To prepare your home for movers, clear a wide path from every room to the door, take down anything hanging in the way, decide in advance which furniture needs taking apart, empty and disconnect appliances, and arrange a quiet space for children and pets. Then make sure the truck can park close to the entrance.
Our page on getting ready for moving day covers the week-before habits — sealed boxes, labels, the essentials box. This guide is about the building itself: the hallways, stairs, floors and fixtures the crew will be working through.
Clear the Paths
Walk from the furthest room to the front door the way a mover carrying a dresser would. Anything you have to step around, they will have to step around while carrying weight.
- Move rugs and runners that slide or bunch
- Take down mirrors, pictures and coat hooks from narrow hallways and stairwells
- Clear shoes, mats and recycling from entrances
- Prop open or remove doors that swing into tight spaces, if you are comfortable doing so
- Clear snow, ice or leaves from walks and steps
Floors and Walls
A professional crew brings floor runners, blankets and padding, and uses them. It still helps to tell your mover about anything delicate — newly refinished hardwood, light carpet, freshly painted walls, a fragile banister — so it can be planned for. If you have a preference about which entrance is used, say so before the day.
Furniture That Needs Taking Apart
Bed frames, large tables, sectionals and some desks come apart to fit through doors and into the truck. Decide before the day whether you will do it yourself or want the crew to, and say so when you book — disassembly takes time and should be part of the plan.
Flat-pack and particle-board furniture is a special case. It is often weakest when moved assembled, and it may not survive being taken apart and put back together more than once. If you are keeping it, consider dismantling it yourself and keeping every bolt in a labelled bag taped to the largest piece.
Appliances
Appliances need preparation, and moving companies usually treat them as extra handling. Check what your mover expects, and allow enough time for defrosting and draining.
- Fridge and freezer: empty, unplug and defrost a day ahead, and wipe dry
- Washer: have the water supply turned off and hoses drained
- Dryer: unplug; gas dryers should be disconnected by a qualified person
- Stove: clean and empty the drawer; gas appliances need a qualified disconnection
- Tell your mover about every appliance at quote time
Things Fixed to the House
Wall-mounted televisions, curtain rods, shelving and light fixtures stay with the house unless you take them down first, and if you are selling, your agreement may say which fixtures stay. Decide what is coming, take it down or arrange to have it taken down, and patch what needs patching if your sale or lease requires it.
Kids and Pets
With doors open all day and heavy furniture moving through halls, the safest place for small children and pets is somewhere else — a friend’s house, a grandparent, or at minimum one closed room with a sign on the door. It is better for them and lets the crew work without stopping.
Parking and the Way In
Clear the driveway, and if you rely on street parking, ask neighbours to leave room in front of the house. If you are in a townhouse complex, check whether the truck can stop near your unit. For condos and apartments, booking the elevator and loading area is its own job — we cover it in our guide to elevator and parking prep.
One Room for "Not Moving"
Pick one room, closet or the car for everything that is not going on the truck: your essentials bag, documents, anything you are taking yourself, and items being left behind for the buyer. Tell the crew lead on arrival. It prevents the most common moving-day mix-up there is.
If something on this list is not going to be done before the day, tell us. We would much rather plan around it than discover it on arrival.