How to Prepare for Your Move

Garbage bags and reusable totes seem convenient, but they offer zero cushioning and can't be stacked safely. Dishes, glassware, and small kitchen items packed this way are the most common source of breakage on a move, and a torn bag can dump its contents inside the truck.

Use real moving boxes for anything fragile — wrap dishes individually, pack glasses upright with paper between them, and fill empty space so nothing shifts in transit. Small or medium boxes are best for kitchen items; they stack cleanly and are easy for the crew to carry.

A dresser full of clothes and books is often too heavy to lift safely, and flat-pack pieces (IKEA-style bookshelves, particleboard wardrobes) can rack or crack at the joints under that extra weight. This is one of the most common causes of both furniture damage and slower move times we see on the job.

Clear out drawers and cabinets before we arrive — pack the contents in boxes instead. Empty furniture is lighter, safer to carry, and far less likely to be damaged. It also means the crew can move faster since they're not stopping to redistribute weight or work around a jammed drawer.

A bare mattress dragged through hallways and in and out of a truck picks up dirt and moisture fast, and can tear or stain against door frames and truck walls — damage that's often permanent once it happens.

A mattress bag (available at any hardware or moving-supply store) keeps it clean and protected for the trip. It's a small, inexpensive step for something you genuinely can't replace with a box and some tape.

A fridge that's still cold and plugged in, or a washer still full of water, isn't ready to move — and appliances that leak or shift during transit can damage themselves, your floors, or other items on the truck.

Defrost and empty your fridge at least 24 hours ahead, drain your washer, and disconnect gas appliances (dryers, stoves) through a licensed professional if needed. A little lead time here keeps appliances — and everything around them — in good shape.

Propane tanks, paint, aerosols, cleaning chemicals, and other hazardous materials aren't just risky to move — moving companies are legally restricted from transporting them. Finding these packed in a box on move day means we have to set it aside, which slows things down for everyone.

Set hazardous items aside ahead of time and plan to transport or dispose of them yourself. If you're not sure whether something counts, ask us before move day — better to check early than sort it out with the truck already loaded.

Jewelry, cash, passports, and irreplaceable documents can get boxed up with everything else without a second thought — and once they're on the truck with fifty other boxes, they're much harder to keep track of, and impossible to replace if something goes wrong.

Pack these separately and keep them with you personally throughout the move, not in a labeled box on the truck. It takes two minutes and means the things that matter most never leave your hands.

A hallway blocked with boxes, a locked storage room, or furniture that hasn't been moved away from the walls all slow the crew down — every extra minute spent navigating around obstacles is time added to an hourly job. Buildings without elevator access add real time here too, especially for heavy or oversized pieces.

Walk the route from each room to the door before we arrive and clear anything in the way. If your building has stairs instead of an elevator, let us know in advance so we can plan the crew and timing accordingly.

Unlabeled boxes get set down wherever there's space, which means more sorting and re-carrying once everything is inside — and it's frustrating to hunt through ten identical boxes looking for one item after the crew leaves.

Label each box with the room it belongs in (and a quick note of contents, if you have time). It lets the crew place boxes directly where they go, which saves time on both ends of the move.

Furniture that ships fully assembled takes up more truck space and is more likely to get scratched, cracked, or caught on a doorway during the move. Loose screws and brackets that go missing also mean reassembly problems later.

Take a quick photo of anything complex before you take it apart, then store all hardware in a labeled zip-lock bag taped directly to the piece it belongs to. Disassembling what you can ahead of time reduces both damage risk and the time it takes to load.

Mirrors, framed artwork, and TVs share the same weak point: they're flat, fragile, and easy to crack if laid down or stacked with other items. These are consistently among the most commonly damaged items in any move.

Use the original box for a TV if you still have it, or wrap it snugly in blankets with plenty of cushioning. For mirrors and artwork, tape an X across the glass with painter's tape and use corner protectors or a mirror box — they should always travel standing upright, never flat.

Most Metro Vancouver strata buildings require an elevator booking 2–4 weeks ahead, with move slots typically running around 4 hours. Show up without one booked and the crew may not be able to get your belongings up or down at all — we've seen firsthand how much harder (and slower) a move gets without confirmed elevator access, especially for heavier items.

Contact your building manager or concierge as soon as you know your move date to book the elevator. Popular time slots fill up fast in summer, so the earlier you book, the more likely you'll get a time that works.

In denser parts of Vancouver — downtown, Yaletown, the West End — there may not be legal space to park a moving truck close to your building without a permit. If the truck has to park far away, every trip in and out takes longer.

Check with the City of Vancouver or your building about a temporary street occupancy permit or meter reservation — these typically need 5–10 business days' notice. Sorting this out ahead of time keeps the truck close and the move moving.

A couch or sectional that fits perfectly in your new living room can still get stuck in a narrow stairwell or hallway on the way there. This is one of the most commonly missed prep steps — everyone measures the furniture, almost no one measures the path.

Measure every chokepoint — doorways, hallway width, stairwell turns — at both your old and new place before move day. If something's going to be a tight fit, knowing in advance means we can plan for it instead of discovering it mid-move.