You’ve found your dream home and your move-in date is fast approaching. Yet, will you be prepared when your moving company arrives? Moving is often a stressful and chaotic experience, but knowing what to do throughout this process can help ensure that things go as smoothly as possible.
While hiring professional movers will make the moving process a lot simpler for you and your family, there are still steps that you can take to make things easier for both you and your movers when the big day arrives. If you will be moving soon and plan on hiring a moving company, keep reading as we take a look at the top 10 things your movers want you to know about moving day that can help ensure this process is stress-free for everyone involved.
1. Be Ready When Your Movers Arrive
Unless you’ve decided to pay for a full-service move (where your movers pack everything for you), you will want to make sure that you are ready when your movers arrive. This means not only having all of your items in boxes, but also making sure that the boxes are labeled, sealed, and ready to be loaded onto the truck when your movers walk through the door. If you are still putting things in boxes when your movers arrive, this will slow down your move as your movers will have to stand around while you finish packing. Additionally, if you are moving locally and paying your movers by the hour, this extra time will cost you. Instead, ensure that you are ready to go when your movers arrive so that everything goes smoothly.
2. Make Sure You Know What Items Can’t Be Moved
Each moving company has different policies on what items they will and won’t move. Many moving companies won’t move plants, pets, drugs/medication, and some won’t transport lawn equipment that use gasoline. As you start packing your belongings, make sure that you review your moving company’s policies so that you know what they will be moving, and what you will need to pack separately and set aside so you can move it yourself. Knowing what your moving company won’t move will prevent any surprises when moving day arrives, and it will give you time to make other arrangements for moving these items.
3. Plan to Have Someone Present
Hiring a moving company is the most efficient way to transport your belongings, as movers have the experience to quickly and efficiently load up your belongings and get them to your new home. However, there is often a misconception that since the movers are doing all the work, you don’t need to be there when they load and unload your belongings. While movers are happy to be left alone, as this allows them to work efficiently with minimal interruptions, they may have questions for you throughout the day. This makes it important that you or another responsible adult is always present during the move to assist the movers as needed.
4. Only Help If Asked
As you watch the movers grab boxes and lift heavy furniture, you may be tempted to pitch in and lend a hand. We get it, it can be hard to just stand there and watch your movers work without helping; however, it’s best to just stand aside and let your movers work. The fact is that your movers are experts and know how to pack up your house as efficiently as possible, and they have a method for loading the truck to ensure everything fits and your belongings are safe. If you start grabbing boxes and loading them onto the truck, this could do more harm than good. While you should stay close in case your movers have questions, try not to hover, and don’t help unless your movers ask you to. Remember, you hired your movers to make things easier for you, so it is okay to just watch them work.
5. Carry Important Items With You
Moving can be hectic, and it is easy to forget what box you put things in or where a specific item ended up. This is why it is essential that you keep important items such as cash, jewelry, medications, passports (and other forms of identification), and small electronics on you. This will make it easier to keep track of your most important belongings, preventing you from having to frantically search through boxes to find them.
6. Make Sure Boxes Are Clearly Labeled
To make the moving process as easy as possible for everyone involved, you should also clearly label each box with its intended destination in your new home. This will make the process of unpacking much easier, as everything will already be at its destination when it’s time to settle into your new home. Additionally, this will significantly speed up and simplify the moving process, as you won’t have to constantly tell your movers where to put each box.
When labeling each box, it is also essential that you clearly label any boxes that contain fragile items. The last thing that you want to see when unpacking is that one of your prized possessions was damaged during the move, so make sure to label fragile boxes clearly and on multiple sides so your movers will transport them with extra care.
7. Empty Your Drawers Ahead of Time
When packing up your belongings, don’t forget to empty large pieces of furniture such as dressers, armoires, hutches, and desks. While it may seem simple for the movers to just move your dresser with the drawers still full, this can make the dresser heavy and more difficult to carry, posing a safety threat to movers. Furthermore, emptying all of your drawers and packing these items separately is the best way to keep your belongings safe during transport.
8. Reserve Elevators and Parking Spots Before The Move
If you live in and/or will be moving into a building with elevators, try to reserve an elevator for your moving day. Not only do many buildings require you to make elevator reservations in advance of a move, but doing so will speed up the moving process as your movers will not have to wait for their turn to use the elevator each time they come back with more boxes. You should also find out if you need to reserve a parking space for the moving truck to ensure that your movers have easy access in and out of the building.
9. Keep Kids and Pets Out of The Way
Moving day can be hectic under the best circumstances, however, if you have pets or small children, this can create additional challenges for your movers. The last thing that your movers want to worry about is your children or pets getting hurt as they’re moving around heavy furniture, appliances, and boxes. To keep everyone safe and happy on moving day, try to arrange to have someone else watch your kids and/or pets during the move so that they are out of harm’s way.
10. Consider Tipping Your Movers
While not required, tipping your movers can be a great way to show your appreciation if they went above and beyond to ensure that your move went as smoothly as possible. Of course, you may feel awkward or uncertain about tipping if you aren’t sure what’s appropriate. As a general rule, tipping 10% of the total cost of the move is considered appropriate and can go a long way in making a mover’s day.
While moving can be an overwhelming experience, hiring a moving company can make this process much simpler. If you are in the process of moving, feel free to contact us to learn about our moving services as well as for more tips on what you should do to prepare for moving day.
