TECH

Relocating to Silicon Valley: A Practical Guide for New Hires

Where tech people actually live, how apartment buildings handle move-ins, and how to time a move around a start date.

Every month, engineers and their families land in the Bay Area with a start date and a lease they signed over video. Here is what the moving part looks like when it goes well.

Picking your spot by commute

Mountain View, Sunnyvale, and Santa Clara serve the South Bay campuses. San Mateo and Redwood City split the difference for Peninsula offices. San Francisco proper trades a longer shuttle ride for the city itself. Menlo Park and Palo Alto cost more and deliver more. Our city pages cover what moving into each one is like.

The apartment building gauntlet

New complexes come with rules: certificate of insurance from your mover, elevator reservation, loading dock hours, sometimes a move-in deposit. Handle these a week ahead; we issue COIs routinely and know most big buildings' quirks already.

Timing around a start date

Move in at least a few days before day one. Within California we can usually run the move inside a week from your call, and if your company covers relocation, we bill them directly and keep you out of the receipts business: see corporate relocation.

Planning a move?

Free quote in 15 minutes, 7 days a week. Or call (408) 753-5454.

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