxes to give away)
> > ---Designate people and timing for:
> > ----Recycling depot trips
> > ----Donations or buy-nothing pick-ups
> > -Deficiency walk-through
> > --Recommended having 1-2 people do a deficiency walk-through of every
> unit
> > and space so commonalities can be noted [ed: The benefit of this can
> hardly
> > be understated]
> > -Security considerations
> > --Risk of break-in attempts early on and during move
> > ---Set up guidelines for safety and security: Don’t prop doors open
> > -Tips for households preparing for move
> > --Walk through the space ahead of time and identify where boxes and
> objects
> > will need to go in advance in your unit
> > --Consider painting and doing any other configuration while your unit is
> > empty, i.e. before moving in (if feasible)
> > --Get any built-in furniture done before moving in so it is ready for
> > move-in
> > --Replace standard closet fixtures with sturdier ones
> > -Furnishing the common areas
> > --Have teams create a wishlist of what is needed for each space, so
> > everyone packing/down-sizing can identify items to contribute (perhaps
> > sign-up to donate on a spreadsheet) [ed: see note above]
> > --Designate a time/people to sort through all contributed materials after
> > move-in and pack things away/organize
> > --Put aside money to buy stuff but ensure you give yourself time after
> move
> > in to get a sense of space and needs before buying new stuff
> > --After a specific period (e.g. 6 months), review furnishings/items and
> do
> > a cull of items
> > --Communicate throughout to ensure everyone is aware of items being
> > contributed, removed (even after move-in)
> > --Set up a “buy nothing” channel in Slack for the community to exchange
> > items [ed: Our Buy Nothing slack channel thrives to this day!]
> > --Kitchen
> > ---Reusable napkins
> > ---Most dishes/equipment can be obtained for free (donated, buy-nothing,
> > etc.)
> > -Dealing with damage from move-in
> > --May be able to have this taken care of as general building deficiencies
> > process
> > --Identify steps to take if there is any damage done so follow up can
> occur
> > (e.g. who to contact, who does the contacting, etc.)
> > -Community building in the early days:
> > --Helpful to act as community at the very beginning (don’t wait)
> > ---Setting up socials or community gatherings right away; make a
> commitment
> > to # of meals before move-in [ed: We started meals almost right away, but
> > this ended up being stressful for some of our households. Be sure that
> > there isn't pressure on overstretched households to cook community meals
> > while their homes are in shambles.]
> > ----Avoid cutting back on meals during “slow” periods (e.g. summer) as it
> > is important to continue the connection [ed: This is really important.]
> > ---Common meals can be done in different ways (if not prepared to start
> > cooking right away), e.g., people bringing their own dinner and eating
> > together, doing a potluck, etc.
> > --Common meals can also be done as meals out (pub nights) or other events
> > --Communicating frequently through Slack, asking for help, borrow a cup
> of
> > sugar, helping others, and engaging in general
> > -Storage and sharing of items
> > --Decide what is “donated” vs. “loaned” to the community and how these
> > items are managed
> > ---Examples:
> > ----Some households may have items they own but open to anyone contacting
> > them to coordinate borrowing
> > ----Lending library for anyone to borrow and return
> > ----If something is being purged from a common space, it is put in a
> > designated space so whoever donated has an opportunity to take it back
> > (otherwise it is disposed) [ed: yes!! This!!]
> > ----Defining what it means to donate vs. loan (e.g., donation = giving up
> > rights to the item)
> > --Managing build-up of donated items
> > ---often just dealt with on an ad-hoc basis by community members, but
> > communicated with the rest of the community when it happens to get ahead
> of
> > any issues via Slack
> > ----Ensures that no individual unilaterally decides what gets removed
> > -Managing storage units, bike lockers, parking spots
> > --Clearly establish ahead of time what is limited and/or common property,
> > which usually applies to bike lockers and parking spots
> > ---Made it clear no one “owns” a spot
> > ---Opens a conversation as to priority use (access considerations,
> > practicalities - cargo bikes need bigger space, for example) and then
> > allocated spaces accordingly
> > --Consider having a designated person to manage the storage/bike lockers
> > over time
> > --Be mindful of where you store items (proximity to sensors or
> sprinklers)
> > -Unexpected events or complications from move-in
> > --Break-in attempts [ed: thieves take the opportunity to notice that
> people
> > are coming and going and opportunistically sneak in. It helps that we all
> > know each other, but we did keep a close eye on the front doors while
> > movers were doing their thing as another coho suggested, and this helped
> us
> > avoid most issues]
> > --Delays in move-in
> > ---Move-in plan may need to shift for various reasons (may get short
> notice
> > of actual move) and impacts to temporary living situations [ed: Our
> > completion/possession dates were a huge moving target for a long time. We
> > heard October, then February, then finally moved in in July. It was
> > extremely disorienting - some families had decamped to temporary
> > accommodations because they had sold their previous homes, for example.
> > Everyone felt the challenge of moving into a new home with new quirks and
> > new things to figure out.]
> > ---Potential causes of delays
> > ----Supply chain issues of materials needed to finish build
> > ----COVID-19-related site shutdowns [ed: maybe not anymore...]
> > ----Labour shortage
> > ----Availability of building inspector; building inspection identifies
> > changes needed before occupancy permit can be issued
> > ----[ed: After we got possession, an entire wall in our unit needed to be
> > re-opened for the constructor to get access to the plumbing behind it
> > again. Stuff happens...]
> >
> > Re: Elevator: At OUV we have a LULA Lift, not an elevator. (A choice for
> > cost purposes.) It's not designed for moving furniture, and the manual
> > explicitly states that it shouldn't be used for that kind of thing,
> though
> > there was lots of interest in using it for that purpose. We had to be
> > explicit that the lift was not to be used for moving heavy couches and
> > things. That needed to be communicated to folks' moving companies, but
> that
> > didn't happen evenly and there was still lots of furniture being moved in
> > the elevator. Nothing too bad happened but we did have some minor
> > mechanical issues early on. We have only 10 units that hypothetically use
> > the elevator, and not all the units were sold by move-in anyway, so our
> > advance planning exercises turned out to be more critical for ensuring we
> > didn't have two moving trucks out front for the same day than they were
> for
> > booking the elevator.
> >
> > Tara Gallen
> > Our Urban Village Cohousing - Vancouver, BC
> >
> >
> > On Tue, Sep 29, 2026 at 1:49 PM Fred-List manager <fholson [at] 
> > cohousing.org
> >
> > wrote:
> >
> >> Ann Lehman <ann [at] zimmerman-lehman.com>
> >> is the author of the message below.  It was posted by Fred of
> >> the Cohousing-L management team <cohousing-l-owner [at] cohousing.org>
> >> due to a format issue.
> >>
> >> --------------------  FORWARDED MESSAGE FOLLOWS --------------------
> >> Hi Folks,
> >> The Berkeley Moshav is getting closer to move in. If you have move in
> >> procedure, especially if yours included using an elevator can you send
> me a
> >> copy?
> >>
> >> Ann Lehman
> >> ann [at] zimmerman-lehman.com
> >> https://zimnotes.org [zimnotes.org]
> >> 510.755.5701 <(510)%20755-5701> <(510)%20755-5701>
> >>
> >> Ann Lehman
> >> ann [at] zimmerman-lehman.com
> >> https://zimnotes.org [zimnotes.org]
> >> 510.755.5701 <(510)%20755-5701> <(510)%20755-5701>
> >>
> >> Subscribe for Free ENews, ZimNotes
> >> serving nonprofits for 32+ years
> >> annlehman.substack.com/subscribe [annlehman.substack.com]
> >> @zimnotes.bsky.social
> >>
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