The San Diego Moving Tips Guide

The 8-week countdown

Most moves that go sideways went sideways in week one, not on move day. Work backwards from your date and the whole thing gets boring — which is exactly what you want.

8 weeks out — inventory and purge

Walk every room with your phone and list what is going. Then sell, donate, or dump the rest. You pay to move volume, so this is the cheapest hour of the entire move.

6 weeks out — collect quotes in writing

Get two or three. Ask three questions: what does the hourly rate include, what is the minimum, and is travel billed separately? A quote that dodges any of those will grow on move day.

4 weeks out — book the crew and the building

Lock your date, then handle access at both ends: freight elevator reservation, loading zone, gate codes, and whether the property manager needs a certificate of insurance. We send COIs the same day you ask.

3 weeks out — pack what you do not use

Garage, closets, guest room, books, holiday decor. Getting 40% of the house packed early is what keeps the last week calm.

2 weeks out — utilities, address, parking

Schedule power, water, gas, and internet at the new place, file a USPS change of address, and sort parking. In North Park, Hillcrest, Golden Hill, and downtown, a truck with nowhere to park turns a four-hour move into a six-hour move.

1 week out — everything but essentials

Leave out a week of clothes, medications, chargers, a few dishes, and basic tools. Defrost and dry the fridge and freezer 24 hours ahead so it does not leak in the truck.

Move day — walk the crew through

Five minutes at the start saves an hour at the end. Show the crew the route, point out the fragile pieces and anything that is not going, and put pets and valuables in one closed room. Before the truck pulls away, sweep every closet, the garage, the attic, and behind the doors.

How to pack so unpacking is fast

Packing well is not about wrapping harder. It is about making the boxes predictable.

• Heavy things go in small boxes. Books, tools, canned goods. Large boxes are for pillows, bedding, and lampshades — light and bulky.
• Fill every void. A box that rattles will break something. Paper, towels, or socks around the edges keeps contents from shifting.
• Label the top and one side with the destination room and two or three contents. Side labels are what you actually read when boxes are stacked.
• One room at a time, finished before you start the next. Mixed boxes are why unpacking takes three weeks.
• Hardware in zip bags, taped to the furniture it came off. Bed bolts in a drawer somewhere is how a bed does not get assembled that night.
• Plates travel vertically, like records in a crate, with paper between each one. They survive far better on edge than stacked flat.
• Pack one "first night" box and mark it loud: sheets, towels, toilet paper, soap, phone chargers, coffee, a knife, and a box cutter.

Fragile and specialty items

Cup packing paper inside glassware before wrapping the outside. Double-box electronics, or use the original carton if you kept it. TVs ride best in a TV carton with a corner protector on each side. Mirrors and art over about 40 inches want a mirror box — we bring those. Tell us in advance about a piano, safe, treadmill, aquarium, or anything over 300 pounds so the right crew and equipment show up.

San Diego-specific things that cost people time

• Older neighborhoods have narrow streets. Parts of North Park, Golden Hill, Normal Heights, and Mission Hills can't take a 26-foot truck comfortably; sometimes a smaller shuttle run is faster and cheaper than fighting the block.
• Downtown and Little Italy need reserved space. High-rises schedule freight elevators in blocks, and they fill up on the first and last weekend of the month.
• Gated communities in Eastlake, Otay Ranch, and Rancho San Diego need the truck and crew cleared at the gate ahead of time.
• Hillside driveways in La Mesa, Mount Helix, and Spring Valley can mean a long carry. Tell us and we bring extra crew instead of extra hours.
• Summer heat inland. El Cajon and Santee move best with a 7 AM start. Candles, electronics, and vinyl should not sit in a hot truck all afternoon.
• Military PCS moves. If you are moving out of Naval Base San Diego or Coronado on orders, get your dates in early — PCS season fills the calendar fast.

What we bring, and what you should buy

Every AAA Pro Movers crew arrives with moving blankets, shrink wrap, straps, dollies, a hand truck, and basic tools — those are included, not add-ons. You supply (or add to your quote) boxes, packing paper, tape, and markers. If you would rather not touch any of it, our packing crew can do the whole house the day before.

Three mistakes we see every week

1. Underestimating the garage. It is always more than people think, and it is always the last thing packed.
2. Not measuring the doorway. Sectionals and king mattresses that came in through a since-remodeled opening may not come out the same way.
3. Booking the last Saturday of the month. It is the busiest day in San Diego moving. A Tuesday mid-month is easier to schedule and usually a shorter day.