My First Cross-Country Move: California to New York
Fact Checked by: 
Los Angeles, CA → Brooklyn, NY
$3,665
Phone estimate, 418 cubic feet
$7,310
+$3,645, almost exactly double
2,790 mi
Long-distance, interstate
- I compared four quotes before I hired Bravo Moving for my Los Angeles to New York City move, my first ever cross-country move.
- My final bill came to $7,310 against a $3,665 phone quote, partly because disassembly and packing materials were never line items on the estimate.
- I shared all of it, my quotes, my bills, and my ratings, as part of moveBuddha’s Better Moves Project.
See what your move really costs before a mover tells you.
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This account is based on a conversation with Yvonne T., who moved from Los Angeles, California, to Brooklyn, New York, in February 2024 using Bravo Moving. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
My move from California to New York
My husband and I traded our life in Los Angeles for Brooklyn, chasing a fresh start and a new career. It was my first cross-country move and calling me nervous would be an understatement. We spent a year planning it, and we needed to do it on a budget without compromising on quality.
I’d watched friends DIY long-distance moves in the past and looked on in horror, so a full-service mover was never really in question. What I cared about most was finding a company that would handle my things carefully. I was especially anxious about disassembly and reassembly, convinced someone would lose a bag of screws and leave me with an unusable bed. Loss and damage worried me too, since I’d downsized hard and was only bringing the necessities.
I started with a Google search for the best cheap moving companies on the LA to NYC route, then tried Yelp and Reddit, where I found nothing but negative reviews that left me more confused. Finding moveBuddha early is what actually got me to a decision. According to moveBuddha, users who compare movers this way save more than 30% versus taking the first quote they get.
My Bravo Moving experience at a glance
Here’s what stood out most about moving with Bravo Moving, good and bad.
- Communication: Bravo’s team was clear, friendly, and helpful throughout, with a call 24 hours before pickup and another 30 minutes out. The exception was delivery day, when it fell apart.
- Pricing accuracy and transparency: My $3,665 quote became $7,310. I didn’t feel blindsided, because the contract spelled out the potential costs, and that is still a very big jump.
- Professionalism: The picture of it, at both ends. The crew spotted a crack in my bed frame and flagged it before touching it.
- Timeliness: On time for loading, and nearly 12 hours late for delivery, which left me sitting in an empty apartment all day. New Jersey traffic was mostly to blame.
- Loss and damage: Everything arrived safely and damage-free, which was my biggest worry going in.
- Would I use Bravo Moving again? Yes. There were real hiccups with delivery and the estimate, and I’m grateful they handled the logistics and made a daunting move as stress-free as it could be.
over my original Bravo Moving quote
Find out what a move from California → New York actually costs before a mover tells you.
Why I chose Bravo Moving
Bravo got back to me quickly and we set up a phone call. I felt at ease with the sales agent immediately, and they were patient while I asked for several estimate updates as my plans firmed up. After shopping around I realized Bravo was also the best price, and honestly the rep putting me at ease is what decided it. As an anxious first-time cross-country mover, that was what I needed. The affordable quote was the cherry on top.
Their quote covered basic disassembly and assembly of furniture, unlimited padding, blankets, and straps, 30 days of free storage, and a $75 flight-of-stairs charge. They offered Premium Guaranteed Service, which locks in a delivery date, for $1,500, and I passed on it because I was on a budget. The agent told me my movers would come within a two-day window and that I needed everything packed and ready before it opened. I downsized and sold a lot beforehand, and packing my own boxes saved the $300 Bravo would have charged, though it took real time.
rating
- Focuses on California moves
- Fast & accurate
- Guaranteed delivery window
- Residential, corporate & military moves
- Highly trained, full-time crews
My move at a glance
Here are the basics of my relocation, including what I was quoted and what I actually paid for my Los Angeles to New York City move.
| Move date | February 14, 2024 |
|---|---|
| Moved from | Los Angeles, California |
| Moved to | Brooklyn, New York |
| Distance | 2,790 miles |
| Move size | Two-bedroom, one-bath |
| Moving company | Bravo Moving |
| Moving quote | $3,665 |
| Actual cost | $7,310 |
We found that when you use moveBuddha’s moving cost calculator, you can save 30% on moving costs compared to customers who go with the first quote they receive.
Quotes I compared
I requested quotes from four full-service movers, all pricing the same 418 cubic feet. Bravo impressed me with a friendly, prompt reply, and it didn’t hurt that theirs was the lowest number.
| Company | Estimated volume/weight | Estimated cost |
|---|---|---|
| Bravo Moving | 418 cubic feet (2,926 pounds) | $3,665 |
| Safeway Moving | 418 cubic feet (2,926 pounds) | $3,927 |
| Mayzlin Relocation | 418 cubic feet (2,926 pounds) | $4,400 |
| American Van Lines | 418 cubic feet (2,926 pounds) | $5,576 |
Worth knowing before you compare: learning how to read a moving quote matters as much as the number on it. Two of the charges that doubled my bill were never line items on mine.
Pickup day
Bravo called 24 hours ahead to review details, answer my questions, tell me how long the process would take, and get directions on where to park. They gave me an 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. window, and on the day the movers called 30 minutes before arriving at 8:45.
The crew took great care wrapping everything. They spotted a crack in part of my bed frame and told me before they moved it, which is exactly the kind of thing I’d been worrying about. I stayed close by the whole time, available for questions and to give direction.
Loading took just two hours. I paid half my remaining balance by Zelle, with the rest due on delivery. Paying a mover through Zelle or Venmo can sound sketchy, and it’s increasingly normal in this industry. Ask your coordinator which methods they accept so you can set up the app before move day rather than at the truck.
Delivery day
Bravo collected my things on February 15 and delivered on March 5, a 19-day turnaround. That’s well inside the 30 days movers are typically allowed for a cross-country move, which most people don’t realize when they’re planning.
Delivery itself was not seamless. Bravo’s 18-wheeler couldn’t fit on crowded Brooklyn streets, so they rented a shuttle to bring my things into the city. They brought that truck in from New Jersey and hit terrible traffic. I expected them at 9 a.m. They arrived at 8 p.m., nearly 12 hours late.
Communication was spotty during the wait, with the drivers saying they were minutes away and then adding hours. That was my least favorite part of the whole move, because it meant a full day alone in an empty apartment. When they finally arrived they gave me a checklist to tick items off as they carried them in, and they were so late that they had to come back the next day to finish the furniture reassembly. Everything arrived safely.
The other blow was the bill. My $3,665 quote became $7,310, for three reasons: I had more furniture and boxes than I originally estimated, Bravo never put disassembly or packing materials as line items on the quote, and the estimate came from a phone call rather than a virtual or in-person survey. Totals commonly exceed quotes by around 25%. Double is well outside the norm. I wasn’t shocked, because my contract spelled those potential costs out, and I wish they’d been in the estimate so I could have budgeted properly.
Final thoughts
My move wasn’t perfect and I’m still happy with how it ended. The quote accuracy was way off and the delayed delivery was rough, and my things arrived in good condition, which was what I cared about most. I’d choose Bravo again and recommend them.
I’d never moved across the country before and had no idea how stressful it would be. I do wish Bravo had calculated my estimate more accurately so I could have budgeted for it. I’d also disassemble some furniture myself next time to save on space, and bubble wrap and tape everything myself to bring the cost down further. Packing my own boxes and buying my own materials saved me real money, and I’d tell anyone to look for cheap or free moving boxes, wrap carefully, and label every box with its contents to make unpacking simpler. If you’re on the fence about a full-service mover, I think Bravo was worth it. It was stressful, and it would have been far worse alone.
Planning your first cross-country move? Use moveBuddha’s moving cost calculator to compare real quotes from vetted movers before you book.
My ratings
Here’s how I scored Bravo Moving on a scale of 1 to 5 based on my end-to-end experience.
- Communication: 5 out of 5. Clear and friendly from first contact through pickup, with the delivery-day silence as the exception.
- Timeliness: 5 out of 5. On time at pickup and 19 days coast to coast, well inside the 30-day standard, despite the late arrival on delivery day.
- Quote accuracy: 4 out of 5. My lowest score. I paid $7,310 against a $3,665 phone estimate that omitted disassembly and packing materials.
- Overall experience: 5 out of 5. Nothing lost, nothing damaged, and a first cross-country move I didn’t have to manage myself.
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Tips for future movers
These are the practical steps we recommend based on Yvonne T.’s experience:
- Check the quote for missing line items, not just the total: Disassembly and packing materials never appeared on Yvonne T.’s estimate and both landed on her final bill. Ask what is deliberately excluded before you sign.
- Get a virtual or in-person survey rather than a phone quote: A phone estimate can only price what you remember to describe, which is part of why Yvonne T.’s bill doubled.
- Ask whether your destination needs a shuttle: An 18-wheeler couldn’t reach Yvonne T.’s Brooklyn street, so Bravo brought a smaller truck in from New Jersey and hit traffic. On dense city streets, ask how the last mile works and where that vehicle starts its day.
- Plan for the full 30-day delivery window: Yvonne T.’s things took 19 days, comfortably inside the standard. Most people don’t know movers have up to 30, so don’t book anything that depends on an early arrival.
- Set up the payment app before move day: Yvonne T. paid by Zelle, which is increasingly common. Ask which methods your mover accepts and link your account in advance.
- Update your quote as your plans change: Yvonne T. asked for several revised estimates as she firmed things up, and her sales agent was patient about it. That habit is right even when the final number still moves.
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