Friday Moving in the Eastern Province: How to Finish in One Day and Respect Prayer Time

Only one day: what can be done?

If Friday is your only day it is important to be realistic about what can be achieved. A small apartment or two rooms can often be moved completely in one day if belongings are ready. A big home or villa may need splitting: moving core furniture on Friday and the rest of the belongings on another day.

We suggest preparing the kitchen and small items days before Friday, and emptying cabinets and the fridge on Thursday evening. This makes Friday's hours for loading, moving and unloading only, not preparation.

Parking and congestion near mosques at prayer time

In many residential neighbourhoods the streets around the mosque fill with cars well before the Friday prayer, so it is hard for a truck to park or turn if your home is near a large mosque. So we ask where the home is in relation to the nearest mosque, and suggest that the truck arrives and loading starts before the congestion begins, or after the prayer ends and people disperse.

Do not reserve a space for the truck with cones or objects without coordinating with neighbours and the guard, and make sure you do not block a neighbour's entrance or an emergency lane. If the building is on a main road, the available places may be limited, so we agree in advance on the best parking position.

Prayer time: how we arrange it without losing the day

Friday prayer time shifts slightly by city and season, so we do not fix an hour here. What matters is that you tell us what suits you: do you want the crew to stop at that time? Should the home be locked? Will someone stay on site? Every family has its preference, and we try to respect it where possible.

A common solution is to load as much as possible before that time, then the truck heads to the new destination while the family prays, and unloading resumes afterwards. This depends on distance and building, so we do not promise to do it in every case.

The building on Friday: guard, lift and permit

Some building and compound managements do not operate on Fridays, so it can be hard to obtain an entry permit or goods lift key on that day. Request these a day or two before Friday at least, and confirm the name of the person who receives the truck or opens the gate.

If the building has a guard, ask him where the truck may park and which entrance suits furniture. The same goes for neighbours: quiet during prayer time deserves respect, so we make sure the crew does not cause noise in corridors during that period.

Tool and carton shops: buy before Friday

Some shops for tools, cartons and locks may be closed on Friday morning or open late. Do not leave buying supplies to Friday itself. Make sure beforehand of cartons, tape, rubbish bags, numbering pens and small tools such as screwdrivers and keys.

Also make sure you have cash or the agreed payment method ready, and that every key for both homes is in its place. These details seem small but their absence delays the whole day.

Heat and humidity in the Eastern Province and Friday moves

In the summer months midday is very hot in the Eastern Province, and working outside the building then is hard on the crew and the family. So the organisation tends to use the early morning for most outdoor work and postpone what can be postponed to a cooler time.

We recommend providing cold water and covering sensitive furniture from the sun while it passes between the building and the truck, and avoiding leaving sensitive devices in a closed truck in the sun for long.

A partial move on Friday: one room or specific pieces

Not everyone who asks for a Friday move is moving a whole home. Many people move a bedroom, a majlis, pieces they bought and need delivered, or furniture for a son or daughter who moved to a new home. These small jobs are often completed in a few hours and do not need the same long plan.

Send us a list of pieces, photos and the pickup and delivery addresses, and we will tell you whether it can be arranged in the first morning hours or after the prayer. If the pieces need dismantling and assembly, mention it, as it adds time and sets the crew size.

A Thursday-night preparation checklist

So that Friday is a moving day, not a preparation day, complete these on Thursday evening:

• Empty the fridge and freezer, disconnect the washing machine and drain its water.
• Gather documents, medicines and jewellery in a bag that stays with you.
• Finish packing the kitchen and small items, close and number the cartons.
• Clear corridors and entrances and prepare a place for the truck.
• Check the keys to both homes, the lifts and building appointments.
• Politely tell the neighbours about the moving time.

Mistakes that repeat in Friday moves

These mistakes waste the Friday:

• Asking to book on Thursday evening with no earlier arrangement.
• Forgetting prayer time in the plan so the truck is delayed at the wrong time.
• Not obtaining the building permit because management is closed.
• Leaving carton shopping to Friday morning.
• Planning to move a large house in one day without splitting.
• Forgetting meals and water for the crew and family on a hot day.

After Friday: what can wait until Saturday?

Saturday is an extra day off for many families, so arranging secondary rooms and cabinets can be left to it. If pieces remain that need dismantling and assembly this can be arranged the next day by agreement with us. What matters is that what the family needs on Friday night is ready: the bed, the kitchen and the bathroom.

We advise you not to try to open all the cartons on the first night. Do what is necessary and leave the rest for coming days.

Returning after the prayer: how work resumes quickly

After the prayer the crew returns and resumes from where it stopped. Because the home may be in a halfway state, we suggest that remaining pieces are numbered and arranged near the door and that corridors are clear, so we do not start from zero. If the truck is already on its way to the new place we contact you to decide where to unload and who receives it.

Sometimes the best option is to finish loading directly after the prayer and postpone the trip to the evening if the heat is intense. We decide according to the situation and to what you prefer.