Moving guide
Your Week-Before Moving Checklist
Moving day itself is mostly out of your hands once the crew arrives. The week before is where a calm move is actually won or lost, because that is when you decide how ready everything will be when the truck pulls up. A little order in those seven days is the difference between a fast, cheap load and an hourly crew standing around while you hunt for tape.
Seven days out
- Confirm the date, time and address with your mover, and book the elevator if your building needs it.
- Start with the rooms you use least: storage, spare rooms, out-of-season clothing.
- Use up the freezer and pantry so there is less to haul.
- Set aside a clearly marked box of essentials for the first night in the new place.
The last two days
- Finish packing everything except a small overnight bag and cleaning supplies.
- Label boxes by room, not by contents, so the crew knows where each one goes.
- Disassemble bed frames and empty dressers, and clear a straight path from each room to the door.
- Confirm parking for the truck so the crew is not carrying everything an extra fifty feet.
The whole point of the week before is to make moving day boring. If packing on top of everything else is too much, many local providers offer packing help as well as the move itself, so you can hand off the part you dread and keep the rest.
Book the move, and the muscle
Post your move once and local providers respond with their rate. Many offer packing help too, so you can hand off the heavy part.
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Frequently asked
What should I do the week before moving?
Confirm the mover and any elevator booking, pack the rooms you use least first, run down the freezer and pantry, and set aside a marked essentials box for the first night.
How should I label moving boxes?
Label by the room they are going to, not by their contents. The crew can then place every box in the right room without asking, which speeds up an hourly move.