Moving Day
Simple planning and a few calls ahead of time will prevent moving chaos
Planning ahead
- Reserve your movers at least three weeks in advance as they tend to get booked up, particularly at the end of the month.
- Have a garage sale for unwanted items or donate them to charity. One reader made arrangements for a women’s shelter to pick up miscellaneous items that she couldn’t drop off herself. Visit charityvillage.com and look for the Non-profit Neighbourhood under Volunteer/Donate.
- If you live in an apartment, reserve the elevator for moving day.
- Arrange for pets to stay with a friend or at a daycare.
 Packing reminders
Moves are smoothest when you have everything packed and ready to go at least the day before:
- Label your boxes. List the contents, which room they came from and where they are supposed to go. Label each side of the boxes so you can see what’s in them when they’re stacked up.
- Clearly mark fragile boxes in red.
- If possible, count the number of boxes the movers have when they leave and do it again when they arrive.
- Dispose of unwanted hazardous and flammable items. Have a waste disposal company pick them up. Visit ec.gc.ca/eco for a local company.
- Set aside personal items like jewellery, cash, important documents and things you’ll need immediately in your new home and take them yourself.
- Wrap furniture with stretch wrap or drop cloths to avoid accidental stains.
- Pack the bottom of cartons with a cushion of crumpled newspaper to absorb bumps and shocks.
- Before placing items in cartons, make sure they are wrapped well in newspaper.
- Pack cartons with like-sized items in the same layer.
- Put heavy items on the bottom of cartons. Never pack a carton heavier than 50 pounds.
- Reuse cardboard cartons and consider using storage containers with wheels, handles or hanging rods to move your clothes or personal items. They'll come in handy in your basement or storage locker.
Moving etiquette
- Clean up your old place after movers have left. This includes sweeping, dusting, vacuuming and wiping down grimy surfaces.
- Never leave items behind. The only acceptable things to leave are toilet paper, a broom, cleaning supplies and a bottle of champagne for the new homeowners.
- Don’t leave a pile of old furniture and garbage on your front lawn. If no one wants it, arrange to have it taken to a dump.
- Defrost the refrigerator and wipe clean.
- Leave the lights off.
- Turn the furnace down.
- In a rental, unless otherwise negotiated, return the space back to its original condition. Put back original hardware, light fixtures and switch plates.
Choosing a mover
The best mover is one recommended by a friend, family member or coworker. Moving scams are not uncommon. Check out potential movers by visiting their offices. Ask how long they’ve been in business, and check to see if they are a member of the Canadian Association of Movers (CAM, mover.net).
Important: Contact the Canadian Council of Better Business Bureaus (CCBBB, canadiancouncilbbb.ca) to see if the company you are considering has any negative incidents on its record.
Three degrees of moving
Full Service Movers $$$ A company like Tippet-Richardson will move you anywhere in North America. Go online, input your info and get a free quote. It also offers White Glove service ($$$$), where movers pack everything for you, then unpack and unwrap it at the other end.
Benefit: Requires the least amount of work on your part.
Drawbacks:
1. If you didn’t pack it, you might not know where to find it.
2. The high price tag.
 Man-With-a-Van Plan $$
At moveit.ca, you enter your move’s start and finish points and local moving companies bid on your job. You then choose from the quotes without the phonework. Follow up with your mover about exactly what you have and where you are moving from and to.
Benefit: Affordable.
Drawbacks:
1. You still have to pack.
2. You have to act as “move foreman.” 3. Some things may get damaged.
The DIY Move $
This entails renting a van (about $100 per day at Budget), gathering willing friends and putting your back into it. You’ll need newspaper, a tape gun and felt pens for labelling.
Benefits:
1. The cheapest route possible.
2. You will always know where your things are.
Drawbacks:
1. Headaches.
2. Backaches.
3. You have to feed your friends, keep them hydrated and happy, and break up any fights.
4. You’re responsible for all broken items.
Report the Baddies
Report unprofessional movers to the CCBBB and CAM. They’re in business to prevent bad experiences from happening to someone else.
 Dude, where's my van?
One reader hired a moving company from a local paper. She asked the right questions – Insured? Bonded? They said yes. The movers packed her belongings, were paid and took off. But the truck never arrived at the other end. Unfortunately, our reader hadn’t signed a contract, only a receipt. The moving company claimed the items had been stolen and its insurance would only cover the loss of a truck, not the contents. Though still in business, the company has been charged and has an unsatisfactory record with the CCBBB. Luckily, our reader’s house insurance eventually covered her loss. But she now has higher premiums to pay. Our Advice: Prior to moving, take pictures of everything you own, sign a contract that claims coverage of lost goods and get an itemized receipt. But before this, look into a moving company’s standing with the CCBBB.
OUT OF THE CLOSET!
Before the movers leave, check each room to make sure nothing’s been left behind. One reader thought her move had gone smoothly until she discovered two full closets of clothing! She had to move them herself (in a panic) – and still paid the full quoted price of $3,500.
HANDLE WITH CARE
Move valuable and fragile items like computers and heirlooms yourself in the car. Movers claim no responsibility for any damage done, unless it’s the white-glove service. Even if you take out insurance on your move, it only covers so much. |
Take care of the details
- Live upstairs? Tell your movers – and ask if they charge extra. It cost one reader $1 per stair per man for her move.
- Man-with-a-van movers charge by the hour. If you see a lot of standing around, crack the whip.
- Ask how much your mover charges for overtime. One reader was shocked to discover an extra charge of $250 because it took an hour to try to get her sofa down a flight of stairs. (They never did get it down.)
- Read the fine print on your quote carefully. You’d be surprised what gets left out.
- It’s better to have a company come to your house to do a quote than relying on an online survey. Ask a lot of questions and you will avoid surprises when you get the bill.
- Some companies will not unload the truck without payment first. Be sure to ask if they accept personal cheques, cash or credit cards. No one wants to have their belongings taken hostage.
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