Book the move after the closing date is real

Wait for a contract date, then book the truck with a written backup plan.

A target date can move. Put a deposit on a mover or a truck when the closing date is in the contract, and not before, unless the cancellation terms are cheap and written down. Confirm the date with the closing company before you pay. Then ask what happens if that date shifts by a day or two. Get the answer in writing: the fee, the notice they want, and whether the truck is still available.

Measure sofas, mattresses, and tables that might not fit through the next door before the truck is in the driveway. Write the numbers and share them with the mover, or use them yourself if you are loading. A piece that will not pass should be sold, left, or routed through a different door now. The ramp is a bad place to decide. If the written estimate excludes stairs or a long carry, ask what those cost and add the figure to the move budget on your net page.

If you are packing yourself, start with rooms you do not use every day. Keep a first-night box in your car: chargers, a change of clothes, basic tools, and anything you need before the truck is unpacked. That box does not go on the truck. Label it and put it in the seat, not in the garage where it can be loaded by mistake. The closing folder rides in the same car.

Read the cancellation line again the week of closing. If the date slips, you already know the phone number and the fee. Call before the window closes. A move booked on a real contract date, with a written backup and a box that stays with you, survives a one-day shift. A move booked on a hope, with your papers on the truck, does not.

What to do

1. Confirm the closing date with the closing company before you book.
2. Get the mover's cancellation terms in writing, including a shift of a day or two.
3. Measure the large pieces and price any carry the estimate leaves out.
4. Pack a first-night box and keep it with you, along with the closing folder.