The 8-Week Moving Checklist for a Southern California Move

You do not need a perfect plan. You need a plan that puts each task far enough ahead of moving day that it is not competing with six other tasks. Here is the one we hand people.

8 weeks out

• Set your budget and get two or three quotes. Good crews book out, especially at month end.
• Start a single folder, digital or paper, for the lease, the quotes, and the building rules.
• Walk every room and decide what is not coming with you.

6 weeks out

• Book the movers. Lock the date in writing.
• Start selling and donating. Goodwill and Habitat ReStore both take furniture, and larger items need lead time.
• Collect boxes. Liquor stores have the sturdiest small ones.
• If your building requires a certificate of insurance, ask management for the exact requirements now, not the week of.

4 weeks out

• Start packing things you do not use: off-season clothes, books, decor, the garage.
• Schedule utility transfers. LADWP, SoCalGas, and your internet provider all want notice, and internet installs are the one that ruins the first week.
• File the USPS change of address.
• Book a parking permit if your street needs one. In LA and Santa Monica, temporary no-parking postings need to go up days ahead.

2 weeks out

• Confirm the elevator reservation at both buildings.
• Update your address with your bank, insurance, employer, and any subscription that ships you something.
• Use up the freezer. Frozen food does not travel well in a truck.
• Arrange care for kids and pets on moving day. This one quietly saves the whole day.

1 week out

• Pack everything except the essentials box and what you will wear.
• Label boxes by destination room, not by contents. The crew is reading the room name.
• Confirm the arrival window and the crew size with your movers.
• Take photos of the old place after packing. Deposits get argued about later.

The last 48 hours

1. 1Pack an essentials box: chargers, meds, toilet paper, soap, a towel, coffee, basic tools, a change of clothes.
2. 2Set aside anything movers cannot take: propane, paint, gasoline, aerosols, ammunition.
3. 3Defrost the fridge at least 24 hours ahead if it is coming with you.
4. 4Clear a path from the front door to the street.
5. 5Put valuables, documents, and jewelry in your own car.

Moving day

Be there when the crew arrives, walk them through the place, and point out the fragile and the do-not-touch. After that, get out of the way and let them work. Do a final sweep of closets, cabinets, the medicine cabinet, and the washer before you hand over the keys.