Move day, hour by hour
Move day runs on a rhythm, and knowing it in advance takes most of the tension out of the day. Here is the order things happen in, what the crew is doing at each stage, and what you should be doing at the same time. The sequence is fixed; the clock is not, since your arrival window comes from your booking.
First thing: before the truck pulls up
The hour before the crew arrives is entirely yours, and it is the hour that determines how the rest of the day goes.
- You: clear a walking path from the farthest room to the front door and out to the curb.
- You: take up doormats and loose runners so floor protection can go down on bare floor.
- You: get kids and pets settled somewhere else, or behind one closed door with a sign on it.
- You: clear the driveway and check the street. If the truck cannot get close, the carry gets longer.
- You: put your documents, keys, medication, valuables and chargers in one bag and keep it on you.
- Crew: loading pads, dollies, straps and floor protection at the yard, and driving out to you.
Arrival: introductions and the walkthrough
The first thing that happens is a conversation, not lifting. The crew lead walks the whole house with you, including the garage, basement, attic and shed, so there are no surprises three hours in.
- Crew: introduces the lead, confirms both addresses and the plan for the day.
- Crew: walks every room with you, notes what is going, what is staying, and anything oversized or fragile.
- Crew: notes existing damage, tight turns, low ceilings, loose steps and the parking situation at the other end.
- Crew: lays floor protection, pads the banister and protects door jambs on the route.
- You: point out the things a stranger would not know. The drawer that falls out. The table that is older than it looks. The box that must ride upright.
- You: say clearly which items are not going, and put a sign on them if there is any doubt.
The long stretch: wrap, disassemble, load
This is most of the day and it should be uneventful. Furniture gets padded and wrapped where it stands, beds and tables come apart, and the truck fills in a deliberate order rather than in the order things reach the door.
- Crew: pads and stretch-wraps furniture, protects corners and glass, and bags hardware with the piece it came from.
- Crew: loads heavy and square items low and forward, builds tiers, fills voids so nothing can shift, and keeps fragile and awkward pieces for the top.
- Crew: loads last whatever needs to come off first at the new place.
- You: stay reachable and answer questions quickly. Most delays on a move are a question waiting for an answer.
- You: keep the last-morning kit going. Water and coffee are appreciated and cost nothing.
- You: do your final sweep once rooms are empty, before the truck closes up. Closets, cabinets, the dishwasher, the washer and dryer, behind every door.
Between addresses: the drive and the paperwork
There is usually a gap between the truck leaving and the truck arriving. Use it rather than following the truck.
- Crew: secures the load, closes up, and drives the route. On a long-distance job this is where the day changes shape and timing gets discussed with you directly.
- You: get to the new place ahead of the truck if you can. Unlock, prop, find the light switches, check the parking.
- You: read the paperwork before you sign it. The bill of lading is the contract for the load and it is worth two minutes.
- You: put a sketch or a sign on each room door if the room names are not obvious. It saves a hundred questions during unload.
At the new place: unload and placement
Unloading is faster than loading, and it is the point in the day where your labelling pays off or does not.
- Crew: protects floors and door jambs at the new address before anything comes in.
- Crew: carries boxes to the room written on them and places furniture where you point.
- Crew: reassembles what was taken apart and reattaches the hardware that was bagged with it.
- You: stand where you can see the door and call the room as each item comes past. Decide once, not twice.
- You: check big items as they land. Moving a wardrobe six feet later is a much bigger job than moving it now.
- You: keep an aisle clear. A hallway stacked with boxes slows everything behind it.
The last hour: check, sign, done
Do not let the day end with the truck simply driving off. The last fifteen minutes are the ones that prevent problems next week.
- Crew: walks the truck with you to show it is empty, then walks the house room by room.
- Crew: collects pads, protection and debris from the route, and confirms the reassembly is done and stable.
- You: open the boxes marked fragile that matter to you, while the crew is still there.
- You: raise anything that looks wrong now, on the spot. Most of it gets solved in the moment.
- You: confirm the paperwork matches what was agreed before you sign off and settle up.
Know the day before you book it
Every move gets an arrival window and a walkthrough. Start with a free quote and there are no surprises left for the morning.