Explore expert moving tips and advice on the Metro Wide Movers website. Benefit from insights from industry professionals to ensure a stress-free and efficient move.
Moving Tips
Moving is hard work. Our moving crews work hard, fast, careful and courteous. If you feel that your movers did a good job, it is customary for them to be tipped. This is, of course, a function of their performance. The amount is up to the customer.
Two Weeks Before the Move
Take care of bank accounts, bills, and stock accounts.
Make special arrangements for transporting CASH, pets, plants, flammables, pressurized tanks, ammunition, and guns.
Contact your insurance company to cancel current home coverage and set up new home insurance.
If you do not have the time to clean, hire a cleaning service. Do not polish furniture because it will make for a slippery grip for your movers and softens the wood making your furniture more susceptible to damage.
One Week Before the Move
Take care of bank accounts, bills, and stock accounts. Arrange for baby and animal sitters on move day at both ends. This is for their safety and the movers’ safety. Transfer prescriptions.
Arrange for delivery (such as newspapers) and yard services to be discontinued.
Dispose of flammable, hazardous, toxic, liquor, pressurized vessels, or paint items that can’t be moved on the truck. Drain gasoline and oil from power tools and equipment such as lawn mowers, weedeaters, edgers, and generators.
Pack your “trip kit” of essential items that will go in your car. These may include your medications, cash, checkbook, toiletries, flashlight, baby food, child care items, pet food, and your moving file.
One Day Before the Move
Unplug and defrost the refrigerators and freezers.
Clean them with a disinfectant and air them out.
Put a box of baking soda or charcoal in them to keep them fresh.
Freezers may be transported fully with some movers.
Disconnect and label TVs, computers, and stereo equipment cables. This will make reconnecting much easier and faster.
Label items that are not to be moved.
If you live in an apartment, park your car at the truckload position to save a good spot for the moving van.
Move Out Day
Have the children and pets out of the house.
Strip the beds and be ready for the mover to dismantle and load the beds. If you break down the beds, cribs, etc., keep the hardware in a Ziplock bag attached to the bed or put it in a dresser drawer of that bedroom.
Be on hand to conduct a walk through the house with the mover so he understands the scope of the move. Answer questions and give directions for the move requirements.
Clean the house, time permitting, or hire a cleaning service for this function in advance.
Move In Day
Know where you want your furniture placed ahead of time. Movers want to place an item one time if possible.
Be on hand to tell the movers which room or where the furniture or boxes go so that they don’t end up in the wrong room and would have to be handled again.
Color-code, name, or number the rooms so that they correspond to the move-out location. This greatly speeds the unloading time and gets the boxes in the right locations.
