What to Show During a Virtual Moving Survey: An Atlanta Interstate Inventory Checklist
Use a virtual moving survey to show the estimator your belongings room by room and build the inventory for your interstate quote. For an Atlanta move, also show parking, stairs, elevators, loading areas, and any HOA or building requirements that affect pickup or delivery.
This checklist is built for Atlanta residents preparing for an interstate move. It covers what to show, how to show it, and what to say during the call. The goal is simple: an accurate inventory on the first pass, no surprise charges after the truck is loaded.
The Quick Prep List: What to Have Ready Before the Call
Most virtual survey guides tell you to charge your phone and find good lighting. That is fine. But the items below are the ones that actually prevent an inaccurate estimate.
1 A written list of items you are NOT moving
Items staying behind, being sold, donated, or going to storage. This prevents the estimator from inflating your inventory weight.
2 Photos of anything not in the apartment
Storage unit contents, items at a relative’s house, or anything in an off-site location. Photos or short videos work. A written list is the minimum.
3 Your building’s move-in/move-out rules
Elevator reservation window, loading dock location, allowed moving hours, COI requirements. The estimator needs this to plan labor time and access.
4 Parking details for both locations
Is the truck parking on a street, in a driveway, or at a loading dock? Is the street narrow? Are there permit-parking signs? Is there a gate code?
Why these four items matter more than the usual prep advice: A virtual survey without this information produces a baseline estimate that looks complete but misses the two biggest cost drivers for Atlanta interstate moves: access logistics and inventory accuracy. The estimator can see your sofa. They cannot see the parking sign on your street or the elevator reservation system in your building unless you show them or tell them.
How to Show Each Room (and What to Say)
Moving the camera slowly is not enough. The estimator is building an inventory in real time, and they rely on you to label what they are seeing. A silent camera walk-through forces them to guess. Guessing leads to either overestimated or underestimated weight.
Use this structure for every room:
- Name the room. “This is the living room.”
- Pan across the room slowly. Do not zoom in on individual items yet. Let the estimator see the full volume.
- Point out furniture one piece at a time. “This sofa is moving. This bookshelf is moving. This chair stays.”
- Show inside drawers and cabinets if they contain items being moved. “The drawers in this dresser are full of clothes, and the dresser is moving.”
- Call out anything fragile or high-value. “This mirror is antique glass and needs crating.”
| Room | What to Show | What to Say |
|---|---|---|
| Living room | Sofas, chairs, coffee table, TV, media console, bookshelves, rugs | “The TV is a 65-inch and it is moving. The bookshelf is full and it is moving.” |
| Bedrooms | Bed frame, mattress, dressers, nightstands, closet contents | “The bed is a king and it needs disassembly. The closet is full.” |
| Kitchen | Appliances, large pots and pans, pantry items if movers are packing | “The refrigerator is moving. The pantry items are being packed by us.” |
| Home office | Desk, chair, file cabinets, printer, computer equipment | “The desk is solid wood and heavy. The file cabinet is full.” |
| Bathrooms | Large cabinets or storage only, unless movers are packing bathroom items | “Nothing in this bathroom is moving” or “The linen closet is full.” |
Closets and Storage: How to Show Depth and Volume Correctly
Opening a closet door and pointing the camera at it is not enough. The estimator needs to see the depth of the shelves, the height of the stacks, and whether items are packed tight or loosely arranged.
For walk-in closets, start at the doorway and walk slowly toward the back wall. Pan left and right so the estimator can see both side walls. For reach-in closets, open the door, pull the camera back slightly so the full opening is visible, then move closer to show the top shelf and the floor.
Common mistake: Showing a closet from a single angle and saying “it’s full.” The estimator cannot tell if that means 20 boxes or 40. A closet packed floor-to-ceiling with dense items can add 500 to 800 pounds to the shipment weight. That difference directly changes your quote.
For storage areas (garage, attic, basement), the same principle applies. Open the door, step back so the full space is visible, then walk through slowly. Point out seasonal items, boxes from previous moves, tools, and anything heavy. These areas often contain 15 to 25 percent of a household’s total moving volume.
Items That Need Special Handling
Some items change the estimate significantly based on weight, fragility, or the equipment required to move them. These are the categories to call out explicitly.
1 Items over $100 per pound
Antiques, fine china, designer apparel, artwork. FMCSA regulations and most movers require disclosure of these items. They need special crating and often full-value protection.
2 Items requiring disassembly
King beds, large desks, sectional sofas, pool tables. Show the disassembly point and confirm whether the mover handles it.
3 Heavy items
Pianos, safes, gun cabinets, gym equipment, large appliances. These require extra labor and sometimes special equipment.
4 Fragile items
Mirrors, glass tabletops, artwork, ceramics. The estimator needs to know these exist so they can plan packing materials and crating.
What NOT to Show (or What to Explicitly Exclude)
This is the block that most virtual survey guides skip. If you show the estimator everything in your home without distinguishing what is moving from what is staying, the estimate will be inflated. An inflated estimate is not harmless. It raises your baseline price and may push you into a higher pricing tier.
For each room, explicitly point out:
- Items being sold before the move
- Items being donated
- Items going to a storage unit (not the moving truck)
- Items staying with family or friends
- Built-in furniture that is not moving
A common example: a bedroom with a bed, two nightstands, and a dresser, but the mattress is being replaced at the destination. The estimator needs to know the mattress is not moving, or the weight estimate will be 80 to 120 pounds too high.
Off-Site and Inaccessible Items: The Photo and Video Protocol
If any items you plan to move are not in your apartment during the survey, the estimator has no way to account for them. This includes:
- Items in a storage unit
- Items at a relative’s house or a friend’s garage
- Items in a vehicle that will be shipped separately
- Items in a location you cannot access during the call
Before the survey, take photos or short videos of these items. Group them by category (furniture, boxes, tools) and note approximate quantities. During the call, show the photos and describe the items. If you have a tape measure, include dimensions for large pieces.
What to send after the call: If you cannot show everything during the live call, ask the estimator for an email address. Send the photos and list within 24 hours. A written estimate that arrives without this information will likely be revised upward after the fact.
Atlanta-Specific Access Issues
Atlanta adds a layer of access complexity that most virtual survey guides do not address. The estimator needs to see and understand these factors because they affect labor time, truck placement, and scheduling.
1 Residential permit parking zones
Neighborhoods including Ansley Park, Atkins Park, Buckhead Forest, Glen Iris, Home Park, Inman Park, Midtown, Morningside/Lenox Rd, Peachtree Park, Poncey-Highland, Vine City, and Virginia Highland require permits for on-street parking. Show the estimator any permit-parking signs near your door.
2 Right-of-way permits
If the truck will block a travel lane, sidewalk, or occupy street space for hours, a permit from the Atlanta Department of Transportation (ATLDOT) may be required. The estimator needs to know if this applies to your location.
3 HOA move rules
Many metro Atlanta HOAs require 48 to 72 hours advance notice, restrict truck parking, and limit move times to specific hours. In newer townhome communities around Suwanee, Peachtree Corners, Duluth, and Buford, a refundable moving deposit is common.
4 High-rise elevator and dock reservations
In Midtown, Buckhead, and West Midtown high-rises, elevator reservations are required. Some buildings use 9am to 1pm or 1pm to 5pm windows. A Certificate of Insurance (COI) from the mover is often required. Show the estimator the loading dock, elevator entrance, and the distance from the truck to your door.
Traffic timing matters too. Evening rush hour in Atlanta runs from about 4 to 7 pm. A truck that arrives late in the afternoon may face restricted street access or building move windows that have already closed. Tell the estimator your preferred time window so they can plan accordingly.
If the Connection Drops: Backup Protocol
Video calls fail. Wi-Fi drops. Batteries die faster than expected. If the connection drops mid-survey, the estimator loses the visual record of whatever room you were in. You need a plan for that.
- Reconnect immediately. If the app allows, rejoin the same call. If not, call the estimator’s phone number.
- Resume from the last room you completed. Do not restart the entire walk-through. Tell the estimator: “We finished the living room and kitchen. We were about to start the bedrooms.”
- If reconnection fails, ask for a new link. Most estimators will send a fresh link by email or text.
- If the call cannot be restored, take photos of the remaining rooms yourself. Send them to the estimator within the hour, along with a brief written description of what is moving from each room.
- Document what was missed. Keep a note of which rooms were not shown. When the written estimate arrives, check that the inventory reflects the full picture.
What Happens After the Survey
Once the virtual survey ends, the estimator compiles their notes into a written estimate. For interstate moves from Atlanta, this typically takes one to three business days. Local moves may produce a same-day or next-day estimate.
When the estimate arrives, check three things:
- The inventory list matches what you showed. Every major item you pointed out should be listed. If something is missing, call before signing.
- The estimate type is clearly labeled. It should say binding, non-binding, or not-to-exceed. If the type is not labeled, ask.
- All fees are itemized. Packing materials, access charges, stair fees, and valuation coverage should appear as separate line items. If something is bundled into a single number, ask for a breakdown.
For interstate moves, the final price is based on certified weight tickets. The truck is weighed empty and again after loading. The difference is your shipment weight. An accurate virtual survey is what makes that weight predictable. If the survey missed items, the weight will be higher, and so will the final bill.
Pros and Cons of Virtual vs In-Home Surveys
This is the block where we address the trade-offs directly.
Virtual survey
- Flexible scheduling, including same-day or next-day appointments
- No stranger walking through your home
- 20 to 45 minutes for most apartments and homes
- Works well when you have prepared a thorough walk-through
Virtual survey (limitations)
- Accuracy depends entirely on what you show and how you show it
- Estimator cannot open closet doors or look behind furniture
- Off-site items must be documented separately
- Complex homes with many storage areas may need an in-home visit instead
In-home survey
- Estimator sees everything directly without relying on camera angles
- Can open cabinets, closets, and storage areas themselves
- Better for very large homes or moves with unusual access conditions
In-home survey (limitations)
- Requires scheduling an in-person visit, often days in advance
- Takes 30 to 60 minutes, plus travel time for the estimator
- You need to be present for the entire visit