If you can afford to hire a moving company when your family relocates, by all means, you should. Trying to move yourself, even with the help of some friends and/or family members, is ultra-stressful, incredibly time-consuming, and the biggest of logistical headaches. Money spent on movers will save you not only time and physical labor, but also on stress and hardship on your belongings. But movers aren’t magicians: you can’t just walk out the old house with no preparation and expect to saunter over to your new home in the blink of an eye. In fact, there are things you can and should do to help your movers. These tips are not just out of common courtesy, but meant to save you money.
Make sure the path is clear.
Before the movers arrive, you should have already dealt with any impediments to a safe and clear path to your front door and garage. This includes making sure the moving truck has ample street parking space or plenty of driveway area, and clearing ice from all walkways. This is not only the considerate thing to do, but it is likely to save you money since it cuts down on the company’s time on your job.
Measure once, measure twice.
Before moving day, you should have measured the clearance of both your front door and that of your new home’s one to make sure all large furniture will fit. This is accomplished, of course, by also measuring large pieces. Think couches, custom bookcases, any furniture that you assembled within the home (like any IKEA furniture), dining room tables, and overstuffed mattresses. This list is by no means exhaustive. Nothing is a bummer like finding out on moving day that your 4K TV can’t get down the hallway. This is also a waste of movers’ time that should be spent moving things you know can fit.
Plan ahead for your family.
Movers can’t do their job with little kids and pets underfoot. You should, far in advance, have a plan for the smallest members of your family so that they can not only be out of the way, but feel safe and not stressed by the chaos of moving. Ideally, a pet sitter and a visit to Grandma’s house would remove pets and kiddos from the scene entirely until they can be securely moved to their new home with all their familiar belongings there, but if this is not an option, you should close off one room for your family and not allow anyone else in there.
