7 Things Your Mover Wishes You Knew Before Moving Day
From elevator bookings to that one drawer you forgot to empty - here is what professional movers wish every customer knew before the truck pulls up.
After a few thousand moves across Metro Vancouver, you notice patterns. The same small things go wrong on moving day, and almost all of them are preventable with a five-minute heads-up. Here is what your moving crew wishes you knew before they ring the buzzer.
1. The Estimate is Only as Good as the Inventory
When you "forget" the storage locker, the garage, or the deck furniture during the quote, the bill at the end will not match. Walk the whole house on the phone call. Include the patio, crawlspace, shed, and that one cabinet above the fridge with the punch bowl in it.
2. Empty Every Drawer in Anything With Legs
Dressers and filing cabinets get lifted on their sides going down stairs. A full drawer turns a 60 lb dresser into a 140 lb wrecking ball. Empty them into labelled boxes - the crew can refill them in 10 minutes at the new place.
3. Disassemble Beds and IKEA Furniture Yourself if You Can
Particleboard furniture (BILLY, MALM, KALLAX) usually does not survive a second assembly. If you must move it, leave it intact and let the crew wrap it. Otherwise, take it apart cleanly the night before and bag the hardware.
4. Park the Truck Before the Crew Arrives
If you live on a busy Vancouver street, save a 5-car spot out front the night before with a friend's car or two cones. Every minute the truck circles the block is a minute on your invoice.
5. Pets and Kids Need a Room With a Door
Front doors stay open for hours. Pets bolt, toddlers wander into the truck. Pick one room, close the door, post a "do not open" note. Everyone is safer and the crew works faster.
6. Tell Us About the Heavy Stuff Up Front
Pianos, safes, Peloton bikes, fish tanks, marble tables - none of these are dealbreakers, but they need the right gear. A surprise piano on a third-floor walk-up wrecks a schedule.
7. Tip in Cash if the Crew Earned It
Tipping is not mandatory, but if your crew hustled in the rain for six hours, $20-$40 per mover in cash means more than a Google review (though the review helps too).
Want a crew that does this right? Get a free quote and we will walk the inventory with you up front.
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