Moving Day Advice: What to Do While Movers Are Moving

If you hire professional movers, you can sit back and let them take charge on moving day. But that doesn’t mean your work is over, far from it. Knowing your responsibilities during the move can help make the day go more smoothly.

Be there

First and foremost, you need to be at your home on moving day. If you can’t be onsite, find someone who can: a friend, neighbor or family, but it should be someone reliable and trustworthy. Confirm they will be present the entire day, available to answer the movers’ questions, and perform the tasks listed below. If there’s a situation that needs your attention, that person should also be able to contact you.

Provide parking instructions

Before the movers arrive, find out where they can park. If you live in or are moving to a single-family home, likely the movers will pull into its driveway. However, HOAs may have rules about where and how a moving van can park. Find out before moving day. Likewise, if you are moving to or from an apartment, you’ll need to know where the moving van can park. Ask the apartment’s managers. Are you moving into a building with street parking? You’ll need to reach out to the city for guidelines.

On moving day, be outside when the movers arrive to direct them where to park, if necessary. While you should have already given the company instructions about parking, that information may not have been passed on to the driver.

Clear the path

Again, before the movers arrive, walk the route they will take from all possible exits—including the front door, garage door and backyard gate—to the moving van. Move any obstructions, such as the garden hose or kids’ toys. If it is snowy, shovel the snow; if it is icy, spread salt. Sweep or blow away any leaves, broken branches or debris along the path, too.

During the day, one of the most important things you can do is keep these routes clear. Movers may not always be able to see the path ahead of them, especially if they are moving large appliances or pieces of furniture. They may even need to walk backward to assist with heavy and awkward items. So making sure their route is safe should be a priority.

Give them a tour

When the movers arrive, greet them at the door, and give them a tour of the home. Point out any items you think might be particularly challenging or ones that need extra attention. If you sectioned off a no-pack zone, be sure to point it. You might even move those items you plan to move yourself to a room you can close off. Tape a sign reading “Do Not Pack” on the closed door.

During the tour, include restrooms the movers are welcome to use and where they can get water and refreshments (more on that later). End by showing them all the exits to the home, so they know their options when moving items out. Please point out any potential hazards they may encounter using these routes to and from the house to the moving van.

Be a good host

When the movers arrive, offer them something to drink. The movers may appreciate coffee in the morning, especially on cold days, but otherwise, bottled water will suffice. You may also want to have snacks on hand, like granola bars or trail mix. At mealtime, offer to buy pizza or sandwiches. It’s not only a kind gesture, but if the movers don’t have to break to go somewhere for lunch, they can get back to work sooner.

Additionally, it’s a good idea to set up a washing station in your bathroom with liquid soap and paper towels. This way, the movers can wash up before meals or after moving something particularly dirty, like items from the garage.

Needless to say, if it’s hot outside, adjust your thermostat to keep things cool inside. You may even consider setting up some fans to keep the air moving. On winter days, do just the opposite, and turn the heat up if it gets too cold with the doors open.

Keep the kids occupied

While the movers pack your belongings and load the moving van, be sure your kids stay out of the way. If you can, ask a neighbor or relative to watch them. Otherwise, put together a bag of activities—coloring books, favorite toys, books to read, playdough and crafts—to keep them occupied. Then, break up the day with a favorite movie or video game. Handheld devices like tablets are an option, too.

The same goes for pets. Plan on boarding your pet for the day. It will be too easy for them to escape with the doors and gates open. Or, ask a friend if they can keep your pets at their house for the day. At the very least, close your pets in their crate or kennel. Make sure they have plenty of water and take them outside for breaks. If moving overlaps mealtime, don’t forget to feed them.

Be available for assistance

Professional movers know how to pack your belongings and large items to avoid damage. Even when tempted to help—resist the urge. Stand back and let them do their job. Instead, be on hand to answer questions or resolve issues that may come up. Be sure they have your phone number if you have to run an errand, step out to get lunch or talk to a neighbor.

When they finish loading the moving van, make sure they have the correct address of your new residence and directions to get there. Then, if you feel inclined, tip them. While not expected, a tip for a job well done will be appreciated. The standard tip is $20 per person for an 8-hour day, but you can tip more or less as you see fit.

What to do if you packed

For the most part, your responsibilities on moving day are the same whether you pack your belongings or hire movers to do it for you. The major difference is you’ll need to have your boxes completely packed and labeled by the time the movers arrive. Also, specify which room the box belongs in at the new house.

You’ll also want to organize the boxes so the movers can easily access them. Clear walkways so the movers don’t have to dodge boxes as they navigate the house on the way to the moving van.

Moving soon?

Moving can be a lot of work. So let someone else do it for you. Moving.com has an extensive network of reputable and reliable movers who can pack and move your entire home. You just need to be available on moving day to answer questions and help with the details and logistics.