It is an island with one road through it. Gulf Boulevard is the artery, the Pinellas Bayway and the Corey Causeway are the way on and off, and all three behave completely differently in season. The hour we start is a real decision, not a formality.
Condo associations set the rules, and they are not negotiable on the day. Reserved elevators, padded lifts, approved move windows and a certificate of insurance naming the association. We arrange all of it in advance because there is no arranging it at 8am on a Saturday.
Storm season rewrote parts of the island. After the 2024 storms a great deal of property here has been elevated, gutted or rebuilt, and ground-floor units that used to be a flat carry are now a flight of stairs. That changes crew size, so we would rather see it when we quote.
Parking is scarce and often metered or permitted. There is rarely a convenient spot for a 26-foot truck. We plan where it sits before we set off and, in the tighter streets around Pass-a-Grille, we shuttle with a smaller vehicle.
Salt, sand and humidity are hard on furniture. Anything going into storage off the island gets wrapped properly rather than optimistically.