Proper Etiquette for Moving Day
My Gran used to tell me, “manners maketh man” in her lilting Scottish accent. Her general point was that it never hurts to be polite and often makes things go a lot smoother. Let’s face it, moving is stressful and possibly even emotional if you are leaving friends and neighbours behind.
On moving day you have hopefully made it through all the packing, organizing, and cleaning. Now the big day has arrived, it’s time to load up and move out! Since you have followed our advice and everything is ready to go, you can focus on the actual moving proceedings. We find that there is a certain and use certain etiquette when moving that can help the day go as positively as possible for all involved.
First off, respect your Neighbors, let them Know You’re Moving
People hate surprises and your neighbours like any of us appreciate a little heads up if there is going to be disruption, noise and possibly a really large moving truck in their life, even if it is only for a few hours. If you politely make your neighbours are aware of the move, they are likely to be more understanding you’re blocking a driveway, blocking off a lot of the street parking space or blocking off the elevator.
Try to avoid blocking walkways with the truck, it’s not always an option, but where you can, it is usually appreciated. People love their lawns so try and avoid putting stuff on others people lawns and if you must then try to fix any dits or minor damage that may have been done. People like their sleep too so don’t move so early that you are waking people up. If possible schedule the move around midday when people are at work, and fewer individuals will be inconvenienced by what is happening at your new home.
Try to be as considerate as possible.
Our team are professional and will do their best to create minimum disruption, but it’s not always easy. If it’s possible and there are options, you can help us by making sure to avoid parking anywhere that is inconvenient for neighbours. Ensure there is access for neighbours to drive on the road. If it will be a difficult or lengthy move, it’s usually appreciated if you let individuals know ahead of time so they can plan for it.
Determine the Truck Parking Beforehand
Find out where the appropriate place to park is at the new home. If moving to a house that shares a driveway, there may be specific rules to follow. Many cities have parking laws you must follow, or you risk a fine or being towed, so check in advance if you need permits or special signs or markers. Most apartment buildings have a designated loading zone and possibly specific elevators that they want to be used for moving. Contact your building superintendent and make sure you know about the size of the truck being used and approximately how long you expect to need elevator access etc. If you are in a larger building it’s a good idea to find out if anyone else is moving that day too as this can really complicate matters and put a premium on cooperation and organization. for your truck.
Be there for your movers but let them do their job!
Being organized and ready to move is one of the most important and appreciated things you can do for your movers. They will appreciate it and you will too as being organized make things go more quickly and will help avoid any potential delays or unforeseen costs. Your movers are experts at moving an packing items, but they may have questions about contents, specific items etc. make sure you are readily accessible in case they need a quick answer.
If you are moving during winter or if the weather forecast is terrible, do what you can to minimize hazards. Applying salt or grit to the driveway and or sidewalk to avoid an icy slip and possibly injury is a good idea. On a rainy day offer towels and ponchos to the movers and always a flask of hot coffee or fresh water is an appreciated courtesy to those doing an outstanding job for you.
Did we mention “be organized”? Are your boxes labelled and ready to go? Label them with the rooms they will go into and be sure to indicate if there are fragile items in the box. Doing so allows the movers to load more quickly while being aware so nothing is damaged. It will also make it easier for unloading if the movers know where things need to go, so if you know the location of an item in the new residence indicate that too.
Leave the moving to our team of professionals and deal with your neighbours respectfully and politely, keep a sense of humour and try not to get stressed. We move hundreds of families per year, and they all get where they need to be, safe and sound!