Every fall, a part of New York packs for Florida and plans to be back by spring. Snowbird moving is not a normal long distance move. You are not emptying the apartment. You are sending a bedroom, a sofa, the good chairs and a few boxes to a second home, and the rest stays here.
That changes the questions. How small a load will a mover take? What does it cost when it is not a whole home? When does it show up? And what happens to the New York apartment while you are away?
Here is how snowbird moving works with us, with the real numbers. If you are leaving for good with everything you own, our NYC to Florida movers page covers the whole-home move and the Florida building rules, city by city. This post is for the seasonal trip.
Snowbird moving, the short version
- We take partial loads to Florida. One room is fine.
- Florida starts at $1,950, and that minimum applies to a small load too.
- That price comes with a delivery window of 4 to 15 days. A 2 day window is available and costs more.
- One flat rate, in writing, before anything is loaded.
- We do not ship cars.
- Coming back north in spring: ask us. We run it, and it needs more lead time.
- Not sending everything? Our storage in Long Island City starts at $150 a month.
How small is too small?
The honest answer first, because it is your money. Florida starts at $1,950 whether the load is one room or a full studio. So the question is not whether we will take a small load. We will. The question is whether your load is worth $1,950 to send.
- A few boxes on their own: the $1,950 minimum is hard to justify, and we will say so.
- One room of furniture: this is where snowbird moving starts to make sense. A bed, a dresser, a sofa and a dining table are what a truck is for. Ask yourself what it would cost to buy those pieces again in Florida. If the answer is more than the quote, send them.
- The pieces you would not replace: art, mirrors, a glass table, a family piece. These are the usual reason people call us. Packing is part of the flat rate, whether we pack everything, pack only the fragile pieces, or load what you packed yourself.
Send us a list or a few photos of what is going. A flat rate usually comes back the same day. If the load is too small to be worth it, we will tell you.
What snowbird moving costs
From $1,950, priced the same way as the rest of our long distance moving. Nothing goes to Florida below that. Three things build the number above it:
- Volume, meaning everything on your list.
- Fuel and mileage for the drive south.
- Tolls, on their own line.
You have the figure in writing before the truck is loaded, and it does not change on delivery day. It is quoted together with the delivery window it assumes, so you know both numbers at the same time.
When it arrives: count 15 days back
This is the part that surprises people. Delivery to Florida comes inside a window of 4 to 15 days, not on a named day. That window is part of what keeps the price down.
So plan from the date you need it, backwards:
- Want it in Florida by Christmas Eve? Have it loaded by Wednesday, December 9.
- By New Year’s Eve? Loaded by Wednesday, December 16.
- A date that cannot move, like a closing or the one elevator slot your association gave you? That is the 2 day window, and it costs more.
Two to three weeks of notice is comfortable for booking. Shorter notice often works, depending on what is already loaded, so ask.
One more thing to settle before you book: someone has to be at the Florida address for the delivery. That can be you, or a person you name. If you are flying down after the load leaves, pack a suitcase for the first two weeks and do not count on the furniture beating you there.
The Florida end: ask your association first
Florida law does not set move-in hours or elevator rules. Each condo or homeowners association writes its own. Before you pick a date, ask the management office in writing:
- which days and hours moves are allowed
- whether the elevator has to be reserved
- whether they want a certificate of insurance, and who is named on it
- whether the crew and the truck go on a gate list
Send us the answers. We issue certificates of insurance for both ends within one business day. If the truck needs a permit, we tell you what to apply for and when. The application is yours.
The season helps here. Atlantic hurricane season officially ends on November 30, so a December or January delivery lands after it.
What stays in New York
Snowbird moving has a second half that nobody plans for: the apartment you are leaving for five months.
- Keeping the apartment: then only the Florida pieces move, and we work around what stays.
- Giving up the lease for the winter: this is what our storage in Long Island City is for. It starts at $150 a month, with a one month minimum. Our own crews pick up, store and deliver. When you come back, delivery to the new apartment can happen as soon as the next day.
- Doing both: some pieces to Florida, the rest into storage. Tell us which is which on the list and we quote the two together.
Going in and coming out of storage are two moves, because everything is unloaded and reloaded. We price both up front, so there is no surprise in April.
A snowbird moving timeline
- Four weeks before you leave: ask the Florida association for its rules, and send us your list or photos.
- Three weeks before: book the loading date, and tell us what each building wants on its certificate of insurance.
- The week before: reserve the New York elevator if your building has one, and set aside the suitcase that flies with you.
- Loading day: the Florida pieces go on the truck. Anything for storage goes to Long Island City.
- 4 to 15 days later: delivery in Florida, inside the hours your association allows, with you or someone you name there to receive it.
Coming back in the spring
We run Florida to New York. It is harder to schedule than the trip south, because it depends on when a truck is heading back and what is already on it. So ask us early, with the pickup city and the New York address, and we tell you what is running.
Many snowbirds never need the return trip. The furniture stays in Florida, and only the people go back and forth.
What we will not do
- Ship your car. We move household goods only.
- Promise an exact delivery day inside the 4 to 15 day window. If you need a firm date, ask about the 2 day window.
- File your association’s paperwork. We give you what it asks from the mover. The forms are yours.
Snowbird moving: quick answers
Do you take a partial load for snowbird moving?
Yes. One room, a few large pieces, or a full apartment. Florida starts at $1,950 whatever the size, so send us the list and we will tell you honestly whether it is worth it.
How long does snowbird moving from New York to Florida take?
4 to 15 days from loading. If you need it sooner, a 2 day window is available at a higher price.
Can you store what I am not taking?
Yes. Storage in our Long Island City warehouse starts at $150 a month, with a one month minimum.
How do I check a mover before an interstate move?
Look the company up with the federal regulator. Its Protect Your Move page explains what to check. Ours is USDOT 4144902.
Get the Florida number before you book the flight
Send us both addresses and a list or photos of what is going. A flat rate comes back, from $1,950, with its delivery window. Use the free quote form or call (212) 933-9959. Someone picks up from 7 AM to 10 PM, every day.
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Magical Moving & Storage, Long Island City, Queens. USDOT 4144902.
