We've moved with our own kids here in the 805, so this isn't theory. A move with a 4-year-old and a 9-year-old is a completely different project than a move with two adults and a truck. Here's the playbook we give Ventura County parents who call us.
Pack in the order your family actually lives
The mistake almost everyone makes is packing the fun stuff first because it's easy. Then you have five days left with nothing to keep anyone busy.
- Week out: garage, closets, decor, off-season clothes, books.
- 3 days out: extra dishes, linens, most toys — leave a small "yes" bin per kid.
- Night before: kitchen, bathroom, bedding.
- Move day: one clearly marked tote per kid with pajamas, a stuffed animal, a nightlight, and their toothbrush.
That last tote is the one that saves bedtime. Label it on the lid and the side so it doesn't disappear into the stack. Our moving checklist sequences the rest.
Give each kid a job (and a tote)
Kids handle change better when they have control over some part of it. Hand an older kid a tote and let them pack their own room. Let a little one put stickers on lids or "count" totes onto the dolly. Our totes hold up to 65 lbs and snap shut, so a curious 5-year-old can't tip out a box of dishes the way they can with a half-taped cardboard flap.
Move day: get them out of the house
Honestly the single highest-return decision. Grandparents, a friend, a sitter — anything beats supervising a stair-carry with a toddler underfoot. If you can't, plan around it: park the kids in one already-emptied room with a tablet, snacks, and a fan, and load that room last.
Local backup plans for a few hours: the Ventura Aquatics pool, Camarillo's library story time, Simi Valley's Rancho Simi parks, or the Thousand Oaks mall play area on a hot day.
School and paperwork, before the boxes
- Request records early. Ventura Unified, Oxnard, Conejo Valley, and Simi Valley districts each have their own transfer paperwork — start two to three weeks out.
- Confirm the new school's boundary by address, not by neighborhood name. Boundaries split streets around Camarillo and Thousand Oaks.
- Grab immunization records while you're at it — you'll need them for enrollment and camps.
Give yourself unpacking time, not a deadline
With kids, the unpack is the long part. A 2-bedroom rental gives you a full week, 3-bedroom gets 7 days, and 4-bedroom gets 10. If life gets in the way, extend by the day — $20/day for the first three days, $12/day after, up to 10 extra days. Set up the kids' rooms first, even before the kitchen. A familiar bed beats a stocked pantry on night one.
The local angle
We're a family-owned Ventura County business, and every rental includes free delivery, free pickup, and a dolly. We serve Ventura, Oxnard, Camarillo, Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley, Moorpark, and Santa Paula. Packages start at $119 for a studio — see full pricing — and you can call or text us at (805) 273-8732 if you want help sizing it.
Also worth a read: 7 packing mistakes families make on move day.