Apartment hunting in New York City can be a huge hassle. You’ll spend hours if not days finding just the right place, only to visit it and realize that the apartment is not what was described in the listing. Other times you might not be able to get your dream apartment because someone else signed the lease before you. Once you have finally found a new place, you then have to deal with the painful process of moving. Finding good local residential movers can be difficult as there are many companies who are more than happy to take advantage of you. Hopefully, you have enough time to do your research so you’re not going with the first moving service in NYC you find.
Once you do find a few good residential moving services, you’ll need to contact each company and get the moving company quotes. In order to get the most accurate moving estimate, there are several pieces of information you’ll need to provide and a few things you should go over with whatever residential moving company you choose.
Date of the Move
This is probably one of the first pieces of information you’ll need to give. Movers work on very tight schedules so you should make sure you have a firm date before you make the call. When you plan on moving can greatly affect the overall timing of the move. For example, if you schedule a move during a holiday or special event such as the New York City Marathon, it might end up taking longer because of blocked streets. Of course, there’s always some kind of construction going on in the city, so you won’t always be able to plan for potential delays.
Of course, things change. Maybe the renovations on your new apartment end up taking longer than expected or you decide not to move. In these cases, you should contact the company as soon as possible to either change the date of the move or cancel altogether. If you give the recommended notice, usually at least 2 days prior to your move, you won’t have to deal with any extraneous fees. If something truly pops up last minute, be prepared to lose your deposit at the very least. In some cases, the moving company may charge you a percentage or the full amount of the move depending on when you cancel.
The Address
Before you sign on the dotted line, you should first provide the moving company the pickup and drop off location. Most NYC movers will help you move anywhere within the five boroughs. Some might even help you move out to Long Island or parts of New Jersey. If you’re moving outside of New York City, you should check to make sure the residential moving company has the appropriate licenses.
While most moves involve going from one apartment to another, some might require a stop to a storage unit. It’s important to let the movers know in advance whether the pickup or drop off location is at a storage unit. This way, they can provide the appropriate travel time estimate based on the pick up and drop off point. If you haven’t figured out a storage solution yet but don’t have an apartment lined up, you can ask the moving company whether they offer storage. Many do, but you should let them know in advance whether you will need to use this option.
Floor Number
If you live in New York City, chances are you’re living in an apartment building. While you’ll probably give your apartment number to the movers, it’s also a good idea to give the floor number for both your current and new apartment. This gives a clear picture to the movers about how much time it might take them to get from the ground floor/street to your doorstep.
While you’re at it, you should also tell the movers whether you live in a walk-up or have elevators. Many movers charge extra money for each flight of stairs they have to go up or down. Trying to navigate a narrow stairwell also means that they have to take additional precautions, which usually means longer move times.
Not everything is easy with elevator buildings. Many highrise buildings will require movers use only a specific set of elevators – usually the freight – and to submit a certificate of insurance. You will have to speak with your current and new building owner to see if there are any special instructions the movers need to follow. The more information you have, the less chances of delay or issues the day of the move.
What Are You Moving?
This should be a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised with how many people still aren’t quite sure what they’re bringing with them the day of the move. Of course, there are times when you might need to move last-minute, but hopefully you have a couple of weeks to prepare. Instead of tossing all of your belongings into boxes, you should first take the time to go through everything you own and separate out the items you plan on keeping and those you don’t. When choosing what to bring, keep in mind the size and dimensions of your new apartment. You may end up having to get rid of a lot of things if your new living situation ends up being smaller than your current one.
For larger items like furniture, you should take measurements of your new apartment’s entryway, elevator, and stairwell. While many professional movers are able to find creative ways of moving items into a new apartment, there might be times where it just won’t fit. If you don’t want to just toss your furniture and it’s in relatively good condition, consider donating it to goodwill. You should also include the dimensions of the furniture and whether it needs to be disassembled and reassembled. Most movers provide basic disassembly service for sofas and beds, but won’t completely take apart items like IKEA furniture or murphy beds.
Once you’ve figured out everything you’re going to bring with you, you should be able to provide the movers with the amount of boxes and pieces of furniture you plan on moving. This is a vital piece of information if you want a good moving company quote. The more accurate you are, the better your chances of getting a quote that won’t change the day of the move. Make sure to list everything you plan on bringing with you. Forgetting one or two boxes won’t drastically affect the final price, but not listing various pieces of furniture can increase the overall cost.
Speaking of which, you should absolutely tell the movers whether you need them to pack your belongings or if everything is already packed. As you would expect, it will cost you more if you want the movers to pack everything for you. If you’re on a tight budget, you should take the time to pack as much as you can in boxes. Not only does this save you money, it also allows you to take inventory of all of your items and pack and label everything in a way that makes sense to you. If you simply don’t have the time or mobility to pack yourself, always let the movers know and inform them of how many items you intend on moving. That way they can estimate the number of boxes they will have to bring with them on the day of the move.
Number of People Moving
Unless you own a lot of stuff, moving a single person from one place to another will take less than moving a family or roommates. While this isn’t absolutely necessary, you should let the movers know how many people are moving or, at the very least, the number of bedrooms. Again, this will give them a better idea as to how much time a move might cost. Combined with the other information you provide, it will help give you a more accurate quote.
Professional NYC movers who have been in the business for years generally know how long a move will take based on the number of bedrooms, total items, and what floor your new and old apartment is on. You don’t necessarily need to let them know how many people are involved in the move unless you’re the only person moving out of the apartment or the others who are moving are going the DIY route. If that’s the case, make sure to label your boxes so that they are easily identifiable and let the movers know to ONLY move the items that are packed or labeled. If you plan on having the movers do the packing, make sure to direct them to the items that you are bringing with you.
Conclusion
Every piece of information you provide to the residential moving services can help provide them with a complete picture of your needs. The more details you can provide, the more accurate your moving out quotes will be.
When requesting moving quotes online or over the phone, make sure to mention everything. You’re only hurting yourself if you leave out important information like how many boxes you have, whether you’re moving to or from a walk-up and so on. You’ll be charged for the extra time regardless at the end, so you might as well be upfront!
FAQ
Where can I get a detailed quote from NYC Great Movers?
Fill out our online form and we’ll get back to you ASAP!
What areas do you serve?
We serve all five boroughs, Long Island, some parts of New Jersey, and some areas in Connecticut. You can check out our full list here.
What services do you offer?
We offer a variety of services and do our best to meet your needs as best we can. Check out our services page to see what we have to offer. If you need something that isn’t listed, make sure to give us a call to see if we can help: 718-407-4137
