Moving day
What actually happens on moving day (and how to make it faster)
· 6 min read
By Priya Nathan, Customer manager
Even on a fixed-price move, what happens before 9am shapes how smoothly the day runs. Here is how a normal moving day unfolds from start to finish.
7:00am — the walkthrough
The crew leader walks every room with you, including the garage, the shed and the outdoor area. This takes ten minutes and it decides the load order for the whole day. Point out anything fragile, anything not coming, and anything that has to travel in your own car.
Mark the not-coming pile clearly. A room of cartons with no label costs more in questions than it does in carrying.
7:15am — protection goes down
Floor runners, doorway guards and blanket wrap go on before a single item moves. It looks like lost time and it is the reason nothing gets scratched.
If it is raining, this step takes longer and it is not negotiable. Wet feet on a wooden hallway is the most common preventable damage in the industry.
8:00am to midday — the load
Furniture goes on first: wardrobes, beds, whiteware and sofas, wrapped and strapped against the truck walls. Cartons fill the gaps and the fragile ones go on last, on top, never underneath.
The fastest thing you can do during this window is stay out of the carry path and keep one room free as a staging area. The slowest thing you can do is keep packing while the crew waits.
Afternoon — unload and placement
Cartons go to the room written on the label, which is why labelling by room beats labelling by contents. Beds are reassembled first so the day can end even if unpacking has not started.
Before you sign off, walk the truck with the crew leader. An empty truck and a signed inventory is the point where the job is finished, and it is the right moment to raise anything you are not happy with.
