Feeling flustered, like you can’t get a grip on how to make moving day easier? It's time to get down to the essentials. Moving can either be exciting or overwhelming. If you haven’t prepared or organized all the necessary things to do on moving day, just thinking about it can be downright stressful.
Even if you feel like a deer in headlights, don't worry. We’re narrowing down the many things you need to do on moving day to just five essentials. Stay calm and organized with these top five moving day must-do’s!
1. Empty Your Furniture Drawers
Ever try to move something full that’s heavy even by itself? (Yeah, calling it ‘heavy’ is an understatement.) Imagine how much lighter and easier to move it would be if those items were removed and packed separately. Why make a dresser heavier than you have to? That’s exactly why clearing out your drawers is a great idea.
Emptying drawers will relieve unnecessary weight and add these benefits:
- Make it easier to load heavy furniture on a dolly or truck
- Speeds up your move to save time
- Reduces the chance of breaking or scratching furniture, floors, or walls (and having to pay any damage fees)
- Is much safer to transport without risking injury
- Items can't get damaged inside the shifting drawers when in transit
- You have an opportunity to declutter when you remove & pack items separately
Some people start planning their move months in advance. Whether you’ve done the same or are packing last-minute, do you really want to risk injuring yourself, your furniture, or the movers? No matter if you hire one of our 3 Men Movers crews, or are moving alone, remember that emptying your drawers is one of the most important things to do on moving day!
2. Prepare & Disconnect Appliances
Most apartments and rentals provide tenants with in-unit washers, dryers, and refrigerators. However, if you brought your own with you, you’ll probably have to prepare these appliances for moving by yourself.
How to prepare appliances for moving day:
- Remove food/ supplies from the compartments in each appliance
- Clean your appliances thoroughly—especially the fridge shelves!
- Keep the owner’s manual available at your starting and ending addresses
- Read instructions for disconnecting & reconnecting appliances
- If not hiring movers, wrap items with thin blankets or shrinkwrap to prevent scuffs
The key here is prepping appliances at least 24 hours prior to your move. Remember that certain appliances—especially refrigerator units—need time to defrost. That can take up to a day, so start early!
It’s also a good idea to clean your dryer vent when you’re moving. Not cleaning it is actually a fire hazard. And, let’s be honest, when will you ever think to do that again, anyway?
3. Do Your Laundry Before Moving Day
It seems like this would be a given… But we’ve seen quite a few stunning things during our 30+ years of moving! While it should go without saying, packing dirty laundry with your clean dishes or other items in the same box is a terrible idea.Yes, it’s unsanitary. And having to do laundry after a long day of moving is also a massive inconvenience, especially if you don’t have immediate access to a working washing machine.
One of the most important things to do on moving day is your laundry. (And, try to do it 1-2 days ahead.) You can rest easy knowing that every piece of clothing you unpack is ready to be put away. Plus, any towels used to wrap delicate dishes can be placed in the linen closet or used after your refreshing, post-move shower!
Doesn’t that sound nicer than dealing with dirty underwear when you just want to relax?
4. Label Boxes With Items for Each Room
Labeling keeps you organized and helps your movers work swiftly. And we don’t mean simply scrawling FRAGILE in red marker on one side of a box… After all, movers will be stacking and loading your boxes on a truck. They must be able to see your labels from any angle they glance.
Make it a part of your packing process to label efficiently. It may take a bit more time upfront, but it certainly makes your move day run smoothly.
Use these labeling tips to make moving day easier:
- Label each side of your boxes with either a quick sketch or words of what's inside
- Use red for boxes with fragile items & add lots of padding
- Write a number or room where each box will go at the destination
- Tag what’s in each box (e.g. dishes, glassware, ceramics, etc.)
- Color-code or number your box labels for each room
It is so much easier to know what items are in each box because it would be difficult trying to find your dishes without labels on your boxes. We’ll definitely recommend you label your boxes when moving with us. This way, our crews can move quickly, knowing exactly where to take each box instead of constantly asking you.
4. Keep a Bag With Easy-to-Grab Essentials
Many people are under the impression that moving will only take a few hours.
Truth is, how long moving takes depends on a lot of different factors: if you have kids or pets to care for, if lots of furniture needs disassembly, how many floors you have, if you can reserve parking spots or elevators, how many things you own, if you’re already packed or need movers who pack for you, any time restrictions to move out, and more.
Moving will most likely take the entire day, especially if you have multiple bedrooms or lots of things to pack and unpack. So if you get hangry easily, need to take medication at certain intervals, have children or pets, or simply need to stick to a tight timeline, it’s crucial to pack a bag of essentials on moving day.
How to prepare for moving day with an essential item bag:
- Leave out what you’ll use the night before and morning of your move
- Add all daily medications, vitamins, utensils, portable snacks and water
- Bag your cosmetics and toiletries immediately after using them
- Use a sturdy bag that closes, plastic bags can rip too easily in transport
- Charge handheld electronics and put them in waterproof cases inside your travel bag
- Add pillows and blankets to your essential bag in case your move runs long
Read Next: Best & Worst Ways to Pack Ahead For a Move
5. Choose the Perfect Timing
Of course, how you move is important. But your move won’t be nearly as carefree if you don’t consider when you move. One of the biggest things to do on moving day is to get your timing right. Timing your move can be difficult because of all the different elements that can arise. However, if you realize something might interrupt your move (like major road construction, heavy rain, or a school event that runs late), get in touch with your movers right away.
While sudden issues will require last-minute workarounds, creating a solid plan is still one of the most vital things to do on moving day. Always have a backup plan if possible, and don’t be shy to ask your hired movers about their own backup plans, too. Whether you are moving out of state, city, or just to the other side of town, it’s better to plan ahead rather than plan as you go.
Wrapping Up
See? With a little organization and prioritization of these simple tasks, you can make your move day much less stressful! These moving day to-dos will not only help you prepare yourself and your belongings, they’ll help your movers work faster. Save yourself some time, money, and stress by following these essential things to do on moving day.