What To Do While Movers Are Moving

A list of what to do while movers are moving and packing your stuff.

Most people hire movers so they don’t have to lift a finger during their move. Someone else does all the heavy lifting while you sit on the porch and sip lemonade? Sounds great!

Not so fast. Hiring movers will take a lot off your plate, but there’s still plenty you should do to help come moving day (and it could even save you money!).

But the reality is that moving day usually arrives with its own list of moving-related tasks that the movers don’t or can’t complete for you. Using a professional moving company does make the process of packing and relocating a lot easier, but there are still a few things you should do to make moving day as easy as possible for everyone.

Here’s what to do when movers are moving and during the entire moving process.

Before the Movers Arrive

Moving day prep starts long before moving day. In fact, most moving checklists start about two months before you actually move out.

While most of the items on these lists are beneficial to you, there are several things you should never neglect or leave to the last minute.

Finish packing

Unless you have contracted the moving company to perform packing services for you, this is a job that you have to do yourself.

Leaving your books and knick-knacks on the shelf, dishes in the cupboard, and clothes hanging in the closet on moving day will not only aggravate your movers, it will make the relocation take much longer than it needs to. Remember, your moving cost will go up the longer the movers are with you so this will help you save money when moving.

Make sure you have safely packed all of your belongings into sturdy moving boxes and containers before the movers arrives.

teddy bear on mattress with no sheets

Strip the bed

As soon as you wake up on moving day, remove and fold your sheets, blankets, and pillow cases so your movers can load the mattress onto the truck and disassemble the bed frame.

Unplug electronics

Even if your movers are taking care of the packing for you, it’s a good idea to disconnect and unplug all electronics and appliances before they touch them. The moving crew doesn’t want to be held liable for messing up your gaming or computer setups, so take care of all of that before they arrive.

Remove excess items

Whether they are packing or just carrying everything for you, the last thing you want is to pay to move things you don’t even want to keep.

As soon as you know you’re moving, declutter your home of any broken, unnecessary, or unwanted items, and trash, donate, recycle, or sell them.

hand with marker about to check "dining room" box on cardboard box

Label boxes

As you’re packing, label your boxes with their destination in the new house so the movers will know where to put them. Don’t forget to label an fragile items, so the movers can load it onto the truck correctly. It’s also smart to designate the boxes that need to be unpacked first (such as pet supplies or your children’s toys) so the movers know to load them onto the truck last.

Label all four sides of the box and the top so the labels are visible from all sides.

Measure furniture and doorways

Don’t assume that your couch will fit through the front door just because “it must have gotten into the house somehow.”

Measure doorways and furniture to see if you’ll need to disassemble certain pieces to get them out of the house. If so, notify the movers when they show up.

 

Pack What Your Movers Don’t Move

Even full-service moving companies can’t move everything for you. Moving companies are prohibited by law from putting flammable, perishable, or dangerous items onto their trucks. (Hey, at least you know it’s not personal!)

Set aside these items in an area labeled “do not pack” (make a sign if you have to) so the movers know to leave them alone. While they’re taking care of everything else, load them into your personal vehicle.

 

Offer Refreshments

While your movers are hard at work lifting heavy boxes, maneuvering couches through the hallway, and managing the stairs while trying not to drop your Grandma’s china, it’s a nice gesture to provide some refreshments to keep them fueled and hydrated.

pitcher and glass of water with mint and lime

Set up a station with bottled water, coffee, and grab-and-go snacks so everyone can stay alert on the big day. A cooler with ice will keep water cold all day and a carafe of pre-made coffee makes caffeinating easy.

At noon, let the crew take a lunch break to refuel. You aren’t obligated to feed the entire crew, but if you want to do so, stick with something easy and crowd-friendly, such as pizza or sandwiches.

 

Keep Kids and Pets Entertained

The energy levels of kids and pets don’t mix well with a house full of movers.

If you can’t arrange for off-site care, make sure they’re kept out of the way. Pets will do fine in an empty room with food, water, some toys, and a litter box or puppy pad, and kids will do well with an iPad, some board games, or even a trip to a nearby park to burn off some energy.

 

Clean

bucket of cleaning supplies

The perfect time to get your house clean is when it’s empty.

If you can, it’s a good idea to get to your new place before the movers arrives to give everything a quick once-over. Do the same with your old place once everyone leaves to make sure it’s move-in ready for the next family.

If you aren’t able to do it ahead of time, clean up each room as it’s emptied. By the time everything’s on the moving truck, the house will be clean.

 

Double Check

Even the most studious packers can overlook a few items here or there.

Check through each room for things that may have gotten left behind. Common hiding spots are dishwashers, medicine cabinets, the drawer beneath the oven, and the attic.

Now is also the time to make sure the fridge and freezer(s) are clean and empty. Your movers will not be able to transport any leftover food items for you, so if there is anything left, trash it or take it with you.

Right before everyone leaves, walk through the house to make sure doors and windows are closed and all lights are turned off. Because this is Florida, DON’T turn off the A/C. A warm, humid environment will cause mold growth, which is not something you want to be held responsible for.

 

Stay Out of Their Way!

While you should definitely point out things like fragile items or tricky staircases, there’s no need to hover over your crew telling them how to pack and move each box. Rely on their expertise and let them do things their way. You hired professional movers for a reason after all. If your movers have a question, they’ll come find you.

Which brings up our next point…

 

Don’t Disappear

Your movers may have a question or a situation that requires your assistance, so don’t drag everyone off to Disney for the day.

Make sure your movers have your phone number, and leave at least one person on-site to oversee the move, handle tricky situations, and (at the very least) pay and tip movers.

 

Conclusion

Hiring a full-service moving company doesn’t mean that you’ll be left twiddling your thumbs. There are several things you can do while the movers are moving to make their job quicker and easier. The main thing to remember is that hiring a quality moving company puts them in charge of the heavy lifting, while your job is to supervise the move and double-check that everything on your moving checklist is completed.

Packing ahead of time, offering refreshments, keeping tiny toes out of the way, cleaning up, and being available for any questions will help the day go by much faster so you can get on with the important business of settling in.

At Cento Family Moving & Storage, we can take care of any full-service moving job, long-distance or local moves as well as last-minute move. Our expert crew has moved families just like yours into homes all over the country and we can’t wait to meet your family, too.

Moving is hard enough as it is. Download our Ultimate Moving Checklist for a step-by-step guide.

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