At any stage of your life relocation means a big time for your family, particularly when you move to another state or anywhere out of your city. You’ve spent a great deal of time choosing long-distance movers and have expectations on how they should perform. However, to ensure that the moving day passes seamlessly and headache-free, you have to facilitate the process too. There is a so-called “moving day etiquette”: when parties (movers and a homeowner) follow it, the long-distance moving should pass smoothly — tiny details can make a huge difference. What do long-distance movers expect from you?

What Do I Need to Know about Long-Distance Moving?

Well, movers are on the doorstep ready to load the truck. To guarantee a trouble-free loading process and ensure the crew can perform the job efficiently, you can follow several simple tips.

•         Be available but not annoying. When you hire professional long-distance movers, they do know well what to do. It is pretty normal that you are generally monitoring the loading process. However, do not go too far controlling every single step. The rule of thumb is to let movers know that you are available and where they can find you in case there will be any questions. The crew will definitely appreciate it if you offer soft drinks and snacks. When loading a truck for long-distance moving takes a full day, you can order lunch for the crew. Movers usually bring snacks and drinks with them to have a break but they will be grateful if you will offer a hot meal from a local restaurant or pizza.  
•         Make sure you don’t pack any not allowed items. Ask the hired company for the list of not allowed items in advance. You don’t want to discover something that should be left behind on day X. Typically, all sorts of flammable, explosive, and corrosive substances and items are prohibited for residential moves. Pros do not transport pets and perishable commodities too.  
•         Keep valuable items with you. Seems as a matter of course that documents, cash, bank cards, and jewelry you should keep with you. Add here expensive electronic gadgets and devices. Besides, if you have costly large items (antique clocks or furniture), make sure they are packed securely, inform movers about the special-care items, and buy additional insurance.  
•         Keep small kids and pets off movers’ way. Just for safety reasons. Well, movers are trained for performing their job most efficiently; however, they do not keep in mind toddlers that might happen to be under a heavy couch while it is carried to the truck, or pets that might get stressed with strangers working around the house. To prevent and avoid any injury-risky situations, prearrange babysitter and pet daycare. In most cases, family and friends agree readily to help with kids and pets.
•         Label all boxes properly. Once you’ve arrived at your new place, movers will unload the truck, carrying boxes to the designated rooms. Not labeled boxes will cause confusion as it will be difficult to sort out the rooms. To save time and ensure the safety of some fragile items, label all boxes with a room, contents, and even handling instructions if required (for example, “Fragile” or “This side UP”). The optimal variant is when boxes are labeled on two sides.
•         Pay attention to details. Experienced long-distance movers will remind you to take care of early reservation of a parking place, cargo elevator, easy passage with no obstacles inside the house, etc. When you keep in mind the truck size, the number of movers, and the expected loading time, you can prearrange some aspects of the move to save time on a moving day. Well, if you hire full-service movers, they will take care of floor and door protection to prevent scratches or any other damage; otherwise, you can use foam pads to protect doors and corners, and prepare materials to protect flooring from dirt and damage.  
•         Tipping the crew. The moving industry provides services, so tipping movers is a common practice. When the crew strives to make your relocation smooth and stress-free, you can show your gratitude via tips. The industry standard for a long-distance move is from 10% to 20% of the moving costs.   
•         Politeness. Mutual respect and politeness will trigger a positive response — the crew will try to perform their best to ensure the safest and most efficient way to relocate your family. Small things matter:

–          Kind and friendly greeting and communication

–          Snacks and beverages prepared

–          Bathroom ready (hand towels & liquid soap).  

How Do Movers Want You to Pack?

The first and the most important aspect of a successful long-distance move is that you should be fully packed upon the movers’ arrival. When you plan anything, you like the things to be scheduled and get furious from unexpected delays. The same can be applied to anyone across various business fields. If pros arrive at your house on time, they are unlikely to be happy watching you packing the last boxes.

Actually, delays can be quite costly for you as most contracts usually have notes for homeowners. Besides, precious time will be lost as movers usually plan time for loading the truck. To avoid delays, create a moving checklist and adhere to your schedule.

There are also certain rules to follow while packing:

• Prepare your essentials box and other valuable items that you will take with you. Set them aside. During a busy day, boxes can be mixed and loaded onto the truck by mistake.
• Heavy items should be packed separately — a large box can be too heavy to carry or, worse, can break down.  
• Do not leave anything inside the furniture: empty all drawers. First of all, furniture pieces are heavy enough for carrying. Second, items left in drawers can be lost or damaged because movers do not expect your belongings to be kept inside and unboxed. Particularly bulky furniture can be disassembled and reassembled at your new place.  

When you hire a full-service company, moving specialists will take care of every aspect:

•  A company representative will estimate in-person the size of your long-distance move and the scope of work for packers and movers.
• Packers will arrive a day or two before the arranged move day to box all your belongings. In fact, you should prepare and set the stage to ease the packing stage: set aside an essential box containing all the first-priority items for all family members, such as chargers, medications, baby formula, a change of clothes, etc.
• Packers will bring all the required supplies for packing your stuff. No need to worry about this aspect. Besides, reputable movers always take care of your property and provide floor protection mats and materials for packing items that require special care.