I've moved over a dozen times in the military, so here's the advice I can give you (what I can think of off the top of my head): - right now (in the morning when you read this), take photos or even better, videotape your belongings. Especially if you have expensive or antique furniture, you can verify the condition of the furniture beforehand. This is the fastest way to take an inventory. If you have a video camera, narrate as much as possible to the manufacturer, model, condition, serial number, that kind of thing. - put anything you don't want packed by the movers into your car or a room or closet that they will not pack that you can cordon off or lock; medications, valuables, suitcases with your clothes, plastic bins with anything that might leak, weapons, jewelery, alcohol, food, etc. - throw out the trash, fresh flowers, dirty rags or sponges, leftovers, fruit in a bowl, etc. They will pack anything left out. - make sure they use dish packs (a stiff kind of box with thicker cardboard) for breakables - make sure they use hanging wardrobe boxes for your hanging stuff so that it's not all totally wrinkled. If you are leaving your stuff in storage for a while, however, you can't have anything on metal hangars because they can rust in heat & humidity and you'd rather have wrinkles. - if you are paying for the boxes, make sure they use NEW boxes; you're paying for them! You want clean, unbroken boxes and clean paper. - wear athletic shoes and comfortable clothes and prepare for the workout of your life (if you have a two-story). Get a big fat marker and label, label, label. Walk around continuously to watch them walk and pack to your satisfaction, and then mark the boxes yourself, in addition to their marks. Many times, if they don't know what it is, they'll put "MISC" and having 25 boxes labeled "MISC" is not much help when unpacking. - Also, they will label the rooms that the boxes are in from your old house. If you are changing rooms, you need to label the new room that you want that box in. I hope this makes sense. Say you used to sew in "family room", but in your new house you're going to sew in your "guest room" then you need to label it that way. - Make sure the inventory sheet also has a decent description as well. Each box and piece of furniture or appliances or whatever will be given a sticky number and a description of what's in it and/or the condition. - Here's what to remember when you're labeling a box: if that box turns up missing at the end of this, will you vaguely know what was in it, based on the description on the inventory sheet? For example, say box number #45 doesn't show up at your house. The inventory will show that it was a "4.5 dish pack Kitchen". Is that enough for you? Or do you want it to say "4.5 dish pack Kitchen glasses, casserole dishes" (4.5 is the size)? That's how you want to label. -Watch when they walk around to finish a box and don't be afraid to make suggestions. Otherwise, later you'll be looking for something and you won't find it until you open the box labeled "Xmas" next December because they had just that much space left in the top of that box for your toaster. - Don't pack anything yourself. If they note "owner packed" (there is terminology for this, but I can't remember it), they are absolved of all damages for everything in that box. - For electronics, they usually need to see it turned on to ensure that it is operable. Then turn it off and then they can pack it in the orginal container. Again, liability for them. - It is nice to provide them with cold drinks and I usually order pizza or fried chicken or something for their lunch. - You can check with your insurance company to see if they cover your household goods while they are in transit; some do. Also, I think it is worth paying extra for the replacement value if that is an option - they depreciate everything at an astounding rate (i.e. 50% each year for sporting equipment, which gets you $65 to replace your 3-year old $500 windsurfer) - The best moves are point-to-point. If your stuff goes into a warehouse, you have a opportunity to lose boxes. Then when it goes back in the truck you get another opportunity. Good luck! Lisa A.

I packed her kitchen and bathrooms, but we hired movers for Mom's furniture, art, collectibles 3 weeks ago. Less than half the household contents went (destination, retirement apartment 60 miles away). I'd organized so all items in master bedroom went, all in the family room, office, one major piece each from two additional bedrooms. So I could give concise and clear instructions and waste no time - theirs or mine. They brought us coffee when they arrived (Starbucks), provided their own lunch and water, declined beverages I had for them (which was bottled water, soft drinks). I tipped them 5% total bill each, in cash ($45). I hope it was enough, we couldn't have survived the day without them ;)

I moved much like you did when we moved here. I moved my kitchen, bathrooms, artwork, garage and shop things, clothing not in drawers and quite a bit of my office although not a heavy desk. 6 minute drive. I'd boxed books and hadn't put them in my SUV yet, the movers graciously offered to take them as they had room. I had brought my own lamps too I think. . All my living room furniture was new and delivered by the store as were the appliances. I tipped each of the three man crew, who brought the heavier pieces only, $40 each, Same with the movers I hired to move my mother to her retirement apartment an hour from her home. They moved three rooms of furniture and her clothing, I packed her kitchen myself, put those things into my SUV. It was a warm day, I had water which they accepted, soft drinks that they declined. Two men. They preferred to stop and buy their own lunch after they had packed and before they unpacked her things in her new city. I tipped them $40 each, although I think they were worth about 10 times that much for as helpful and good natured as they were that day last Fall ;-) Editing to add - I just remembered with the company hired to move mother, they brought us coffee! They called and asked how many were at the house that morning, and arrived with Starbucks, their treat ;-)

Someone above mentioned delivery people making more than they do. FYI depending on the company and area of the country they work in some are making just above minimum wage or may even be repeat day laborers. Once I found this out from a friend whose son was doing this I started tipping. Some, the ones that seem really rushed are paid per delivery and not an hourly rate. Not all house movers are low paid. My husband knew a crew of ladies that packed up houses for moving. They were very, very well paid and apparently worth every penny. Of course if the delivery people do not do a good job that is one thing but if they do what is expected or more and they can accept a tip do so. Always consider things that are outside of their control such as the weather.