It's moving day! A hundred staffers prepare to transform the White House into Donald Trump's home in just FIVE HOURS as he is sworn in as president
- The Obamas will leave the White House at 10:30 am on Inauguration Day
- This will set off a five-hour sprint for staffers to make it into the Trumps' home
- Residence staffers are the only ones allowed to transport items inside so they become movers for one day
- Two moving trucks will arrive after the transition of power to take the former president's belonging and bring the new commander-in-chief's items
- The move has already begun but staffers are careful not to make the first family feel as if they're being pushed out
A hundred staffers are gearing up for a long day of work on Inauguration Day, as they embark on a frantic five-hour sprint to transform the White House into Donald Trump's new home.
The Obamas are scheduled to leave the residence for the last time at 10:30 am, setting off the clock for employees in charge of the country's highest-profile move.
Only residence staffers are allowed to move items in and out of the White House for security reasons, meaning the White House's carpenters, electricians and other staffers will take on movers' responsibilities for the day.
About a hundred people will get the home ready by the time the Trumps arrive, between 3:30 and 5 pm. This involves moving in the new first family's furniture, but also making sure that they feel right at home, stocking the bathrooms with their favorite brand of toothpaste and the pantry with their preferred snacks.
Picture frames that once displayed photographs of President Barack Obama now sit empty in the West Wing of the White House as staffers prepare for moving day
Some work has been done in advance (as the empty frames pictured above show) but the bulk of the move will happen on Inauguration Day in a five-hour time frame
'We always remember that the house still belongs to the current president up until the time the new person raises their hand and takes the oath,' Reid's predecessor Stephen Rochon told the Washington Post.
The day will actually begin at 4 am, when permanent staffers and some contractors get ready for work. Kitchen employees will be exempt from moving duties as they will have many mouths to feed on Inauguration Day.
Chief Usher Angella Reid has designed this year's game plan. It is her first transition but many White House staffers have gone through a presidential move-in before.
Things might take an emotional turn around 8:30 am, when the first family says goodbye to the staffers who have assisted them for the past eight years.
Workers were seen moving boxes out of the White House Thursday, during Obama's last full day at his Washington, DC residence that will become the Trumps' home
Employees are careful not to make the first family feel like they're being pushed out, but some preparation (pictured Thursday) happen before Inauguration Day
Changing the White House from the Obamas' home to the new Trump residence will take five hours and involve about 100 workers on Friday (some are pictured Thursday)
President Barack Obama and his family will then exit by the North Portico and will be driven in limousines to the Capitol for the inauguration ceremony.
Preparations have begun and staffers were seen removing boxes from the White House on Thursday.
A photo of the inside of the presidential residence showed empty picture frames on the wall, indicating that the Obamas' pictures have been removed.
But staffers typically take care not to make the first family feel unwanted. Items belonging to the incoming president and his relatives might be discreetly stored in areas such as the China Room.
At 10:30 am, after the Obamas go, staffers will pack away any remaining items. Two moving trucks will pull up in front of the White House - one to take away the Obamas' possessions, the other to bring in the Trumps' items.
'It's very busy — you are on your feet constantly, making sure things are going in the right place and in the right way, and there is very little time to spare,' White House curator Betty Monkman told the New York Times.
'The housekeeper and maids are all getting the clothes in the closet and cosmetics and toiletries in the bathrooms, the kitchen staff is preparing the food. There is a lot going on.'
Two moving trucks will pull up - one to whisk away the Obamas' belongings, and one to bring in the Trumps' items. A moving truck is pictured in 1993 outside of the White House
Heavy duty: In 1961, three 40-foot trailer trucks left DC's National Archives for Abilene, Kansas, transporting the official and personal papers of President Eisenhower
Employees will clean the house, prepare the bedrooms, and stock up the kitchens and pantries.
'Mrs Obama's priority that day was getting the girls' rooms settled in time for bedtime that night,' former staffer Amy Zantzinger said about Obama's arrival, when daughers Malia and Sasha were 10 and 7 respectively.
A florist will bring in fresh flowers, new shoes will be installed in the bowling alley, and new movies will appear in the theater.
'The entire house has to be just the way the incoming family wants it,' former chief usher Stephen Rochon told USA Today.
The most important room, however, is the Oval Office.
'That's the first thing the president wants to see,' former Chief Usher Gary Walters said. 'That first impression sends a message to the American people about what's important to this president.'
The new first family is expected to arrive between 3:30 pm and 5 pm. Reid will tell Trump: 'Welcome to your new home, Mr. President' as he enters the White House.
Meanwhile, the Obamas will move to their new house in the Kalorama neighborhood, where they will begin their post-presidential life.
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