How Can You Save Money When Hiring Movers?

You can reduce avoidable moving costs by giving movers complete details about your home, belongings, parking, stairs, elevators, and loading access before moving day. Pack and label boxes in advance, group items by destination, and confirm the moving company’s services and timeline before the crew arrives.

Clear planning helps movers estimate the truck space, crew size, equipment, and time needed for your move. A storage unit can also help when you are packing in stages, preparing a home for showings, or moving permitted household items on different dates.

Here’s everything you need to know about hiring professionals to handle your next move.

Hiring Professional Movers Essentials:

• Share details about stairs, elevators, hallways, parking, gates, and loading access before moving day.
• Give movers an accurate list of furniture, boxes, appliances, and other household items included in the move.
• Pack and label boxes before movers arrive.
• Group boxes by destination, including the new home, storage unit, donation location, or other planned stop.
• Ask movers about disassembly, packing, and furniture-preparation services before the move.
• Set aside personal items and daily essentials you plan to transport yourself.
• Clear walkways, doorways, and stairs before the moving crew arrives.
• Use storage for permitted household items when you need to pack or move in stages.

Ways to Plan Ahead When Hiring Movers:

What Information Should You Give Movers Before Moving Day?

Give movers a complete description of your home, belongings, access route, and planned destinations. Accurate information helps the moving company prepare an estimate and plan the move.

Share details such as:

• Number of rooms and approximate box count
• Large furniture and appliances
• Items in a garage, attic, basement, shed, or storage area
• Stairs, elevators, narrow hallways, and tight turns
• Parking location and distance to the entrance
• Building move-in or move-out procedures
• Elevator or loading-dock reservations
• Items going to storage, donation, or another location
• Furniture that may need disassembly

Take photos of large furniture, stairways, and access points if the moving company requests them. Photos can help clarify the scope of the move before the crew arrives.

How Can You Prepare Your Home Before Movers Arrive?

Prepare your home by packing low-use items early, labeling boxes, grouping items by destination, and clearing the paths movers will use. These steps reduce day-of decisions and help the crew move through the home efficiently.

Before movers arrive:

1. Pack seasonal décor, books, extra linens, and hobby supplies.
2. Label boxes with the destination room and a short contents description.
3. Group boxes for the new home, storage unit, donation, or other destinations separately.
4. Clear pathways near entryways, halls, stairways, and major furniture.
5. Put personal items and essentials aside for your vehicle.
6. Keep moving-company contact details and building instructions available.
7. Confirm parking, elevator, gate, and loading-area arrangements.

Do not stack boxes directly in front of the entryway. Leave enough room for movers to carry furniture and boxes through the home.

How Should You Label Boxes for Movers?

Label every box with its destination room and a brief description of the contents. Add a separate destination label when a box is going to storage, donation, or another location instead of the new home.

Use labels such as:

• Kitchen — Everyday Dishes
• Bedroom — Current-Season Clothing
• Living Room — Books and Décor
• Storage — Seasonal Items
• Donation — Clean Household Items
• Open First — Move-In Supplies

Write labels on the top and at least two sides of each box. Color-coded tape can also help movers identify room destinations during unloading.

How Can You Prepare Furniture for Movers?

Prepare furniture by clearing surfaces, removing loose items, and confirming whether the moving company will disassemble larger pieces. Ask whether drawers should be empty or can hold lightweight clothing or linens, as requirements may differ by furniture type and moving-company process.

For furniture that requires disassembly, place related parts in a labeled bag.

Use labels such as:

• Dining Table Hardware
• Bed Frame Hardware
• Bookshelf Hardware
• Desk Hardware

Keep the labeled bag with the related furniture when the mover’s process allows. Otherwise, place it in a clearly marked hardware box that travels to the same destination.

How Can You Pack Early Without Disrupting Daily Life?

Pack items you do not expect to use before moving day. Starting with low-use belongings keeps your household functional while reducing the amount left to pack during the final week.

Keep one set of kitchen supplies, towels, bedding, toiletries, and clothing available until the final days.

When Can Storage Help While Working With Movers?

Storage can help when your move-out and move-in dates do not align, when you need to prepare a home for showings, or when you want to unpack in stages. It gives you a separate place to put away permitted household items that do not need to move directly into the new home.

Storage can help you create room to:

• Pack boxes before moving day
• Remove excess furniture before showings
• Separate daily-use items from lower-priority belongings
• Organize closets and rooms in the new home
• Put away seasonal décor, sports equipment, and hobby supplies
• Manage a temporary gap between homes

Pack clean, dry, permitted household items in labeled boxes. Group items by room or category and place boxes you expect to retrieve first near the front of the unit.

What Can You Do While Movers Handle the Move?

Your role on moving day is to provide direction, answer questions, and confirm that items go to the correct destination. Keep your schedule, contact information, and building instructions available throughout the move.

You can:

• Confirm which furniture and boxes are included in the move
• Direct boxes and furniture to the right rooms
• Identify items going to storage or donation
• Answer questions about parking, elevators, gates, and building access
• Complete a final walkthrough of closets, cabinets, drawers, and storage areas
• Keep moving receipts and paperwork together
• Check that daily essentials stay with you

Let the moving crew handle the loading process while you focus on details only you can confirm.

Make Your Moving Budget Go Further

Planning ahead helps you reduce avoidable delays when working with movers. Share a complete inventory, confirm access and parking details, pack boxes before moving day, and label every item by destination so the crew can follow a clear plan.

Find a Public Storage location near your current or new home to reserve month-to-month space for permitted household items that do not fit your moving timeline. Public Storage gives you room to put away labeled boxes, extra furniture, seasonal belongings, and household items while you pack, move, and unpack in stages. You can complete a rental online in minutes with no credit card required.

The more you organize before movers arrive, the more smoothly moving day can move forward.

Hiring Professional Movers FAQs

How can you save money when hiring movers?
Give movers complete details about your home, access route, furniture, box count, parking, and planned destinations before moving day. Pack and label boxes in advance to reduce day-of delays.

What information should you give movers before moving day?
Give movers the number of rooms, approximate box count, large furniture, stairs, elevators, hallways, parking details, building requirements, and storage plans. Include items that need disassembly or are going to a separate destination.

What should you pack before movers arrive?
Pack low-use items first, including seasonal clothing, books, décor, extra linens, and hobby supplies. Keep daily clothing, toiletries, medications, chargers, and first-night items accessible.

Can storage help when working with movers?
Yes. Storage gives you room for permitted household items when you are moving in stages, preparing a home for showings, or unpacking gradually after moving.

Are Public Storage rentals month to month?
Yes. All Public Storage rentals are month to month.