Senior movers in San Diego
Smaller home. Same favorite chair.
The short version: One Stop Moving & Storage moves San Diego seniors into smaller homes, condos and assisted living. You pay our hourly rate, $139 an hour for two movers and a truck, then 15-minute billing. We place furniture to the new floor plan and can store the rest while the house sells.
- A written Not-to-Exceed price before moving day, so the bill can’t run past it
- Packing, unpacking and taking the empty boxes away, all on the same hourly clock
- Full-time employees on every crew, no day laborers; licensed CAL-190616 since 2008
- Google 4.3 stars from about 269 reviews, BBB A+
Since 2008
Moving San Diego
CAL-190616
California mover license
USDOT 1956864
Interstate, MC 694565
BBB A+
Better Business Bureau
98%
Of our customers come back (company records)
7 days
7 AM–7 PM, phone open 24 hours
What it costs
How much does a senior move cost in San Diego?
One Stop charges $139 an hour for two movers and a truck and $189 for three. Billing runs in 15-minute steps. A one-bedroom usually takes 4 to 5 hours ($556–$945).
Your written Not-to-Exceed price lists every charge before move day. If a studio or a single room will finish early, use the time to pack the kitchen, hang pictures or set up the bedroom.
The rate is the same every day of the week. There are no stair fees, and 50 boxes come free with every move.
By home size
Labor at our crew rates, from One Stop’s own crew planning table, including any extra truck. Fuel and drive time are added. Moves within San Diego County.
A sample bill: house to assisted living
Example only, built from the rate card: a two-bedroom house down to a one-bedroom assisted-living apartment. Your written estimate covers your addresses and inventory.
Downsizing
How do you help a parent downsize?
Start with the new floor plan and a sorted list: keep, family, storage, and donate or sell. On moving day we take the keep pile to the new home, drop family pieces on the same route, and send the rest to storage. It all runs on one hourly clock, from $139 an hour, with a written Not-to-Exceed price.
Sort before the walkthrough. When the estimate is made from the final keep list, the crew size and the hours fit the real move, not the whole house.
Colored tape by destination makes the day calm: one color for the new home, one for each family member, one for storage.
A simple sorting plan
Placement
How do you place furniture in a smaller floor plan?
Get the floor plan from the community or the listing and mark where the bed, chair, dresser and table go. Our crew labels each piece to a spot on that plan and sets it there on moving day. Disassembly and reassembly are offered and billed on the clock at the crew rate, from $139 an hour.
Measure the large pieces against the new rooms before moving day. A sofa or bed that doesn’t fit is cheaper to leave behind than to move twice.
Set up the bedroom first. With the bed, a lamp and the reading chair in place, the first night is easier.
Bring to the walkthrough
- The new floor plan, with room sizes
- Measurements of the bed, sofa, dresser and dining table
- The keep list, room by room
- Pieces going to family members, with their addresses
- Anything going into storage
- Move-in hours and elevator rules from the community
While the house sells
Can you store furniture while the house sells?
Yes. Short-term storage during a move is included. For a longer sale, San Diego County storage units run $245 (5×10) to $730 (10×30) a month, and every vault is held at 68–72°F with humidity control. Or keep a Standard portable container on the driveway for $99 a month.
Storage also helps with staging. Clear the house for photos and showings, keep what the family still needs to decide on, and bring it out when the sale closes.
Containers are steel and weather-resistant, but not climate-controlled. For wood furniture, photos and papers kept for months, a vault is the safer choice.
Storage units, per month
| Unit (ft) | San Diego County | Orange County |
|---|---|---|
| 5 × 10 | $245 | $275 |
| 10 × 10 | $355 | $395 |
| 10 × 15 | $445 | $490 |
| 10 × 20 | $555 | $575 |
| 10 × 25 | $625 | $685 |
| 10 × 30 | $730 | $785 |
Other storage charges
Portable containers on your property
Each container comes with 25 free moving boxes, month to month, with no early-return penalty.
Assisted living
What do assisted living communities ask movers for?
Usually three things: a move-in date inside their allowed hours, an elevator booking, and a certificate of insurance. One Stop carries $1M general liability and $1M workers’ comp and sends the COI the community asks for. Call the move-in coordinator early and share their rules with us when you book.
Board-and-care and memory-care homes often have smaller rooms and stricter move-in windows. Tell us the window and we plan the crew so the move fits inside it.
Keep medications, jewelry, wills, deeds and financial papers with a family member. They should never ride on the truck.
Questions for the move-in coordinator
How it works
How does a senior move with One Stop work?
Five steps. A walkthrough in person or by video, a written price, an optional packing day, moving day with furniture placed to the plan, and unpacking with the empty boxes taken away. The phone line is open 24 hours, and quotes usually come back within hours.
1
Walkthrough
In the home or by video, with the keep list and the new floor plan.
2
Written price
Crew size, hours and a Not-to-Exceed price, before you book.
3
Packing day
Optional. Billed at the crew hourly rate, with boxes sold by the piece.
4
Moving day
Floors protected, furniture wrapped, then placed to the plan at the new home.
5
Unpacking
Optional. Boxes unpacked, and the empty boxes and paper taken away.
Packing and unpacking
Can you pack, unpack and take the boxes away?
Yes. Packing is billed at the same crew hourly rates, and boxes are sold by the piece, from $5 for a small box; 50 boxes come free with every move. Unpacking is offered too, and the crew takes the empty boxes and packing paper away, so the new home isn’t left full of cardboard.
Packing materials
Included at $0
- 50 moving boxes$0
- Wardrobe boxes to use on moving day$0
- Blankets, padding and shrink wrap$0
- Floor and door protection$0
- Stairs, any number of flights$0
Protection
What protects a parent’s things during the move?
Basic protection is included and pays 60 cents per pound per article under California’s Max 4 tariff (Item 136). A 100-lb dresser is covered for up to $60. For heirlooms worth more than their weight, buy separate coverage before moving day and tell us, so we plan the wrapping around them.
What basic protection pays
| Item (example weight) | Weight | Pays up to |
|---|---|---|
| Dining chair | 20 lb | $12 |
| Recliner | 80 lb | $48 |
| Dresser | 100 lb | $60 |
| China cabinet | 200 lb | $120 |
60¢ per pound per article (Max 4 tariff, Item 136). It’s a limit, not replacement value. One Stop is licensed CAL-190616 and carries $1M general liability.
Questions
Senior moving questions
Short answers. Prices, booking, packing, storage and your rights are covered in full in our FAQ.
All moving questionsHow much do senior movers cost in San Diego?
One Stop charges $139 an hour for two movers and a truck and $189 for three. Billing runs in 15-minute increments.
Is there a minimum charge?
Yes. A small move with two movers costs $139 an hour.
How long does it take to move a one-bedroom apartment?
Usually 4 to 5 hours with two or three movers, $556 to $945 in labor at our rates. Stairs, elevators and how much is packed ahead decide where in that range you land.
Do you move people into assisted living?
Yes. We move seniors into assisted living, board-and-care and independent-living communities, work inside the community’s move-in hours and send the certificate of insurance it asks for.
Will you place furniture where my parent wants it?
Yes. Give us the new floor plan with each piece marked. The crew labels furniture to the plan and places it on moving day. Disassembly and reassembly are billed on the clock at the crew rate.
Can you store furniture while the house is for sale?
Yes. Short-term storage during a move is included. Longer storage runs $245 to $730 a month for a unit in San Diego County, or $99 a month for a Standard container on the driveway.
Do you unpack and take the boxes away?
Yes. Unpacking is offered on the hourly clock, and the crew takes the empty boxes and packing paper away when it’s done.
Do you offer packing for seniors?
Yes. Packing is billed at the same crew hourly rates, from $139 an hour for two movers, and boxes are sold by the piece from $5. 50 boxes come free with every move.
Can family members’ pieces go to different addresses?
Yes. Label pieces with each family member’s name and we deliver them on the same route, on the same hourly clock and invoice.
Do I get a fixed price?
Every local move gets a written Not-to-Exceed price before moving day. It’s the most you pay for the job as described, and it comes after a walkthrough in person or by video.
What should stay off the truck?
Medications, jewelry, cash, wills, deeds and financial papers. Keep them with a family member on moving day.
Who does the lifting?
Every crew is made up of full-time One Stop employees, not day laborers. One Stop is licensed CAL-190616 and carries $1M general liability and $1M workers’ comp.
Talk to a person
Plan a senior move, in writing
Tell us where your parent is moving and what’s going. You get the crew, the hours and a Not-to-Exceed price in writing, free, usually within hours. The phone line is open 24 hours.