I disagree with those who say you only need shorts and summer clothes down here. In the winter days in the 40s are common so you still need some long pants, sweaters and winter coat, hat, gloves, etc. Not a lot I admit but don’t get rid of all your winter stuff unless you want to buy all new.

They've gotten some really BAD reviews lately - when did you use them?

The first winter after we moved here full-time it was particularly chilly (to me, anyway). One day I was walking into McD wearing jeans, Uggs, long-sleeve t-shirt, flannel shirt, quilted sleeveless vest, and a knit scarf. A woman was pulling out of the drive-thru with her window still open, she looks at me and says, "Where do you think you are, in Minnesota??" But hey, I was cold! So, yeah, maybe don't give away all the heavy clothes until you see how you adjust to Florida weather. :)

kathy

A rude shock to many, Brooklyn is on Long Island. We moved nine years ago from Nassau County. A good mover? There are perhaps more complaints about movers than cable companies, insurance companies etc etc etc.

My sister used to work for one one of the larger interstate movers and I followed her advice.

What will happen. You will decide to get two or three competing bids. The company will send over a SALESPERSON. They will look over your STUFF put it into their computer and give you an ESTIMATE. Their program shows average weight, ie couch weighs ?? 100 pounds. THE GOCHA, if they underestimate the weight of your STUFF, their BID will be lower. However, when you drive on highways you will see exits marked weigh station.
They must stop and have their truck weighed. So if they underestimate your weight for your quote, when they arrive they will say you owe $$$$$ more than the quote.

What you want to compare is tariff rate. They will not tell you what it is. It is easy to figure out. The estimate will show weight as well as price. The tariff rate is filed with the government. I would expect they are again or still charging a fuel surcharge. You don't need to care what they call it. It is how much per 100 pounds.

Insurance- They do include insurance but it is like ten cents per hundred pounds. I used 100 pounds for a couch. If they destroy your couch you will get ten cents for it. You can, and I did pay for insurance to cover replacement value. I'm not sure but I seem to recall that cost like $600. It was well worth the money. I think that cost also varies by the mover you choose. Your stuff will not be the only stuff on an interstate moving trailer.
You will not be on the truck to see that they properly secure all that is on the truck each time they load or unload. Why it was worth the money. I had a lot of heavy equipment.
My work table, really heavy was not secured. In Florida we were the last stop. Something, I assume my worktable or???? shifted and destroyed my desk. They destroyed almost twice what we paid for insurance. It was tough, it was a battle but I did collect.

The last GOTCHA. As stated, I had a lot of heavy stuff. The sales people are well very slick. I was told his program would not properly estimate my heavy stuff so he would add in an extra 1,000 pounds and I would get it back in the end. The gotcha, my tariff rate as I figured it was fifty-seven cents per 100 pounds so extra charge $570. The fine print is they credit you thirteen cents per hundred pounds.

Three competing movers? Mayflower and United Van Lines are owned by the same corporation.

We use only company people. That does not mean they are qualified or that you will have the same people on both ends. I have a large armoir. Like say a china closet, it comes apart by removing a few screws. The crew loading the truck tried to carry it down the stairs as one piece damaging both the furniture and the newly painted walls, handrails etc. Almost funny -NOW. The Florida crew, dropped that same piece of furniture poking a hole in our brand new bedroom wall.

Packing, you want to photograph everything in each box and how it is packed. Any damages, you can be sure they will claim it was already damaged or improperly packed.
The mover will deliver the boxes, for us 250 boxes, and ask you to sign a receipt-a bill of lading. You will not be able to count the boxes, they will not be in numerical order and in our case damaged boxes were put under other boxes or against a wall. If you sign you cannot claim a box was missing.

JK Movers did a wonderful job for us. It was a local move but they do national and many international moves.
Good luck,
PS I agree with posters who advise bringing as little as possible.

You're moving from Brooklyn to The Villages. Why didn't you first upgrade from Brooklyn to the Bronx?:1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl:

Yeah, I'm from the Bronx so what? :1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl:

BE CAREFUL. SOME OF THE CHEAPER SHIPPERS DO NOT GO DOOR TO DOOR. THEY BUNDLE THEIR DELIVERIES WITH OTHER CUSTOMERS TO SAVE ON EXPENSES. SOME DON'T CARE. THEY TAKE THE SAVINGS.
Good LUCK

I had United Van Lines once and Allied 3 times. United was a ripoff. Allied was way better.

Don’t know about movers but a bit of advice. Eat all you can while you are still there, you won’t get anything here to compare, lol.

Read my post. Interstate moves are by weight. Reason why you will see signs for weigh stations. They must get off and have the truck weighed. If, anyone will give you a binding estimate, they will over estimate the weight for the quote. As I discovered. Mayflower and United Van lines are owned by the same umbrella corporation. The business structure is sort of like a franchise. You talk to what you think is Mayflower. It can be a privately owned business that pays a franchise fee to use the advertised Mayflower name. They of course police the local guy so he does not damage the valuable name.

We had over a year to plan. What to take and not to take, as i posted elsewhere I calculated the cost at fifty-seven cents 100 lbs. I sold a lot of stuff in garage sales and ebay. I had lead, I had copper, I had brass. Wife screamed just toss it. I loaded it into my car, took it to a place that buys scrap and handed her over $300 in cash. To take or not to take, that is a question. I took stuff that I have not used in 10 years. I left behind stuff some sold, some trashed that you simply can't buy. Example I had cuban mahogany. It is far different than the luan sold for outrageous prices-it is mahogany in common name only. i still regret, I gave it to a former neighbor. A snow blower? Should it snow where will you find one? No I didn't take mine either. I did take an ice scraper.
Great for digging love bugs off your windshield.

Re: Staten Island
Staten Island was a garbage dump for New York City. Perhaps like the villages, pre GPS
you would use a map. You would plot your route but it didn't tell you it is a one way street. The streets perhaps like the villages, lets put a street there. The do have a nice zoo. A friend said the water is so polluted it would eat into his boat. The tolls on the verizano bridge? I think residents get a discount.

I inherited a 50x100 lot on Staten Island. Rumor was my great aunt got it as a promotion for a magazine subscription. Florida? Much of it was under water, literally.

Abf
 

We did a small move to TV in January 2021 with an ABF pod, they fantastic

do NOT use Father & Sons moving :pray:

Whoever you use, when they give you a price, make them cap the contract at that price. That way they can only charge you that price and not go over it. No surprises when you get here.