Keep one move file
Put everything about the move in one place: a folder, a notebook or a note on your phone. It holds the written estimate, the contract, the COI, the building rules at both addresses, your elevator reservation, utility account numbers and photos of the old home. When a question comes up, you look in one spot.
Six to eight weeks before
- Sort each room: keep, sell, donate, throw out.
- Book donation pickups early. Charity calendars fill up.
- Measure the new rooms and decide where the large furniture goes.
- Book a free estimate, in person or by video.
- Ask both buildings for their rules: hours, elevator, dock and paperwork.
Three to four weeks before
- Get boxes and packing materials. We can deliver them to your door.
- Pack the rooms and closets you use least.
- File a change of address with USPS.
- Schedule utilities to stop at the old home and start at the new one.
- Request school records and transfer prescriptions.
- Get the COI to building management. We issue it and send it with the contract.
The last week
- Confirm the elevator time with the building and the arrival time with us.
- Empty, defrost and dry the refrigerator a day ahead.
- Take art and mirrors off the walls.
- Tell the doorman or the super the date and time.
- Tell us about the street: where a truck can stand and any tight corner.
Buildings on both sides of the river set their own rules. Our high-rise moving page lists what they usually ask for.
A labeling system that works
Give every room a name and color. Label each box with the room, a number, and contents on two sides. Tape a sign with the room name to each door in the new home. The crew reads the box, finds the matching door, and your boxes land in the right room the first time.
Mark one or two boxes OPEN FIRST: sheets, towels, a kettle, toilet paper, soap and a few tools. Rather not pack? See our packing services.
Pack a moving-day bag
- IDs, keys, move file, estimate
- Phone chargers, power bank
- Medicine, glasses
- Snacks, water, paper cups
- Change of clothes, toothbrush
- Box cutter, tape, screwdriver, trash bags
- Payment ready: cash or Zelle
Keep valuables with you
Some things never go on the truck. Pack passports, birth certificates, jewelry, cash, laptops, and the hard drive with family photos in one bag that rides with you.
Children and pets
Moving day is busy, with open doors and heavy loads. Arrange a sitter, or ask a relative to take small children out. Keep pets in a closed room, and move them in your own car. Pack a small bag for each child with a toy and a change of clothes.
On moving day
Be ready when the crew arrives. Walk them through the rooms and show what stays behind. Before the truck leaves, check every closet, cabinet, balcony and storage cage. At the new home, point boxes to their rooms. Keep the moving-day bag with you, not on the truck.
The first week in the new home
Start with the bed and kitchen, then unpack one room at a time. Update your address with your bank, employer and doctors. If you moved between New York and New Jersey, check with your new state’s motor vehicle agency for the deadline to switch your license and registration. Break down boxes as you go, and keep a few for the next closet project.
Moving across the Hudson? See how we plan NYC to New Jersey moves.
When should I book the mover?
As soon as you know your date. Six to eight weeks ahead gives you the most choice.
Who sends the COI to my building?
We issue it and send it with the contract. You pass it on, or we send it to management on request.
