By Bryan Shields, of Titan Moving in Wichita, Kansas. Last updated 2026.
The 48-hour Moving Day Checklist We Give Every Titan Customer
If you have a moving day on the calendar, the next 48 hours decide whether the move costs what you were quoted or two hundred dollars more. We have run thousands of local and long-distance jobs out of Wichita, and the same handful of small mistakes show up over and over. This moving day checklist is the same playbook our crews use, written for the homeowner side of the truck.
Read it once tonight, run through it again the morning of the move, and you will save yourself time, money, and at least one frantic phone call.
Why a Moving Day Checklist Saves You Real Money
Almost every local move in Kansas is billed by the hour. That means every minute the crew spends standing around — waiting for an elevator reservation, hunting for a parking spot, or wrapping items you forgot to pack — comes straight out of your wallet. A solid moving day checklist trims that idle time, and the savings add up fast. On a typical three-mover crew, fifteen lost minutes is roughly thirty-eight dollars; a full lost hour is closer to one hundred and fifty.
The point of the checklist below is not to make you do the movers’ job. It is to make sure that when the truck pulls up, every decision has already been made. (FMCSA’s – Your free Rights and Responsibilities Guide)
48 Hours Out: Lock In the Logistics
Two days before the move, three things should be done. First, confirm the arrival window in writing with your moving company. A text or email is fine; the goal is to make sure both sides agree on the same time. Second, reserve elevators, freight access, or loading docks at both ends of the move if either building requires it. Apartment complexes in particular will turn a crew away if the reservation is missing. Third, verify parking. If your driveway is short or you live on a street with permit parking, ask the city or HOA whether you need a temporary moving permit. In Wichita this is rarely needed, but if you are moving downtown or in College Hill, double-check.
Once those three are confirmed, the rest of the move starts to feel manageable.
24 Hours Out: Sort, Label, and Pre-Stage
The day before the move is for finishing what packing remains and pre-staging everything in the right places. Sort boxes by destination room and label each box on the top and at least one side, because once they are stacked in the truck only the side label is visible. Group fragile items together so the crew can put them on top of the load instead of underneath the heavy stuff.
Pull together a “first-night” bag for each member of the household: medications, two days of clothes, phone chargers, toiletries, and any toys or comfort items the kids will ask for that first evening. This bag rides with you in the car, not in the truck. The number-one regret we hear from customers is putting their toothbrush, contact-lens solution, or the dog’s food in a moving box and then not being able to find which one it ended up in at midnight.
Defrost the refrigerator and freezer if you are moving them. Drain garden hoses, gas-powered tools, and the lawn mower; movers cannot legally transport gasoline. Take photos of the back of your TV and stereo so reconnecting takes ten minutes instead of an hour.
Moving Morning: Clear the Runway for the Crew
Get up early, eat something real, and clear the runway. Take down anything fragile that is still on shelves or walls. Pull rugs up off the floor so the crew has clean traction. If you have pets, secure them in one room with a “do not open” sign — every mover has a story about a cat that bolted out an open front door. Have a tip envelope ready if you plan to tip; cash matters more than card on moving day, and twenty dollars per mover for a half-day local job is the local norm.
Walk the house with the crew lead before any boxes leave the floor. Point out the items that need extra care, the items that are not going on the truck (you would be surprised how often something in the garage is a “leave behind” that did not get marked), and any obstacles such as a basement step that is shorter than the others. Two minutes of walkthrough saves twenty minutes of confusion.
The Final Walk-Through Before the Truck Leaves
This step is where most customers lose things. Before the crew closes the truck, do a slow walk-through of every room — including closets, cabinets, the attic, the garage, and the back of the laundry room. Look behind doors. Open the dishwasher. Check the basement crawlspace. The only way to be sure nothing was missed is to physically open every door.
Photograph the empty rooms. If your move is across town these photos protect you against a dispute over a missing item; if your move is long-distance they protect your security deposit at the old place. Hand the keys to the new owner, the landlord, or the property manager. Then it is time to drive.
Move-In: How to Direct Traffic Without Hovering
At the new place, station yourself near the front door with a copy of your floor plan, even if it is sketched on a napkin. Point each box and piece of furniture to the right room as it comes in. The crew is fast; they cannot read your mind, but they can read a sticker that says “MASTER BR” on a box. Keep the path from the truck to the front door clear. If a kid or a dog wants to “help,” now is the time for a movie or a play date elsewhere.
Once the truck is empty, walk through with the crew lead one more time. Look in the truck. Confirm the box count if you have one. Sign the paperwork only after every item has come off the truck and gone to the right place.
If You Are Still Shopping Movers, Read This Before You Sign
The single biggest waste-of-money pattern we see in Wichita is customers picking the cheapest “$/hour” quote without asking the four questions that determine the actual final bill. A two-mover crew at one hundred and twenty-five dollars per hour can easily cost more than a three-mover crew at one hundred and seventy-five dollars per hour, because the smaller crew takes longer and you pay every minute. We wrote up the four traps to watch for in this guide on the four moving-quote traps that cost folks $500 or more.
Get an Itemized Quote for Your Move
If you would rather skip the guesswork and see what an honest, itemized estimate looks like, please give us a call at 316-425-3138. We do moves 6 days a week from Wichita to wherever you are headed, and a 15-minute conversation usually clears up most of the unknowns.
Bryan Shields
Titan Moving
Your Moving Solution!
www.titan-moving.com
316-425-3138