Discover the Best NYC Movers to Get You Into Your New Home
The easiest way to move into your new home is to hire someone else to do it for you! This article is a compiled list of the best NYC movers that I personally recommend to all my real estate clients. Plus I’ve included notes on each professional so that you’ll know exactly who is going to be the best fit for you.
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The truth is that moving can be a stressful experience, especially in New York city. Most buildings even have particular rules and regulations around moving. Many buildings require you to use certain elevators or hire movers with specific types of pricey insurance policies. All the movers on this list are vetted, reliable, accredited industry professionals that will make transitioning spaces a breeze. Whether you’re moving to the city from around the country, or moving within the New York area itself, these moving companies have you covered.
I have great relationships with the professionals on this list, and as a result, I’ve helped my clients save hundreds of dollars on their moves. Even if you’ve already found your place, tell them Kristen Shaker sent you for special discounts!
The Best NYC Movers
Kristen SHaker’s Top Picks
Roadway Moving
Roadway Moving was founded in the Bronx with one truck and a dream and has since become an international powerhouse of moving professionals. Roadway prides itself on offering a highly personalized experience to their clients. Steven Bailey, Sr. Account Manager at Roadway says that “personal contact sets Roadway apart from its competition. If something goes wrong with a move, our clients now they can call me anytime.”
Services:
Local, Cross Country and International Moves
Short Term Storage
Packing/Unpacking
Furniture Disposal
Furniture Assembly
See a full list of Roadway’s services on their website.
Local Man With A Truck
The name says it all. Jorge, the founder of Local Man With a Truck, is extremely hands on and interacts with all of his clients directly. He will move pretty much anything anywhere — even items that larger companies typically reject. As a small local service provider, Local Man With A Truck provides a very personalized service, and clients get the benefit of more flexibility with pricing and scheduling.
Services:
Local and Cross Country Moves
Packing Services
Storage Solutions
Vehicle Relocation
Professional Art Moving and Crating
See a full list of Local Man With a Truck’s services on their website.
Flatrate Moving
Flatrate Moving prides itself on providing a formulaic approach to pricing moves. They’ll feed the mileage, the volume of your possessions, and the complexity of your move into a formula and provide you with a guaranteed flat rate for the move.
Services:
Local and Cross Country Moves
Short Term Storage
Packing/Unpacking
TV and Audio Instillation
Carpentry
Furniture/Item Disposal/Donations
See a full list of Flatrate’s services on their website.
Piece of Cake Moving
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You will see Piece of Cake Moving’s bright pink moving vans and bins all over New York City. They dominate the market when it comes to small moves. Because they do a ton of volume, clients who like more hands on interactions with owners or representatives might feel a little lost with Piece of Cake. However, their pricing is competitive and they can often handle last minute moves.
Services:
Local and Cross Country Moves
Packing
Bin Delivery
Furniture Assembly
Short Term Storage
See a full list of Piece of Cake’s services on their website.
Here’s What I’d RECOMMEND in specific situations
Best Moving Company For Cross Country Moves
Flatrate Moving: Flatrate operates throughout the country and has hubs and frequent routes through some of the “smaller” cities in the USA. Moving from Dallas to Portland? Flatrate’s worth a call.
OR
Roadway Moving: Moving to NYC, California or Florida from pretty much anywhere? Roadway’s got you covered. They have hubs in these states so moving in or out of these locations - from anywhere in the world - is easy peasy for Roadway.
Best Moving Company For Last Minute Moves
Piece of Cake: Piece of Cake does tons of business in New York City, so if you’re not moving too much, they can usually find a truck for you last minute.
OR
Local Man With a Truck: This company is the smallest on our list and therefore offers the most amount of flexibility. Client’s work directly with the owner, who of course has a lot of leeway to set the schedule, making Local Man With a Truck a great option for people who may have put off scheduling movers until the last minute.
Best Moving Company For Small Moves
Local Man With a Truck: Local Man with a Truck will move anything for anybody. If you need to move something small that might not be worth the time of a larger company, he’ll figure out how to do it - and how to do it cost effectively, so you don’t end up paying through the nose just to move a few boxes.
OR
Piece of Cake: Piece of Cake dominates a lot of the market for small moves in NYC. In fact, some of the larger companies have set up subsidiaries to compete directly with Piece of Cake.
Best Moving Company For picky buildings
Roadway Moving: Roadway has every type of insurance you can imagine - which makes them a good choice for buildings that have strict insurance requirements - like some condominiums and cooperatives.
OR
Piece of Cake Moving: Piece of Cake does a ton of work in NYC and knows exactly what insurance buildings are looking for.
Best Moving Company For Your Wallet
Local Man With a Truck: The most affordable option on this list is likely Local Man With a Truck. Clients who are budget conscious will find that Jorge, the owner operator, who they will interact with directly, often beats the rates of every other company they’ve talked to. It is a smaller operation, so expect less glitz, glamour, branding and process, but do you really care as long as your stuff gets from point A to point B safely?
FAQ: Hiring the best NYC Movers
What is the average cost of movers in NYC?
There are a myriad of factors that go into the cost of movers in NYC. It’s always advisable to call each company and give them the specifics of your move so they can give you an accurate quote. For standard moves, they usually base their prices of the distance and the number of bedrooms moved. Extra services like packing and furniture assembly will cost extra. For some measure of reference, moving a studio or a one bed within the city can cost $800 - $2,000. Moving a two bedroom costs between $1,500 - $3,000. The more bedrooms you add or the more complicated the move becomes - i.e. if the drop off or pick up location is a walk up or requires a COI - the more expensive it will get. Moving cross country can start at around $7,000 and can cost you upwards of $9,000.
How far in advance should I book movers NYC?
How far in advance you need to schedule your move largely depends on the time of year you are moving. May and June are the busiest moving months in NYC, so if you’re switching abodes during those months, you should call at least a few weeks in advance.
What is the cheapest way to move in NYC?
Cheap doesn’t always mean inexpensive. While you think you could save a few extra bucks by using your cousin’s Vinnie’s van, you’ll likely run into unexpected issues and delays or breakages that will cost you more in the long run than if you had hired professionals. The best way to minimize your cost is to get multiple quotes from multiple moving companies and picking the professional that most aligns with your needs and your budget.
Why should I use one of these companies if I know someone who move me for cheaper?
Moves in New York City are trickier than moves elsewhere in the United States. If you are moving into a condominium or a cooperative, you’re going to need to provide a COI (Certificate of Insurance). These are expensive and difficult to acquire and the odds are that your friend with a van won’t have one - and they won’t be willing to cough up thousands of dollars to get one just to help you move.
What do I do before movers come?
If you’ve paid the moves to do the packing and packing, you can do almost nothing. They will professionally package all of your items for you. If you do not want to pay for packing services, make sure you coordinate box drop off or pick up some yourself and neatly pack all of your items. Don’t be scrambling to finish packing when the movers arrive - they will have everything out of your apartment quicker than you would think. Also, use this as an opportunity to purge. Go through all of your items and donate those that you no longer need! Most moving companies will take your donations and drop them at a deserving location at no extra charge.
Do you tip movers in NYC?
Tipping your movers is customary - and generally highly appreciated! For local moves, consider tipping 10-20% and for international moves, consider tipping 5 - 10% of your moves total cost.
Do movers expect you to help?
Nope. They know that they’re being paid for a service, so they don’t expect you to be hauling boxes and furniture out of your apartment yourself. In fact, they’d probably prefer you didn’t help - as it could be a liability for the moving company.
Welcome Home, New Yorker!
New York can be a challenging city to adapt to, but my FREE Guide to Surviving Your First Week in New York will help you adapt with ease. As a licensed real estate agent, you can also contact me if you need any additional help!
