Moving checklist for Jeddah: what to do before and on moving day
A move goes well when everything is ready before the truck arrives. Here is what to do a week before, two days before and on the day itself, including the fridge, the washing machine and the things that break.
On moving day the clock is running: loading time is usually paid time, and every item that is not ready slows everything else down. The preparation decides how the day goes.
This checklist goes in order: a week before, two days before, the day before, the day itself, and the first hour in the new home.
A week before: decide what is moving
Sort before you pack. Go room by room and set aside what you will not use in the new home. Sell it, give it away or throw it out now. Everything you keep costs space and time.
Get boxes and tape. More small boxes than large ones: heavy things go in small boxes, light things in large ones.
Measure the big pieces. The longest and the tallest item decide the size of the vehicle. Dyna, pickup or truck explains how to match them.
Check both buildings. Is there an elevator, and can you use it for furniture? Where can a truck stop? Does the building guard or the compound office need to know in advance?
Pick the time. In the hot months, early morning or the evening is easier on everyone.
Two days before: pack room by room
Pack one room at a time and write the room on every box, on the side, not on the top.
Do not overfill. A box you cannot lift comfortably is too heavy.
Tape the bottom of every box twice.
Empty wardrobes and drawers. Furniture is carried empty.
Put clothes and bedding in bags: they fill gaps in the truck and protect the furniture.
Keep one box for the first night: water, cups, chargers, basic tools, tissues and bedding.
The day before: the fridge, the washing machine and the cooker
Fridge. Empty it and switch it off the day before, so the freezer defrosts. Wipe it dry, take out the shelves or tape them down, and tape the doors shut. It travels standing up. In the new home, let it stand for a few hours before you switch it on.
Washing machine. Turn off the water, disconnect and drain the hoses, and wipe the drum dry. If you still have the transit bolts it came with, put them back: they hold the drum during the drive.
Cooker. Close the gas valve and disconnect the cylinder. Do not send the gas cylinder or anything else that burns with the furniture: hazardous and flammable materials are on the list of prohibited items in the Terms of Use.
Air conditioners. A split unit has to be taken down and refitted by a technician. Arrange that separately, before moving day.
Sofas, beds and wardrobes
Take apart what you can before the truck arrives: bed frames, table legs, shelves, the doors of a large wardrobe. Flat pieces load faster and take less space.
Take a photo before you take anything apart. It is your assembly manual.
Put the screws of each piece in a bag and tape the bag to that piece.
Cover corners and glass with blankets or cardboard.
If a piece is too complicated to take apart yourself, sort that out before the day, not when the crew is at the door.
Things that break
Pack fragile things yourself, and pack them early.
Wrap every glass and every plate separately. Plates travel better standing on their edge than lying in a stack.
Fill the gaps in the box so nothing moves when you shake it.
Write "fragile" on the box and mark which side is up.
The TV goes in its original box if you kept it. If not, protect the screen with a blanket and keep it upright.
Photograph furniture and appliances before loading, so you know what condition they were in.
On moving day
Be ready before the truck arrives: boxes closed, big pieces taken apart, everything as close to the door as possible.
Hold the elevator and keep the parking spot free.
Keep documents, jewelry, cash, medicines, laptops and chargers with you, not in the truck.
Show the crew what is fragile and what is heavy before they start.
Walk through every room, the balcony and the roof storage before the truck leaves.
In the new home
Tell the crew which room each box goes to. That is what the labels are for.
Check your things as they come off the truck, while the crew is still there.
Count the boxes.
Switch the fridge on after it has stood for a few hours.
How this works with BeePlus
When you order, enter both addresses with the floor and door number, and choose the vehicle. You can order now or book any day and time.
The app suggests the number of loaders for the truck size you chose, and the driver is one of them: 1 loader means the driver loads alone, 2 loaders means the driver and one more person. If you select loaders, they carry heavy items up the stairs even where there is no elevator, and carrying to your floor is part of the time-based rate.
The driver waits 10 minutes free of charge. After that, waiting time is part of the price, which is one more reason to be ready.
Packing can be added in the app for an additional charge. For taking furniture apart and putting it back together, write to BeePlus support before the move: they will tell you whether a suitable specialist is available, also for an additional charge.
A truck has one passenger seat. In a car and a pickup passengers are not taken.
The driver who carries out the order is responsible for your items. BeePlus does not offer compensation or insurance for them, so good packing is your protection. If the damage is the fault of the partner, BeePlus is ready to help resolve it.
Moving checklist: the short list
A week before: sort, get boxes, measure the big pieces, check both buildings.
Two days before: pack room by room, label the boxes, empty the furniture.
The day before: defrost the fridge, drain the washing machine, take the beds apart.
On the day: everything by the door, valuables with you, a last walk through the rooms.
In the new home: check, count, and let the fridge stand.
Still choosing who will move you? Read how to choose movers in Jeddah. To see what decides the price of a move, read Moving cost in Jeddah, or open the BeePlus app and look at the estimate for your addresses.
Planning a move? Movers in Jeddah
