Everything you need to prepare for a calm, organized move — written by the team who will be carrying your couch up the stairs.
A good move isn't about how fast the truck loads. It's about what happens in the weeks before the truck arrives.
You've booked the crew. That's the easy part. What follows over the next few weeks is the work that separates a move you'll remember fondly from one you'll want to forget.
This guide is what we wish every client had in their hands the moment they confirmed a date with us. It's not a sales document. It's the same preparation framework our crews use, translated for the homeowner's side of the move.
Follow it loosely and your move will be fine. Follow it closely and it will be the easiest move you've ever had.
Clients who use this guide finish packing earlier, spend less on supplies, lose fewer things, and report move days that feel about half as stressful as they expected. That's not marketing — that's what the post-job reviews tell us.
Most CPM clients book between two and four weeks out. This timeline assumes you have four — but every checklist still works if you're shorter on time. Just start where you are.
Most damage doesn't happen on the truck. It happens in poorly packed boxes that get jostled in transit. Pack well, and your move gets dramatically easier.
Anything fragile needs to be wrapped and identified as such. Tell your Lead Mover during the walkthrough so we can load it correctly — glass and mirrors travel vertically, never flat. If you have valuable artwork, mention it before the crew arrives, not as they're loading it.
Original boxes are always best. If you don't have them, use a sturdy box with at least two inches of padding on every side. Bag cables separately and label them with the device they belong to. Take a photo of the back of your TV and entertainment setup before unplugging — reassembly becomes ten times faster.
If you have the original box, use it. If not, wrap the TV in a furniture pad or TV bag with two layers of padding, and let the crew know it's a TV. We carry televisions vertically and place them on edge in the truck, not flat — flat is what cracks screens.
Some items can't legally or safely travel on a moving truck. Others simply shouldn't. Set these aside before move day so there's no confusion when the crew arrives.
Live plants don't tolerate the temperature swings inside a moving truck — especially in Minnesota, where the back of a truck in February or August will kill most houseplants by the time we arrive. If you have plants you care about, they ride in your car.
If you're unsure whether something can go on the truck, ask us before move day. We'd rather answer the question early than discover the issue at 8 AM with a crew waiting.
The forgettable but essential part. Miss one of these and you'll spend the first month of your new life on hold with someone.
The smoothest moves we do are the ones where kids and pets are somewhere else for the day.
This is the day everything you've done over the last four weeks gets tested. Here's how to make it feel boring — which is the goal.
When your Lead Mover arrives, they'll ask to walk through the home with you before anything is touched. This is the most important conversation of the day. Use it to:
This is the one box that does not go on the truck. It travels with you. Think of it as everything you need to live for 48 hours without unpacking anything else.
Before the crew leaves the destination, walk the home with the Lead Mover one last time. Check every room. Confirm everything is where you want it. If furniture needs to shift, this is the moment — moving a couch after the crew has left is much harder than asking them while they're still there.
Things we wish every client knew before we showed up. None of these are obvious. All of them save time, money, or stress.
One color of tape per destination room — red for kitchen, blue for primary bedroom, and so on. A single strip on each box and one matching strip on the doorframe at the new place. The crew can place every box without asking, and you can do it from across the room.
The back of your TV, the back of your modem, the back of your desktop. Five seconds with your phone now saves an hour of squinting later.
If the drawers contain clothes or linens and the dresser is structurally sound, leave them. We'll wrap it as a single unit and move it. Emptying and re-filling is wasted time on both sides.
Coffee, kettle, two mugs, a pan, two plates, basic utensils. The first morning in a new house is much better when you don't have to dig through eighteen boxes for the French press.
Anything you disassemble — bed frames, cribs, IKEA furniture — has small screws and brackets. Bag them, label them, and tape the bag to the largest piece of the furniture. You will lose them otherwise. Everyone does.
Not flat. Vertical packing is what bookstores use because it stresses the binding less and packs more densely. Small boxes only — books are deceptively heavy.
If you're in a neighborhood with tight parking, set out cones, chairs, or a friendly note the night before. A truck that has to park 100 feet from the door costs time on both ends of the move.
The single best decision you can make on the first night. After a full day of moving, having a made bed waiting for you is the difference between collapsing and resetting.
The questions clients ask us most often, answered honestly.
Usually not. If the dresser is sturdy and the drawers contain clothes or linens, leave them. We'll wrap the whole dresser and move it as a unit. Empty drawers only if the dresser is fragile, the contents are heavy (books, tools), or you specifically prefer it.
If you have the original box, use it — it's by far the safest option. If not, wrap the TV in a furniture pad or padded TV bag, with two layers of padding minimum. Tell your Lead Mover during the walkthrough that there's a TV. We carry them vertically and load them on edge in the truck.
No. Live plants don't tolerate the temperature swings inside a moving truck, especially in Minnesota. If you have plants you care about, they ride in your car.
They never go on the truck. Pack them in a small bag or box that stays with you in your car. This isn't about distrust — it's about not having anything critical sitting on a vehicle you're not in. We follow the same rule for ourselves.
Walkways and stairs clear. Your essentials box and "do not pack" items set aside in one place. Parking confirmed. Pets and kids ideally elsewhere. Your phone on and charged. That's it.
Tips are never expected. They're always appreciated. If you'd like to tip, cash is best and goes directly to the movers. There's no standard amount — clients typically tip what feels right based on the quality of the work.
Call or text us as early as possible. We can almost always accommodate a reschedule with reasonable notice. Last-minute changes are harder but we'll work with you — your move is the priority.
Tell your Lead Mover immediately, and they'll loop us in. We document every incident with photos, discuss it with you the same day, and have a resolution to you within 48 hours. We move thousands of items a year — when something does happen, we make it right.
Yes. Reach out before move day and we can supply boxes, tape, paper, and wardrobe boxes. Most clients prefer to source their own — but if you'd rather skip the trip, we've got you covered.
Yes, full and partial packing services are available. The earlier you ask, the better — packing services need to be scheduled separately from the move itself, ideally a week or more in advance.
Everything in this guide, condensed onto a single page. Screenshot it. Print it. Tape it to your fridge.