Hiring full-service movers is a great choice when you want a smooth house move from start to finish.
What should you do while the movers are packing and moving your stuff?
Should you try to help out the pros in any way? Or should you just leave them to do their job?
Find the correct answers below so that you can avoid awkward situations and serious misunderstandings when professional movers are packing and moving your household items.
The mere fact that you’ve decided to hire the best full-service movers in your area speaks of your serious intention to have a smooth move from start to finish.
Your choice to use a professional moving company for your upcoming move makes all the sense in the world when you just know that you won’t be able to rely on your friends to help you out.
Moving many miles across the country is another instance when it’s best to hire professionals to pack and move your items – quickly, safely, and hassle-free.
Also, you just may not have enough time to tackle all the tasks that come with a house move, or you may not be mentally or physically ready to go through the ordeal of organizing a self-move.
Whatever the specific reason for using the services of a full-service moving company, it’s a very good idea to know what you’re expected to do when your movers are packing and moving your things.
Are you expected to do anything before the movers arrive?
Should you be actively involved in the move, or should you just leave the professionals to do their job?
Should you be even there while the movers are working on your move?
Avoid seriously awkward situations by knowing what to do while movers are moving your household items.
1. Be ready for your movers’ arrival
The very first thing you want to do is to be well-prepared for your packers and movers. Why?
By being ready for your team of professional movers, you should be able to reduce the overall move time, which automatically means that you’ll pay less money in the end.
Remember that time is an important factor, especially during a local move when the price is calculated on an hourly basis. So, be ready for the pros to cut down on the time they work on your move.
Inventory your entire home and then use the detailed inventory list to purge your home of any unwanted items. Don’t move things that you don’t really intend to use in the future. /Moving Inventory/
Sell, gift, donate, or throw away all the things you’ve decided not to take with you to the new home. When the pros arrive at your home, they should only find the items that they will pack and move.
Pack whatever you can by yourself even when you’re hiring professional packers. After all, books and clothes are relatively straightforward to pack into boxes, right? Unless you really don’t have enough time for that, that is. /Packing Timeline/
Prepare your essentials boxes and keep a watchful eye over them so that the movers don’t take them and load them into the truck by mistake. /Essentials Boxes/
Take down any framed photos and paintings from the walls and pack them up safely.
Photograph how your electronic devices are wired up in the back so that you can reconnect them quickly and safely after the move.
Also, there are a couple of important things to do before movers come to your home: 1) to reserve a parking spot for their moving truck, and 2) to reserve the building elevator for the pros if you live in an apartment building.
Parking space
If you live in a big city, you may need to obtain a parking permit for the moving vehicle so that your movers can park as close to the front entrance of your home as possible.
As you know, parking can be a big problem in bigger cities, so you want to be prepared for the arrival of your moving team.
Keep in mind that if your movers’ truck cannot park close enough to your home, you may be charged an extra fee known as a long carry fee. That standard charge goes for about $100 for a distance of 75 feet from the truck to the home entrance.
If you’re not sure how to obtain a parking permit, speak with your movers – they should know how it’s done.
Building elevator
Remember to reserve the building elevator for your movers.
If you happen to live on the upper floor of an apartment building, then don’t forget to speak with the building manager to reserve the elevator for the day and time when your movers are scheduled to arrive.
This will not only speed up the move but it will also save you money. Why?
If your movers cannot use the elevator to move your things up and down, then they will have to carry your heavy items down or up the stairs – meaning extra time and effort.
Therefore, the moving company is likely to charge you extra for the inconvenience in the form of an elevator charge. The extra fee is around $80 but it can vary from mover to mover.
It’s really important that you should be there at the right time and place to welcome your hired workers into your home. You wouldn’t want your movers to be late, would you? The same goes for you too.
If your movers come and there’s nobody home, they will charge you extra for the idle time until somebody does show up. And if nobody does within a certain period of time, they will most likely go back to their office or head to another address.
Hopefully, that won’t be the case and you’ll be home when your full-service movers make an appearance.
In case you can’t be home at the pre-arranged time for some reason, then you should ask somebody else to represent you in your absence – somebody you can trust, like a family member or a good friend. Keep in touch with that person at all times should there be any issues on the day of the move.
Welcome your movers and show them around the home – they should have a pretty good idea what to do next but it’s your responsibility to tell them everything they need to know before they start working.
What you can do while your movers are working is to prove that you’re a good host and provide the workers with the basic essentials they will need until the work is all done.
Making the professional packers and movers more comfortable in their work will result in a smoother and more efficient move – something that will benefit everyone in the end.
Prepare a bathroom for your movers, equip it with enough liquid soap and disposable paper towels.
Offer non-alcoholic beverages to your workers. Coffee is the standard drink early in the morning while tea can be a good idea when the weather is cold outside. Sodas are rich in carbohydrates and should keep the movers’ energy relatively high. Needless to say, you should always have bottled water for them or at least give them easy access to tap water.
Provide some sort of snacks to your movers, especially when the move is expected to take hours and hours to complete. Professional movers are not robots, meaning that at some point they will start to tire and get hungry. You don’t have to overdo it here – some sandwiches will do nicely. You can also offer to buy them pizza for lunch – a gesture that, in most cases, will be appreciated by the pros.
Consider turning on the air conditioner if the outside temperatures are too high or too low.
It won’t cost you much time or effort to show that you care about your movers’ needs. And besides, you do want to get along with your movers, don’t you?
Another important thing you should do during your full-service move is to do whatever it takes to guarantee the safety of everyone involved in the move. Now, while the professional movers you’ve hired will be responsible for keeping your household items safe and avoiding any type of property damage to the home, you should also do your part when it comes to Moving day safety.
CHECK to make sure that there are no obstacles along the paths that your movers will use to take your household items out of the home. The walkways should be clear of any debris, mud, dust, water, snow, ice, or any other dangers that may lead to accidents. Despite the fact that the hired men should be experienced enough to recognize danger when they see it, it surely won’t hurt if you yourself make that safety check as well.
DO your best to keep small children away from the dangers of Moving day. Ask somebody you trust to look after your children in a safe room where they will be 100% protected until your movers are done packing and moving your things. That way, you’ll be able to concentrate on whatever it is that you’re doing without worrying about the well-being of your little ones.
SEE to it that your dog or cat won’t be running around the house while the professionals are moving large and heavy furniture pieces. Keep any pets you have away from the moving epicenter, ideally leaving them with a neighbor or a nearby friend until the show is over.
One of the conundrums when hiring hired full-service movers is just how involved in the move you need to be – should you offer to help your movers, or should you just stand aside, letting the pros do what they do best?
Just stand aside and watch the pros in action.
Sometimes it’s tough to maintain the right balance, especially when you see complete strangers handling your prized possessions.
The thing is that even if you’ve hired one of the top-rated moving companies in the country, there’s never a guarantee that the move will go smoothly and without any problems whatsoever.
So, what should you do while movers are packing and moving your stuff?
As a rule of thumb, you’re expected to let your movers work but be there in case they have questions for you or in case there are issues that need to be resolved.
However, letting the pros do their work doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t keep an eye on what they’re doing. If you notice that something’s not right, turn to their foreman and explain the problem – in most cases, that should be enough.
If it’s not, then it’s time to contact the moving company directly and tell them that there’s an issue with the moving team that you can’t seem to resolve on your own.
Make a genuine effort to remain calm and level-headed throughout the move. Yes, that’s easier said than done but it’s been proven time and again that getting too emotional is never the best way to solve (Moving day) problems.
What to do while movers are moving your belongings out of your home and loading them into their moving truck?
It’s always a good idea to prepare some money in case you’re really satisfied with how they’ve handled the move from start to finish and you wish to reward their efforts by offering them money in the form of tips.
Tipping movers can often lead to somewhat awkward situations, especially when you’re not entirely sure whether you should do it or not. And if you are, then how much should you tip your movers?
The important thing to remember here is that in no way are you obligated to tip movers. Instead, think about whether you’re happy with their services or not – yes, it’s that simple.
No tips. If your movers did a poor job, then don’t tip them. Maybe they handled your things with disrespect, maybe they damaged some of the items in your home, or maybe they were simply rude and non-professional.
Standard tips. If your movers did a good job, then you should consider tipping them to show your appreciation. How much to tip movers? Offer standard tips to each worker individually, about $5 an hour per mover, or roughly $40 a day per mover.
Generous tips. If your movers did an outstanding job, did more than they were supposed to, or worked under tougher-than-usual conditions, then you should consider rewarding their efforts more generously. $8 an hour per mover is considered a generous tip.
The best thing about hiring a reputable moving company is that you won’t have to do much while they are packing and moving your belongings.
Provided that you’ve done your homework right by 1) contracting one of the best movers in your town or city, and 2) finishing the preparation stage prior to your movers’ appearance, then you can simply take some time off while they’re working and use that time to take care of some last-minute things before moving away.
If the move is scheduled to last for hours, then you can use that time to run some errands as long as there’s someone trustworthy in your home to contact you in case of any problems. Given enough time, you can even meet up with some of your friends for a final goodbye before you move away.
Make sure you are home when your movers are about to finish their job as you’ll have your hands full during those closing stages of the house move.
It makes sense that you should make sure that your walkways are cleaned and free of any obstacles so that your movers can safely do their job. I have been packing my furniture so that I can move to a house that is closer to school, but I have noticed that I have started to pile my boxes in the middle of the hallway. Before I hire movers to help me, I’ll make sure that the hallway is clear.
I need to move this fall, but I really hate how much time it takes to move. I have been considering getting a full service moving company to help me with the process. It is good to knot hat I should think about getting a parking permit for the moving truck they are going to use as well. That seems like it would prevent me from having issues with getting ticketed.
I agree with you when you said that the first thing you want to do is be ready when the movers get to your house. My wife’s cousin is moving and they are still looking for a house removal service. I’ll pass on this tip to them once they find a company to help them move.
I really like how you said that you should see that your pets aren’t running around while they’re trying to move your stuff around. You wouldn’t want them to trip over your animal. Trust me, that happens more than you’d think.
My sister told me that she will move to a bigger house and she wants to take her furniture to the new place. I like how you mentioned that letting the pros do their work doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t keep an eye on what they’re doing. I will recommend her to contact a reliable local moving company to make sure that they will do the right job.
My boyfriend and I are going to move into our newly bought home. That’s why I’m currently searching for a moving company so our belongings will be delivered properly. After we find a mover, we’ll make sure to prepare a bathroom with the movers, and of course, we’re generous enough to provide them with snacks and make them feel comfortable.
Assist your movers by making sure you know where they can park their truck, how they can best access your apartment, and if there are any time limitations on parking or moving hours. Your movers operate on the assumption that this information has been researched, and would be very upset to realize your poor preparation has gotten them stuck with a parking ticket. Much obliged such a great amount for the article!
My family is so excited because my sister is moving back to the same state as the rest of our family at the end of May. She is going to be having a baby in October and wants to be closer to her family while raising her child. Her husband wants to hire a mover to help them out with the process since his wife is pregnant. However, she still really want to help with the moving process. So, I liked your suggestion about how she can help provide snacks for the movers and make sure that there isn’t anything in their way while moving things.
That’s a great idea to take a picture of how your electronics are wired so that you can easily reconnect them at your new home. I am planning to move from my apartment into a house next month, so I have started to pack and purge old items that I don’t use anymore. I will be sure to take some photos of my electronics before packing them.
The part where you mentioned that I should have an inventory list of everything I own so I could sort out any unwanted items will be really useful. My sister and I are planning to move to a smaller apartment because of financial constraints, so we’re not sure if our place can accommodate everything we own. Once we have finalized our inventory and prioritized what should be in our new home, we’ll rent a personal storage unit somewhere in Crown Point where we can safely leave our unused things.
With my mom and I moving to Portsmouth, we are planning to hire movers to make our moving experience easier. Since this will be my first time switching to a new place, I’m glad that I read your article on what to do when the movers do their job. I agree with what you said about prioritizing safety for everyone. I will take note of your advice in making sure that walkways are clear of any debris, dust, etc.
Thank you very much for this good explanation. It’s really a nice and helpful piece of info. I’m happy that you shared this helpful information with us.
I agree with the point about wrangling the pests so they are not getting in the way of the movers and furniture. My brother is moving at the end of the month and is wondering if it will be worth it to hire movers to pack up his stuff and help pack his furniture since they are big pieces. I’ll have to share this with him so he can know what to do if he hires the movers.
I liked that you pointed out that you should be around to help movers figure out where to put things. That does seem like that could help make the process of unpacking a lot easier and faster. That is great for me to know because I need to move later this July.
My sister and her family has been considering moving this July. Thanks for explaining that they will want to make sure that their kids won’t get in the mover’s way. It might also be smart to check that the movers are good with kids and do quick work.
Awesome blog. Nice and informative. Business moving is really a tough job. You have to done all these in a tight schedule. I prefer to hiring a professional movers company who are experienced in such case.
It stood out to me when you talked about moving day safety. My sister wants to find furniture movers to hire. I’ll share these tips so she can use them on moving day!
Thanks for the tip about inventorying your entire house while the movers are there. I think that’d be good for making sure you have everything. Personally, I’d definitely hire movers for any type of move.
Really this is a fabulous post for me to move first time with my essential material to my new destination. To plan the whole household material pack needs some good ideas for that. To finish this purpose I need some pre-step for moving well. Here I get some pre-planning to perform this purpose. Plenty of helping resources you share, thanks.
Thanks for the tip about making sure that there are no obstacles along the movers’ path. My husband and I are hoping to hire movers next month. We’re moving for his new job, and we definitely want some help with everything.
I really like how you talk about the importance of being home to greet your hired movers. My sister is moving house and she wants to hire movers since she has so much stuff. making sure she’s there to greet them will lighten to mood and make everyone happier to be there.
It’s good that you emphasized that doing your part during the move day would be beneficial. As you mentioned, making sure that the path doesn’t have any obstacles would be helpful. I’ll be sure to share this with my sister so that she can keep it in mind as she plans to move out of our house into a place much closer to her workplace. I’ll look for residential movers who can assist her.
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It makes sense that you should make sure that your walkways are cleaned and free of any obstacles so that your movers can safely do their job. I have been packing my furniture so that I can move to a house that is closer to school, but I have noticed that I have started to pile my boxes in the middle of the hallway. Before I hire movers to help me, I’ll make sure that the hallway is clear.
I need to move this fall, but I really hate how much time it takes to move. I have been considering getting a full service moving company to help me with the process. It is good to knot hat I should think about getting a parking permit for the moving truck they are going to use as well. That seems like it would prevent me from having issues with getting ticketed.
I agree with you when you said that the first thing you want to do is be ready when the movers get to your house. My wife’s cousin is moving and they are still looking for a house removal service. I’ll pass on this tip to them once they find a company to help them move.
I really like how you said that you should see that your pets aren’t running around while they’re trying to move your stuff around. You wouldn’t want them to trip over your animal. Trust me, that happens more than you’d think.
My sister told me that she will move to a bigger house and she wants to take her furniture to the new place. I like how you mentioned that letting the pros do their work doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t keep an eye on what they’re doing. I will recommend her to contact a reliable local moving company to make sure that they will do the right job.
My boyfriend and I are going to move into our newly bought home. That’s why I’m currently searching for a moving company so our belongings will be delivered properly. After we find a mover, we’ll make sure to prepare a bathroom with the movers, and of course, we’re generous enough to provide them with snacks and make them feel comfortable.
Assist your movers by making sure you know where they can park their truck, how they can best access your apartment, and if there are any time limitations on parking or moving hours. Your movers operate on the assumption that this information has been researched, and would be very upset to realize your poor preparation has gotten them stuck with a parking ticket. Much obliged such a great amount for the article!
My family is so excited because my sister is moving back to the same state as the rest of our family at the end of May. She is going to be having a baby in October and wants to be closer to her family while raising her child. Her husband wants to hire a mover to help them out with the process since his wife is pregnant. However, she still really want to help with the moving process. So, I liked your suggestion about how she can help provide snacks for the movers and make sure that there isn’t anything in their way while moving things.
That’s a great idea to take a picture of how your electronics are wired so that you can easily reconnect them at your new home. I am planning to move from my apartment into a house next month, so I have started to pack and purge old items that I don’t use anymore. I will be sure to take some photos of my electronics before packing them.
The part where you mentioned that I should have an inventory list of everything I own so I could sort out any unwanted items will be really useful. My sister and I are planning to move to a smaller apartment because of financial constraints, so we’re not sure if our place can accommodate everything we own. Once we have finalized our inventory and prioritized what should be in our new home, we’ll rent a personal storage unit somewhere in Crown Point where we can safely leave our unused things.
With my mom and I moving to Portsmouth, we are planning to hire movers to make our moving experience easier. Since this will be my first time switching to a new place, I’m glad that I read your article on what to do when the movers do their job. I agree with what you said about prioritizing safety for everyone. I will take note of your advice in making sure that walkways are clear of any debris, dust, etc.
Thank you very much for this good explanation. It’s really a nice and helpful piece of info. I’m happy that you shared this helpful information with us.
I agree with the point about wrangling the pests so they are not getting in the way of the movers and furniture. My brother is moving at the end of the month and is wondering if it will be worth it to hire movers to pack up his stuff and help pack his furniture since they are big pieces. I’ll have to share this with him so he can know what to do if he hires the movers.
I liked that you pointed out that you should be around to help movers figure out where to put things. That does seem like that could help make the process of unpacking a lot easier and faster. That is great for me to know because I need to move later this July.
My sister and her family has been considering moving this July. Thanks for explaining that they will want to make sure that their kids won’t get in the mover’s way. It might also be smart to check that the movers are good with kids and do quick work.
Really appreciate your work. You provide such an authentic piece of information. keep it up and make posts like these.
Regards!
Awesome blog. Nice and informative. Business moving is really a tough job. You have to done all these in a tight schedule. I prefer to hiring a professional movers company who are experienced in such case.
It stood out to me when you talked about moving day safety. My sister wants to find furniture movers to hire. I’ll share these tips so she can use them on moving day!
Thanks for the tip about inventorying your entire house while the movers are there. I think that’d be good for making sure you have everything. Personally, I’d definitely hire movers for any type of move.
Really this is a fabulous post for me to move first time with my essential material to my new destination. To plan the whole household material pack needs some good ideas for that. To finish this purpose I need some pre-step for moving well. Here I get some pre-planning to perform this purpose. Plenty of helping resources you share, thanks.
Thanks for the tip about making sure that there are no obstacles along the movers’ path. My husband and I are hoping to hire movers next month. We’re moving for his new job, and we definitely want some help with everything.
I really like how you talk about the importance of being home to greet your hired movers. My sister is moving house and she wants to hire movers since she has so much stuff. making sure she’s there to greet them will lighten to mood and make everyone happier to be there.
It’s good that you emphasized that doing your part during the move day would be beneficial. As you mentioned, making sure that the path doesn’t have any obstacles would be helpful. I’ll be sure to share this with my sister so that she can keep it in mind as she plans to move out of our house into a place much closer to her workplace. I’ll look for residential movers who can assist her.