Your moving checklist
An eight-week countdown: what to book, cancel, pack and confirm, week by week, down to moving-day morning.
Open the checklist
Moving guide
Moving Guide, Tips and Checklist
Everything we tell our own customers before moving day: a week-by-week checklist, packing tips from the crews, what to do with pets, plants and kids, and the questions to ask any mover. Written by the people who do this every day in Southern California.
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- 10,000+ moves completed
- Every day 8am–7pm
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The two guides most people need
Moving tips
Packing, labeling, protecting floors, moving with kids and pets, and what to keep with you on the day.
Read the tipsMoving day checklist
The complete day-of guide: parking, elevator windows, the walk-through, payment and the first night.
Read the guide
Timeline
The short version of the checklist
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| 8 weeks out | Declutter, get written estimates, book your mover, start a moving folder. |
| 6 weeks out | Order boxes and supplies, notify your landlord, check building and HOA move rules. |
| 4 weeks out | Start packing rooms you use least; label by room; change address with USPS, banks and insurers. |
| 2 weeks out | Transfer utilities and internet, confirm parking and elevator reservations, arrange pet and child care. |
| 1 week out | Finish packing, defrost the freezer, pack a first-night bag, confirm arrival time with the mover. |
| Moving day | Walk the home with the lead mover, keep documents and valuables with you, do a final check of every room. |
From the crews
Tips we give every customer
- Heavy things in small boxes, light things in big ones. A box you cannot lift is a box that gets dropped.
- Label two sides of every box with the room and a few words of contents; stack boxes with labels facing out.
- Empty drawers of anything heavy or fragile; light clothing can stay.
- Photograph the back of your TV and router before unplugging.
- Leave a clear path from the front door to every room, and reserve the curb if your street is tight.
- Keep documents, medication, chargers, jewelry and a change of clothes in a bag that rides with you.
Guides by topic
- Packing: packing fragile items, packing the kitchen, labeling boxes, common packing mistakes.
- Planning: building a checklist, the best time to move, moving off-peak, the night before.
- Family: moving with children, moving with pets, moving in retirement.
- Money and safety: what a move costs, moving insurance, avoiding scams, tipping movers.
- Southern California: why short LA moves take longer, Orange County to LA, LA to San Diego, high-rise apartments.
Southern California specifics
Three things come up on almost every local move here. Parking: in Downtown LA, Santa Monica, Koreatown and the beach cities, reserve the curb with temporary no-parking signs or expect a long carry. Buildings: most condo and apartment towers want a certificate of insurance and an elevator reservation, which we handle once you send the requirements. Heat: from June to September book an early start in the Inland Empire, the High Desert and the Coachella Valley. The county pages for Los Angeles, Orange County, Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego cover each area.
Moving guide FAQ
Eight weeks is comfortable for a house, four for an apartment. Booking the mover is the first step; the busiest dates (weekends, month end, pre-holiday weeks) go first.
Rooms and items you use least: books, décor, out-of-season clothes, the garage. The kitchen and daily essentials go last.
Documents, medication, jewelry, cash, laptops and chargers, pet supplies and a first-night bag.
Yes, or someone you authorize: the lead mover walks the home with you before loading and after unloading.
Call (877) 671-3535 any day from 8am to 7pm, or read the FAQ.
Related services and areas
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