The floor you live on
On a walk-up, every flight of stairs adds time to every trip. A third-floor apartment without an elevator takes noticeably longer than a ground-floor unit with the same contents, because each sofa, dresser and box goes up or down three flights. Many older buildings near San José State, in Japantown and in central neighborhoods are walk-ups, so this comes up a lot.
Tell your movers the floor at both ends. If one end is a ground floor and the other is a third floor, both affect the hours.
The elevator
An elevator helps only if you can use it freely. A shared passenger elevator that stops on every floor can be slower than stairs for some items. A booked freight elevator is the fastest, which is why downtown towers and large complexes in North San Jose require reservations. Book early and send the time window to your movers so the crew is sized to fit.
How far the truck parks
In many San Jose complexes, the truck cannot enter the garage and has to stand in a loading area, a fire lane the property allows or on the street. If that spot is far from your building entrance, every trip gets longer. Ask your property where trucks can park, and whether a spot can be reserved.
How ready you are
The biggest single factor you control is packing. A fully packed apartment, with boxes labeled and stacked near the door, loads much faster than one being packed while the crew waits. Loose items, half-empty drawers and unbagged cables all slow things down. If you are short on time, partial packing for the kitchen and fragile items is often worth it.
Furniture that has to come apart
Beds, tables and some desks need to be taken apart to move safely, and put back together at the new apartment. That time is part of the job. If you are comfortable taking apart simple pieces yourself, and you keep the hardware in labeled bags, you save some of it.
The drive across the valley
The time between apartments is part of an hourly move. A move from downtown to Japantown is a few minutes; a move from Evergreen to West San Jose at rush hour can take much longer. Choose a start time that keeps the drive outside the busiest commute hours on US-101, I-280 and I-880.
The time of month
The last days of each month are the busiest time to move in San Jose, because leases turn over. Elevator slots fill, parking is harder and crews are booked. A mid-month move is easier to schedule and often smoother on the day.
Building rules and paperwork
Certificates of insurance, elevator pads and move hours do not add much time when they are planned, but they can cost a lot of time when they are not. Get the rules from both buildings early. Our San Jose apartment movers handle the paperwork ahead of time.
Getting an accurate estimate
The more your movers know, the closer the estimate is to the final bill. Share the floors, the elevator situation, parking, what is packed and anything heavy. Your written estimate lists the exact rate, and you can request one in a few minutes on our estimate page.
Large or awkward pieces
Pianos, safes, large aquariums, oversized sectionals and heavy armoires take extra time and sometimes extra people. Mention them when you ask for an estimate so the crew size is right from the start. Surprises on the day are what push hours over the estimate.
Moving into storage or two places
If part of your apartment goes to storage and part to the new place, or if you are dropping pieces at a friend's home on the way, each stop adds time. That is fine when it is planned. Tell your movers the stops in advance so the truck is loaded in the right order.
What you can do this week to save time
Ask both buildings for their move rules and book the elevators. Measure your largest pieces against the doors and the elevator. Pack and label everything you can, empty drawers of heavy items and set aside what is not moving. Clear a path from your door to the street. Each of these takes minutes for you and saves real time on the day.
Your written estimate
A good estimate lists the crew size, the rate basis, what is included and any minimum, based on what you have told your movers about the floors, the elevator, the parking and the packing. If something changes before the move, such as a new elevator window or extra furniture, let them know so the estimate still fits the job.
Downtown towers versus North San Jose complexes
A downtown tower usually means a booked freight elevator, a booked dock and a certificate of insurance, but once those are in place the move is efficient: the truck is at the dock and the elevator is reserved for you. A large North San Jose complex can be slower, because the truck often parks in a loading area far from the unit and the crew shares passenger elevators and long hallways with residents.
Move-in fees and deposits
Some San Jose buildings charge residents a move-in fee or a refundable deposit for elevator use. These are separate from the moving estimate, but they belong in your budget, and a deposit that is paid late can delay the start of the move.