A lot of work goes into preparing for moving day—finding a new apartment or house, cleaning and packing up your old space, hiring movers, and more. But when your moving day arrives, what can you expect? We’ll go over tips for moving day, including how to prepare the morning of; how to get your old place ready before the move, rent a truck, and work with movers; and what to do when you arrive in your new home. Lastly, we’ll discuss how to deal with a few unexpected moving scenarios to help you prepare for your moving day.
Table of Contents
Moving Day Morning
On the day you’re moving into your new house, be up early! You have a lot to get done, and tasks can take longer than you think. Still, don’t skip the essentials: make sure you stretch and have breakfast. You’ll need the energy for your big day!
Check the weather early on, especially if you’re moving in the winter, to make sure it won’t interfere with your drive. In the morning, you might want to make yourself a moving playlist to keep you motivated. Also, pack some snacks and drinks to keep you running throughout this jam-packed occasion.
Most importantly, take a deep breath and stay flexible—moving day can come with surprises, but you’ve got this!
Before You Leave
After setting some groundwork, you’re ready to prepare your old place for the move. By moving day, you should be mostly packed—but you probably have some items like bedding, toiletries, and valuables left to go.
Gather up these remaining items. Pack an overnight bag with the essentials that you’ll need for the first night in your new home, and make sure you have any valuables or important documents with you.
In addition, you’ll want to have some items like a toolkit and cleaning supplies on hand. The toolkit will come in handy when you’re disassembling any remaining furniture—and reassembling it at your destination.
You’ll want the cleaning supplies to do some last-minute cleaning in your old place. Before you leave, wipe down surfaces, and sweep and mop the floors. One other moving-day tip is to do a final walkthrough of your old space to make sure you haven’t forgotten anything. In addition, make sure you’ve turned off your heat, locked up the place, and returned your keys.
Renting A Truck
Many people choose to hire movers to make their moving day less stressful. However, hiring movers comes with a cost. As a result, you may decide to rent a moving truck and take care of the moving on your own.
If you decide to rent your own truck, plan to make your reservation at least two weeks in advance of the move. Make the reservation at least an hour before you think you need the truck, and double how long you think your move will take.
Alongside the upfront cost of the truck rental, plan to pay for gas, taxes, and tolls. In addition, when you’re estimating your driving time, add plenty of time for stops and traffic. This time will add up fast if you’re moving across the country.
Your truck rental will probably be cheaper if you can return the truck to the same place that you rented it; however, you can rent a truck in one state and return it in another.
Finally, take care when loading the truck to put sturdy items on the bottom so that your more fragile boxes don’t get crushed.
Working With Movers
Luckily, even if you hire movers, there are several options to save money. You may wish to hire a labor-only moving company like UniMovers. Labor-only movers will do the heavy lifting for you, but you’ll need to provide your own truck.
You can also hire full-service movers. This type of company is the most expensive, but the movers will take care of transportation for you, as well as packing, loading, and more.
If you’ve hired movers, take some steps to make their job easier, such as clearing hallways and unplugging appliances. Once they arrive, they’ll probably do a walkthrough of your place to make sure they know what they’re moving and where it will go. Consider offering them hot or cold drinks or snacks, depending on the weather, and show them the bathroom!
Speaking of the bathroom, make sure you pack a roll of toilet paper in your overnight bag. This is commonly overlooked on moving day!
Stay out of the movers’ way as they load your belongings, and know how long it will take them to do so; depending on the size of your property, this can take anywhere from 2 to 4+ hours.
After You Arrive
After you arrive in your new home, get your items unloaded. Have your movers put your boxes in the correct rooms. Thank your movers, and consider tipping them if you’re satisfied with their services.
If you’re a renter, walk through your new home to check for damages. Take pictures of any damages to document them, and let your landlord or property manager know!
Also, do some cleaning before you unpack. Start from the top and work your way down; dust and wipe off surfaces before you take care of floors.
Now, your moving day is almost over; take some time to relax!
When you’re ready, you can start unpacking. Expect to spend a while setting up in your new place; unpacking can take anywhere from a day to over a month, depending on the size of your space!
What-Ifs
Looking to move soon?
Check out UniMovers and save 30-50% on your move as compared with traditional moving!
What If Your Movers Are Late?
If your movers are late, contact the moving company. Slight delays are common, and the company should let you know when to expect movers. In the meantime, try to finish other tasks like cleaning.
If the movers will not show up in time for your move, you may need to find another moving company or make arrangements to stay somewhere overnight. Having a plan B ahead of time will alleviate some of the stress should this situation actually arise.
What If The Truck Rental Isn’t Available?
Prepare for your moving day by reserving your truck well in advance. In addition, show up earlier in the day to claim it. But even taking these steps, some people might reserve a truck and find that one isn’t available. In this situation, ask the rental company to direct you to a nearby location with availability or to provide compensation.
Still, you may need to make other arrangements to move your belongings. One tip for moving day is always to have a backup plan in case you can’t move the day that you want to.
What If The Truck Rental Gets A Flat Tire?
Many truck rental companies will have a number you can call for roadside assistance with your truck. You may wish to ask your rental company beforehand for their policy on mechanical issues in transit.
What If The Weather Is Bad?
If there’s bad weather on the day of your move, remain flexible: the weather might pass and allow you to move. Still, if you’re moving during an unpredictable time of year, come up with a contingency plan in case you need to postpone your move by a day. In the case of a winter move, take precautions such as stocking your vehicle with blankets and water, and bringing salt and shovels to keep your walkways clear.
Conclusion
Now, you know how to ace your moving day. Some key tips for moving are to be up early and have a good breakfast. Finish last-minute packing and cleaning, know how to rent a truck, and get ready for your movers. Once you arrive at your new home, check for damages, and clean the area before you start to unpack. Lastly, know how to deal with a few unexpected scenarios that can arise during the move.
FAQs
On your moving day, get up early, and eat a good breakfast. Do last-minute cleaning and packing, and get ready to meet your movers. Make sure you lock your door and turn in your keys!
After you arrive at your new home, inspect it for damages and do some cleaning before you begin unpacking.
Sophie Pollack-Milgate has a day job as a research assistant. In her free time, she likes to read 10% of the library books she checks out, complain about how either ice or heat are ruining her runs (depending on the season), and modify recipes beyond recognition.
