What Your Realtor Won't Tell You About Moving Day (But Your Movers Will)

After 18 years and over 10,000 moves in Colorado Springs, our crew has seen it all. And the number one thing we hear on moving day? “I wish someone had told me that sooner.”

Your realtor is great at selling homes. But moving day logistics? That’s our world. Here’s what we wish every homeowner knew before the truck pulls up.

1. Closing Day and Moving Day Should NOT Be the Same Day

This is the biggest mistake we see, and realtors rarely warn you about it.

Here’s what happens: You close at 10 AM, get the keys at noon, and our crew is standing in the driveway of your old house with a full truck and nowhere to go. Meanwhile, the sellers at your new place haven’t finished their walkthrough yet.

What to do instead: Close the day before you move, or at minimum, close first thing in the morning and schedule movers for the afternoon. Better yet, give yourself a full buffer day. One night of overlap on rent or mortgage is worth avoiding the chaos.

Related: Need help planning the timeline? Check out our complete moving checklist for a week-by-week breakdown.

2. Your Utilities Need to Overlap

We’ve shown up to homes in July with no AC running because the homeowner cancelled utilities the day before. We’ve unloaded furniture in the dark because the power wasn’t on yet at the new place.

The rule: Keep utilities on at your old place through moving day. Have utilities turned on at your new place at least 24 hours before we arrive. Colorado Springs Utilities can usually do same-day activation, but don’t risk it.

This includes:

• Electric and gas (we need light and climate control to work safely)
• Water (you’ll want to flush and wash hands)
• Internet (not urgent, but you’ll want it that night)

3. The Fridge and Freezer Are Always the Problem

Nobody thinks about the fridge until moving day. Then it’s: “Can you guys wait while I clean this out?”

48 hours before your move:

• Start eating down perishables
• Defrost the freezer (a hair dryer speeds this up)
• Clean the inside
• Tape the doors shut with painter’s tape (not duct tape, it leaves residue)

If you’re keeping the fridge, it needs to stand upright for 24 hours after moving before you plug it back in. This isn’t a myth — it lets the compressor oil settle.

Pro tip: Pack a cooler with drinks and snacks for moving day. You won’t want to go grocery shopping after a full move. See our moving day survival guide for a complete essentials box checklist.

4. Measure Your Doorways. Seriously.

At least once a month, we show up to a beautiful new home where the couch doesn’t fit through the front door. Or the bed frame won’t make it up the staircase. Or the fridge is two inches too wide for the kitchen opening.

Before moving day:

• Measure every doorway, hallway, and staircase at the new place
• Measure your largest furniture pieces
• Check for tight turns (L-shaped hallways are notorious)
• Remove doors from hinges if needed (we do this all the time)

We can solve most fit problems, but it’s much easier when we know ahead of time rather than discovering it with a king-size mattress wedged in a hallway.

5. Pack a “First Night” Box and Keep It With You

Do not put this on the truck. Keep it in your car.

Your first night box should have:

• Phone chargers
• Toilet paper (trust us on this one)
• Paper towels and basic cleaning spray
• Medications
• A change of clothes for everyone
• Sheets and pillows for the first night
• Pet food and bowls
• Trash bags
• A few basic tools (screwdriver, hammer)
• Snacks and water

We’ve had families searching through 50 boxes at 9 PM looking for their kid’s pajamas. Don’t be that family.

Need a room-by-room packing guide? Here’s how to pack your kitchen like a pro.

6. Your Kids and Pets Need a Plan

Moving day is controlled chaos. A crew of three adults is carrying heavy furniture through doorways while navigating stairs. It’s not safe for little ones or pets to be underfoot.

The best plan:

• Kids go to a friend’s house, grandparents, or a sitter for the day
• Pets go to daycare, a friend’s house, or at minimum, one closed room that’s clearly marked “DO NOT OPEN — DOG INSIDE”
• If that’s not possible, designate one room as the “safe zone” and keep it closed until we’re done

Moving with fur babies? Read our complete guide to moving with pets in Colorado.

7. We Need Clear Paths — Inside and Out

This sounds obvious, but you’d be surprised. The fastest way to slow down a move (and increase your hours) is obstacles.

Before we arrive:

• Shovel and salt walkways in winter (Colorado Springs ice is no joke)
• Move cars out of the driveway so the truck can back in close
• Clear hallways and doorways of shoes, bags, and random stuff
• Prop open doors (door stops or tape)
• If you’re in an apartment, reserve the elevator and know the loading dock rules

Every minute we spend navigating obstacles is a minute on your bill. A clear path means a faster, cheaper move.

8. Tell Us What’s Fragile BEFORE We Start

We wrap everything in blankets and stretch wrap. We’re careful with every piece. But we’re not mind readers.

Please tell us about:

• Antiques or irreplaceable items
• Glass tabletops or marble surfaces
• Electronics with specific handling needs
• Items with sentimental value (grandma’s china, that vase from your wedding)
• Anything that’s already damaged (so we don’t get blamed for a pre-existing crack)

We’ll take extra precautions on anything you flag. We’d rather over-protect than under-protect.

Worried about fragile items? Here’s our guide to packing fragile items safely.

9. The Walkthrough Is Your Best Friend

Before we close up the truck at your old place, walk through every room with us. Open every closet. Check the garage, the attic, the shed, the laundry room.

The most commonly forgotten items:

• Stuff in the attic or crawl space
• Garden hoses and outdoor tools
• Items on high closet shelves
• Garage wall-mounted items
• Curtain rods
• Stuff in the laundry (literally mid-cycle sometimes)

Once the truck leaves, going back is expensive and inconvenient. Five minutes of walkthrough saves hours of headache.

10. Tip Your Crew (Here’s What’s Fair)

This is the one nobody wants to ask about, but everyone wonders.

Industry standard in Colorado Springs:

• $20-30 per mover for a half-day move (2-4 hours)
• $30-50 per mover for a full-day move (5+ hours)
• Or buy lunch/pizza for the crew (always appreciated)

Tipping isn’t required, but our guys work incredibly hard. They’re lifting your life onto a truck in Colorado weather — summer heat, winter ice, and everything in between. A tip tells them you noticed.

The Bottom Line

Moving day doesn’t have to be stressful. Most of the chaos we see comes from things that could’ve been prevented with a little planning. Your realtor handles the transaction. We handle the transition. And after 18 years of doing this in Colorado Springs, we’ve gotten pretty good at it.

Ready to plan your move? Get a free quote or call us at 719-357-5865. We’ll walk you through everything so there are no surprises on moving day.

Want to know what it’ll cost? Check out our 2026 Colorado Springs moving cost guide for real numbers, not national averages.