Moving Day Checklist for OC Apartments

Apartment moves in Orange County fail for boring reasons. The elevator was not reserved. The building wanted a certificate of insurance nobody sent. The truck got a ticket. The gate code changed. None of that is hard to prevent if you start early. Here is the schedule we give our own customers.

Four weeks out

• Book your mover. Weekends and the last few days of the month go first in OC. Lock the date now.
• Read your lease for the move-out section. Note the notice period, the cleaning requirements, and the move-out inspection process.
• Call the leasing office at the new building. Ask three things: do they need a certificate of insurance from the mover, are there move-in hours or days, and does the elevator need to be reserved.
• Ask the same questions at the building you are leaving. Many OC communities, including a lot of the large Irvine Company style complexes, have strict move windows and will fine you for moving outside them.
• Start a purge. Sell, donate, or toss anything you do not want to pay to move. Every box you eliminate saves time on the truck.
• Order supplies. Boxes in two or three sizes, packing paper, tape, markers. Buy more tape than you think you need.

Two weeks out

• Send the certificate of insurance request to your mover with the building's exact requirements. Some buildings want to be named as additional insured and want the request in a specific format. Give the mover the leasing office contact so they can send it directly.
• Reserve the elevator and the loading zone at both buildings. Get the confirmation in writing, even if it is just an email.
• Ask both buildings where a moving truck can legally park. If the answer is the street, check for permit parking or street sweeping days.
• Start utility transfers. Southern California Edison for power, SoCalGas for gas, and the city for water and trash if it is not included in rent. Schedule the stop at the old place for the day after you move and the start at the new place for the day before.
• Set up internet at the new address. Installation windows in OC can run one to two weeks out.
• File a change of address with the post office. Update your bank, employer, DMV, and insurance.
• Pack everything you will not use in the next two weeks. Off-season clothes, books, decor, the guest bathroom.

One week out

• Confirm the move with your mover. Confirm the arrival window, the crew size, both addresses, and the gate codes. Send photos of anything unusual: a tight stairwell, a heavy piece, a narrow hallway.
• Get the gate code, the elevator key or fob procedure, and the loading dock location for the new building in writing. Gate codes change. Confirm again the day before.
• Ask your current building about move-out inspection timing. Some want it while the apartment is empty, before you hand in keys.
• Pack most of the kitchen. Leave a few plates, a pan, and the coffee setup.
• Disassemble anything you want to take apart yourself. Bag the hardware and tape it to the piece.
• Back up your computer. Photograph the back of your TV and any electronics so you can reconnect them.
• If you are near the coast, check parking enforcement at the new address. Beach cities ticket aggressively and tow fast. A truck in a red zone or a permit-only street on a summer weekend will get hit.

The day before

• Finish packing. Everything except the open-first box and what you need tonight.
• Label every box on two sides with the room and a short contents note. Put a number on each box and keep a list on your phone. You will know if one is missing.
• Pack the open-first box: toilet paper, phone chargers, basic tools, box cutter, paper towels, a change of clothes, medications, sheets for the bed, coffee or whatever gets you through the morning.
• Empty and defrost the fridge and freezer if it is coming with you. Most apartment moves leave the fridge, so confirm.
• Clear a path from the front door to the elevator or stairs. Move rugs, plants, and anything the crew could trip on.
• Confirm the gate code and elevator reservation one more time. Text your mover the final details.
• Charge your phone. Withdraw a little cash for tips if you plan to tip.

Move day

• Be at the old place before the arrival window opens. Have the elevator pad or key ready if the building provides one.
• Walk the crew lead through the apartment. Point out fragile items, anything that stays, and anything that needs extra care.
• Keep the open-first box, valuables, documents, and medications in your own car. Not on the truck.
• Do a final sweep of every closet, cabinet, drawer, and the balcony before the truck leaves.
• Lock up and take photos of the empty apartment for your records.
• Get to the new place before the truck. Confirm the loading zone is clear and the elevator is on service.
• Direct traffic. Stand near the door and tell the crew which room each box goes to. Labels help, but a person helps more.
• Check the big pieces as they come off. Note anything that looks damaged before the crew leaves and tell the lead right away.
• Sign the paperwork only after you have looked at it. The final amount should match the quote unless you added something.

Small things that save the day

• Take a photo of the gate code and the elevator reservation confirmation. Do not rely on memory.
• Bring a door stop. Buildings with self-closing doors eat time.
• Keep the leasing office phone number handy at both ends.
• If your building has a freight elevator, use it. Passenger elevators at OC complexes are small and neighbors get annoyed.
• Do not schedule the cable installer, the cleaner, and the mover for the same window.