How to Prepare for Moving Day

Before Moving Day

Finish this list and you are ready. Every unfinished item here becomes crew time on the clock — preparation is the cheapest hour of your move.

• Every box packed, taped, and labeled with its destination room
• Parking for the truck reserved or cleared at both addresses
• Freight elevator reserved with your building (we send the COI — tell us 48—72 hours ahead)
• Washer, dryer, and fridge ready — tell us at booking so disconnection is planned; gas appliances need a licensed tech beforehand
• Anything you are disassembling yourself, done — beds and standard furniture we handle as part of the job
• Special items flagged to dispatch in advance (piano, safe, pool table — see below)
• Building rules confirmed: dock hours, hallway protection, insurance requirements
• Payment squared: your written quote states the deposit and how the balance is paid
• Documents, meds, and valuables set aside to travel with you — not on the truck

The Night Before

Ten minutes tonight saves an hour tomorrow.

• Phones charged, chargers in your overnight bag
• Last boxes closed — nothing left “to finish in the morning”
• Refrigerator emptied and defrosting if it moves
• Parking spots protected (cones, a parked car you can move, a neighbor warned)
• Valuables, keys, and documents in one bag that stays with you
• Overnight bag: clothes, toiletries, meds, kids’ and pets’ essentials
• Building access re-confirmed for the morning
• A safe, closed room picked for pets during loading

When Your Crew Arrives

Here is exactly what happens — no guesswork.

• Introductions. The crew captain introduces the team and confirms the plan.
• Walk-through. You walk the home together — what goes, what stays, what is fragile.
• Inventory confirmed. The captain matches what they see against the quote; changes are discussed before loading, not after.
• Fragile items discussed. Point out anything irreplaceable now, not at the truck.
• Truck position reviewed. Shortest safe carry path wins.
• Destination confirmed. Address, access, elevator, timing.
• Protection goes down, loading begins. Floor runners, door jambs, pads — then the clock earns its keep.

During the Move

• You do not need to lift anything — that is the point of hiring us.
• Stay reachable; questions come up and quick answers keep the clock moving.
• Plans changed? Tell the crew captain the moment you know.
• If something is NOT supposed to go on the truck, say so immediately.
• Keep children and pets clear of doorways, stairs, and carry paths.

Before the Truck Leaves

The #1 cause of callbacks is something left behind. Sweep once, together.

• Every room, every corner
• Closets — including the high shelves
• Garage and carport
• Attic and crawl space
• Storage rooms and units (unlocked!)
• Cabinets and drawers
• Outdoor items: hoses, grills, planters, door mats
• One final lap with the captain — then the truck rolls

At Delivery

• Walk the new home with the captain first — before anything comes off the truck.
• Tell the crew where furniture belongs by room; labeled boxes route themselves.
• Inspect fragile items as they are unwrapped.
• Confirm appliance placement before the crew leaves.
• Check the load against your inventory — everything off, nothing missing.
• Final walkthrough with the captain; note anything on the paperwork before the crew leaves. That record is what a clean claims process runs on.

What We Bring

Included with every crew — you do not need to rent or buy any of this:

• Moving blankets and pads
• 2-wheel and 4-wheel dollies
• Shrink wrap
• Ratchet straps
• Basic hand tools for standard disassembly and reassembly
• Floor and door-jamb protection where the home needs it

Need boxes and packing done too? Packing help prices onto the same quote.

Want to see exactly what the crew shows up with? Our guide to the equipment every LIOO crew carries walks through the full kit stage by stage, and it lives in our moving resources library along with this one.

What Should Travel With You — Never on the Truck

• Medication
• Wallet and keys
• Passports and birth certificates
• Jewelry and small valuables
• Laptops and chargers
• Children’s essentials
• Pet food, leashes, carriers
• Anything irreplaceable that fits in your car

We also cannot transport hazardous materials (fuel, propane, paint, chemicals), firearms or ammunition, live plants, animals, or perishable food — plan for those to travel with you or be handled separately.

Moving-Day Questions, Answered

If the office gets asked something more than a few times, it lives here.

Common Mistakes That Increase Your Bill

Hourly billing means every avoidable delay is money. These are the ones we see:

• Packing while the crew waits — the single biggest one
• Blocked or unreserved parking = long carries
• No elevator reservation = crews standing in a lobby
• Loose household items that need boxing on the clock
• Unlabeled boxes = every box becomes a question
• Not deciding what stays vs. goes before the walk-through
• Locked storage units or rooms nobody has the key to
• Appliances not ready to move

Special Items — Flag These in Advance

These are all moveable — they just need to be planned, not discovered on move day.

• Pianos — dedicated handling; uprights routine, grands need a site check.
• Gun safes & heavy items — weight and stairs decide the crew; see heavy-item moving. (Firearms and ammunition themselves travel with you, not on the truck.)
• Treadmills & gym equipment — fold/disassemble per model; flag it and we plan it.
• Aquariums — tanks move empty and dry; fish are live animals and ride with you.
• Appliances — see the disconnection answer above.
• Artwork, mirrors & glass — wrapped and moved separately; oversized pieces may need crating priced per item.
• Antiques & heirlooms — careful-handling process — and decide full-value protection before the job starts.
• Pool tables — slate tables are disassembled, moved, and reassembled through our heavy-item service.
• Hot tubs — outside our service policy; we will say so up front rather than improvise.

If Something Changes

Exactly when to contact us — and when the crew captain is the faster answer.

• Running late? Call the office immediately.
• Adding items? Tell the crew captain before loading begins.
• Building moved your elevator slot? Call the office — we will re-sequence the job.
• Need to reschedule? Call as soon as you know; your deposit stays fully credited toward your move.
• Something on this page did not answer your question? That is a real gap — call, and we will fix the page too.

Ready to put dates on this? Price your move in about 2 minutes.