Room-by-room inventory checklist
Walk through every indoor room, closet, attic, garage, shed, patio, and storage area. For each space: • Count furniture by type, including pieces that look similar but differ in size. • Estimate the number of packed cartons by size. If packing is incomplete, label the carton count as estimated and update it before the move. • Include loose items that may not fit in standard cartons, such as lamps, rugs, bicycles, artwork, mirrors, grills, and outdoor equipment. • Note furniture that needs disassembly or assembly. • Mark items that are staying, being donated, or disposed of so they are not included accidentally. Use specific entries such as “six dining chairs” rather than broad labels such as “dining room.” A complete list helps bidders assess the work without guessing from bedroom count alone.
Measure large and specialty items
Record the height, width, and depth of oversized furniture, appliances, safes, pianos, pool tables, exercise equipment, and other unusually heavy or fragile pieces. When available, copy the manufacturer’s weight and model information rather than estimating it. Do not invent a weight; mark it as unknown if it cannot be verified. Also measure narrow doorways, hallways, stair turns, and elevator openings that could affect handling. Note whether an item must be crated, disconnected, serviced, disassembled, or moved with special equipment. Ask bidders to identify assumptions or exclusions involving these items in writing. For planning beyond the inventory itself, review the broader /resources/ planning library.
Document access at both locations
Photograph the route from the parking area to the entrance at both origin and destination. Include stairs, elevators, loading docks, gates, long walkways, low clearances, tight corners, unpaved surfaces, and any place where a truck may be unable to approach the building. Add the number of stair flights, elevator dimensions and reservation window, loading-zone limits, gate instructions, and approximate carry distance. Confirm building rules directly with the property manager. If a truck, container, or moving activity could affect a Raleigh public street or sidewalk, consult the City of Raleigh’s temporary street-closure information rather than assuming the space may be used: https://raleighnc.gov/transportation/services/temporary-street-closures.
Create one scope for every bidder
Separate transportation from additional work so each company receives the same request. State who will pack and unpack, which materials are needed, whether storage is required, and which party will handle disassembly, assembly, loading, and unloading. Keep donation and disposal work in a separate category; do not assume a mover will accept it. Before sending the inventory, add the origin and destination, preferred timing, property types, inventory date, and any uncertain counts. Attach the same photographs and measurements to every request. When a bidder proposes a change, add it to a written clarification list and ask the others to address the same point. Then compare included work, exclusions, estimate type, access assumptions, valuation terms, and the process for approving added services—not just the quoted total. The /resources/compare-raleigh-moving-quotes/ guide can help with that comparison.