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Your Moving Day Checklist
How to Prepare for Your Move in Ottawa
A little preparation makes moving day easier. Use this checklist to plan your packing, organize access and have your home ready before the truck arrives.
By the 6Thirteen Moving & Storage Team · Updated October 25, 2026
Boxes packed and ready for loading on a 6Thirteen move.
Start With These Five Things
Confirm your moving date, addresses and arrival window.
Reserve elevators and arrange loading access at both properties.
Pack sturdy boxes and label each one with its destination room.
Tell your movers about heavy items, stairs, extra stops and access restrictions.
Keep essentials, valuables and important documents with you.
01 / Make a Plan
Two to Four Weeks Before Your Move
Start with the details that affect your crew, truck and schedule. A clear inventory helps us plan around your belongings and the access at each address.
Book your movers. Share the pickup and delivery addresses, preferred date, home size and a list of large items. Send photos of bulky furniture or unusual items.
Check building requirements. Ask your property manager about elevator reservations, loading docks, approved moving hours and any required paperwork. Check the building you are leaving and the one you are moving into.
Plan parking. Arrange a safe, suitable space close to the entrance. Check any parking or loading restrictions with the property manager or municipality rather than assuming a truck can stop at the door.
Declutter before packing. Donate, sell or dispose of items you do not want to move. Arrange disposal separately if needed.
Arrange services and address changes. Plan utilities, internet, mail forwarding and key collection so the essentials are ready at your new home.
Decide whether you need packing help. If you want us to pack your kitchen, clothes or whole home, arrange packing services in advance.
02 / Pack and Confirm
One Week Before Your Move
Pack the items you use least first, and leave yourself time for the kitchen and everyday essentials. Packing usually takes longer than people expect.
Use sturdy moving boxes. Tape the bottoms securely, keep boxes manageable to lift and fill empty space so items do not shift.
Label clearly. Write the destination room on the top and at least one side of each box. Mark fragile boxes and identify which ones you want opened first.
Confirm your inventory. Let us know if you have added furniture, need another stop or have items going to storage. Changes can affect the crew, time and truck space needed.
Measure difficult access. Check doors, stairways and elevators for large furniture. Tell us about tight turns, long walks from the truck and low clearances.
Arrange appliance preparation. Follow manufacturer instructions and use a qualified professional for disconnections that require one. Confirm what must be ready before moving day.
Confirm the booking details. Review your quote, arrival window, crew size, services, applicable charges and payment arrangements.
03 / Set Yourself Up
The Night Before Your Move
Pack an essentials bag. Keep medication, chargers, keys, identification, toiletries, a change of clothes and basic supplies with you.
Separate what stays with you. Set aside jewellery, cash, important documents and anything you do not want loaded onto the truck.
Empty furniture where needed. Remove loose, fragile and heavy contents from drawers and cabinets. Ask us in advance if you are unsure about a particular piece.
Finish packing. Close and tape boxes. Keep a small box open for the last few items, then seal it before loading.
Prepare appliances. Empty and defrost a freezer in advance as needed, and make sure it is dry. Keep food in suitable coolers for transport.
Charge your phone. Keep your booking contact available so the team can reach you before arrival.
04 / Ready for the Truck
On Moving Morning
Clear a path. Keep entrances, halls, stairs and loading areas clear of boxes, shoes and other obstacles.
Keep children and pets away from loading areas. Arrange a quiet room or a trusted person to look after them while doors are open.
Show us around. Point out fragile items, furniture that needs disassembly, anything staying behind and any existing damage you want noted.
Keep essentials separate. Mark items that are not being moved and keep your essentials bag somewhere it will not be loaded by mistake.
Be ready for our call. Our team normally calls 30 to 60 minutes before arrival. Your booking confirmation gives the agreed arrival window.
Do a final walkthrough. Check closets, cupboards, storage lockers, balconies and the garage before leaving. At delivery, direct boxes to their labelled rooms and check the truck before the team departs.
A Few Details That Help
Packing Tips for Common Items
TVs and Electronics
Televisions must be in suitable boxes. Use an original TV box or a purpose made moving box, with appropriate protection inside. Photograph cable connections and pack accessories together.
Dishes and Glassware
Wrap items individually with packing paper, cushion the bottom of each box and prevent movement inside. Keep heavy kitchen items in smaller boxes and label fragile contents.
Clothes and Linens
Use wardrobe boxes for hanging clothes and sealed boxes or suitable bags for linens. Keep clothing dry and label it by bedroom.
Furniture and Hardware
Our standard moving service includes furniture protection and disassembly and reassembly where needed. Tell us about complicated pieces in advance. Keep any hardware you remove in labelled bags.
Ask us before packing or loading paint, fuel, propane, chemicals or other potentially hazardous items. Plants need special planning, particularly in cold weather; discuss them with us before your move.
Ottawa and Gatineau Winters
Preparing for a Winter Move
Clear snow and treat ice on walkways, stairs and the route between the entrance and truck before the crew arrives. Make sure outdoor lighting works and keep shovels and ice treatment accessible.
Pack belongings in closed, dry boxes and keep entryways clear. Let us know about slippery surfaces or access problems as soon as possible so we can discuss the plan. Keep temperature sensitive items with you where practical, and ask us about plants and electronics before exposing them to the cold.
Insurance Terms
INSURANCE & LIMITS OF LIABILITY
Our service includes a $2,000,000 liability coverage with a $750 deductible. The customer is responsible for the deductible on any insurance claims.
In case of damage done to furniture or any other items during the move we provide Standard Valuation Coverage of $0.60 per LB, at no additional cost to all of our customers.
If you require additional coverages please contact our operational manager, as we do have different extended coverages available for purchase.
FullValue protection.
If you feel that all of your personal belongings are certainly worth more than $0.60 cents per LB, we also offer “full-value protection”. The coverage is based on your valuation of the contents being transported. The cost is based on about 1% percent of the valuation, so if you decide all of your belongings being shipped are worth $50,000, you would pay $500 for full-value protection. Full-value protection allows us two options if any articles are lost, destroyed or damaged during the move. This is also called “full replacement value.” Moving Relocation Systems, not the consumer, decides how amends will be made for the property. We can either have the item repaired so it is in the same condition as it was before being damage occurred, or we can replace the item with another of like-kind. Basically, if your two-year-old washing machine was smashed, we would not replace it with a new one. You will likely be given the fair-market value of a two-year-old washing machine.
IMPORTANT POINTS:
Insurance does not automatically pay for any damage. It must be clearly shown that the mover was responsible for the damage.
Items in boxes not packed by the mover are not covered, unless the outside of the carton provides clear evidence that the entire box was damaged during the moving.
In order to start a claim process, a client has to report the damage to the movers and pay the full amount of the move performed.
The moving company shall not under any circumstances, be liable for:
1. Loss, damage or delay to any of the goods described in the bill of lading caused by an act of God, the Queen’s or public enemies, riots, strikes, a defect or inherent vice in the goods, an act or default of the consignor, Owner or Customer, authority of law and or quarantine.
2. Mechanical quality of any electronics or appliances.
3. Acoustical quality of any musical instruments
4. Damage to articles made of press board, particle board or wafer board or similar structured materials
5. Damage to glass , marble or similar materials, as an independent item or as part of articles being moved (unless proper packing provided by customer, e.g. cardboard box with corners support for glass table tops, wooden crate for marble table tops)
6. Damage caused by or due to peeling veneer of any sort
7. Deterioration of any article due to aging, temperature, humidity or moisture
8. Items of extraordinary value including but not limited to Mortgage Papers, Legal Documents, Business Documents, Antique’s, Jewelry are not covered by either release rate liability or full value protection. Therefore these items are moved and/or transported at owner’s risk.
9. Exterior cosmetic damage on unboxed merchandise caused by Company is consignor’s sole responsibility. Company does not take any responsibility what so ever on items that are unpacked or poorly packed
10. 6Thirteen moving reserves the right to refuse to move items through passages or stairways with less than 2 inches clearance all around the walls/ceiling and the item in question. In booking our services/agreeing to these terms and condition of service you are waiving any liability against 6Thirteen Moving for damage that might occur to the passage, strairways, walls or the items in question during execution of such maneuvers.
The insurance does not cover:
Mechanical or electronic functions of instruments or appliances.
Furniture that you have not allowed us to properly pad and wrap to protect from potential damage.
Items in storage.
Personal items of monetary value, such as jewelry, cash, fine art, special items (please take them with you).
Any item that is valued at over $2000 must have a Proof or Purchase or Appraisal upon loading.
To be insured against damages, the following items must be crated or placed in specialized boxes/cases:
Products made of natural stone, concrete, ceramic, porcelain, or glass
Small appliances such as microwaves, stereo equipment, printers, computers, and monitors.
Mirrors, wall clocks and hanging fixtures.
Mattresses will not be insured against structural damage if the customer requests that they be bent or folded during the moving process.
Sports/exercise equipment (eg. bikes, treadmills, home gyms, kayaks, canoes, paddle/surf/sailboards) unless packed/crated by an agent of 6Thirteen Movers.
Motorized vehicles/equip (eg. motorbikes, lawnmowers, snowblower) mobility aids (eg. wheelchairs); medical equipment (eg. hospital beds)
Any damages where the crew have pointed out to the customer that they are likely to occur and the customer accepts that risk. An example of this would be moving an over-sized couch through a narrow stairway/hallway/doorway where the couch must touch the walls/railings/stairs in order to fit through the passage.
Any damage resulting from the interference or assistance of a customer or other(s) in the moving or packing process.
Damages to the home unless documented on the work order prior to the moving crew leaving the home. It is the customer’s responsibility to inspect the home and bring any damages to the attention of the crew before they leave the site. The company may, at its discretion, accept responsibility for damages after the fact.
Damages to any item or resulting from any item loaded to or from a vehicle/container/warehouse/storage unit not owned, leased, or otherwise contracted by 6Thirteen Movers.
6Thirteen Moving will not insure any contents of boxes and packaged/wrapped items unless they are packaged/wrapped and unpacked/unwrapped by 6Thirteen Movers employees or agents. If any professional packing services are required, there’s an additional cost and they must be requested prior to the arrival of the moving crew.
