Eight weeks out: set the date and book
Once you know your closing or lease date, book your movers. Summer is the busiest season in San Jose because families time moves to the school year, so book early for June through August. Ask for a written estimate based on a walk-through or video tour of the whole house, including the garage and any sheds.
Seven weeks out: walk the house room by room
Go through every room, closet and the attic, and decide what is coming, what goes to family, what is donated and what is sold. In homes that have been lived in for years, especially in neighborhoods like Cambrian Park, Blossom Valley and Willow Glen, the garage and attic often hold the most.
Six weeks out: the garage
Start on the garage early, because it takes longer than anyone expects. Box small tools, sort sports gear and bikes, and decide what to do with paint, propane, fuel and chemicals, which cannot go on a moving truck. Arrange a donation pickup or a junk removal service for what is leaving.
Five weeks out: schools, records and addresses
If you have children, arrange school records and enrollment at the new school. Schedule a change of address with the post office for the week of the move, and make a list of accounts that need the new address: banks, employers, insurance and subscriptions.
Four weeks out: utilities
In San Jose, PG&E delivers power and gas, and San José Clean Energy is the default electricity provider for the city. Schedule the stop at the old address and the start at the new one. Set up garbage and recycling, water and internet for the new home, and book any service visits for the first week.
Three weeks out: start packing
Pack the rooms you use least: guest rooms, decor, books and off-season clothes. Label every box with its room in the new house. If you are short on time, book packing help for the kitchen and fragile items now.
Two weeks out: measure and plan the new house
Measure your largest furniture and the doorways and stair turns at the new home. Sketch where large pieces will go. A simple floor plan taped up on moving day lets the crew place everything without stopping to ask.
The final week
Pack the kitchen except for the basics, empty and defrost the refrigerator two days before, and take apart small furniture. Confirm the arrival time with your movers. Pack the bag that rides with you, and an open-first box for each family member.
Moving day
Walk the crew lead through the house, point out what is not moving and anything fragile, and keep children and pets in a safe, quiet place. At the new house, check each room as it fills, and do a final walk-through before the crew leaves. Our San Jose house movers plan the day around your neighborhood's streets and access.
If the dates do not line up
If the closing on the new home comes after you have to leave the old one, plan for storage in between. Moving into storage means loading once and delivering when you have the keys; see our moving and storage page.
What to do with furniture that will not fit
Many families move from a larger home to a smaller one, or from a house with a garage to a townhome. Measure the new rooms and decide early which pieces will not fit. Selling or donating them weeks ahead is far easier than deciding in the driveway on moving day.
The first week in the new house
Unpack the kitchen and the bedrooms first, then the bathrooms, then everything else. Check smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, change the locks if you want to, and find the water shutoff and the electrical panel. Walk the neighborhood and meet a neighbor or two; in San Jose's established neighborhoods, they are often the best source of local advice.
San Jose has many school districts
San Jose is served by many separate school districts rather than a single one, so the district for your new home depends on the exact address, not the neighborhood name. Check the district and the school boundaries for the specific address before you commit, and start enrollment early, since districts usually ask for proof of residence.
Garbage, recycling and yard waste
San Jose sets up residential garbage, recycling and yard-waste service through the city's program. Start service at the new address and stop it at the old one, and check the collection day so bins are not lining the curb where the truck needs to park.
Electricity choices
San José Clean Energy is the default electricity provider in the city, with PG&E delivering the power and handling gas. If you are moving within San Jose, your account can usually move with you; if you are moving in from another city, set up the new account a week or two ahead.
Remodel work before move-in
If you plan to paint, refinish floors or remodel before moving in, schedule the work before the truck arrives. Moving furniture into a house with fresh floors or wet paint risks damage and slows everyone down.
Keys and garage remotes
Ask the sellers or landlord to leave every key, garage remote and mailbox key in one place, and test them before move day. A garage door that will not open slows unloading more than almost anything else.