The difference between a smooth move and one that doesn’t often comes down to what happens before the crew arrives. Preparation is the part you control.
A well-prepared home loads faster, so the crew spends less time on your job and costs stay closer to the estimate. Working with a reliable moving team ensures your preparations align with the moving process for maximum efficiency. Here’s what matters.
Pack Before the Crew Gets There
This step sounds obvious, but it’s one of the most common issues crews encounter on move day. If packing is still in progress when the movers arrive, the job takes longer, and you pay for that extra time.
If you hired a packing service through us, we handle this as part of the job. Our team at Best of Utah Moving and Storage schedules packing as a separate crew task so your move day timeline stays on track.
If you’re packing yourself, the goal is to have everything boxed, sealed, and labeled before your scheduled start time. That includes the items you were planning to pack at the last minute.
Stage Boxes Near Exits
Once boxes are packed, where you put them matters. Boxes stacked in the middle of a room or back in closets extend load time because the crew has to move them twice: once to reach items behind them, and again to move them out.
Stage packed boxes as close to the front door or garage as your space allows. Group them by destination room so the crew can load the truck in an order that makes unloading logical. If you have a second floor, getting boxes down to the ground level before the crew arrives saves significant time.
Clear the Pathways
Before the crew gets there, walk every route they’ll take: through the hallways, down the stairs, out the door, and to the curb. Remove anything that narrows the path or creates a tripping hazard, including:
- Furniture that shouldn’t be moved
- Shoes near the door
- Rugs that bunch up
- Anything stored in stairwells
A clear path is faster and safer. Our crew will bring floor runners to protect your floors during the move, but you should clear any items that would block a walkway beforehand.
Disconnect Appliances in Advance
Refrigerators, washing machines, and dryers need to have water lines disconnected before the crew can move them. If you’re not sure how to do these tasks safely, ask when you schedule your move and get guidance before move day, not on it.
Here’s what to prepare for each appliance:
- Dryers: Disconnect and coil the vent.
- Refrigerators: Empty and defrost if there’s any ice buildup.
- Dishwashers: Shut off the water supply line and, ideally, detach the drain hose.
Leaving appliance prep until move day adds time and can complicate things if you don’t have the right tools on hand.
Set Aside What You’re Moving Yourself
Some things shouldn’t go on the truck. Before the crew arrives, pull these out and place them somewhere clearly separate from everything being loaded:
- Medications
- Important documents (passports, lease agreements)
- Valuables
- Anything you’ll need in the first few hours at your new place
A box by the door labeled “goes in my car” works well. What doesn’t work is figuring out mid-move that your house keys are in a box already on the truck.
Flag Parking and Access Issues Early
In Salt Lake City neighborhoods, parking access for a large moving truck isn’t always straightforward. Narrow streets, restricted parking zones, permit-only areas, and HOA rules about truck access can all complicate load-in and load-out.
If you know there’s a potential issue at either your origin or destination address, flag it when you book. If you’re moving into an apartment building or a property with managed access, confirm whether your building management requires any documentation or advance notice for the moving crew.
Confirm What Needs Special Handling
Certain items move differently from standard furniture, including:
- Pianos
- Large safes
- Hot tubs
- Treadmills and other heavy specialty items
If you have any of these, make sure they’re on your quote, and the crew knows about them in advance. The same goes for antiques, large mirrors, artwork, or anything fragile that needs specific wrapping. Surprises on move day slow things down. The goal is for the crew to show up knowing exactly what they’re walking into.
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