You don't have to prep. Our crews are happy to walk in cold, figure out what's going, and handle everything. But a little prep shortens the pickup, keeps the quote tight, and makes the whole thing less stressful. Here's the quick version.
First, separate the "goes" from the "stays." The most common source of awkwardness on-site is realizing halfway through the load that Grandma's end table was actually supposed to stay. A simple fix: put a sticky note on items that are staying, or move them to a different room. If that's not practical, just point them out during the walk-through.
Second, clear the path. The crew needs a route from where the items are to the truck. Move anything fragile that sits in that path (vases, thin décor, anything you'd hate to replace), and open any doors that normally stay closed. Our straps and blankets protect walls and doorframes, but we can't work around surprises.
Third, think about access. If there's a gate code, a shared driveway with a neighbor, or a building loading dock reservation, let us know ahead of the window so the crew doesn't wait at a locked gate. HOA-managed communities sometimes require vendor check-ins — we'll handle it on arrival if you give us the contact.
Fourth, flag anything we can't take. Paint cans with liquid inside, old fuel cans, propane tanks, medical waste, and asbestos-containing materials all need specialty disposal. If you're not sure, ask us — we'd rather say "that one we can't take, here's who can" on the walk-through than surprise you at load time.
Fifth (optional but nice): group like with like. Piles of just-furniture vs. piles of just-e-waste vs. piles of just-trash help our recycling sort go faster. Not required — we sort at the intake stage either way — but it's a bit of karma for the planet.
Last, be present for the walk-through if you can. Five minutes at the start saves tens of minutes later. If you can't be home, a video call works, or photos with sticky-note labels do fine for small scopes.