Living in Sunnyvale: A Moving Guide

Sunnyvale real estate is booming with home buyers trying to secure a little piece of paradise for their families to settle down in. Whether you’re at the start of your moving journey or it’s still an idea bouncing around, we have all the resources for you to make informed decisions about this new chapter in your life. If you’re planning on moving to Sunnyvale but are confused by which of the patchwork of small neighborhoods you should move to, take a look at our blog, Sunnyvale Real Estate: The 4 Most Popular Sunnyvale Neighborhoods, and if you’re planning on moving within or out of Sunnyvale we have you covered with our blog, 7 Secrets to Selling your Home for 15% more in Sunnyvale. If you already settled on the neighborhood, bought your new home and all that’s left is the endeavor of actually moving, it can be quite overwhelming to pack up your little world around you. Below you’ll find an extensive moving guide to ease the stress and hopefully leave some space to enjoy the big move.

 

Moving is the perfect time to time to declutter because you’re already in the process of going through your stuff. Decluttering when moving has many benefits. First, you’ll save money. The less you have to move, the less it will cost to move it. Second, your home will be easier to stage, if you are selling and planning to live in it while it’s on the market. Third, you’ll have less to unpack and sift through in your new home. And finally, your new home will be easier to organize and get settled in. 

If you’re looking for a methodology for the decluttering process (and a wonderful book in general), we highly recommend Marie Kondo’s book “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing”. You can pick up a copy at the most adorable local bookstores, Bookasaurus (125 S Murphy Ave, Sunnyvale) or Leigh’s Favorite Books (121 S Murphy Ave, Sunnyvale).

 

Now that you’ve decluttered, you’re probably wondering what to do with all the stuff you no longer want or need? Donating is an invaluable way to give back to the community. Here are a couple of local donation centers in or near Sunnyvale.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of the major perks of living in Sunnyvale is its extensive and amazing recycling and garbage programs. They make it convenient and easy for residents to dispose of anything, literally. And as if we didn’t already love Sunnyvale enough, they even offer special speaker events on sustainability and workshops on composting and landscaping.

 

Remember that electronic waste, aka e-waste, should be disposed of separately so it doesn’t end up in landfills. The most common e-waste comprises of home appliances such as air conditioners, televisions, fans, DVDs, heaters, electric cookers, radios, microwaves, etc. as well as personal e-waste such as laptops, computers, mobile phones, and batteries.

You will find that many local businesses host e-waste recycling events (we host a couple ourselves annually). However, if you need to get things off your hands quickly, the best bet is to take your electronic waste to the Goodwill of Silicon Valley or the Sunnyvale SMaRT Station Recycling Center (301 Carl Rd. Sunnyvale).

 

The City of Sunnyvale Recycling Program has periodic document shredding events to assist residents with destroying confidential or personal documents. This is a free service to residents of Sunnyvale and is done at their SMaRT Station Recycling Center (301 Carl Rd. Sunnyvale). Contact the Recycling Program for more information, at (408) 730-7262.

Also, check out their website to see when the Sunnyvale Document Shredding events dates are.

 

Hazardous waste must also be disposed of properly. These are things like motor oils, paints, batteries, electronics, pesticides, household chemicals, mercury thermometers and smoke detectors – that can contaminate our air, water, and soils. The City of Sunnyvale offers a quarterly Household Hazardous Waste Drop-off event for residents. Appointments are required, visit their website or call (408) 299-7300 for more information.

 

The City of Sunnyvale offers an on-call curbside collection of extra garbage to residents of single-family homes twice a year at no additional charge! What?! You can dispose of carpets, electronics, and other bulky nonhazardous items that don’t fit in garbage cans. Click here to schedule.

 

Sunnyvale also offers Extra Dumping weekends, when all Sunnyvale residents may dispose of extra garbage, concrete, demolition and construction materials, tires, and other non-hazardous materials at the SMaRT Station Recycling Center (301 Carl Rd. Sunnyvale). These are held in the spring and fall, check here for dates.

 

2022 Extra Dumping weekends are scheduled for:

 

Saturday, Oct. 1 & Sunday, Oct. 2

 

Saturday, Oct. 8 & Sunday, Oct. 9

 

And for those things that can’t be donated or disposed of through the City of Sunnyvale, local haulers can dispose of them as needed.

 

 

 

 

Personally, we love this Organized Moving Guide from the Container Store. It’s comprehensive and breaks the moving process broken down into a timeline, which helps those of us who lean towards procrastination!

 

We’re fans of using clear plastic storage bins for moving instead of cardboard boxes that might be thrown away after only one use, and collecting mold if left in a damp environment. These Jumbo Bins are perfect for towels, blankets, and clothes, and they also come in a variety of sizes. This similar Hefty Bin is available at the Sunnyvale Target. The clear exterior allows you to easily identify the contents in the chaos of moving and they are conveniently stackable. We use them in our own garage to organize kids’ toys, sports equipment, and holiday decor.

 

The Container Store in Santana Row is our go-to, although the parking can be tricky depending on what time you go. There is another location in Palo Alto, near Stanford Shopping Center that is great as well, with plenty of parking. But if you’re looking for something in Sunnyvale, Target is your best bet.

 

Our favorite local resource for packing supplies is JDM Packing. The locations are all individually owned and we’ve had great experiences at each. There used to be a location in Sunnyvale on Fremont Avenue, but sadly it recently closed. They have a variety of moving boxes, wraps, tape, and everything you can need to get all packed up and moved.

 

Tip: Craigslist is also a great resource for gently used moving boxes, as well as Realtors®. We frequently have a stockpile of boxes from other clients and colleagues.

 

 

3080 Stevens Creek Blvd Suite 1000, San Jose, CA 95128

 

 

 

298 W McKinley Ave, Sunnyvale, CA 94086

 

 

 

Camden Ave & Kooser

 

5415 Camden Ave, San Jose, CA 95124

 

 

 

Located on: Bascom & Curtner Ave

 

2756 So. Bascom Ave, San Jose, CA 95124

 

 

There are a lot of moving companies out there, so I’d always recommend checking YELP to confirm continued customer satisfaction, but here are a couple of local moving companies that work in Sunnyvale and surrounding areas that we’ve previously recommended to clients. 

 

 

 

 

For a more personalized moving experience, we highly recommend Cindy Hofen and her team from Managing Moves & More. They offer a lot of services, like decluttering, downsizing, packing, etc but we’ve most often used them for senior relocations. They are perfect for clients who need someone else to do the heavy lifting, organizing, and sorting.

 

Moving containers are quickly becoming the most popular, budget-friendly, and time-flexible way to move. There are a variety of companies that now provide this service, however, some only service a local area while others transport nationwide. PODS, 1-800-PACK-RAT, U Haul U Boxes are just a couple of options that provide nationwide service. 

 

We love that moving containers can be dropped off in your driveway, then later picked up when convenient for you, and either stored or transported to your new location. The only catch is you’re responsible for picking up the container yourself or hiring movers to pack it up for safe transport.

 

Once you’re into your new home, it’s time to get organized. And the methodical, well-planned organization is key to living a decluttered life. Clutter-free living is important for three reasons, it saves us time, money, and stress. People in cluttered homes often waste time looking for mundane items like keys, money, cell phone, and batteries. When a home is cluttered, people waste money buying what they already have or what they can’t find. Or clutter may result in bills being lost and late fees being accrued. Yet, the most insidious toll that clutter takes is that it adds stress to your life.

 

Hiring a professional home organizer is a great way to ensure your new home is organized effectively and properly for the way you live. Here are a couple of local personal organizers who can help.

 

 

 

 

Tip: You can use an app called TaskRabbit to hire local individuals at an hourly rate to help get you organized, some of them may even have previous experience with home organizers. We recommend reading their bios carefully and selecting the person who would be the best fit. There are a lot of “taskers” (that’s what they call themselves) who also specialize in furniture assembly and TV mounting. It’s a nice way to help individuals in the community with small tasks.

 

Happy moving!