Moving Checklist: 6 Weeks to Moving Day

Six weeks is a comfortable runway for a local move. Less is doable — we move people on short notice when a crew is free — but six weeks lets you get written estimates, handle the paperwork California requires, and pack without a last-minute panic. Here is the plan we give our own customers.

Six weeks out: decide and document

• Walk your home with a notebook or your phone. Note what is coming, what is going (sell, donate, trash) and what needs special handling: pianos, safes, large art, aquariums, exercise equipment.
• Request written estimates. Under California rules only a written estimate based on a visual inspection is binding, so skip the “ballpark over the phone” step. Start your MOVEXER request with photos of each room; for larger homes schedule the in-home assessment.
• Check licenses. Every mover you compare should show a Cal-T number. Verify it at bhgs.dca.ca.gov. More in Choosing a licensed mover in Orange County.
• Read the consumer booklet. It is short and it explains your rights. Here it is.
• Ask your new building for its move-in rules now: certificate of insurance requirements, elevator reservations, loading-zone hours, deposit.

Five weeks out: book and plan the paperwork

• Compare proposals on the same scope — crew size, projected hours, travel-time method, minimums, materials, valuation. Then accept one in writing.
• Choose your valuation. Basic coverage at 60 cents per pound per article is included; Actual Cash Value and Full Value protection cost more and cover more. If you do nothing, your goods are protected for Actual Cash Value up to $20,000. Read Valuation vs insurance before you decide.
• Declare items of extraordinary value in writing: antiques, art, collectibles. Undeclared high-value items may not be covered at full value regardless of your option.
• Order materials. Boxes, paper, tape, wardrobe boxes, mattress bags, TV box. Over-order boxes slightly; returns are easier than a Sunday-night scramble.
• Start a “moving file”: proposal, Agreement, building rules, receipts. Keep copies of everything you sign.

Four weeks out: pack the edges

• Pack what you will not touch for a month: books, off-season clothes, décor, guest room, garage shelves, holiday items.
• Label by room and contents, and number boxes if you like inventories. “Kitchen — glasses — fragile” beats “misc.”
• Sell or donate what is not moving. Schedule a donation pickup so it leaves before the movers arrive.
• Notify your landlord in writing if you rent, and confirm the move-out inspection date.
• Book time off work for moving day and the day after.

Three weeks out: logistics

• Change your address with USPS and update banks, insurers, employer, DMV, voter registration, subscriptions and your vet.
• Schedule utility stops and starts: electricity, gas, water, internet, trash. Overlap by a day on each end.
• Confirm building requirements with the mover. We arrange certificates of insurance and plan elevator and parking timing once we have the building’s rules.
• Arrange parking. Where will the truck go at each address? Driveway, loading zone, permitted street parking? Remember the long-carry rule: if the truck cannot park within 75 feet of the door, extra time is involved.
• Plan for pets and kids on moving day. A friend’s house or a sitter removes a lot of stress.

Two weeks out: pack the middle

• Pack most rooms, leaving only daily essentials.
• Photograph electronics before unplugging so reconnecting is easy. Bag and label cables.
• Set aside “do not move” items: jewelry, cash, passports, medication, important documents, chargers, keys. These travel with you, not on the truck.
• Use up or dispose of hazardous materials. Movers may not ship propane, gasoline, paint, aerosols, bleach, pool chemicals, fireworks, ammunition or fire extinguishers. Our guide Items movers can’t take tells you where they go.
• Service appliances if needed. Disconnecting washers, dryers, refrigerators and gas lines is your responsibility or your technician’s.

One week out: the Agreement and the final push

• Expect your Agreement for Moving Services at least three days before the move. California requires the mover to complete it (except the Not to Exceed price), sign it and give it to you no less than three days before moving day, unless you booked on short notice or waived that timing. Read every line. Nothing should be blank.
• Check the scope. If something changed — more boxes, a piano, a second stop — tell the mover now so the proposal is revised rather than handled with a Change Order on the day.
• Defrost the freezer and empty the refrigerator 24–48 hours before. Dry both.
• Disassemble what you agreed to disassemble. Keep hardware in labeled bags taped to the furniture.
• Pack an essentials box for the first night: bedding, towels, toiletries, basic kitchen items, toilet paper, a toolkit, snacks.
• Confirm the arrival window and the crew lead’s contact.

Moving day

• Be there (or have an adult you trust there) at both ends. The crew lead walks the home with you and confirms the plan.
• Sign the Agreement with the Not to Exceed price filled in before work begins. Both you and the mover sign.
• Change Orders: if you add anything, it goes on a Change Order you review and sign before the work is done. Never sign a blank one.
• Do a final sweep of closets, cabinets, the dishwasher, the garage and the balcony.
• At delivery, check boxes with fragile items and note any damage on the paperwork before the crew leaves. Signing the delivery receipt without notes does not waive your right to claim, but notes make claims easier.
• Keep every document. You will need the paid freight bill for any claim.

The week after

• Unpack fragile boxes first and keep boxes and packing materials from anything damaged.
• File any claim in writing — you have nine months, but sooner is simpler. How to file a claim.
• Leave a review if the crew earned it. It is how small companies grow.

Need the written estimate to start the clock? Tell us what’s coming with you and we will take it from there.