When you hire movers by the hour, preparation can make a real difference in how smoothly the day goes. Finished packing, clear walkways, and knowing where furniture belongs help your crew spend more time moving and less time waiting for decisions.
At Save Your Back Moving, we help customers throughout New Lenox and the surrounding Chicagoland communities with local moves. Here’s how to get ready so you can make the most of your crew’s time.
Finish Packing Before Moving Day
Unless you’ve arranged packing services, aim to have everything boxed and ready before your movers arrive. Packing while the crew works can slow things down, especially when loose belongings are scattered throughout the home.
Close boxes securely, reinforce the bottoms with packing tape, and use smaller boxes for heavy items such as books. Avoid overfilling boxes or leaving items sticking out of the top.
If you need packing help, arrange it ahead of time so your moving company can plan the crew, supplies, and time needed.
Label Boxes With Their Destination Room
Label each box with both its contents and the room it belongs in at your new home. “Upstairs bedroom—clothes” gives your movers more direction than “clothes.”
Write labels on the top and at least one side so they’re easier to see when boxes are stacked. For multiple bedrooms, use consistent names or numbers and place matching signs on the doors at your destination.
Clear labels reduce questions and help prevent boxes from needing to be moved twice.
Decide What’s Moving—and What Isn’t
Before moving day, separate anything you’re donating, disposing of, or transporting yourself. Clearly mark belongings that should stay behind.
Set aside a personal essentials bag with medications, chargers, keys, important documents, and anything you’ll need that evening. Keep it somewhere it won’t accidentally get loaded.
If you need donation drop-offs or junk removal, discuss those services when requesting your estimate. Additional stops and items affect the time and planning required.
Prepare Furniture for Moving
Disassembling furniture ahead of time can reduce the work your movers need to complete, provided you’re comfortable doing it safely. Bag and label the hardware for each piece, and keep it somewhere you can easily find.
You don’t have to handle every piece yourself. Save Your Back Moving can disassemble furniture, with the exception of cribs and bunk beds. Tell us ahead of time which items need attention so we can prepare.
Appliances connected to gas or water lines must be disconnected before our crew arrives. Arrange qualified help if needed.
Keep Walkways and Access Points Clear
Clear hallways, stairs, doorways, and the route between your home and the truck. Remove loose items that could get in the way, and keep children and pets safely away from active moving areas.
Let your moving company know about parking restrictions, long walking distances, stairs, and narrow entrances. If your building requires an elevator reservation or scheduled loading access, arrange it in advance.
Having access ready helps avoid delays while your crew is on the clock.
Plan Where Furniture Will Go
Before unloading begins, decide where you want beds, sofas, dressers, and other large pieces placed. A simple sketch or room-by-room plan can help.
Have one person available to answer questions and direct placement. Changing your mind is understandable, but moving the same furniture several times adds time to the job.
Give Your Movers an Accurate Inventory
Your estimate is based on the information you provide. Include items in your garage, basement, attic, storage areas, and outdoor spaces—not just the main rooms.
Mention oversized or unusually heavy pieces and any additional stops. If your inventory or plans change, tell your moving company before moving day.
An accurate estimate helps your movers plan the right crew and equipment. It also gives you a clearer picture of the work involved.
Understand How Hourly Billing Works
An hourly estimate is an estimate, not a fixed total. Your final bill may be higher or lower depending on the actual time and services required.
Save Your Back Moving has a two-hour labor minimum and bills labor to the nearest quarter hour. Travel time is also billed at the applicable hourly rate, to the nearest quarter hour, including travel from our office to your starting location and the return trip from your destination.
Ask about billing details before your move so you understand what is included. Preparation can reduce avoidable delays, while careful handling and safe lifting remain essential.
Planning a Local Move?
Save Your Back Moving is a local, veteran-owned moving company based in New Lenox. We offer local moving, packing, loading and unloading, and in-home furniture moving throughout the surrounding Chicagoland communities.
Call 708-215-2639 or request a moving estimate online. Tell us what you’re moving and how much help you need—we’ll help you plan the next step.
