Recently my parents made their big move and came to me for my moving labor expertise. One of their main questions was what should be done in order to be prepared and not only save money by saving time, but make the job easier for the movers. I did not realize how many tips I had in mind until I suddenly had verbal diarrhea regarding the topic. So here’s to hoping these tips also end up helping you on your big day!
1. Be Fully Packed
Life happens, we get it! You may have to work full time, or have extracurricular activities that take up your time, but plan accordingly. Have a set time each day where you just pack, so that on move day you are ready to rumble! Nothing slows movers down more than having to wait until items or boxes are available to them throughout the move.
Of course this is not true if you hired movers to pack, this is only if you are expecting them to just load. Be sure to discuss your expectations before booking on what services the movers are providing, so that both you and the movers are prepared.
2. Label Boxes (Accurately)
I cannot stress this enough, not all boxes will be fragile or able to be top loaded. The way you label your boxes will dictate how the movers will pack your truck, so do not expect mover liability if you forgot to label a box correctly, causing movers to place it incorrectly. Yes, these are professional movers, so they will also keep in mind the physical weight of the boxes and size, but it is a shared responsibility, and yours is labeling the boxes.
3. Disassemble Furniture
One part of every move that is time-consuming is having to assemble and disassemble customer’s furniture. If you can, try to do this step yourself, little by little as you pack your home. This will save so much more time as movers are able to just load the truck or unload and go. This also includes appliances, try to disconnect/reconnect them without the mover’s help and, if possible, also have these items readily available to just load.
4. Move Items Closer to the Exit
This is pretty self-explanatory, the less the movers have to go through the house to find items and try to then dictate where to put the items in the truck, the more time you will save. When all items are in different rooms, movers may not see an item that may better fit the part of the load they are working on, and possibly cause them to have to rearrange items multiple times.
If you have items in one large room of your home (the closer the main door the better), you will not only give them less walking time, you will also allow them to see all the items needing to be loaded at once, allowing them to make a better game plan. Now please do be mindful of access conditions, do not block any exits or make it harder to get to larger items.
5. Have Your Truck Nearby
One big factor that plays into completion time is carrying distance, the longer the distance the longer the move. If you do not live in a house where your parking space is included, try to ensure you secure the closest parking space possible. This is usually harder with storage containers and freight companies, but just be vigilant and try to save a space for them if possible.
If your city or development requires a parking permit for your moving van or container make sure you stay on top of the process, so there are no delays on the day of the move.
6. Payment
Go over payment method with movers before your date of service. Know if they accept cash/credit or maybe even checks to prevent any hold-ups at the end of the move.