The Best Time to Move in Los Angeles

Before comparing days, write down the fixed points: the day your current lease ends, the day you get keys to the new place, any overlap between them and the hours each building allows moves. Your moving date has to fit all of them.

Even one or two days of overlap gives you more choice. You can pick a quieter day, move the large furniture first and the boxes later, or leave time to clean before you hand back the keys.

Many Los Angeles leases start on the first of the month, so the last days of a month and the first day of the next are among the busiest for movers, elevators and loading zones. If your dates are tied to the first, book early and reserve elevators at both buildings as soon as your date is set.

If your lease allows it, a mid-month date is usually easier to schedule and gives you more choice of start times.

If you have to move on the first, prepare as if the schedule has no slack: finish packing the day before, confirm both elevator reservations in writing, have keys and access codes ready, and keep your phone on for the crew. Delays at a busy building affect every other step of the day.

Weekends are popular because they do not require time off work, so weekend dates fill up first. Weekdays often give you more flexibility with start times. Some buildings allow moves only on weekdays or during office hours, so check the rules at both addresses before you choose.

Drive time between addresses is part of an hourly move, and Los Angeles traffic changes a lot through the day. Think about when the truck will be on the road, not only when the crew arrives. With a morning start, loading takes the first hours, so the drive often falls between the morning and afternoon rush.

We work from 9 AM to 10 PM every day, so an afternoon or evening start is possible when your buildings allow it. Evening moves can also be cooler during summer heat.

Summer is the busiest moving season, and late summer adds student moves around UCLA, USC and other campuses. Book earlier if your date falls in these weeks. In the valleys, summer afternoons can be hot enough to slow heavy carrying, so an early or evening start helps.

Around major holidays, building management offices may keep shorter hours. Confirm elevator reservations and access instructions before the holiday rather than on the day.

Rain is not common in Los Angeles, but if it is in the forecast, ask how mattresses and upholstered pieces will be covered, and keep towels or mats by the entrances.

For most local moves, booking two to four weeks ahead gives you a good choice of dates and times. Book earlier for end-of-month and summer dates. Small moves can sometimes be scheduled on shorter notice, but availability changes quickly, so send your request as soon as your dates are set.

Before you confirm a date, check each point:

• Lease end and key handover dates for both homes
• Allowed moving days and hours at both buildings
• Elevator and loading zone reservations
• When the truck will be on the road, and the traffic at that hour
• The weather forecast for heat or rain
• A backup date in case your first choice is taken