Here's one for you. We're planning on living in a highrise condo in downtown Toronto when we eventually get over there. Now the question. If we order furniture or stuff from the likes of Ikea or other furniture stores, and they deliver, will they actually deliver to the unit or just to the building and leave it up to us to get the stuff to our unit?

Hey I worry about these things okay.

If your a typical Northern Ireland man - you will leave it up to the wife to get the furniture up to the apartment.

Don't give him ideas!

In Vancouver they'll certainly help you get it all the way into your suite, so I imagine it'd be the same in Toronto.

It was quite a shock to go to IKEA in Canada and find the staff to be helpful and articulate, rather than the knuckle-dragging morons of the UK. But that's not an uncommon experience.

IKEA Ottawa staff is great, too - when we had our stuff delivered, they showed up on time, carried everything up to our second floor apartment, and all with a smile. I find the in-store staff to be nice, too, and always helpful when I have questions.

I lived for years on the 29th floor of a building in downtown Toronto. I never had anything delivered but the neighbours did. There was a system administering access to the freight elevator (you're not supposed to put freight in the ordinary elevator) which required booking the elevator days in advance (all buildings have less elevators than are reasonably needed, in my case trying to catch an elevator took longer than catching a subway train), booking days ahead was hopelessly incompatible with dealing with furniture stores, all of which provide whimsical delivery, and trying to get objects in or out was a constant source of grumbling among the residents. If you're shopping at IKEA (I don't think they offer delivery anyway), I suggest that you carry the stuff home and take it up in pieces in the ordinary elevator.

I should point out that we will have no car or own transport when we get to Toronto, and no intention of getting any hence the living in downtown area. Ikea do deliver if you order online.

They do, but don't go mad if you order online - delivery charge is by weight here and not a flat fee. I bought some of their cheapo bookcases when we got here and the delivery was nearly more than the cost of the bookcases

I suggest you don't shop on Ikea online - delivery is way more expensive that way as it's charged by weight. Shop in-store and arrange home delivery when you pay. You are charged a flat rate. I think you can have up to 25 items delivered for around 60 bucks to downtown? (They will only take furniture though - not marketplace items/lamps etc. You'll have struggle home with them yourselves)

The Etobicoke Ikea is probably the easiest to get to from downtown Toronto without a car - there's a shuttle from Kipling TTC station to right outside - the website has directions.

http://www.ikea.com/webapp/wcs/store...Name=etobicoke

The delivery guys should bring the furniture right up into your apartment.
Hubby can now put together a Billy bookcase in less than 10minutes, so for more of a challenge we're thinking of starting a new sport - extreme Ikea furniture assembly - Perhaps naked dangling from a helicopter?

Happy shopping!

Nic