Stupid question but how do deliveries work when you’re in a flat?

[FlatPat]

I’m moving to a flat and I haven’t lived in one for over 30 years since I was a child so I’m wondering how things like Amazon deliveries, takeaways, Sainsbury’s shops and furniture deliveries work. Do they go to your door? Do you meet them outside or get it delivered to a locker?

TIA

Depends on the set up, but when I lived in block of about 9 flats they would press the buzzer, we would buzz them up, and they would come to our actual door. For general deliveries this meant we would sometimes get a buzz for other people who were out, and would therefore let them in to drop things off outside someone’s door. I guess if you are likely to be out a lot you might prefer to get deliveries to collection point to avoid annoying your neighbours, but that’s the same as living anywhere thinking about it!

For Deliveroo, they buzz and we go down to main door to collect. For Amazon etc, depending on what it is, we will ask them to put it behind main (locked ) door and buzz them through, or even stick it in the lift. Or we go down and get it. Never tried to get a shopping delivery since we moved here as there is nowhere for the van to park, unfortunately.

Is it a purpose built block or a converted house?
I'm in a block. They buzz the door (individual buzzer for each flat), you let them in and come up to your front door.
I used to live in a flat in a converted house and the only doorbell was the main front door so I had to go down to meet them there.

I've always had any sort of delivery come straight up to my flat door. Apart from when I ordered laminate flooring and they'd only deliver it kerb side and when a chair was delivered and it was an old guy who said he couldn't manage. Nearly passed out carrying up 20 odd boxes of laminate!

Generally they will buzz your flat and then come to your door. I live on the ground floor next to the front door so I when they buzz I just tell them I will meet them at the front door because it's only a couple of metres away. But it will depend on your set up - if you only have one main door and no buzzer for your own front door then you'll have to go down - or you might be going up in the world and moving to a place with a concierge!

Thanks all. It’s a purpose built block. I’m on the ground floor which I hope will make things a little easier but as we’ll be 2 minutes from an Amazon locker I might make use of that for smaller items.

It’ll be easier if you’re on the ground floor. My experience was that either the delivery driver would come up to my front door and deliver / leave parcel there but sometimes you’d get a driver who would just dump all parcels in the lobby. For food deliveries, they always brought to the door.

@FlatPat if it's a fairly large block you might find that the Amazon delivery person is delivering to several flats at the same time.
So they buzz one flat to get into the building and go to each flat individually.
The same as the (Royal Mail) postman - although they are usually provided with a fob key.

I had an upstairs neighbour who used to put her key on a long string and chuck it out the window for the delivery driver! People do all sorts.

If you're on the ground floor, it should be much easier for you

We're having issues with parcels being dumped in the lobby and some of them have gone missing. You can of course get your money back if it's not been delivered to a door or a designated safe space. But it's annoying in the first place. Some companies only pay their couriers per parcel drop so they are more likely to just dump the parcels and run.

This was where Ocado really came into their own for me. Absolutely flawless delivery to my door on an upper floor of a purpose built block. All the other grocery deliverers would only deliver to the main door.

There were residents’ mailboxes in the ground floor lobby and generally residents would buzz couriers in to the lobby and they would leave deliveries above the mailboxes. (Or in the case of a big Riverford box, under the mailboxes.) I never had anything stolen.

I'm in a small purpose built block and 95% of the time things are brought to my door. Supermarket and food delivery always come to door. Evri tend to just leave a pile of stuff through the main front door once I have buzzed it open - you will learn the quirks of your local delivery people soon enough.

When you move in do check your buzzer/intercom works properly, I've lived in a few flats over the years and they can be pretty rubbish at times, some modern ones link to your mobile etc - so do make sure you figure out how it works

Thanks everyone. I appreciate the advice. I’m glad that I decided to go for ground floor now as it does seem to make things a little simpler. There’s are lifts but I don’t know how big it’ll be and also I didn’t want to rely on them as they may not be working at times.