After months of planning and preparation, your moving day is finally here. It seems like you have finished all your tasks – hired a professional moving company, packed and labeled each box with ultimate care, got parking permits for a moving crew truck and transferred the utilities to your new home. Unfortunately, you don’t feel like you can just sit back and do nothing during moving day…

As professional movers, we, more than anyone, know that moving from one home to another can be stressful. Our customers always wonder how they should act when the moving crew arrives. For this reason, we prepared a brief 8-step guide that will make your moving day as easy as possible.

First of all, hiring movers doesn’t mean your work is over. You might be tempted to keep an eagle eye on everything they’re doing and that’s okay. On the other hand, you hired professional movers for a reason, so you should know exactly how to split responsibilities between you and your moving team. There are some areas where your help will be appreciated, and some where you should put all your trust in the moving professionals. 

BE A GOOD HOST

This is the first rule of moving etiquette you should try to follow. Remember, moving is hard physical work, so offering some refreshments or adjusting your thermostat to keep things cool indoors is a kind gesture that movers will appreciate. 

We recommend giving movers a detailed tour of your house and each space to highlight the things that need extra attention. Together with movers, you must do a full walk through all the places in your house: rooms, basement, garage, pantry, and attic. This will help to prepare and overcome any challenges the movers are about to face. For instance, it can be seen that some furniture is too big to fit through the door or window. Moreover, during the in-house tour movers can evaluate if hoisting is safe enough.  

DO NOT SURPRISE THE MOVERS

Moving companies plan everything carefully and precisely. They organize moving teams, truck size, and moving time according to the information you have provided. Any major changes can disrupt a perfectly planned moving agenda. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you avoid buying new furniture or other large items prior to the move.

Also, finish all packing and labeling a few days before moving, so the movers will not need to wait for you to finish. If you are unable to finish packing until the movers will arrive, you should inform your moving partner about that no later than two days before the actual move. In this case, movers will be able to re-schedule your move or send additional help to successfully finish your packing tasks. 

Sometimes additional surprises may occur when you pay for your move in cash. For cash payments, make sure that you have enough money to pay for the actual cost of your move. It becomes time-consuming if you need to get to the bank to withdraw additional funds.

AVOID TELLING THEM WHAT TO DO, BUT ALWAYS DOUBLE-CHECK

Keep in mind that movers know what they are doing. They are experienced with fragile items and know-how to safely lift boxes. The rule is simple here: let your movers do what they do best! Instead of being concerned about how movers handle your belongings, try to help them by checking through the rooms one by one to ensure that you have left nothing behind and check if all lights are switched off.  

Please note, as a homeowner you are responsible for a final walk of your home. You need to check if everything is collected before the movers leave. Also, take a look inside a moving truck, to inspect and confirm that your belongings are ready and good to go. Remember, that signing on all required documents should be done only after the final walk and truck inspection. 

KEEP KIDS AND PETS OCCUPIED

While the movers pack your belongings and load the moving truck, make sure your kids and pets stay out of the way. Movers are handling heavy boxes and they need clear doorways to finish all of their tasks without any potentially dangerous situations. 

In this case, kids need some preplanned entertainment such as coloring books, favorite toys, board games, or phones, and pets will do fine in an empty room with food, water, some toys and a litter box or puppy pad. 

STAY AROUND

While it’s important that you let the movers do their job, it doesn’t mean that you leave the site and just wait for them in your new home. Movers might have questions or concerns requiring your assistance. It is important to be on hand to answer them or resolve issues that may come up. 

Pay attention, that most moving companies and insurance regulations require you to stay on-stay, while movers are working. If you have an urgent need to leave for a while, you must leave at least one responsible person on-site to oversee the move or handle tricky situations. Otherwise, be sure they have your phone number if you step out for a while. 

ENSURE HASSLE-FREE ACCESS

You should make sure that the movers will easily access your home to avoid any delays during the move. You are the most familiar with the parking situation on your street and can help us to guarantee that the local or long-distance moving truck will be parked as close as possible to your doorway. Check elevators, hallways, and staircases before the actual moving day.

Also, be outside when the movers arrive to direct them where to park, if necessary. After the moving truck is parked, please do a truck inspection that includes checking if the truck is clean and big enough for your boxes and other belongings to travel safely. 

CLEAN

We know that cleaning is not the most exciting task, but the perfect time to get your house cleaned is when it’s empty. Clean rooms as they are emptied by the movers, so by the time everything’s on the truck, the house will be spotless. 

ARRIVING AT YOUR NEW HOME

Arriving at your new home is exciting, but you should not forget some tasks here too. You need to do a walk-through at your new location and make requests about where to unload everything. Your movers should exactly know, where each box and piece of furniture should go in order to satisfy you. 

And again, doublechecking is a key here! When unloading is finished do a final walk at your new location and check if the moving truck is completely empty. This is the only way to make sure that everything is unloaded as you wished and that nothing is missed or left behind. Then you can sign the documents and let the movers leave. 

#ADDITIONAL TIP

We know that unpacking is a quite long journey, but you should stay patient and avoid panicking during this process. Try to unpack everything room by room, then check if something is missed and write it down. Maybe you will find those things in another box or room? Having a clear list of missing items will help you to have a clear vision of what you lack and where to look for it. Of course, if after finishing whole unpacking process, you are unable to find some very important belongings, then you should contact your moving company. 

All in all, your help during the move is very important because you know everything about each box and corner of your house. The main thing to remember is that your job is to supervise the move and double-check that everything on your moving checklist is completed. Offering refreshments, cleaning up, and being available for any questions will help the day go much faster so that you can get ready to settle into your new home. 

Moving soon? Call the Movers are reputable and reliable movers who can pack and move your entire home. Contact us today and schedule your move with us.