7 Days Before Your Cross Country Move - How To Plan A Long Distance Move

Quick answer: In the last seven days before a long-distance move, confirm your moving date and parking, finish packing, label and inventory your boxes, set aside essentials and documents, and prepare both homes for the crew. A clear day-by-day plan keeps the final week calm instead of chaotic.

Let’s face it, the last week before your long distance move can either be smooth sailing or absolute chaos. At MTS Moving, Canada’s highest-rated long-distance moving company, we’ve seen it all, and we’re here to help you avoid mistakes that other companies won’t warn you about. Follow this guide to make sure you’re fully prepared when the big day arrives.

Your final-week timeline at a glance

1. When should you confirm the move date and parking?

Seven days before your long-distance move, one of our consultants will call you or send you an update through our moving tracker. During this call, we:

Confirm the exact move date.

Check parking arrangements. If your area is tricky for truck parking, we’ll ask for photos or videos.

If building permits or reserved spots are needed, we recommend contacting your building manager or city right away.

Ensure the distance from where the truck will park to your home entrance is no more than 100 ft. (Video confirmation helps!) Anything beyond that distance can trigger a long-carry fee, so confirming it early avoids surprises on moving day.

If there is snow or ice on the walk towards your home, we ask that you clear it before the movers arrive.

2. Update Your Inventory List

If you’ve started packing for your cross-country move, let us know. We may ask for an updated inventory list if you decide to add or remove items to confirm that your inventory hasn’t exceeded the initial estimate. Pictures help tremendously! If you can, send a picture of all of your goods. We absolutely hate surprises, and we know that customers do as well. So, let’s skip the surprises by keeping a close eye on your inventory and updating everything as we go! If you haven’t started yet, we’ll follow up three days before your move.

3. When should you book the elevator?

If you’re in a condo or apartment, double-check with building management about booking the elevator. Most buildings are fine with a three-day notice, but stricter ones require at least a week.

4. Pack Smart or Let Us Handle It

We offer one hour of free packing labour on moving day, you only pay for materials. For fragile items like TVs, mirrors, and ceramics, we strongly recommend letting us pack them. Our sofa and mattress covers are industrial-grade and much better than anything you’ll find at Home Depot or U-Haul. Our shared objective is to get your goods to you in the best way possible with no damage! But if you choose to pack everything yourself, no problem! We do not force any surcharges on our clients.

5. What items should you keep with you during a move?

We cannot stress this enough: Pack and keep personal items with you. This includes:

Important documents (immigration papers, legal documents, medical records, passport)

Jewelry

Small electronics and chargers

Personal hygiene products

Clothes for 2-3 weeks

Miscellaneous items you will need while waiting for your goods to arrive.

One horror story we’ve heard was from a customer whose previous mover lost their box containing some legal documents. It took months and thousands of dollars to fix the situation. Don’t let that happen to you.

6. No Loose Items Allowed

Everything must be in a box, plastic bin, suitcase, or properly wrapped. Loose items are not accepted. Furniture will be wrapped with moving pads. Fabric items must be in plastic covers.

7. Take Photos of Your Belongings

Not just for peace of mind, photos help us verify your inventory and weight to make sure you don’t get an unexpected surprise. Taking pictures of your items also helps tremendously if, however unlikely, an item gets damaged and you need to go through the claims process. It makes everything smooth.

8. Consider the Full-Pack Service

If you want zero stress, consider our full-pack service. We handle every detail, from packing materials to labeling to expertly packing every item, all for a fixed per-pound price, all you need to do is sit back and relax.

9. Confirm Your Travel Plans

Make sure your flights, accommodations, and travel arrangements are locked in. If you have booked a flight on a specific date, please let us know so we can add it to your file.

10. Keep Communication Open

You’ll get calls or updates from us again three days and one day before your move to double-check all the details. We’re with you every step of the way.

At MTS Moving, we don’t leave anything to chance, and neither should you. Follow this checklist, and you’ll be miles ahead of the average long-distance mover.

Reach out to us anytime if you need help preparing for your long distance move at (888) 322-1968!

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