15 Things NYC Movers Wish You Knew Before Moving Day

After thousands of NYC moves, our crews have seen it all. So, here are 15 NYC moving day tips that professional movers wish every customer knew before moving day — the insider knowledge that makes moves go smoother, faster, and with fewer surprises.

1. Be Ready When We Arrive

First, your moving crew will arrive at the agreed time ready to work. However, if you haven’t packed boxes, you haven’t disassembled furniture, or you’re still sleeping, you’re paying for idle time. Therefore, have everything packed and ready to load before your crew walks in the door.

2. Don’t Pack Your Moving Crew’s Snacks and Drinks

Generally, moving is physically demanding work. So, offering your crew water, coffee, or snacks earns genuine appreciation and results in a better move. Importantly, it sounds small, but it matters.

3. The COI Takes Time — Get It Early

Next, a Certificate of Insurance from your moving company takes 2–5 business days to process. So, if your building requires one (most NYC buildings do), don’t ask for it 24 hours before your move. Specifically, two weeks minimum.

4. Your Elevator Window Is Non-Negotiable

Importantly, your building sets a fixed window for the elevator reservation. So, if you’re not ready when the window starts, you lose time you’ve paid for. Furthermore, if your window ends before the move is done, you may face delays waiting for the elevator to become available again.

5. Measure Before Moving Day — Not During

Above all, discovering on moving day that your king bed frame won’t fit up the staircase causes expensive delays. Therefore, measure every large piece of furniture and every doorway, stairwell, and elevator before moving day. So, do it now.

6. Separate the “Do Not Pack” Items

Next, clearly identify anything you don’t want movers to touch: items going in your car, important documents, medications, valuables. Specifically, put them in a closet with a note on the door or keep them in a separate room. However, saying “don’t pack that” on moving day after the fact rarely ends well.

7. Cash Tips Are Preferred

Generally, tips aren’t required, but crews deeply appreciate them for good work. Specifically, cash works best. For example, standard NYC tipping runs $20–50 per mover for a standard move — and more for exceptional service, challenging conditions, or a very large move. Finally, tip after the job is done.

8. Heavy Boxes Are a Hazard

Importantly, 50 lbs is the maximum for any box. For example, a 60-lb box of books is a back injury and a dropped box of broken dishes waiting to happen. So, if you can’t lift it with one arm, it’s too heavy. Therefore, use smaller boxes for books and heavy items.

9. Disassemble What You Can Before We Arrive

In addition, disassemble IKEA furniture, bed frames, dining tables with removable legs, and shelving units the night before. Then, store all hardware in labeled zip-lock bags taped directly to the piece. As a result, this saves significant time on moving day.

10. Notify Your Building Super in Advance

Above all, your super is your most important ally on moving day. So, let them know when you’re moving, when you’ve reserved the elevator, and how to reach you. Specifically, a super who’s expecting you opens doors and solves problems. However, a super who’s surprised by a moving crew can slow everything down.

11. Your Old Apartment Takes Longer to Leave Than You Think

Generally, even if you’ve packed everything, there’s always a final sweep. Specifically, check closets, cabinets, storage areas, the stuff behind doors, and items on high shelves. So, budget extra time and do a walk-through before your crew leaves — because we can’t go back for what you forgot.

12. Parking Is Not a Given

Importantly, parking a moving truck in NYC is a genuine challenge. Furthermore, the 72-hour No Parking sign process exists for a reason — because without it, your crew may spend 30–45 minutes double-parked in traffic or circling for a spot. Therefore, confirm with your movers that they’ve handled parking before moving day.

13. Don’t Book the Last Elevator Window of the Day

For example, if your building only allows moves until 5 PM and your elevator window runs 1–5 PM, you have zero margin for error. As a result, any delay — traffic, packing that ran long, an item that doesn’t fit — could mean leaving items behind or paying overtime. So, book the morning window whenever possible.

14. Document Your Apartments Before and After

Next, photograph your old apartment — walls, floors, appliances — before the movers arrive and again after everything is out. Then, do the same for your new apartment before boxes come in. As a result, this documentation protects you against security deposit disputes and damage claims.

15. A Good Mover Is Worth What They Charge

Finally, the cheapest moving quote is often not the best value. Specifically, unlicensed movers, companies without COI capability, and crews with no NYC experience can cost you far more in damaged items, move-day surprises, and stress than you saved on the quote. Therefore, check that your mover holds a NYDOT license, has NYC-specific experience, and carries proper insurance.

In conclusion, at Serenity Movers, we’ve been doing this since 1999. So, we built these NYC moving day tips from 25+ years of NYC moves. Above all, if you’re planning a move and want a crew that already knows all of this — give us a call.