--- title: Moving Timeline: An 8-Week Countdown Before the Truck url: https://obriensmoving-storage.com/guides/moving-timeline/ business: O'Brien's Moving & Storage address: 2277 Glendale Ave, Sparks, NV 89431 phone: 775-359-6683 (toll-free 1-800-253-7814) hours: Monday to Friday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm licenses: U.S. DOT No. 30611, MC-109375, Nevada CPCN 1070; interstate agent for Bekins Van Lines since 1955 type: Moving and storage company, family owned since 1941 --- - [Home](https://obriensmoving-storage.com/) - [Moving resources: guides, checklists, tools and data](https://obriensmoving-storage.com/resources/) - [Moving guides](https://obriensmoving-storage.com/guides/) - A moving timeline that works # A moving timeline, week by week An eight-week countdown gives a typical household enough room to get estimates, sort, pack and finish the paperwork without a last-night rush. Shorten or stretch the weeks to match your own date, and use the 10 free heavy-duty boxes from your in-home estimate to start packing early. or call [775-359-6683](tel:+17753596683) [4.3 on Google · 71 reviews](https://obriensmoving-storage.com/reviews/) Family owned since 1941 [U.S. DOT No. 30611](https://obriensmoving-storage.com/about/licenses-and-authority/) ## The eight-week countdown - Weeks 8 to 7: get your prices. Ask for a phone ballpark, an online request or a free in-home estimate. Show the estimator every room, the garage and any storage space, and ask whether the estimate is binding or non-binding. - Weeks 7 to 6: choose the mover and the date. Compare the written estimates on the same terms (services, valuation coverage, storage). Confirm the date in writing and ask for the inventory and condition report process. - Weeks 6 to 5: sort and reduce. Go room by room and decide what is moving, what is donated and what is sold. Anything you remove now is weight and packing time you do not pay to handle. - Weeks 5 to 4: start the paperwork. File your change of address, tell schools and doctors, and set utility stop and start dates. See the [change of address checklist](https://obriensmoving-storage.com/guides/change-of-address-checklist/). - Weeks 4 to 3: pack what you will not miss. Pack off-season clothes, books, decor and spare linens. Label each box with its room and a short list of contents. - Weeks 3 to 2: confirm the details. Reconfirm the date, the arrival window, parking at both homes and elevator or stair access. Arrange childcare and pet care for moving day. - Week 1: pack the daily items and the first-night box. Pack the kitchen last. Fill a [first-night box](https://obriensmoving-storage.com/guides/first-night-box/) and set aside valuables and documents you will carry yourself. - Moving day and after: walk through and sign. Check each room at both ends, read the paperwork before you sign, and note any damage on the delivery paperwork the same day. This is a planning schedule, not a rule. A studio apartment can compress it into three weeks, and a full house with storage can stretch it past eight. The order of the steps is what matters, because each one makes the next one easier. ## Why eight weeks works Eight weeks is long enough that no single task has to be done in a hurry, and short enough that you will not lose track of the early ones. The weeks at the front are about information (prices, dates, what you own). The middle weeks are about reducing the load. The last two are about logistics and the house itself. If your move is local and small, fold the first four steps into one week. If you are moving between states, add time at the front, because a long-distance shipment is priced by weight and needs a careful estimate before a date is firm. ## Where O'Brien's fits in The in-home estimate is the first anchor. An estimator comes to the home, walks through it and writes an itemized written estimate. If you want help with the packing itself, full packing, partial packing and box-packing-only are all choices; see [packing services](https://obriensmoving-storage.com/packing/). If part of the move waits in storage, wooden vaults in the Sparks warehouse hold it until you are ready. The [moving checklist tool](https://obriensmoving-storage.com/tools/moving-checklist/) turns a version of this timeline into a list you can tick off. ## What to leave until the last days Pack the kitchen, the bathroom and the bedroom you sleep in last. Keep chargers, medicine, keys, passports and the paperwork for the new home in a bag that rides with you, not on the truck. Defrost the freezer and empty the fridge the day before so appliances can be moved dry. ### Sources (checked October 18, 2026) - [USPS, Official Mover's Guide](https://moversguide.usps.com/) - [FMCSA, Protect Your Move](https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/protect-your-move) ### Free in-home estimate - An O'Brien's estimator walks through your home - A written, itemized estimate - 10 free heavy-duty boxes, yours to keep [How our estimates work](https://obriensmoving-storage.com/how-our-estimates-work/) ### Visit or call the office 2277 Glendale Ave, Sparks, NV 89431 [775-359-6683](tel:+17753596683) | Monday to Friday | 8:00 am to 5:00 pm | | --- | --- | | Saturday and Sunday | Closed | [Get my free estimate](#estimate) ### Related - [Moving checklist generator](https://obriensmoving-storage.com/tools/moving-checklist/) - [The 8-week moving checklist](https://obriensmoving-storage.com/guides/moving-checklist/) - [How far ahead to book movers](https://obriensmoving-storage.com/guides/how-far-ahead-to-book-movers/) - [Moving-day checklist](https://obriensmoving-storage.com/guides/moving-day-checklist/) Moving guides ## Read next - [Change-of-address checklist](https://obriensmoving-storage.com/guides/change-of-address-checklist/) - [How to transfer utilities when you move](https://obriensmoving-storage.com/guides/transferring-utilities/) - [What goes in a first-night box](https://obriensmoving-storage.com/guides/first-night-box/) - [Move-out cleaning checklist](https://obriensmoving-storage.com/guides/move-out-cleaning-checklist/) - [Moving-day tips from a family mover](https://obriensmoving-storage.com/guides/moving-day-tips/) - [Planning a move on short notice](https://obriensmoving-storage.com/guides/last-minute-moves/) - [How big a truck does your move need?](https://obriensmoving-storage.com/guides/moving-truck-size/) - [How many boxes do I need?](https://obriensmoving-storage.com/guides/how-many-boxes-do-i-need/) Answers ## Questions people ask Still have a question? Call [775-359-6683](tel:+17753596683), Mon-Fri 8-5, or see the [moving FAQ](https://obriensmoving-storage.com/faq/). ### Is eight weeks too long for a small move? For a small local move, three to four weeks is workable. Keep the order of the steps and shorten the gaps. ### When should the estimate happen? Early, in weeks eight to seven, so the estimator sees the home before you pack and before you sort. ### What if I have less than eight weeks? Start at the step that matches your date and do the earlier steps in the same week. The office at 775-359-6683 can help you decide what to do first. ## 4.3 stars from 71 Google reviews What customers say about O'Brien's [Read more reviews](https://obriensmoving-storage.com/reviews/)[See them on Google](https://maps.google.com/maps?cid=17335326057105140938) B Bruce E. December 25, 2024 My family moved exclusively with Bekins when I was young and O'Brien's made it a pleasure to return to this fine local company. I would be pleased to have any members of O'Brien's as friends and highly recommend O'Brien's to anyone needing the services they provide! ### Owner's reply Bruce thank you so much for taking the time to review our company. It was an extreme pleasure to work for you, please do not hesitate to call us for any help you need in the future. L Leticia H. November 1, 2024 O'Brien's Moving and Storage packing crew were great!! They were fast, friendly and most importantly, very professional. Thank you guys. M Michelle C. August 28, 2024 Extremely happy with the moving experience. The moving team showed up on time, friendly and polite. They did a wonderful job moving our boxes and furniture to the new location. We moved a three bedroom home and I could not be more pleased with the employees who assisted with the move. Highly recommend O'Brien moving for your move. ### Owner's reply Michelle, thank you so much for taking the time to write this review. We are so happy to hear about the move experience you had with our company and glad to know we met your expectations! It means a lot to us to know that. Thank you for choosing us as your moving partner. ## Get your free, in-home moving estimate An estimator visits, walks through everything and gives you a written, itemized estimate. Rather talk? [Call 775-359-6683](tel:+17753596683) Monday to Friday, 8 am to 5 pm Our estimators: Sean, Luke, Christa and Janet. 2277 Glendale Ave Sparks, NV 89431 [4.3 on Google · 71 reviews](https://obriensmoving-storage.com/reviews/) Family owned since 1941 U.S. DOT No. 30611 · MC-109375 · Nevada CPCN 1070