A house move does not always happen at a time when you can take leave and travel back. You may have already joined your new office in another city, while your belongings are still at the old house. Or you may be living abroad and need to arrange a move between two addresses in India.
So, today let's discuss house shifting without being present. The first thing to settle is who will be there when the team arrives. Then you need to decide what that person can handle for you and which decisions you want to make yourself.
First, confirm who will be there at each home
Before booking, tell the moving company which parts of the move you cannot attend. Ask whether it will accept someone supervising the survey, packing and pickup on your behalf, and what it needs from you to confirm that arrangement.
This person could be a relative, friend or property manager whom you trust. Choose someone who knows which belongings are yours and can give the work enough time. If your friend is available only until noon, discuss that also while arranging the pickup.
Share the person's name and contact details with the mover, and ask what identification or written permission is required.
You will need someone at the delivery address too. For an intercity move, this may be a different person. Give the company both contacts and explain who will help at each end.
BOXnMOVE's moving terms ask customers to check the listed goods before loading and after unloading. If you cannot attend, confirm who will carry out those checks and how the mover will record that person's role.
If nobody suitable can be there, discuss another arrangement or date before confirming the booking. Leaving the keys with a guard does not, by itself, settle who will supervise the move.
Decide what your representative can approve
Once you have chosen someone, explain what you are asking them to do. You may want your friend to check the goods and send photographs, but still want to approve any change in the price yourself.
Put these instructions in writing and share them with the mover also. Include the person's name, the booking details, the relevant addresses and date, and the work they can handle. Ask the company what form of written permission it accepts.
Here is an example of how you can divide the decisions:
| What comes up? | What can the person at the house check? | What should you agree beforehand? |
|---|---|---|
| Checking the goods | They can compare the goods with the list and photograph their condition. | Decide how they should report anything missing or different. |
| Adding or removing an item | They can show you the proposed change. | Explain which changes they can approve and which need your decision. |
| Additional work or charges | They can ask why the work is needed and obtain the proposed amount. | Agree on any spending limit and who approves an amount above it. |
| Signing a pickup or delivery record | They can carry out the agreed checks and read the document. | Confirm who may sign and what they are being asked to confirm. |
You can allow the person to approve certain expenses within a limit, if that suits you. Write down that limit and tell the mover, so that everyone understands the arrangement.
Also explain any decisions you want to keep with yourself, such as disposing of furniture or accepting a settlement for damage. The person helping you should not have to guess whether you would agree.
Check the goods together before moving day
When arranging house shifting remotely, give the person at the house and the moving company the same information. A video walkthrough can help, provided the mover agrees to use it for the survey.
Let's go through what to cover:
- Start by showing what needs to move. Go through the rooms and relevant cupboards together. Show the larger furniture, appliances and any items needing special attention. If a bed needs dismantling and reassembly, discuss who will do that work also.
- Then identify what will stay behind. Let's just say you are leaving the dining table for the next tenant. Tell your representative, mark it clearly and put the instruction on the list shared with the crew. Otherwise, the person packing may reasonably assume that it is going with the other furniture.
- Record the condition before the goods are covered. Ask for photographs that show which item is being photographed, along with any existing scratch, crack or fault. Keep these with the item list, so that you can find them again if a question comes up after delivery.
Keep one updated list with the customer, representative and mover. If you add or remove something later, send the revised version to everyone involved.
Once the survey is finished, ask for the quotation to reflect the agreed goods, packing and work at both homes. Our quotation checklist explains the other details to check before paying, including additional charges and the services included.
Arrange access and agree when you can be contacted
The person meeting the team will need access to the house. Agree who will provide the keys, arrange entry and secure the property after loading. If the keys need to go back to the landlord afterwards, arrange that handover too.
Check society permissions, lift timings and parking arrangements where they apply. Tell the building management who will be meeting the moving team, particularly if the booking is in your name but someone else will be present.
If identification is requested, ask what information is needed and who needs to receive it. Make a separate arrangement for private papers, jewellery and belongings that are not part of the move. During the video walkthrough, show what the team needs to assess without unnecessarily showing personal records. Our guide to moving privacy discusses these precautions further.
Then agree when the team or your representative can contact you. If you are abroad, make the local date and time clear. A call described only as “tomorrow morning” can mean something different to each person.
Arrange a backup contact or decide what your representative can handle if you cannot answer. If a new decision falls outside that permission, the team should know whom to call and which part of the work needs to wait.
Ask how waiting or a change of schedule would be handled under your booking. This is easier to discuss beforehand than when your friend is standing with the crew and trying to reach you.
What to check before the truck leaves
On pickup day, arrange calls at useful points, such as before valuable goods are covered or when the final packing list is ready.
Before departure, ask them to complete these three things:
- Match the final packing list with what is being loaded. Check the carton numbers and separately packed furniture or appliances. The earlier list showed what you wanted to move; the packing list should help identify how those belongings have been packed. A dismantled item may have more than one package, so those parts need to be accounted for also.
- Get the pickup record and share the relevant copies. Ask your representative to obtain the agreed pickup or consignment document and send it to you. Keep the packing list, useful photographs and any written changes together. Send the final list to the receiving person as well, so that they know what to expect.
- Check the house once loading is complete. Go through the rooms, cupboards, balcony and other areas used during packing. Confirm that belongings meant to stay are still there and that nothing intended for the move has been left behind. Then make sure to complete the key handover as arranged.
If additional work or a charge comes up next, then use the approval arrangement already agreed and make sure to keep the change in writing. If you are making the payment yourself, have the agreed payment details ready and keep the acknowledgement with the booking records.
Make sure the receiving person has the same list
The receiving person should have the final packing list, the mover's contact and the delivery details before the truck arrives. Tell them about any placement, unpacking or reassembly work included in the booking, so that they know what to discuss with the team.
At delivery, ask them to match the cartons and separately listed goods with that list. They should also look at visible surfaces and any wet, torn or crushed packaging, and raise a concern with the team while it is there. Before the team leaves, have them check that no goods remain in the vehicle also.
Also explain to them what they are signing. If they have only counted the cartons, they should tell the team that the boxes are still unopened and their contents have not been checked. Ask them to have this written on the delivery record before they sign it.
If something is missing or damaged, ask them to photograph the item and its packaging, note the problem on the delivery record and report it to you and the company promptly. Also keep the available packaging and the records while the issue is being looked into. The damage claim guide explains the follow-up process in more detail.
And if nobody can receive the delivery, then tell the mover early and agree on another receiver, date or storage arrangement, including any charges. Do not leave that decision until the vehicle reaches the address.
If you are arranging house shifting with BOXnMOVE, tell the team at the start that you will be away. Share the pickup and receiving contacts, then ask what permission and instructions it needs from you before the booking is confirmed.
FAQs
1. Can I arrange house shifting while I am living abroad?
Yes, you definitely can arrange house shifting in India even if you are living abroad, no issues. But first, you’ll first need to speak to the mover about who will be there for you. Once it accepts that arrangement, share the names of the people handling pickup and the delivery.
2. Can one person supervise pickup and another receive the goods?
Yes, one person can be there at your old house and another can receive the goods at the new house, if the mover accepts this arrangement. Send both of them the final list, so that they know what is being moved.
3. What written permission should I give my representative?
The written permission should mention the name of the person helping you, the booking and the work you want them to handle. Ask the mover what details it needs, and make sure it knows if some decisions still need your approval.
4. Do I need to stay on a video call throughout the entire move?
You do not necessarily need to stay on a video call throughout the move. Before moving day, ask the mover which parts need you to join and agree on those calls. Have your representative supervise the work between them.
5. What happens if I really cannot answer a call during packing?
If you really cannot answer, then the person at the house should know what you have allowed them to decide. If something needs your approval, then they should use the backup contact or just wait as agreed with the mover.
6. What if no one is available even at the delivery address?
If no one can be at the delivery address, then please tell the mover as early as possible. Make sure to ask whether another person can receive the goods or whether delivery needs to be moved to next day. If storage is needed, then agree on where the goods will go and surely check what it will cost you.
