MOVING DAY
Getting Ready for Moving Day
When a moving day runs long, the reason is nearly always one of about six things — and every one of them is fixable in advance, usually in an evening.
This is that list. It applies whoever you hire.
Prepared vs Not Prepared
- Boxes are sealed, labelled and under 50 lb, so loading starts straight away
- The truck parks close, the elevator is booked and paths are clear
- Furniture that needs taking apart is already apart, or was in the quote
- Everything moving was shown when we quoted, so the crew and truck are right
- The load usually fits in the planned trips
- The day finishes close to the time quoted, and the bill matches the plan
- The crew packs loose items at a moving rate instead of loading
- Long carries, waiting for elevators or blocked paths add time and risk
- Unplanned disassembly adds time, and loose items are harder to protect
- Rooms or items not shown at quoting may need more crew, a bigger truck or another trip
- Hazardous items found on the day must be left behind
- Extra time is billed in 15-minute increments after the package minimum, and any change is discussed and signed first
If something on the left is not going to happen, tell us before the day. With notice we can nearly always build packing, disassembly or an extra helper into the plan — it is the surprises that cost the most.
The Six Things That Cost the Most Time
- Packing that is not finished when the crew arrives
- Nobody having established where the truck can legally park
- An elevator that was not booked, or a window shorter than the job
- Furniture that needs dismantling and nobody having said so
- A basement, garage or shed that was never mentioned
- No decision yet about what is actually going
The Week Before
- Finish packing everything except the essentials
- Confirm the elevator booking and the building's move hours
- Confirm where the truck will park, at both ends
- Set aside documents, medication, jewellery and valuables to travel with you
- Run down or dispose of fuel, propane, paint and chemicals — hazardous goods cannot go on the truck
- Empty and defrost the freezer; drain the washing machine
- Take down curtains, mirrors and anything wall-mounted that is going
- Label anything that is NOT going, clearly and unmistakably
The Night Before
- Pack an essentials box you keep with you — kettle, mugs, bedding, chargers, toiletries, medication
- Charge your phone and make sure we have a number that will be answered
- Clear the route from the front door to the street
- Shovel and salt in winter, at both ends
- Put pets somewhere they will not be in the loading path
- Decide which room at the new place is closed off for pets or children
On the Day
- Be there for the arrival walkthrough, or nominate someone who can be
- Point out anything fragile or valuable before it is touched
- Confirm what stays behind, out loud
- Keep one route clear rather than trying to help carry
- Tell the crew lead early if anything has changed since the quote
- At the new address, decide where the big pieces go before they come off the truck
What Should Travel With You, Not on the Truck
- Identification, passports and important documents
- Wallet, keys and cash
- Current prescription medication
- Jewellery and small valuables
- Chargers, laptops and anything you need that evening
- A change of clothes and basic toiletries
- Bedding for the first night, if it is not being unpacked for you
Ready to Get This Moving?
Tell us what is moving and we will come back with a real plan and a real price — or call and talk it through with someone who does this every day.
Prefer to talk? Call us.
Questions Families Ask Us
How much difference does being packed actually make?
A very large one. Unfinished packing is the most common single cause of an hourly move running long, because a crew ends up packing at a mover's rate instead of loading. If you are not going to finish, tell us in advance and we will build packing in properly.
Should I help carry?
Please do not, unless we have agreed it. An unfamiliar person in a loading route is a genuine hazard, insurance and injury questions aside. The genuinely useful jobs are keeping the routes clear, keeping children and pets out of the path, and making decisions quickly.
Do I need to defrost the freezer?
Yes, and empty it. A freezer travels on its side or upright with water in it and the water ends up somewhere it should not be. Do it the day before, not the morning of.
What if it snows?
We still come, and shovelled, salted paths at both ends make a genuine difference to how fast and how safely the day goes. If conditions are dangerous rather than merely unpleasant, we will call you and talk about it rather than take chances with a loaded dolly.
Booked and Getting Ready?
If anything on this list is not going to happen, tell us now rather than on the day. We can nearly always work around it with notice.
Prefer to talk? Call us.