How to Prepare for Movers on Moving Day
You decided hiring a moving company was worth the money. And you were right.
Moving companies take on a huge portion of the hassle for the homeowner. Nonetheless, there are steps you can take to ensure your move is as quick, productive and pleasant as possible for both you and the movers.
When you are shopping for a moving company, ask whether the movers will be responsible for packing and unpacking your things. If you decide to assume responsibility for packing and unpacking yourself, prepare to pack carefully. Use some bubble wrap or blankets for padding because the company will not be liable if anything is damaged or broken.
In addition to packing carefully, make sure your belongings are insured. If you live in an apartment, talk to your building manager because they may require your moving company to have insurance.
Moving companies offer two types of insurance: pound and comprehensive. Pound insurance is cheaper but limited in what it covers. Comprehensive insurance is more expensive but covers everything.
You might also want to take photos of everything you plan to give the mover. If anything goes missing or is damaged or broken, you can make a claim.
Within the week prior to when your movers arrive, tidy up around your house. You do not want one of your movers to trip and injure themselves because your floor was messy.
When packing, organize your belongings into items that will go into the same room of your new home. Use a permanent marker to label the boxes according to what room they will go in.
Before you begin to pack, ask whether the moving company offers boxes. If you decide to provide the boxes yourself, order them in advance and make sure you have enough.
As you pack, check whether you have anything the moving company will not move. Moving companies often will not move certain items because of safety or liability reasons. If there is anything you have that they cannot move, have a plan to transport these items yourself.
If you live in an apartment, talk to your landlord and ask whether you could have the building service elevator reserved. Doing so will spare the movers the time of lugging up and down the stairs, which will also save you money because most movers are paid by the hour.
On the day of the big move, a thoughtful gesture would be to offer your movers snacks. Movers often have busy, compacted schedules and rarely have time to take a lunch break.
Additionally, moving can be very dangerous during the summer when temperatures are at their peak. If you know the day of your move will be a hot day, consider having bottles of water or sports drinks on hand incase someone sucuumbs to dehydration or heat exhaustion.
Lastly, have some cash on hand the day of the move to tip the movers. According to the TLC website, you should tip twenty dollars per person for a full day of work.
