Costs vary from company to company, often dependent on the size of the move and the number of movers required to get the job done. Most companies charge a base hourly rate with 2 movers assigned to the job, and the hourly rate usually increases from there based on the number of movers needed/requested. Long distance moves often cost more than a local move, because that same hourly rate is normally charged for drive time as well as the labor - meaning the further you’re moving, the more you need to set aside for your moving budget. Here at Expert Moving & Relocation Inc, as a family-owned business with low overhead costs, we are happy to give that benefit back to our clients with below average hourly rates for the industry standard. In an economy where prices keep going UP, we aim to keep our prices affordable.

The sooner you have a firm moving date, the better. Moving companies, including our own, charge a nonrefundable deposit for the scheduled date of move, that is forfeit if the move date is changed without an advanced notice - so it’s best to have a firm date in mind before booking to forego wasting any money. Once you have chosen a company you are confident in and have a firm moving date, it’s best to get yourself on the schedule before availability runs out.

We always recommend getting an early start to a moving day, so that the most difficult parts of the move are done while the day is still young and energies still high. Often times, a regular move can be complete within 6-8 hours, leaving you the rest of the afternoon to unwind or unpack in your new home. The best day of the week is entirely personal to you - as a business that emphasizes a peaceful and stress free life as often as possible, give yourself a day or few after a move to get your belongings in order, unpack small belongings, and adjust to your new place before jumping back into work and other obligations. As for the best time of year to move, a lot of us don’t have a say in that variable! But things to consider are extreme heat, rain, extreme weather, peak season vs non peak season for tourism - they are never going to stop a job from getting done, but factors to consider if you’re a fan of crossing your t’s and dotting your i’s.

Look for a moving company that is insured & bonded - clarify what kind of coverage they are providing on your belongings, and never assume, as some companies offer pennies on the dollar coverage for your belongings if damaged in transit. Make sure the moving company is licensed with the state they work in, to avoid scams and fraudulent business, for example Florida movers should list their “FL IM NO” on all websites, trucks, etc to show evidence of their registration with the Florida Dept of Agricultural Services. If the moving company is licensed and insured, that’s a great start!

The answer to this is unique to each person and situation. It’s very common to pack your own smaller belongings, and to bring whatever you can in your car on your own time, if you are physically able to, to save money on moving company costs. The less a moving company has to do, the less it will cost you, so it’s not uncommon to leave just the heavier and larger items to a moving crew and handle the lighter belongings yourself. On the contrary, the packing of smaller items, assuming you’re not too much of a collector, is a relatively quick and easy process and often doesn’t add that much time or cost to your overall move - so it’s also very common to have your moving company handle every detail from start to finish to make the whole process easier for you. Another consideration, is that when you hire a moving company, you are hiring people who are experienced and knowledgeable in their field (hopefully/ideally ;) ) - who know how to package and wrap your belongings, how to secure them properly in the truck, how to drive the large truck, etc without damaging anything in the process.

As little or as much as you need. We will show up to your location and put in whatever labor and effort is needed to safely move your belongings. In a standard move, we will bring plastic film, boxes, tape, blankets, and more to wrap and protect your items during transit. If we are doing a full service move, we will pack your small belongings in boxes with packing paper to prevent damage. We will wrap your larger items in plastic wrap or blankets, tape doors and drawers closed so nothing opens during transit, mattresses are placed in mattress bags to protect them, tvs placed in protective boxes designed to transport them safely, etc. We load all of this onto our truck, drive it to your new location, and then unload it into your new location and set everything up - reassemble anything that had to be disassembled for transit such as mattress frames, setup your furniture the way you want it, unpack boxes, clean up the wrapping materials, boxes, etc.

Expert Moving & Relocation Inc is a full service moving company so yes, we will pack your stuff for you if you’d like us to. Moving companies charge an hourly rate for services, so the more we do the more your move will cost, but smaller items are typically much quicker and easier to pack than larger/heavier items such as couches. In a standard move, your home can be left entirely as it is, and the movers will take care of everything.

There are certain items and personal belongings that are best for you to pack yourself such as safes/lockboxes, high value assets and items, cash, currency, valuables, jewelry, anything extremely precious and meaningful to you. It is difficult to properly insure high value items or obscure items such as cash in a safe during transit - so anything that you NEED to make it from point A to point B in perfect condition, we recommend that you see to it yourself. If it is something heavy like a safe, and you want to transport it yourself to ensure its safety, we are always willing to load it in your car, and unload it from your car at the new location to help you keep your peace of mind in the process. Moving insurance is designed for more standard household objects - desks, beds, dressers, tvs, computers, dishware, paintings - items of that nature.

As little or as much as you want.

1. Pre-packing personal, high value, and sentimental items ahead of time is recommended - so that you can organize those AHEAD of time, before the movers come and pack up all of your more standard home items. We are happy to transport items you have already packed, if you are hoping to save time and money in that regard. Ensure that all packages are properly labelled.

2. Declutter. The less the movers have to package and transport, the less your move will cost. Declutter ahead of time, donating items you no longer need and no longer use - rather than paying for the transportation of items you don’t need and wasting money. You can also arrange a “junk removal” tandem service, where we can donate your unused items for you, which will be included in your hourly time - ask us for an estimate if interested.

3. Plan around pets and kids. It’s often recommended to have any children away from the home, with a friend or relative, for the duration of the move to keep them safe. And have your pets in a secure spot that the movers won’t be accessing before they get there, such as your bathroom. We recommend you setup your pet in a low traffic room such as the bathroom, with their food, water, litter box, travel carrier, etc - this keeps them safe and out of the way for the move, ensuring they’re not running out the front door or hiding in a couch.

4. Disconnect appliances that you are taking with you. Movers are not plumbers or electricians, they don’t disconnect appliances and risk damage to appliances through lack of knowledge in the process. Disconnect your appliances ahead of time or call a professional to disconnect your appliances. Movers will assist you in disconnecting appliances, but are not responsible for them/not responsible for mechanical aspects of items. And a side note for appliances - empty your fridge before moving it, a cargo policy will not cover food that spoils and spills in your fridge.

5. Make an inventory of items being moved, and document these items with photo evidence. This is just a standard insurance protocol, whether it’s your home before a storm, or your items before a move. The more evidence you have on what you own and what it’s worth, the easier it’s going to be to be compensated for potential losses. Cross check your inventory list with your mover, to validate the presence of your items on the truck.

Movers need to be given proper notice of extremely heavy or large items. Certain items may be too heavy for a set of movers to transport to and from the moving truck. For example, grand pianos, jacuzzis, items of that nature.

Movers will not move anything that is living - pets, plants, people, etc.

Nothing hazardous, nothing flammable. No gasoline, firearms, ammunitions, chemicals, fireworks, pesticides, paint, paint thinner, even nail polish - anything flammable. Anything with a fuel tank such as a lawn mower or gas grill must have the fuel tank emptied in order to move.

Movers will not transport food - nothing that can spoil or attract pests.

Valuable items such as jewelry, cash, currency, safes, lockboxes, and precious items should be transported on your own time in your own vehicle, in order to best protect them and ensure their safe arrival.

If estimating the time and cost for your move, it takes roughly an hour per room for the job. Often times it is going to take less time than that, but it is dependent on how many items you have in each room, how heavy they are, how long it takes to properly wrap, pack, disassemble each item. So for example, a standard 2 bedroom home or condo, may take 2-3 hours to pack, and 2-3 hours to unpack. For a standard 3 bedroom home, you could anticipate 3-4 hours to pack, and 3-4 hours to unpack. You could have a 3 bedroom home but have minimal furniture and the packing and unpacking time might be 2 hours each. You could have a 1 bedroom home with a jacuzzi on your porch and a thousand knick knacks on your shelves, and the move could take 3 for packing and another 3 to unpack. To make the process easier, you can contact us for a free estimate with no strings attached. Transportation/driving time in between locations is another factor to consider for total move time.

Moving estimates at Expert Moving & Relocation Inc are done the following, industry standard, way:

- Hourly rate for packing

- Hourly rate for unpacking

- Hourly rate for transportation time from one location to the next, and this may apply to your drive to your house as well if you live quite far from our home base in Port Charlotte

- Material cost based on what is used - boxes, plastic wrap, tape, packing paper, mattress bags, tv boxes, etc.

- Fuel costs

Expert Moving & Relocation Inc offers FREE estimates, no strings attached.

A binding estimate/agreement is when you sign the contract to proceed with the move, you agree to the estimated pricing, you make a deposit, and schedule a move with us.

During the move, we pack your items and keep track of materials used, hours spent packing, hours spent driving. When we arrive at the location you are moving to, you will have to pay for the move before we open up the truck and unload your belongings - in order to prevent frauds and scams. We then unpack your items, and refund anything that was overcharged or overestimated on the original invoicing, if applicable.

Moves can take more or less time than estimated depending on the number of items being transported, how easy it is for the movers to access your home (stairs, elevators, etc), etc.

This is up to you. We will be transparent in the amount of insurance we are able to place on your items in transit, and if the coverage isn’t up to your standards or maybe doesn’t have high enough limits for high value items you own, you can purchase an additional policy on your own to act as an umbrella to our coverage. However, in a majority of cases - no, you will not need to buy moving insurance. The coverage we provide is included in our hourly rates.

Never expected or required, but always appreciated. It is standard to tip movers $20-$100.

Expert Moving & Relocation Inc only does moves within the state of Florida for the time being.

Yes we are! We are licensed through the Florida Dept of Agricultural & Consumer Services, who oversees moving companies in the state of FL. We are insured and bonded, ensuring your belongings are covered for any possible incidents. Insurance specifics are provided with all estimates and contracts.

If we can accommodate it, then yes. Please call us for last minute or same day move requests, and we will let you know our availability. Higher rates may apply. Call us at 941-467-4509.

We are located in Port Charlotte - serving Charlotte County, Desoto County, Lee County, Collier County, and Sarasota County. Longer transportation rates may apply to certain counties, so please contact us for more information.

If you request it, we will temporarily share our location for the duration of the transport. We only know how to accommodate this for iPhones currently.