You’ve been preparing for this day for weeks, if not months. You dream of the moment the moving company is finished unloading. You’ll be decorating your new home, enjoying your new kitchen, and exploring your new neighborhood…
But when moving day finally arrives, will you be ready?
There are a few tips and tricks that will help moving day go smoothly for you and your professional movers. They might not seem like rocket science, but they really make a difference! Here are the best tips for preparing for moving day, straight from the movers themselves.
Finish packing before moving day, or be completely ready for the movers to do your packing.
Remember that time your friends showed up to help you move and you were nowhere near ready? Don’t let that happen, please! In order for your movers to work efficiently, they need to be able to start loading your boxes into the truck immediately. If your movers will be packing up the house, have everything squared away so they can get started. Otherwise, your movers will need to wait around while you scramble with last-minute preparation. Nobody wants that!
Take all of your important items with you.
Make sure you know where your paperwork, medication, overnight bag, and jewelry are before your movers get to work. Once your boxes are loaded on the truck, it’s difficult to get them back out and could delay the move. Keeping track of them from the start ensures you feel safe and organized.
Label everything with its intended destination, and extra clearly label if it is fragile.
The more clearly you label everything, the fewer questions your movers will need to ask. This means fewer headaches for you in managing moving days and an easier process for them. If they can unload your boxes and deliver them to the correct rooms, that’s also less heavy lifting for you!
And of course: your moving team doesn’t want broken items any more than you do. Be sure they understand which boxes and items are fragile, labeling everything clearly and on multiple sides of the box.
Reserve elevators and parking spots ahead of time
This tip is also about an efficient moving day. When your moving truck arrives, your movers hope they can pull directly into the spot you reserved and get to work. A reservation means when your movers call to let you know their arrival time, you can let them know right where to park with zero delays.
If your building requires elevator reservations for a move, secure the necessary approval in advance. They are operating on the understanding that they can use the elevator without issues!
Keep an eye on small children and pets
Your movers really don’t want to be worrying about your small children or pets getting hurt during the move. They are already doing their best to protect your walls and furniture! A child or pet underfoot could mean injury or dropped items. It’s best to arrange for your children and/or pets to have a safe place to be for the duration of the move. Everyone will be happier that way!
Empty all drawers, armoires, etc.
Dressers, armoires, hutches, they all need to be empty to be moved. This not only keeps your items safe from sliding around during transport, but it makes your furniture easier to carry. Emptying your drawers keeps your movers safe and decreases the likelihood that a drawer could open mid-carry.
Make sure someone is present at all times.
Your professional movers are good at what they do, but they don’t want to be completely left alone. They may have questions for you along the way or need your permission to make certain adjustments to the move. Make sure you or a representative are present at all times on moving day to keep things moving along. That can mean in-person at the move site, or FlatRate offers a Live Stream option for your move. This allows you to be off-site but still in the know!
Use sturdy boxes and don’t overload them with heavy things.
Your movers want you to know that they support recycling, but flimsy or old boxes are a recipe for disaster. Make sure to use moving boxes that can stand up to the moving journey, and tape them well. Furthermore, use smaller boxes for packing heavy things! Overloaded boxes are not only difficult to carry but are more prone to breaking.
Please adhere to the list of items that cannot be moved.
Most moving companies cannot move plants, pets, drugs/medication, chemicals, and in some cases lawn equipment that uses gasoline. Check the list provided by your movers and make sure you don’t plan to ship these things! Your movers don’t want to be the ones informing you that you have to find another way to transport your massive collection of succulents. You don’t want to be stuck trying to make alternative arrangements at the very last minute, either. So plan ahead!
Tipping is appreciated!
If your movers did a great job, let them know with a tip. It is always appreciated! At FlatRate, we recommend giving 5-8% of the total cost for long-distance moves and 10-20% for smaller, local jobs.