Moving Day Etiquette

Whether you are moving yourself or hiring a professional team, there are a few ways that you can make moving day more enjoyable and smooth for everyone involved. Follow these tips to be a gracious host on your moving day.

Ask for help: Few of us can move an entire house without help. Ask your family, friends, and neighbors to lend a hand. It’s nice to thank them by providing breakfast, lunch, and plenty of tasty snacks and water. You can also hire a local moving company to help with the heaviest or hardest parts of your move.

Designate one truck packer: Packing a moving truck is like an extra large game of Tetris. If you have multiple people moving the controls, chances are things will be left in a mess. Have the entire team work to get your household goods into a staging area, but designate one person to act as the director to get everything into the truck.

Include extra time: Moving almost always takes longer than you anticipated. This is especially true if you have multiple people working and needing direction throughout the day. If you feel crunched for time, it will increase the stress and actually slow progress down. Plan for extra time to keep things going smoothly.

Buy extra supplies: There’s nothing worse than scrambling to find a box or a sturdy rope to tie things down. Helpful extras to have on hand include tie-downs, rope or cord, moving blankets, old towels, and dollys. You can often rent or buy these items when you book your moving truck.

Embrace change: Even the best plan will not be perfect. Some things may break, while others don’t fit the way you envisioned (even if you measured). The reality of moving is that there will be some ups and downs. If you are ready to change your plans as needed, it won’t be such a shock when it does happen.