What Should I Keep With Me on Moving Day?

A few things should never go on the truck. While our moving crew handles the furniture and the boxes, you will want a small bag of essentials that rides with you in your own car, so you are not tearing open sealed boxes at midnight hunting for a phone charger or a toothbrush. Movers call it an open-first box or a go-bag. Here is what belongs in yours.

Important documents and valuables

Keep your critical paperwork and anything irreplaceable on you, not in the truck. That means IDs and passports, your moving paperwork (the bill of lading, your estimate, the inventory list), and any closing or lease documents for the new place. The same goes for jewelry, small heirlooms, and other high-value items. We are fully licensed and insured, but the things that truly cannot be replaced are best kept under your own eye.

An overnight kit

After a long moving day, the last thing you want is to dig through boxes for a towel. Pack a small bag as if you were spending one night in a hotel: toiletries, a few days of any prescription medications for everyone in the family, a change or two of comfortable clothes, and a set of sheets, a pillow, and a towel for each person. Make the beds and you can fall straight into them once the furniture is in place.

Chargers and a power bank

You will be on your phone all day, coordinating with the crew, pulling up building codes, setting up the new Wi-Fi. Keep your chargers and wall adapters with you, plus a portable power bank in case the new place does not have the power turned on yet. Toss in a laptop or tablet if you have work to finish or kids to keep occupied during the day.

A bag for kids and pets

Moving day is hardest on the smallest members of the household. A little bag of familiar things keeps everyone steadier. For kids, that means favorite toys, a comfort blanket, a couple of books, and plenty of snacks. For pets, bring the food and water bowls, a couple of days of their usual food, a leash, and a favorite bed or toy, so the new place smells a little less strange on the first night.

A basic move-in kit

A few simple tools make the first hour smoother. A box cutter or sturdy scissors to open your priority boxes. Disinfectant wipes, paper towels, and trash bags for a quick once-over before the furniture goes down. And a screwdriver and a hammer for the small jobs that always come up, tightening a wobbly leg or hanging a temporary curtain for a little privacy that first night.

The point of it all

None of this is complicated, but having it ready is the difference between a smooth first night and a frustrating one. When your essentials are with you, our crew can stay focused on moving your furniture and boxes safely while you stay set for whatever your family needs that evening.

We have helped people move since 1982, and the smoothest moves are almost always the ones where the first night is planned before the truck ever pulls up. Whether you are going across Chicago or across Illinois, a small go-bag goes a long way.

Planning a move and want it handled by a crew that sweats these details? Call (773) 275-4100 or email info@wcmoving.com, or read more in our FAQ.