The Moving and Storage Advocate will arrive at your home to complete the visual survey of your items. Once this is completed, he or she will calculate the weight, packing cost and any other charge related to your move—please remember that the Moving and Storage Advocate must clearly see what you are moving in order to provide you with an accurate estimate. Crawl spaces, attics, and cluttered closets can often be deceptive, so organize your house well before the Moving and Storage Advocate arrives.

Don't be alarmed—it is normal for a Moving and Storage Advocate to go through all your cabinets and closets, or even look under beds and on top of cabinets. He or she must be able to completely see what is moving and possibly needs packing. If you know of items that are out of view, be sure to point them out to the Moving and Storage Advocate. In addition to this, if there are items you will be eliminating, be sure to point them out as well.

One word of caution that can save you a great deal of trouble on loading day is to get rid of all items you do not plan to move—otherwise, there may not be enough space for your shipment. This will not occur on one or two small items, but if you anticipate eliminating an entire bedroom suite and do not do so, it is quite possible that this could violate the integrity of your binding estimate, or cause the driver to run out of space.