I’ve been moving people for 19 years. That’s roughly 4,000 moves, give or take. I’ve carried pianos up three flights of stairs, rescued goldfish from tipping tanks in the back of trucks, and once moved a guy who had 47 boxes labeled “miscellaneous” and couldn’t tell me what was in a single one.
I’ve seen people do moves beautifully. I’ve seen people make it way harder than it needs to be. And after almost two decades of hauling couches through doorways that are always two inches too narrow, I have opinions.
Here’s everything I wish every customer knew before we showed up with the truck.
Start Purging Way Earlier Than You Think
I know you’re going to ignore this advice. Almost everyone does. But I’m going to say it anyway because it’s the single biggest thing that separates smooth moves from chaotic ones.
Go through your stuff at least four weeks before moving day. Not two days before. Not the night before while stress-eating pizza and shoving random things into garbage bags.
Four weeks.
Open every closet, every drawer, every cabinet, and every corner of the garage. If you haven’t touched something in a year, it’s not coming with you. That bread maker from 2016? Gone. The exercise bike that’s been a very expensive clothes hanger for three years? Sell it. The seven sets of sheets for a bed you no longer own? Donate them.
Here’s the math that motivates people: movers charge by the hour and by the truck. Every box you don’t pack is a box we don’t have to carry. Every piece of furniture you sell is one less thing we have to wrap, load, drive, unload, and place. I’ve watched customers save $200 to $500 just by doing a proper purge before moving day.
Plus, your new place will feel better without all that dead weight. Trust me on this one.
Pack Like You’re Going to Unpack (Because You Are)
The number one packing mistake I see? People pack to get it done, not to make unpacking manageable. They throw random stuff from three different rooms into one box, seal it with hope and prayers, and write “stuff” on the side with a dying Sharpie.
Then they get to the new place and open 30 boxes that all contain a confusing mix of bathroom products, tax documents, and Christmas ornaments.
Pack room by room. Kitchen stuff goes with kitchen stuff. Bedroom with bedroom. Bathroom with bathroom. Label every box on the top and on at least one side (because boxes get stacked, and you can’t see the top when it’s three boxes deep in a pile).
Be specific with labels. “Kitchen” is okay. “Kitchen: pots, pans, cutting boards” is better. “Kitchen: stuff” is useless. Your future self will thank you when you’re looking for the coffee maker at 7 AM in a house full of boxes and you can find it in under two minutes.
Wrap fragile stuff properly. Newspaper works but it leaves ink on everything. Packing paper is cheap and worth every penny. Bubble wrap the things you actually care about. And for the love of all things breakable, don’t put heavy items on top of glasses and call it a day.
One more thing: if a box is too heavy for you to comfortably carry, it’s too heavy. Period. Your back matters more than saving one extra box.
The Stuff Everyone Forgets
After 19 years, I can predict with almost perfect accuracy what people will forget on moving day. Here’s the greatest hits:
Things still in the walls. TV mounts, curtain rods, shelving brackets, picture hooks. People pack everything that was sitting on the shelf but leave the shelf itself bolted to the wall. Take it all down the day before and patch the holes. Your landlord or the new buyer will appreciate it too.
Things in the yard or on the balcony. Grills, patio furniture, potted plants, garden hoses, that thing you hung up last summer and forgot about. Walk the entire outside of your home the day before the move. You’d be surprised what people leave behind.
The stuff on top of the fridge. I don’t know why, but roughly one in five customers has random stuff sitting on top of their refrigerator that doesn’t get packed until we’re already loading the truck. Check up there.
Chargers and cables. Everyone remembers to pack the laptop. Half the people forget the charger, which is still plugged into the wall behind the nightstand.
The junk drawer. Most people have one drawer in the kitchen that’s full of batteries, menus, tape, random screws, and keys to things they can’t identify. It never gets packed properly. Either sort it before the move or dump the whole thing into a zip-lock bag and deal with it later. Just don’t leave it behind.
Be Ready When the Movers Arrive
I say this with 19 years of patience behind me: please be packed when we get there.
I can’t tell you how many times we’ve shown up at 8 AM to a house where half the stuff is still in drawers, the closets are full, and the customer says “I thought you guys pack everything?” Sometimes we do. But if you booked a loading-and-moving service and not a full-service pack-and-move, we’re expecting boxes and furniture ready to go.
If you’re not sure what you booked, call your moving company the day before and ask. It avoids an awkward (and expensive) situation where we’re standing around while you frantically throw things into boxes.
Other things that help us help you:
Reserve the elevator if you live in an apartment building. Nothing adds hours to a move like waiting for an elevator shared with every other resident.
Clear a path. From your front door to the truck should be obstacle-free. Move the shoes by the door, the bike in the hallway, and the kid’s toys on the walkway. We’re carrying heavy stuff and we need to see where we’re stepping.
Have your parking situation figured out. If we can’t park the truck close to your door, the move takes longer. If there’s a permit needed for street parking, get it in advance. If your complex has rules about moving trucks, let us know before we show up.
Point out the fragile and valuable stuff before we start. That antique mirror your grandmother left you? Tell us about it. The box of vinyl records that’s worth more than your car? Let us know. We handle everything with care, but when we know something is irreplaceable, we give it extra attention.
Moving with Kids and Pets
If you have small kids, the best moving day gift you can give yourself is getting them out of the house. Send them to grandma’s, a friend’s place, or anywhere that isn’t the house full of boxes, open doors, and heavy furniture being carried through hallways. It’s safer for them and less stressful for you.
Same goes for pets. A stressed dog in a house with the front door opening every 30 seconds is a recipe for a runaway pet and a panicked owner. Board them for the day, or at minimum, keep them in one closed room with water, food, and a sign on the door that says “DO NOT OPEN. DOG INSIDE.”
I’ve chased two cats and one very fast Chihuahua in my career. I’d rather not add to that number.
The Things That Break (and How to Prevent It)
In 19 years, I’ve broken very few things, and I’m proud of that record. But stuff does break during moves. Here’s what’s most at risk and how to protect it:
Glass and mirrors. Always use mirror boxes or custom crating. A blanket wrapped around a mirror is better than nothing, but a proper mirror box is the right move. Standing them upright in the truck, never flat.
Furniture legs and corners. Dressers, tables, and bed frames get dinged when they’re not wrapped. Moving blankets and shrink wrap exist for a reason. If your movers aren’t wrapping furniture, ask them to.
Electronics. Original boxes are ideal. If you don’t have them (nobody does), wrap screens with blankets or moving pads and transport TVs upright. Never lay a flat-screen face down in a truck.
The stuff you packed yourself. I’ll be honest here. Most breakage comes from customer-packed boxes. Glasses with no paper between them. A glass vase sitting on top of other fragile items with no padding. One layer of newspaper around a ceramic bowl and then a cast iron skillet dropped on top. Take the extra five minutes to pack fragile items properly. It makes all the difference.
My Last Piece of Advice After 19 Years
Moving is stressful. I get it. You’re uprooting your life, spending money you’d rather not spend, dealing with logistics you didn’t know existed, and doing it all while trying to keep your normal life running.
But here’s what I’ve learned after watching thousands of people go through this: the ones who have the best moving experience aren’t the ones with the most money or the biggest houses. They’re the ones who plan ahead, communicate clearly, and don’t try to do everything themselves.
Ask for help. Hire professionals for the heavy stuff. Give yourself more time than you think you need. And remember that by this time next week, you’ll be in your new place, the boxes will be unpacked, and this will all be a memory.
It always works out. In 4,000 moves, it has always worked out. And if you’re looking for a crew in Central Florida, the folks at Orlando Express Movers are the kind of team that gets it right.