Step-by-Step Furniture Moving Guide
Step-by-Step Furniture Moving Guide — From Planning to Your First Night
Moving house isn’t a single day; it’s a small project that starts weeks in advance. This guide is built on what we actually see in the field — the mistakes that keep happening, the steps that save time and money, and what you should do yourself versus what to leave to us.
Stage one: one month before
The most important stage, and the most neglected. What you do here determines the cost, duration and smoothness of the move — and putting it off costs you many times more later.
Get rid of what you don’t need
This is the fastest way to cut the cost, because the price is based on volume. What you haven’t used for a year you won’t use in the new home. Sell it, donate it or throw it away — you’ll be surprised how much your furniture volume drops.
Book your date early
Peak seasons — the end of the school year, summer and the start of the month — fill up fast. Booking early gives you the date that suits you, not just whatever is available.
Request the survey
The survey is free with no obligation, and it’s what turns the price from a guess into a written number. Open the storeroom and the roof at that time — these are the most forgotten spaces, and they change the volume on moving day.
Measure the new home
Measure the width of doors, corridors and the elevator before moving a wardrobe that won’t fit. And measure the rooms so you know where each item will go — this saves a full hour on assembly day.
Stage two: two weeks before
Notify the relevant parties
Electricity, water, internet, school, bank and work. Update your address with the stores you order from too. Every delay here means an extra errand later.
Start packing what you don’t use
Books, off-season clothes, decorations and rarely used tools. Pack them now and number their boxes. It lightens the load on the final day.
Gather important documents
Title deeds, passports and certificates go in one bag that stays with you. Don’t put them in any box — losing them costs you months of paperwork.
Stage three: the final week
Prepare your appliances
Empty and unplug the fridge 24 hours before so it defrosts and dries. Drain the washing machine. And use up what’s in the freezer before the date.
Reserve parking for the truck
At both locations. Inform the building guard or management, and book the elevator if it needs booking. Ten minutes now saves an hour on moving day.
Pack a first-night bag
Clothes for two days, toiletries, medicines, chargers, towels, a bed sheet and a few plates. The most important tip in this whole guide — you won’t have the energy to unpack boxes on arrival night.
Photograph your furniture
Photograph valuable and fragile items from every angle. It helps with any claim and with reassembling anything that needs a particular arrangement.
✅ Use the interactive checklist
We’ve turned this guide into a checkable, printable checklist — from 14 days before the move to the day after, with a progress bar showing what you’ve done.
Moving day
Your role on moving day is simpler than you think — we do the work and you supervise. But three things need you there:
- Be present at the start to show what’s being moved and what’s staying, and which items need special care.
- Walk through the home before the crew leaves — open every cabinet and drawer and check the balcony and storeroom.
- Direct the assembly in the new home — tell us where each item goes before carrying it in, not after.
📖 For full details see the What Happens on Moving Day page — an hour-by-hour timeline.
After the move: the first 48 hours
| Priority | What to do |
|---|---|
| Immediately | Check the furniture before signing for delivery, and note any remarks on the report |
| First hour | Open the first-night bag and set up the beds and bathroom |
| After 4 hours | Switch on the fridge — turning it on right away can damage the compressor |
| Day one | Test the electricity, water and water heater, and make sure the air conditioners work |
| Day two | Unpack the kitchen and bedroom boxes first, and leave the rest for later |
Five mistakes we see often
- Forgetting the storeroom and roof at the survey — so the volume changes on moving day and the work runs late.
- Leaving drawers full — it adds weight, risks damaging the contents and slows the crew.
- Not preparing a first-night bag — so you search ten boxes for a toothbrush.
- Booking before actually receiving the new home — a delayed handover means emergency storage at extra cost.
- Choosing the cheapest without asking what the price excludes — the difference shows on moving day, not in the quote.
Start with a free survey
We come to you, see the furniture and give you a written price with a clear execution plan — no fees, no obligation.