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August 26th, 2025
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Tips on Preparing for the Arrival of Movers
May 20, 2025
Image: Freepik
When the moving team arrives to your house, they will try to pack your belongings into the truck as fast as possible and set off to the desired destination. However, if you fail to prepare properly, the specialists might need more time to fulfil their duties, and you might feel more stressed too. The challenge will be twice as high if you need to relocate large items, such as a pool table, and fragile ones, such as works of art. This article will explain what you should do to ensure a hassle-free interaction with the team before a local or long-distance moving.
Step 1: Book a Reliable Moving Company
Only reliable and established businesses can deliver what they promise, even if something goes wrong at the last moment. In particular, you can be sure that the team will arrive exactly at the appointed time. If a truck that was supposed to carry your things breaks down, the managers will find an alternative one. Just to compare: if you opt for a cheaper and lesser-known moving company, the team might fail to turn up at all, and the broken truck might fail to be replaced because all vehicles are booked months in advance.
If you don't need to move out of your house urgently, you might be more flexible about unexpected changes. But what if you rent your accommodation and need to move out quickly? Or, if you sold your old house to a new owner and have to leave without delays? Plus, there can be work commitments or other tasks that don't allow postponing.
In a nutshell, to ensure everything goes as intended, contract a credible moving company, like ours. We are an established brand in our niche, and we have all the necessary licenses and permits. Our clients eagerly recommend us to their acquaintances and leave positive testimonials about us — feel free to check dedicated websites with reviews to find out what people think about our business.
Step 2: Pack Properly
You can choose between three options:
- Pack things yourself
- Ask movers to pack your things and provide them with supplies
- Ask movers to pack your things and bring the supplies with them
The assistance of movers will involve a surcharge. It will be higher if they will need to bring the supplies with them. The good thing is that you'll be able to focus on higher-priority duties, such as work or taking care of your family members.
If you have free time to pack your things yourself and prefer to cut down expenses, prepare this set of tools and materials for each room:
- Sturdy boxes of various sizes
- Permanent markers to label the boxes
- Packing tape to secure the boxes, preferably with a dispenser
- Ziplock bags for small objects that might get lost inside a box
- Packing paper and bubble wrap for fragile things
- Furniture covers and padding materials to protect chairs, tables, and so on
If you want to provide the supplies for the movers yourself, ask them in advance what they will need.
Disadvantages of Non-Standard Size Boxes
Here are the standard sizes of boxes that are created especially for moving purposes:
- Small — 17 in x 11 in x 11 in, or 1.19 cu ft
- Medium — 21 in x 15 in x 16 in, or 2.92 cu ft
- Large — 27 in x 15 in x 16 in 3.75 cu ft
- Heavy-duty large — 27 in x 15 in x 16 in
Put heavy objects in small boxes, books in mid-sized ones, and lightweight things in large boxes.
Nearly anyone has empty boxes at home, such as the ones from Amazon delivery. However, it would be a mistake to use any random boxes for moving. First, they can't carry that much weight. Second, their sizes contradict the principles of efficient packing. Professional movers know how to handle standard-sized boxes — but it will take them more time and effort to figure out how to locate non-standard ones inside the truck. This can incur extra expenses for you.
Step 3: Measure Your Belongings
Large furniture, paintings, pianos, and other items might fail to fit into the doorways and corridors. If you feel suspicious about a specific object, measure it in advance and check all the possible obstacles on your way. Inform the movers before they arrive so that they can think of possible solutions — for instance, temporarily replace the door trims or look for alternative routes, such as windows.
If you fail to warn the movers, they might need more time to transport your things into the truck. This can cost you extra. In some cases, the team will need to invite additional specialists with them or bring dedicated tools.
Step 4: Think of Your Pets
If you have a pet, it might run away through the door that the movers will keep always open. Here is what you can do to prevent it:
- Hire a pet sitter. You can ask a third-party professional to keep an eye on your pet, or encourage a friend or family member to do so. Bring the pet to them one day before the move, and don't forget about the animal's favorite toys and items to drive down its stress level. It's important that your favorite creature feels familiar scents in an unknown location — they can come, for example, from a blanket that you had in your old home.
- Create a safe space. If your pet will remain in your home while the movers will be working, let it stay in the most remote room. Keep the room's door always closed.
- Consider a pet gate if there is no dedicated room for your animal in your home. This will reduce the pet's anxiety and drive down any risks that might take place.
- Prepare a bag with food, water, toys, and other items that your pet will need on your way and upon arrival.
For pets, moving can be even more stressful than for you, because they don't understand what's going on. However, if you feel positive and confident, they will share your vibes, and it will make them happier.
Step 5: Protect Your Home
If you hire a reliable company, movers won't damage the hallways, stairs, or anything else on their way. They won't leave marks or scratches on the surfaces. However, dirt is inevitable, especially when it's rainy or snowy outside. Put tarps or other types of coverage on your doorway and wherever you find necessary. If the weather makes your walkways slick, apply salt to prevent the movers from falling down. Plus, consider insuring both your new and old house before you move out of the latter.
Step 6: Obtain the Parking Permits
Skip this step if there is enough empty space around your house. However, most homeowners and tenants lack this advantage and need to purposefully book a parking lot. It can be a challenge to fit a large truck into narrow streets without previous preparation, so please sort this issue in advance.
Step 7: Put Some Cash in Your Wallet or Pocket for Tips
If you are happy with the quality of service that the movers provide, give tips to them. Normally, it should be around 5% of the total cost. If you relocate not so far away from your previous house, it will be enough to give $20 per mover. If the move is long-distance, $35 per person will be a fair reward. If the way that you need to cover is particularly long, consider tipping $70 or more, depending on the circumstances.
See: The Intersection of Fintech and Real Estate: How Innovation is Rebuilding the Foundation of Property Transactions
Some clients tip movers as soon as they arrive. Others do it at the stage of saying goodbye. It's up to you to decide what to do. Probably, the second option is more reasonable because it enables you to modify the amount of the reward proportionally to the quality of the delivered service.
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