Moving inventory and access checklist

Reviewed

A useful quote request explains what is moving and what it will take to collect and deliver it. Before you contact a moving company, make a room-by-room inventory and a separate access list for both properties. Use the checklist below to find gaps while there is still time to resolve them.

These preparation steps support a more complete conversation with a mover. They cannot guarantee a particular price or replace the company's survey and written estimate.

1. Walk through every storage space

Start at one end of your home and work through it in order. Record furniture and other large items individually. Then count boxes that are already packed and clearly label any box count that is still an estimate.

Check:

  • Bedrooms, living areas, kitchen, and home office
  • Closets, cupboards, and under-bed storage
  • Garage, basement, attic, and shed
  • Patio, balcony, and outdoor furniture
  • Any off-site storage or additional pickup location

Mark belongings as "moving," "staying," or "undecided." If a decision changes after a company prepares an estimate, tell the company before moving day. FMCSA's consumer handbook identifies promptly reporting shipment changes as a customer responsibility.

2. Make unusual items easy to identify

Note anything that needs a closer conversation: a piano, large mirror, heavy exercise equipment, delicate artwork, or furniture that may need disassembly. Record dimensions when size or access is uncertain rather than expecting the estimator to infer them from a photo.

For each item, ask yourself:

  • Can I identify the exact piece and how many there are?
  • Have I included its separate components?
  • Does the mover need to discuss packing or handling with me?
  • Is there an uncertain detail I should flag instead of guessing?

Ask the company for its instructions about high-value items and prohibited or restricted goods. Keep those questions separate from the ordinary box count.

3. Take photos that add information

Use a wide room view for context, then closer images where a detail matters. Show the whole item when possible. If the same sofa appears in several pictures, make that clear so the photos do not imply several sofas.

Photograph storage areas you might otherwise forget. Label what is staying behind, and pair photos with a written count for repeated items such as chairs or packed boxes.

Before uploading, check the background for documents, screens, or personal information that does not help explain the move. Keep the focus on belongings and access. Photos are helpful context, but a picture alone does not establish weight, exact dimensions, or everything hidden inside a cabinet.

4. Describe access at both addresses

Prepare the same notes for pickup and delivery:

  • Floor level and stairs along the route
  • Elevator availability, dimensions, and any reservation requirement
  • Distance between the likely vehicle position and the entrance
  • Narrow doors, hallways, turns, gates, or low clearances
  • Parking restrictions and any loading-area rules
  • Building access hours and the person who can confirm them

Ask the mover to assess anything you cannot verify, including whether its vehicle can reach the property. If an address or access detail is still unknown, say so and ask how that uncertainty will be handled in the estimate.

These are prompts for your discussion, not a claim that every property feature carries an extra fee.

5. Put the requested services beside the inventory

Write down who will pack, disassemble furniture, and unpack. Flag any storage or additional stop you want included. Confirm pickup and delivery expectations rather than assuming they happen on the same day.

Ask the company to reconcile this list with its written estimate. FMCSA's tips for a successful move advise reviewing the charges and services in writing. Keep copies of the documents you receive and resolve unclear entries before signing.

6. Review again at pickup and delivery

Your preparation list serves a different purpose from the mover's shipment inventory. Review the mover's inventory and condition notes with the crew. At delivery, check for missing or damaged items and record discrepancies before signing. See FMCSA's moving checklist for the wider pickup and delivery steps.

Ready to organize your move? Start Knowve's free assessment, build your inventory, and review your Move Report. If you choose to request a quote and authorize sharing, your full report, saved inventory photos and contact details go to one moving company for that request. Review what Knowve Verified means, how the planning range should be used or compare moving methods.