The last time my husband and I moved within Queens we used Sonic Movers and it was a NIGHTMARE. Not only did they arrive three hours late, but one of our movers quit working mid-move. We had to bribe him with extra cash to finish the job and finally arrived at our new apartment with all our stuff at 2am. THEN they beat up our furniture and our new landlords walls AND left a heavy piece of furniture on the front stoop because they didn't want to bring it up. NIGHTMARE. These guys were so bad and got so many complaints I don't even think the company is in existence anymore.
Suffice to say we were more than a bit wary about hiring movers this time around. We rented a UHaul in nearby Brooklyn and hoped to rope friends into helping us move our stuff. At the last minute, however, overwhelmed by packing with a 15-month-old underfoot, I searched for a pair of low-cost movers on Craigslist. The Friendly Movers were the first and only movers I contacted--and I feel like I hit the moving jackpot!
I set up our move by calling Lui (pronounce Louie) at 917-374-4789 a week before our move. He was very pleasant and I was able to set up the move for any time that was convenient for me. Two movers cost $50 for the first two hours and $40 for every hour after that (their website has different rates, so be sure to confirm the rates while on the phone). Lui told us that there was a three-hour minimum for our move, which made our estimated total $140 total for two movers for three hours, scheduled to be paid in cash after the move (you must mention ahead if you want to use a credit card).
At first, I voiced my concerns to Lui about the three-hour minimum as their
website states a two-hour minimum, but he explained that most moves take at least three hours on average. He was right! We weren't even bringing all of our furniture with us in the UHaul and it still took four hours to complete the move, taking us up to $180 total when all was said and done.
$180 is an extraordinarily reasonable price when you factor in the great service and piece of mind our movers brought us. Juan and Andrew were our two movers and not only were they amazingly efficient, but they were super relaxed and friendly. Both men kept waving to baby Andrew and I was so impressed with how patiently Juan directed his partner when they were moving the larger items--they were so calm and quiet that baby Andrew napped through the first half of the move! They didn't even stress out when my husband was late with the U-Haul because the rental lot in Brooklyn gave him a truck with a flat. They simply began bringing stuff down to our front stoop/deck, organizing it carefully until the truck could be delivered.
My stress level was 100% as we were approaching the move, but once the
Friendly Movers got there, all my worries completely disappeared. I have NEVER been that calm during my many moves. I really can't praise the Friendly Movers enough.
If you need a mover in the NYC area, I highly suggest that you check out the Friendly Movers. Visit their website and call or email them for more info: 917-374-4789 or friendlymoving@yahoo.com. Happy moving!
