House moves in Edmonton
Residential Movers in Edmonton: Houses, Townhomes and Acreages
A family home holds more than an apartment: a basement, a garage, maybe a shed. Men In Trucks Moving Inc. now handles house moves with local Edmonton crews, and this page shows how residential movers in Edmonton plan the job, from your type of home to the night before.
- Local Edmonton crews
- Founded in Ottawa in 2010
- Written quote before move day
- Houses, townhomes and acreages
Men In Trucks floor runners on a staircase and hallway (photographed in Ottawa).
House movers, not building movers. On this page, house movers and home movers in Edmonton means moving what is inside your home: furniture, boxes, appliances and the garage. Relocating the building itself is a separate structural trade, and we do not do it. For our other services, see Men In Trucks in Edmonton.
Plan by home type: houses, townhomes, bungalows and acreages
Edmonton is largely a city of houses. In the 2021 Census, about half of its occupied homes were single-detached and another 17% were semi-detached or row homes, and the single-detached share reaches 80% in Strathcona County and 89% in Parkland County (Statistics Canada 2021 Census profiles for Edmonton, Strathcona County and Parkland County).
| Home type | What usually needs planning | Tell us when you ask for a quote |
|---|---|---|
| Two-storey house | Stairs with a turn or landing, bedroom furniture coming down, a full garage and the walk from the door to the truck. | Bedroom count, big upstairs pieces, attached or detached garage. |
| Bungalow with a developed basement | Often the slowest part of the day: narrow stairs, low ceilings and a tight turn at the bottom. | What is downstairs, plus photos of the stairs. |
| Townhouse or duplex | Narrower stairs, a shared driveway or visitor lot, and condo move rules for townhouse condos. | Where the truck can stop, any move-time rules, number of floors. |
| Acreage in Strathcona, Parkland or Sturgeon County | A long or gravel driveway, turning room for a large truck, outbuildings and the drive into town. | Driveway length and surface, gate widths, what is in each outbuilding. |
| House to condo | Deciding what fits, plus elevator bookings at the new building. | The new floor plan and the building's move rules. |
Most condo buildings and townhouse condos set their own move rules, so check with the property manager early; our page on apartment and condo moves covers the building side. For acreage moves outside Edmonton, tell us both addresses and we will confirm in your quote. For a full driveway-to-outbuilding list, see the acreage checklist on our page about moving in Strathcona County.
Room-by-room prep for a family home
Packing is only part of it; the prep below is about decisions. To hand off the boxes, see our packing and unpacking help.
Kitchen
Eat down the freezer over the last two weeks, then empty and defrost the fridge the day before. Decide early which appliances stay with the house.
Bedrooms
Take mirrors and pictures down. Decide which beds and cribs come apart, and tape each bag of bolts to its frame. For dressers, see the questions below.
Living and dining rooms
Measure sofas and tables against the new doorways. Photograph the cables behind the TV before unplugging, and take wall-mounted TVs down before move day.
Basement
Start here, since it often holds the most decisions, and measure the stairway for large pieces. A piano, safe or home gym needs its own plan: see moving a piano in Edmonton and moving a safe or home gym.
Garage and shed
Group tools, bikes, seasonal tires and sports gear so they load together. Run mowers and snowblowers dry of fuel, and set fuel, propane and chemicals aside (see below).
Yard
Empty planters and hoses, and fold down patio furniture. Swing sets, trampolines and sheds are a different job, so mention them when you ask for a quote and we will confirm in writing what we can take.
Send us the room list. A short inventory by room, plus the basement stairs, the garage and any heavy items, is the quickest route to an accurate quote. Photos help. Request your written quote or call.
How residential movers in Edmonton protect floors, walls and furniture
A house has more to protect than an apartment: stairs, banisters, hardwood and door frames that every piece must pass. A careful house move usually includes:
- Runners on hardwood, tile, carpet and stairs along the main route, laid before the first piece is carried.
- Padding on banisters, door frames and tight corners where furniture turns.
- Wrapping: furniture in moving blankets, mattresses in bags.
- Taking apart legs, glass tops and bed frames so nothing catches on a wall.
- Carrying, not dragging, with dollies for heavy pieces, and measuring big items against doorways first.
A blanket-wrapped dresser and a covered mattress, ready to be carried out.
You can help by clearing hallways and rolling up area rugs. In winter, slush and road salt are the main threat to floors; our Edmonton winter moving guide covers entrances and paths. Tell us about new hardwood or fresh paint and we will confirm in writing how it will be protected.
Items to move yourself
Most movers will not carry flammables, propane, paint, fuel, ammunition or firearms, so move these yourself. In a house they tend to hide in the garage, the shed and under the basement stairs:
- Barbecue propane tanks and camping fuel
- Gas cans, and fuel left in mowers and snowblowers
- Paint, solvents, aerosols and pool or garden chemicals
- Firearms and ammunition
Use up, give away or safely dispose of the rest before move day, and keep hard-to-replace things with you: passports, house documents, keys, medication and jewellery.
Kids and pets on moving day
Moving day means heavy furniture on the move. In a house, the risk points for kids and pets are the open front door, the garage and the driveway or curb where the truck loads. Plan around them:
- Arrange a day with a friend or relative for young children, or set up one cleared room with one adult on duty.
- Keep pets away from open doors: a friend's place, or a closed room with a sign on the door, water and bedding.
- Pack a bag each with favourite toys, food, leashes, medication and first-night bedding.
- At the new house, ask for the children's beds to be unloaded and set up first.
The night before: a family-house checklist
- Empty, defrost and dry the fridge and freezer.
- Strip spare beds, and keep tonight's bedding in one open box to close in the morning.
- Put chargers, keys, documents and medication in one bag that travels with you.
- Move cars out of the driveway and keep the curb clear. Edmonton's Traffic Bylaw lets commercial vehicles stop to load and unload with hazard lights on. We plan the truck position before move day.
- Double-check both addresses, including the quadrant suffix such as NW or SW; the same street number can appear in more than one quadrant.
- In winter, shovel and salt the walkway and driveway, and check whether a parking ban is active on your street.
- Confirm childcare and pet plans, and leave garage openers and spare keys where you will find them.
Moving day at a family house: what to expect
Your quote sets the schedule, but a well-run house move usually follows this order:
- A tour. Walk the crew through every room, the basement, the garage and the shed, and point out what stays and what is fragile.
- Protection. Runners and padding go down along the route.
- Taking apart and wrapping. Beds and tables come apart, and furniture is wrapped.
- Loading in order. Heavy furniture and appliances usually go in first and are secured, with boxes built around them.
- A final sweep. Check every closet and cupboard, the basement, the garage rafters and the shed before the truck leaves.
- Unloading room by room. Boxes and furniture follow your labels; stand by the door to direct traffic if you can.
- Reassembly and a last walk-through before the crew leaves.
What shapes the quote for a house move
A house-move quote comes down to the number of rooms and how full they are, stairs and the carry to the truck, how much is packed, furniture to take apart, heavy items, the distance between homes and the moving date. See how moving prices are built in Edmonton, and if you are leaving Alberta, read about interprovincial moves from Edmonton.
House moving questions
How many movers do I need for a three-bedroom house?
There is no fixed crew size for a three-bedroom house. The right number depends on how much furniture you have, the stairs, how far the truck can stop from the door and whether everything is packed before the crew arrives. Tell us about your home, including the basement, the garage and any heavy pieces, and your written quote will state the crew size we recommend.
Should I empty my dressers before the movers arrive?
Take out anything heavy, breakable, liquid or valuable. Light clothing can often stay in a solid dresser if the drawers are secured and the piece is wrapped before it is carried. Empty antique, veneered or particle-board dressers completely, because the extra weight strains their joints. If you are unsure about a piece, ask when you book and we will tell you what to empty.
How do movers protect floors and walls in a house?
A careful house move starts with runners over the main paths and stairs, padding on banisters, door frames and tight corners, and furniture wrapped in moving blankets before it leaves the room. Heavy pieces are carried or rolled on a dolly, never dragged. If you have new hardwood or fresh paint, mention it when you ask for your quote and we will confirm in writing how it will be protected.
Can you move us from an acreage outside Edmonton?
Tell us your pickup and delivery addresses and we will confirm in your quote. For an acreage in a county such as Strathcona, Parkland or Sturgeon, also tell us the driveway length and surface, whether a large truck can turn around near the house and what is in any shop or shed that is coming with you.
Planning a house move in Edmonton?
Need family movers for a house, townhome or acreage? Tell us about the rooms, the basement and the garage, and we will send a written quote before move day.
More Edmonton moving services
Men In Trucks Moving Inc. in Edmonton
Edmonton office: Suite 3400, 10180 101 Street NW, Edmonton, AB T5J 3S4 · Local Edmonton crews · Phone (587) 329-2113 · Email [email protected]
