Moving Day Checklist: Hour-by-Hour Guide

Move day starts at 7 AM and ends at 11 PM. The 16 hours in between can either be smooth and uneventful, or chaotic and exhausting. The difference is preparation — and following an hour-by-hour playbook.

This checklist is what we recommend to Gati customers. Print it, stick it on the fridge, follow it.

6:30 AM — Wake up, prepare

Yes, half hour before the crew arrives. Reasons:

• Final bathroom use before the toiletries get packed
• Quick breakfast — you won't eat properly until lunch
• Phone charged to 100%; power bank ready
• Cash withdrawn (yesterday) and accessible in your wallet (₹3,000-5,000)
• "First night box" set aside in a place crew won't accidentally pack
• Important documents (passport, property papers, jewellery) in your personal bag — physically with you all day

7:00 AM — Crew arrives

The crew supervisor calls 30 minutes before to confirm. They arrive between 7-8 AM typically.

• Greet supervisor, hand over your phone number; save theirs
• Walk through the entire home (5-10 minutes) showing what gets packed, what stays
• Point out fragile items and high-value items (electronics, art, antiques)
• Show "DO NOT PACK" zone — the area where your first-night box and personal bags are
• Sign the inventory list as crew documents items
• Confirm timeline (when packing done, when truck leaves, when arriving at destination)

7:30 AM-12:00 PM — Packing phase

Crew packs systematically (usually starts with kitchen since most fragile, ends with furniture). Your role:

• Stay near the action but don't hover
• Be available for questions ("Sir this lamp — pack or carry?")
• Take photos of each room as items leave (proof of what was there)
• Make sure boxes are labelled before they leave the room
• Don't make/take long phone calls — you need to be reachable
• Don't leave the home — if you must, designate a family member as decision-maker

Hydrate the crew — offer water/tea around 10 AM. Small gesture, big morale boost. Many customers also offer biscuits/snacks.

12:00 PM-1:00 PM — Lunch break

Crew takes 30-45 minute break.

• Pay for or arrange lunch for crew (₹150-200 per person — usually included in mover's contract, sometimes separate)
• Do final inspection of packed boxes — count them, note numbers, verify labels
• Check that nothing's been left in any cupboard, drawer, or storage
• Use this time to take photos of empty rooms (clean handover to landlord later if rented)
• Eat your own lunch — last meal at this address

1:00 PM-3:00 PM — Loading

Crew starts loading the truck. Heavy furniture first, then boxes, then fragiles on top.

• Position yourself near the truck, NOT in the home
• Watch fragile items getting loaded — speak up if anything looks unsafe
• For interstate moves: verify the truck is the one promised (size, registration), photograph the registration plate
• Check that the inventory list is complete; sign the final loading sheet
• Confirm driver's contact, the truck's GPS tracking link, the expected delivery time
• Hand over balance payment (per contract — usually 70-75% on delivery, but some movers want some on loading)

3:00 PM-4:00 PM — Final cleanup

Truck has left. You're standing in an empty home. Things to do:

• Walk through every room one final time. Open every cupboard, every drawer.
• Photograph each empty room (for landlord deposit return or your records)
• Lock all windows. Switch off mains (unless landlord wants electricity left on for inspection)
• Hand keys to landlord/society; get acknowledgment in writing
• Cancel local utility connections (if applicable)
• Final security check — anything still here?

It's emotional. Take a moment.

4:00 PM-7:00 PM — Travel to destination

For local moves, you're going to the new home now. For interstate, you're probably going to the airport / station.

• Eat something. You haven't since lunch.
• Track the truck via GPS link
• Buy any urgent supplies you'll need at the new home: snacks, drinking water, basic cleaning supplies
• If destination is in the same city, ideally arrive 30-60 min before the truck
• For interstate, you'll arrive 1-3 days before the truck

7:00 PM-10:00 PM — Unloading at destination

Truck arrives. Local moves: same crew often. Interstate: a different unloading crew may be coordinated.

• Show crew the floor plan: which room each item goes to
• Stand at the entrance with a clipboard — check off boxes as they enter
• Inspect every box for visible damage before signing the delivery acknowledgment
• For furniture: note any visible damage on the form before signing
• Don't sign the acknowledgment as "all good" if you haven't checked
• Pay balance amount per contract
• Tip the crew if they did good work (₹500-2,000 depending on size of move)

10:00 PM-11:00 PM — Settling in

Crew leaves. You're in the new home, surrounded by boxes.

• Open the "first night box" and set up: bed sheets, pillow, water, charger
• Don't try to unpack everything tonight — you'll spend the next 5-7 days doing that
• Find one essential thing per person (toothbrush, change of clothes for tomorrow, kid's favourite toy)
• Eat something simple (delivery food or whatever you bought earlier)
• Sleep. Tomorrow you start unpacking.

Move day done. The next 5-7 days you'll unpack at your pace. The hard work is over.