Moving day in New York City goes more smoothly when the important details have already been handled before the movers arrive.
Building rules, elevators, stairs, furniture, parking access and packing can all affect the day. This guide explains what to prepare and what to expect during a typical NYC move.
Before Moving Day
Start by confirming the basic details of your move:
- Origin address
- Destination address
- Moving date
- Building access
- Floor numbers
- Elevator availability
- Inventory
- Packing requirements
- Large furniture
- Building insurance requirements
For a broader planning timeline, use our NYC moving checklist.
Finish Packing Before the Crew Arrives
Unless you have booked professional packing services, boxes should be packed, closed and ready before the moving crew arrives.
Labeling boxes by room can make unloading and organizing the new apartment easier.
Read our packing tips that save time if you are preparing the move yourself.
Separate Items You Are Taking Personally
Keep keys, identification, medications, important documents, phones, chargers and other essentials separate from the belongings being loaded.
This prevents items you need immediately from becoming difficult to locate during the move.
Confirm Building Access
Make sure movers will be able to enter both properties during the scheduled moving hours.
If the building uses a service entrance, freight elevator or loading area, provide those instructions before moving day.
Confirm Your Elevator Reservation
If either building requires an elevator reservation, confirm the time and any instructions from management.
See our NYC elevator moving guide for a more detailed explanation.
Handle COI Requirements Beforehand
Some New York City buildings require movers to provide a Certificate of Insurance.
If management has given you specific insurance requirements, send them to the moving company before the move.
Read our NYC moving COI guide if you are unsure how this process works.
Tell Movers About Stairs
Accurate information about floor level and stair access is important. A fourth-floor walk-up requires different planning from an elevator apartment.
If you are moving into or out of a walk-up, read our walk-up apartment moving guide.
Discuss Large Furniture in Advance
Large sofas, bed frames, tables, wardrobes and other bulky furniture may need to be disassembled or handled differently depending on doors, stairs and elevators.
Tell your movers about these pieces before the day of the move instead of discovering access problems after loading begins.
What Happens When Movers Arrive?
The crew will need access to the belongings being moved and clear information about what is staying and what is going.
If there are items requiring special attention, identify them before loading begins.
Clear communication at the beginning of the move helps reduce confusion later.
How Long Will Moving Day Take?
The duration depends on your inventory, number of movers, access, stairs, elevators, packing, furniture and travel between locations.
Our guide on how long an NYC apartment move takes explains these factors in more detail.
Local Moving in NYC
If you are moving between addresses in New York City, learn more about our local moving services in NYC.
Apartment and Residential Moves
For studios, apartments, condos and homes, visit our residential moving services page.
Need Help Packing?
If you do not have time to prepare everything yourself, ask about our NYC packing services.
Moving Outside NYC?
If your destination is outside the local area, review our long-distance moving services from NYC.
You can also read our local vs. long-distance moving guide to understand the differences between the two types of relocation.
NYC Moving Day Checklist
- Finish packing or confirm packing services.
- Label boxes.
- Separate personal essentials.
- Confirm building moving hours.
- Confirm elevator reservations.
- Complete COI requirements.
- Provide access instructions.
- Identify large furniture.
- Keep important contact information available.
- Make sure the movers know which belongings are being moved.
Ready for Your Move?
Lovely Moving & Storage helps customers plan residential and local moves throughout New York City. When requesting your moving quote, provide accurate information about the addresses, inventory, access and building requirements so your move can be planned properly.
Moving Day Across New York City
The same preparation principles apply across NYC, but every building can have different access and scheduling requirements.
Lovely Moving & Storage provides moving services in Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and the Bronx.
If you are moving locally, learn more about our local moving services in NYC.