An Apartment-to-House Move from Marine Street to 17th Street in Santa Monica

Recently we helped a small family move from a two-story stucco apartment building on Marine Street to a detached, one-story stucco house. It wasn't a long drive, just about three miles, from the beach side of the city to Mid-City. Marine Street runs through Ocean Park, one of Santa Monica's oldest neighborhoods, and the block slopes, with buildings set above the sidewalk on retaining walls and steps up to the entrances. This is why the pickup was slightly challenging. We had to make sure that nothing rolled away or got damaged. On the other hand, 17th Street is flat, busy, and lined with parked cars on both sides.

The family booked this move with us two weeks before the date and told us they didn't have much to move. After hearing about the small load and the tight street, we sent our 18-foot box truck, the smallest in our fleet. This relocation only needed two movers, so only Charlie was with me this time.

The job at a glance

• Pickup: Marine Street, Santa Monica
• Destination: 17th Street, Santa Monica
• Property type: A single-story house
• Crew: Two-mover crew
• Inventory: 8 boxes packed by the family, a white sectional, a folding treadmill

Loading on Marine Street

The family wanted to start moving in the morning. They were moving from a furnished rental into their first home, so the sectional and the treadmill were the only furniture that was theirs. The family confirmed that we could legally park on the road at the curb. On the move date we drove our truck to Marine Street. It was parked at the curb and the liftgate came down right onto the sloped block.

The family had already packed everything, so our main job was to carry the boxes and the sectional, which the family had already wrapped in stretch wrap, from the apartment to the truck. The building sits above the sidewalk and a steep brick walkway with a short flight of steps was the only way in. Charlie and I took the sectional out first. It didn't take long, since the sectional came apart into pieces. Then we stacked the pre-taped boxes two at a time on a hand truck, rolled them down the brick walkway, and rode the liftgate up into the truck. It took some time because of the angle of the walkway and the street itself.

Once the boxes were in, we came back for another item the family owned. They warned us about a folding treadmill that had to be carried along a narrow hallway. First, we wrapped it in moving blankets and then carried it to the truck by hand, since it wouldn't fit through the front door on top of the hand truck. In the truck, it stood upright, folded, against a side wall of the box.

Delivery to 17th Street

The new home was a detached, one-story stucco house with a private driveway, so we parked the truck right next to the front door. After the walkway and steps on Marine Street, the carry here was short and flat. The family had already decided where everything would go, and as each piece came off the truck, they showed us which room it belonged in. The boxes were quickly divided between two bedrooms.

Charlie and I brought the sectional in piece by piece, steering each section under a low-hanging chandelier on the way to the living room. The treadmill went into the corner of the living room the family had cleared for it.

The family was surprised by how we managed to complete the whole move without a single scratch. They had worried about the sectional and the treadmill in the narrow hallway, but we navigated every tight corner and the walls remained completely untouched.

Planning a move in Santa Monica? See our Santa Monica movers page for rates, local tips and answers to common questions.

Garik · Senior mover

Sep 28, 2026 3 min read

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