If you live in another city, the key to your parent's move week is deciding in advance who will be physically present at each address, who holds which keys, how you will see the house and the suite, how the mover will be paid, and when you will get updates. Settle those five things and you can run move week from a distance even if you cannot be there for all of it.
Our guide on moving a parent from out of town covers the weeks of planning beforehand — what can be done remotely, starting the sorting early, and keeping the property separate. This one is about the move week itself.
Name the People on Site
Every move needs someone at the origin when the crew arrives and someone at the destination when the truck gets there. If that is you, plan your travel so you arrive at least a day before. If it is not, nominate someone local — a sibling, neighbour, friend or care worker — and brief them properly.
Write down, for each address, who will be there and from what time, and share it with the mover and the residence. If your parent will be at one end, decide whether they are the decision-maker or whether they would rather not be asked.
Sort Out the Keys
Missing keys are the most common thing to stall a remote move. Get them sorted the week before, not the morning of.
- Keys to the old home: who has them, and who locks up at the end
- Keys or fobs for the new suite: when they are released, and to whom
- Mailbox, storage locker, garage and any lockbox codes
- Elevator or service-door access, if the residence issues it separately
Use Video Instead of Being There
Video is the long-distance family's best tool. Before the move, a walkthrough lets the mover quote and plan, and lets you check what is actually in the basement. During the move, a short video call with whoever is on site lets you confirm decisions in real time.
Ask your local helper to film each room as it is emptied, and to send photos of the suite once furniture is placed. If something looks wrong, it can be fixed while the crew is still there. Our virtual survey and preparing for a virtual estimate guides explain how to film the house well.
Give the Residence and the Mover Each Other's Details
Remote moves go wrong when information has to pass through you. Introduce the residence's move-in coordinator to your mover by email, with you copied. Share the elevator booking, the move-in window, loading area and parking instructions directly.
Make sure the residence knows who your on-site person is, and that the crew lead has the local helper's number as well as yours.
Decide How Payment Will Work
Remote families often worry about how a mover is paid when the person paying is not there. Ask your mover how it works before moving day. At Stallion, the crew asks for the bill of lading to be signed at the end of the move, and the final invoice is sent afterwards for payment, which suits families who are not on site. Agree in advance who signs the bill of lading on your behalf.
Agree the Day-of Communication
Ask for this in advance; it is a reasonable request and easy for a crew that is organised. Have your phone on and be reachable all day, even if you cannot be there.
- A call or message when the crew arrives at the origin
- Photos of anything uncertain before it is loaded or left behind
- A message when the truck leaves and when it arrives
- Photos or a short video of the suite once set up
- A final call before the crew leaves
Have a Plan for Your Parent That Day
If you are not there, someone needs to be looking after your parent rather than the move. That may be the same local person or a different one. Decide where your parent will be, how they will get to the new residence, and who will stay with them for the first evening. Our guide on preparing a parent for moving day has a checklist.
If Something Goes Wrong
A piece will not fit, the elevator is out, a key is missing. The answer is to have decided in advance who can make calls on your behalf and what the fallback is for each borderline piece. A mover that does a lot of senior work will ask about this during planning.
Name the people on site, sort out the keys, use video, connect the residence and the mover directly, agree on payment and updates, and make sure someone is looking after your parent.
Many of our senior moves in Waterloo Region are coordinated by a son or daughter in another city. Tell us what is happening and we will keep you informed through the whole day.