Hiring a Moving Company: The Day of Your Move

You searched until you found a mover with just the services you need, and moving day is coming fast! What do you need to have ready when the movers show up on the day? Do you help or just stand back? Let’s explore those questions and more.

The Services You Ordered

This article presumes you have already hired a moving company, which means you’ll have agreed to a set of specific services. Check that list, and think about what isn’t covered.

Let’s say you hired a company with basic service. The movers are going to pack your boxes, furniture, and so on into a truck, drive it to your new place, and take all your boxes to the right rooms.

Your job will be to pack everything up in preparation for your move and to clean your home or office. Ask the movers how they recommend packing your goods. They may sell boxes for various jobs, such as to pack dishes, books, and so on. If you want to compare prices, you can always check with local self-storage facilities.

Oh, and to get the boxes where they belong in your new place? Label them! On the label, include the room the items belong in, plus something about what’s in the box. You don’t have to get down to the minutiae. Something like, “Living Room, Books for Shelves,” or “Kitchen, Plates” is enough. However, if you’ve seen the new place and you have specific ideas of where you want things to go, you can get even more specific, such as, “Kitchen, Plates, Bottom Shelf to Right of Sink.”

You may need to do some last minute packing on the day before the movers arrive, such as folding and packing your blankets and sheets, washing and packing the dishes you used for breakfast, and the like.

Alternately, let’s suppose you opted for a full service move. In this case, the movers are going to pack up your belongings for you! Then, they’ll load them onto the truck and drive it to your new place. Meanwhile, a few will stay behind and clean your former home so that your landlord will be happy, your real estate agent will have a beautiful looking place to sell, or the company that owns your former office might remain a good business partner.

At your new place, the moving company will not only bring your items in, they will unpack them, set up appliances, book shelves, and basically turn the place into a home for you, saving you a lot of time unpacking later.

Even if you have full service moving, make sure the movers come into a welcoming environment. Clean up clutter, wash your dishes, and go over the place with a broom and vacuum. This will make packing and moving your goods much easier, and safer, for the crew.

One thing you will have discovered in comparing quotes and companies is that not all moving companies are alike. Some have a larger staff and more trucks. Some pack, load, transport, unload, and unpack everything you own. Some set up your appliances for you and clean the place you’re moving out of. Some only load, transport, and unload.

On the Day of Your Local Move

Let’s get into the specifics of what you can do, assuming you’ve done any packing required, or you have a full-service move, on the day the movers show up. Make a cup of coffee or tea, and relax in your favorite chair—that is, until it’s time for the movers to pack it. Drive to your new place, and meet the movers there. We encourage you to pick up something to eat on the way so you won’t get hungry during the move-in process. It’s best to be there for the movers, in case they have any questions about where to put things. A full-service move means they did the packing and unpacking, and they won’t have specific notes. If they are just moving your boxes in, once they leave, take some time to relax and be happy that you are in your new place! Then, start unpacking. You’ll be busy with that for a few days, no doubt, so remember that the sooner you have everything unpacked and put away, the sooner you’ll truly feel at home.

On the Day of Your Long Distance Move

Long distance moves are trickier, especially if it’s a two day drive or more. There’s a great chance that, even if you’re driving rather than flying to your new location, the movers will lag behind. If you’re driving, bring a few things you know you’ll immediately need with you, like one good chair and your computer. If they can, make sure the local cable company sets up your internet so it’s ready when you get there! Buy some groceries, check out your new town, and make sure you get updates from the moving company as to when they expect to arrive. If you’re flying out, bring your laptop and some books with you. In short, have something to do at your new place while you wait for your movers. Alternately, you could rent a hotel room for a few days and enjoy a mini-vacation. Let’s face it, when relocating, even if the moving company is doing most of the work for you, you could use a few relaxing days. Moving is a big change, and even good changes bring stress. Some time in a hotel hot tub could help you unwind. Moving is a huge, difficult chore, whether you have hired movers or not. We hope that this guide will make your next move easier!