Moving day has its own rhythm. The crew arrives, the home is walked through, furniture begins to disappear behind protective wrapping, and before long the truck is being loaded.
For someone who has never worked with professional movers before, it is not always obvious what happens next or what the customer is expected to do.
Knowing how a professional moving company usually handles the day makes it easier to stay organized without managing every detail yourself.
Moving day mainly involves coordinating access, confirming arrangements, protecting belongings, loading efficiently, and making sure everything reaches the right place.
Jump to:
- Preparing Before the Movers Arrive
- What Happens When the Moving Crew Arrives
- Preparing Large Furniture for Moving
- What to Keep With You on Moving Day
- Coordinating an Apartment Move
- What to Do While Movers Load the Truck
- Final Checks Before Leaving Your Old Home
- Unloading at Your New Home
- Completing the Move
- FAQ'S
- Planning Ahead for a Smooth Moving Day
Preparing Before the Movers Arrive
Any packing arrangements should already be clear before the crew arrives. Belongings scheduled for professional packing can remain accessible, while items already prepared for transport should be organized so the movers can begin work without unnecessary delays.
Make sure hallways, stairways, and entry areas are clear enough for boxes and furniture to pass through.
Confirm that the property is accessible and that any arrangements affecting the start of the move are still in place.
Someone should also be able to provide access to the destination property when the truck arrives. A delay at either end can interrupt the schedule.
What Happens When the Moving Crew Arrives
The crew will usually begin by reviewing the home and confirming the scope of the move.
This walkthrough gives the movers a chance to see the furniture, boxes, fragile items, stairs, doorways, and other conditions that will affect loading. It also gives the customer an opportunity to point out anything that needs special attention.
Items such as artwork, mirrors, antiques, televisions, oversized furniture, or unusually delicate pieces should be identified before loading begins.
White Glove Moving & Storage handles full-service relocations that can include professional packing, furniture preparation, specialty-item handling, storage, and delivery coordination.
On moving day, having these responsibilities established in advance helps the crew follow a clear plan instead of making major service decisions while the truck is being loaded.
Preparing Large Furniture for Moving
Large furniture usually requires more preparation than boxes because it has to pass safely through doors, hallways, staircases, and elevators.
Furniture Disassembly and Preparation
Beds, tables, shelving units, sectional sofas, and other pieces may need to be partially disassembled before they can be moved safely. Professional movers typically determine which parts need to come apart and which can remain assembled.
During disassembly, the crew can keep hardware and removable components organized so the furniture can be reassembled properly at the destination. Shelves, legs, glass panels, and other parts may also be packed separately when necessary.
Furniture surfaces are normally protected before the piece leaves the room.
Mirrors, Televisions, and Fragile Pieces
Large fragile items need their own handling plan. Mirrors, glass tabletops, framed artwork, televisions, and similar pieces should not simply be treated like ordinary furniture.
Depending on the item, professional packing materials or custom crating may be appropriate. These decisions are best confirmed before moving day so the necessary materials and preparation are already part of the moving plan.
What to Keep With You on Moving Day
Some belongings need to remain personally accessible because they may be required during the move or immediately after arrival. Keep items such as:
- identification, important documents, and moving paperwork
- medications and essential personal items
- house and vehicle keys
- phones, laptops, and chargers
- wallets, jewelry, and other valuables
- basic clothing and toiletries needed right away
Items that should remain with you can be placed in a clearly designated area before the movers arrive. This reduces the chance that they will accidentally be loaded with everything else.
Coordinating an Apartment Move
Apartment moving days often involve more logistics because the movers are working within rules established by the building as well as the moving plan itself.
Reserving Elevators and Loading Areas
Some buildings require a service elevator to be reserved for a specific period. Others have designated loading docks, entrances, or parking areas that moving crews must use.
Building management may also require advance notice before movers are allowed inside.
Managing COIs and Building Requirements
In New York City and many surrounding apartment markets, property managers may request a Certificate of Insurance, often called a COI, from the moving company.
The document generally needs to meet the building's requirements, so this should be handled before moving day rather than when the crew reaches the lobby.
Buildings may also have rules for protecting hallways, floors, elevators, or other shared spaces. Knowing these requirements ahead of time helps prevent access problems when the move is already underway.
What to Do While Movers Load the Truck
Customers do not need to follow movers from room to room or direct every box that leaves the home.
Professional crews work most efficiently when they can follow the loading plan while the customer remains available for questions.
You might from time to time have to determine if an item is moving, remaining where it is, being put into storage, or needing to be placed in a special way. Although it is useful for an item to be reachable, continuous supervision is usually not required.
Final Checks Before Leaving Your Old Home
Once loading appears complete, walk through the entire property.
Look inside closets, cabinets, pantries, utility rooms, and built-in storage. Check basements, garages, balconies, attics, sheds, and any other areas where belongings may have been stored away from the main rooms.
Take care of any remaining property-related details, such as securing doors and windows or following building, lease, or closing requirements.
Finally, confirm that you have the keys, documents, and personal items that are traveling with you before the truck departs.
Unloading at Your New Home
At the destination, the process works in reverse, but unloading requires more direction from the customer.
Movers need to know where furniture and boxes belong. Clear room designations make placement faster, especially in a larger home where repeatedly deciding where each item belongs could slow the process.
Placing and Reassembling Furniture
Larger furniture is usually placed according to the customer's instructions. Pieces that were disassembled for transportation can be reassembled when that service is part of the move.
It helps to know the general location of beds, dining tables, sofas, desks, and other large pieces before they enter the room.
Boxes do not need to be unpacked immediately to be organized properly. Delivering them to the correct rooms prevents bedrooms, kitchens, and living spaces from getting mixed together.
Completing the Move
Once unloading is nearly complete, the crew can finish any remaining furniture reassembly and confirm that the planned services have been completed.
This is also the natural time to settle final placement questions or clarify anything related to the move before the crew prepares to leave.
If the move includes inventory or other completion paperwork, the crew leader can review the relevant documents with you. With the main work finished, you can then turn your attention to settling into the new home rather than continuing to manage the moving process.
FAQ'S
Pets are generally more comfortable in a secure area away from open doors, unfamiliar people, and heavy furniture being carried through the home. Their location should also prevent them from entering hallways or loading areas.
Professional movers modify their methods of handling in light of the present circumstances. When it is raining or snowing, they will need to give extra attention to the entrances and the areas people walk on, and serious weather or unsafe travel conditions can have an effect on their scheduling.
Perishable food should generally not remain inside a refrigerator that is being transported. The appliance may also require preparation before moving, so the requirements for the specific refrigerator should be confirmed in advance.
Any belongings that were not included in the original moving plan should be discussed with the crew before they are loaded. Additional items may affect the amount of space, handling requirements, time needed, or other details of the move.
Keeping electricity and other necessary utilities available until loading is complete can be important for lighting, elevators, powered entry systems, and other parts of the move. Utility shutoff timing should also account for any requirements connected with the property or building.
The length of a move can change because of access conditions, elevator delays, traffic, weather, the amount of furniture preparation required, or other circumstances that become clear during the day. Leaving some flexibility around other appointments can make an extended schedule easier to manage.
Planning Ahead for a Smooth Moving Day
A successful moving day depends less on constant supervision and more on good preparation before the crew arrives.
When the various parts are in place, moving day becomes a series of coordinated actions rather than last-minute decisions.
The team then has the opportunity to concentrate on dealing with the belongings, while the customer can remain available to answer any occasional questions and look after the personal and property matters associated with leaving one home and moving into another.
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