Moving day is one of the most logistically complex days in a person’s life. Even when everything goes right, there’s a lot in motion — boxes, furniture, vehicles, and people all moving through your home at once. The difference between a smooth move and a stressful one usually comes down to how prepared your home is before the truck pulls up.

At Sloan’s Moving & Storage, our team has helped thousands of families move in Manassas, Fairfax, Woodbridge, Centreville, and throughout Northern Virginia. The questions we get most often in the days before a move aren’t about pricing or truck size — they’re about what the customer should actually be doing to prepare. What needs to happen before we arrive? What do we need from you on moving day?

This guide answers exactly that. Whether you’ve hired Sloan’s as your local movers or you’re still deciding, here’s how to prepare for movers on moving day — step by step.

What to Do the Week Before Movers Arrive

Good preparation starts well before moving day. The week before your move is when the groundwork gets laid — and when small oversights can create real headaches on the day itself.

  • Confirm your move details with Sloan’s or your preferred moving company. Verify your move date, arrival window, and number of movers. If your inventory has changed since you booked — you’ve added items, donated furniture, or need extra packing help — let us know now. Last-minute changes are manageable when we know about them in advance.
  • Check your HOA rules. If you live in one of Northern Virginia’s many HOA communities — Lake Manassas, Virginia Oaks, Dominion Valley, Braemar, or any townhouse or condominium complex in Prince William or Loudoun County — check your community’s moving policy. Many HOAs require advance notice of 24–48 hours, restrict truck parking on certain streets, or limit moving hours to specific windows. Missing these requirements can delay your move before it even starts.
  • Request a Certificate of Insurance if needed. If you’re moving into or out of an apartment building in Northern Virginia — especially in Arlington, Alexandria, Reston, or Tysons — your building will almost certainly require a Certificate of Insurance (COI) from your moving company before the crew can enter. Sloan’s provides COIs at no charge. Just request one when you confirm your booking.
  • Give your neighbors a heads-up. In tight NoVA neighborhoods — rowhouses in Manassas Park, townhome communities in Gainesville, or narrow suburban streets throughout Prince William County — a moving truck staging outside your home can affect neighbors’ parking and access. A quick note goes a long way and prevents friction on the day.
  • Arrange childcare and pet care for moving day. This is one of the most commonly overlooked steps, and one of the most impactful. Children and pets in a home being actively moved create real safety risks and slow the crew down. Having them cared for off-site for the day makes the move faster, safer, and less stressful for everyone.
  • Begin defrosting your refrigerator and freezer. If your refrigerator or freezer is being moved, it needs to be fully defrosted, emptied, cleaned, and dried at least 24 hours before your move. A wet, frost-laden refrigerator is heavier, harder to move, and can damage floors and other items. Start this process no later than the evening before your move.

What to Do the Day Before Your Move

The day before your move is your final window to get the house truly ready. If moving day arrives and packing isn’t done or appliances aren’t prepared, it slows down the entire operation (which is part of why we also offer packing and unpacking services). If you’re paying for an hourly-rate moves, every slowdown costs you money.

Here’s what we recommend every client do the day before their scheduled move:

  • Finish all packing. Moving day is not packing day. Every box should be sealed, taped, and labeled before the crew arrives. Label boxes clearly with the destination room and, where helpful, load priority (“KITCHEN — unload first” or “GUEST ROOM — unload last”). The faster our crew can read your labels, the faster and more accurately everything gets loaded and placed at your new home. Need help packing? [LINK: sloansmovingandstorage.com/our-services/packing/]
  • Prepare your appliances. Disconnect washer water lines and secure the drum; detach the dryer vent and cord. Drain the dishwasher. Ensure the refrigerator is fully defrosted and dry (see above). For gas appliances, arrange for a licensed technician to disconnect and cap lines — this isn’t something movers can do, and it’s worth handling the day before so it’s not a morning-of scramble.
  • Disassemble large furniture if you’d like. Sloan’s team is trained to disassemble and reassemble furniture as needed — bed frames, large shelving units, sectional sofas. If you’d prefer to do this yourself the evening before to save time on the clock, that’s a great option. Just let the crew know what’s been done when they arrive. [LINK: sloansmovingandstorage.com/our-services/residential-movers/]
  • Set aside your “do not move” items. Collect valuables, important documents, medications, jewelry, passports, car keys, and anything you plan to transport in your personal vehicle. Put them in a dedicated bag or box and either keep them in your car overnight or place them in a clearly marked room that the crew knows is off-limits. Communicate this to the crew lead first thing on moving day.
  • Clear all pathways. Walk the route from every major piece of furniture to the front door and think like someone carrying a sofa. Remove area rugs from high-traffic paths (they cause slips and trips under load). Clear hallways, staircases, and the entryway of anything that doesn’t need to be moved. Outside, make sure the path from your front door to the curb is clear and accessible for the truck.
  • Do a video walkthrough of your home. Take a short video or photos of each room — walls, floors, and furniture condition — before moving day. This takes five minutes and gives you clear documentation of your home’s condition prior to the move. It’s rarely needed, but invaluable if it is.
  • Charge your phone. You’ll be coordinating with the crew, handling logistics at both ends, and staying in touch with your real estate agent or property manager all day. Start the morning with a full battery.

Sloan's Moving Day Prep Checklist

There are a million moving pieces the morning of your move, and it’s easy to lose sight of the important things you need to do. To help make sure you’re prepared and nothing gets missed, we’ve created a free downloadable checklist you can print and use to make sure you’re ready for your moving crew:

Sloan’s – Moving Day Prep Checklist

Click the link above to check it out. The checklist covers the most important items mentioned in this post, from the week before moving day, though the morning of your move, to wrapping up your move in your new home.

What to Do the Morning Movers Arrive

The morning of your move is not the time to be catching up. The goal is to be ready before the truck pulls up, so that when your crew arrives, they can get right to work. Here’s how to make sure you’re ready:

  • Be up and ready before the crew arrives. At Sloan’s, our crews often have back-to-back moves scheduled, especially when we’re working on smaller moves like apartment moves. A delayed start at your home affects timing for the rest of the day. The crew is at their freshest and most efficient in the first hours of the morning — don’t lose that window.
  • Do one final walkthrough before the crew rings the bell. Slowly check every room, closet, cabinet, drawer, garage shelf, attic space, and outdoor area. The most common post-move regret is discovering something was left behind — an item in a back closet, a box under a bed, tools in the garage. Five minutes of diligence prevents a second trip.
  • Walk the crew lead through your home. At the start of every Sloan’s move, the crew lead does a walkthrough with you. Use this time well: point out items that need special handling (antiques, fragile electronics, a piano, a large mirror), identify the “do not load” zone, and flag anything about your home the crew should know — a tricky staircase, a doorframe that’s tight on clearance, floors you’d like extra protection on.
  • Confirm the destination address. Always give the crew lead the full destination address — including any gate codes, unit numbers, parking instructions, or building rules at the new location. Don’t assume they have it from the paperwork alone.
  • Keep kids and pets clear of the work zone. Once the crew is loading, the home becomes an active worksite with heavy objects, propped doors, and people moving quickly in both directions. For everyone’s safety, keep children and pets in a separate room or out of the house entirely during loading and unloading.

Moving in Northern Virginia? A Few Things Worth Knowing

Northern Virginia isn’t like most US metros when it comes to moving. The combination of dense communities, HOA-heavy neighborhoods, apartment buildings with strict move-in rules, and some of the worst commuter traffic in the country means local context matters. Here’s what our Sloan’s moving team has learned from years of moving families across Prince William, Fairfax, and Loudoun counties:

Traffic timing matters

I-66, Route 28, and Route 234 through Prince William County are among the most congested corridors in Virginia during morning and evening commute hours. A move that starts loading at 7:30 AM and heads toward Fairfax or Reston at 8:30 AM can easily add 45–60 minutes to travel time compared to the same move starting at 9:00 AM.

We recommends scheduling your move start between 8:00–9:00 AM — loading during off-peak hours and arriving at your destination before afternoon traffic builds. If your move involves traveling into or out of Arlington, Alexandria, or the I-395 corridor, talk to us about timing strategy when you book.

HOA and Community Rules

Many Northern Virginia HOA communities — particularly newer townhome and single-family developments in Prince William and Loudoun counties — have specific moving policies: required advance notice, designated truck parking areas, move-out/move-in time windows, or elevator reservations in multi-family buildings. These rules aren’t always prominently posted.

To avoid issues, check your HOA portal, your community covenants, or call your HOA management company directly. Sloan’s team has experience with dozens of NoVA communities and can help you think through logistics — just ask!

Certificates of Insurance 

If you’re moving into or out of an apartment or condominium complex — particularly in Northern Virginia’s higher-density areas — expect to provide a Certificate of Insurance from your moving company before the crew can enter the building. Building management uses COIs to confirm the moving company is properly licensed and insured. Sloan’s provides COIs at no additional charge. Request yours at least a few days before your move so building management has time to process it.

Summer Moves

Northern Virginia summers are hot, humid, and busy. June through August is peak moving season, especially right at the start and end of the school year. Demand is high, availability is tighter, and crews work in conditions that can exceed 90°F with high humidity. Book your summer move as early as possible to secure your preferred date.

On move day, having cold water available for the crew is appreciated and helps everyone work safely in the heat.

A Quick Note on Restricted Items

As you prepare, sort through your belongings with an eye for items that professional movers cannot legally transport. At Sloan’s, we can’t move hazardous materials (propane tanks, paint, cleaning chemicals), flammable liquids, perishable food, or illegal items. That being said, we’re really great at moving bulky and heavy items, like hot tubs and pool tables).

If you’re unsure whether something qualifies, ask us — we’d rather answer the question before moving day than have it create a problem on the day. 

Items that can’t go on the truck should be disposed of, donated, or transported in your personal vehicle before moving day.

Ready to Move? Sloan's Is Here to Help!

Moving in Manassas or anywhere in Northern Virginia? Our team of trained, full-time employees — not day laborers — is ready to make your move smooth from start to finish. We handle furniture disassembly and reassembly, provide Certificates of Insurance for apartment buildings, and bring decades of local NoVA experience to every job.

📞 Call us or get a free quote today to start planning your next move today.