My 736-Mile Florida to North Carolina Move: Quotes, Fees, & Delays
Fact Checked by: 
Tampa, FL → Charlotte, NC
$5,818
Two-bedroom apartment
$6,372
$554 over, on volume and fees
736 mi
Long-distance, interstate
- I compared three quotes before I hired Mayzlin Relocation for my Florida to North Carolina move, and they ranged from $4,400 to $7,200.
- My final bill landed $554 over my original quote, after a walkthrough added about $600 to my inventory and I paid a $150 long-carry fee plus extra charges for furniture disassembly and reassembly.
- I shared all of it, my quotes, my bills, and my ratings, as part of moveBuddha’s Better Moves Project.
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This account is based on a conversation with Josh, who moved from Tampa, Florida, to Charlotte, North Carolina, in March 2024 using Mayzlin Relocation. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
My move from Florida to North Carolina
My girlfriend, our two cats, and I wanted to escape the heat and the alligators in Tampa, Florida. So we decided to move to Charlotte, North Carolina, for a bigger house and a change of scenery.
I had one glaring task left before we could start fresh: figuring out how to move our densely packed two-bedroom apartment into a truck and haul it more than 700 miles to our new four-bedroom home. In return for a $500 moving stipend through moveBuddha’s Better Moves Project, I agreed to share a play-by-play of the whole move, including how and why I chose Mayzlin Relocation, one of the best interstate movers in the industry. I also cover what surprised me about the interstate moving process and what I’d do differently next time, which I hope never comes.
Comparing quotes is where the savings are. According to moveBuddha, people who use the moving cost calculator save 30% on average compared with people who book the first quote they receive.
My Mayzlin Relocation experience at a glance
Here’s what stood out most about moving with Mayzlin Relocation, good and bad.
- Communication: I was pleased with how Mayzlin communicated before the move, which started over a week before moving day and happened mostly by text and email. Phone calls during the move were less satisfactory, and I was confused about add-on services I thought were included.
- Pricing accuracy and transparency: Mayzlin first quoted me $5,818, and I negotiated it down to $5,500. After a walkthrough gave Mayzlin a more accurate inventory, my quote went back up by $600. I’ve since learned that’s common, because people often underestimate how much stuff they have. A fee for an oversized couch and other furniture brought my final bill to $6,372, which is $872 above the $5,500 estimate.
- Professionalism: Despite my frustration with the quoting and pricing process, I was impressed by my movers. They took better care of my belongings than I would have if I’d been left to my own devices.
- Timeliness: The crew texted about 24 hours before the move to say they’d arrive between 8 a.m. and noon, and they did. My belongings arrived 10 days later, well within the 30-day guarantee.
- Loss and damage: A few plates and glasses broke, and I was fine with that. I had a bigger problem with a bent part of my sofa, missing parts of my desk, and a missing lamp.
- Would I use Mayzlin again? Probably not. Mayzlin delivered within the 30-day guarantee, but the damage to my furniture and the extra fees made me wonder if their competitors would have done a better job.
over my original Mayzlin Relocation quote
Find out what a move from Florida → North Carolina actually costs before a mover tells you.
Why I chose Mayzlin Relocation
Mayzlin wasn’t the lowest quote I received, but it landed in the middle of my three estimates. I chose Mayzlin for its customer service and competitive pricing, and because after a little discussion the company knocked about $300 off my original quote. That lowered number was a big reason I signed.
Here’s the part I’d change. I didn’t buy any add-on services ahead of time, and then I had to pay a long-carry fee when my oversized couch didn’t fit in the elevator. That added another $150 to my quote.
rating
- Family-owned, with locations covering the East Coast
- Full refund if you cancel within 7 days of your move
- Hands-on customer service
- 24/7 support
- Price-matching policy
My move at a glance
Here are the basics of my relocation, including what I was quoted and what I actually paid for my Tampa to Charlotte move.
| Move date | March 1, 2024 |
|---|---|
| Moved from | Tampa, Florida |
| Moved to | Charlotte, North Carolina |
| Distance | 736 miles |
| Move size | Two-bedroom apartment |
| Moving company | Mayzlin Relocation |
| Moving quote | $5,818 |
| Actual cost | $6,372 |
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
My girlfriend and I spent about six months researching movers. We had trouble estimating our belongings that far in advance, so we waited on getting quotes, and we weren’t entirely sure what to look into beyond that.
I started with Angi, which mostly pointed me to companies with negative reviews and led to about 40 missed calls from companies pushing me to book. I badly needed some zen, so I was relieved when I found moveBuddha. It did the research I was already planning to do myself. I also checked Craigslist, Google, and individual moving company sites to decide which companies to get quotes from.
Even on a tight schedule, I wish I’d spent more time on each company’s reputation. Next time I’d also learn what to look for in a contract so I can avoid hidden fees.
I got quotes from three full-service moving companies. Here’s how they compared, cheapest first, with Mayzlin landing in the middle.
| Company | Estimated volume or weight | Estimated cost |
|---|---|---|
| American Van Lines | 1,000 cubic feet | $4,400 |
| Mayzlin Relocation | 1,000 cubic feet | $5,818 |
| Haulin Assets | Flat rate | $7,200 |
Pickup day
Pickup went smoothly, but the price kept climbing. About 24 hours before the move, the team leader texted that the crew would arrive the next day between 8 a.m. and noon, and the crew showed up at 8:14 a.m. as promised.
My moving coordinator was in contact a week before moving day. During that time, Mayzlin’s quality assurance (QA) team did a final walkthrough and updated my inventory list. My girlfriend and I had more stuff than we thought, so the new inventory increased my quote by about $600. Customer service also stayed in touch in the days leading up to the move and was helpful with my payment questions and with double-checking the Certificate of Insurance (COI) my building required.
When I signed my contract, I agreed to pay a 33% deposit upfront to secure my moving date, which I paid with a debit card. I was supposed to pay another 33% on moving day and the remaining balance on delivery by cashier’s check, but Mayzlin waived that policy and accepted a personal check. My quote also covered fees for mileage, gas, taxes, and tolls, a detailed itemized inventory list, moving blankets, shipment tracking, and standard contents protection at $1.20 per pound per item.
To prepare, my girlfriend and I started packing boxes without much of a plan. If you have a lot to sort through like we did, decluttering for a move is a good place to start, since you can often get rid of items you don’t really need.
The professional movers took about 4.5 hours to load, which was longer than I expected, because I had more belongings than I’d planned for. On top of the long-carry fee for my oversized couch, I was charged extra for furniture disassembly and reassembly.
My girlfriend and I did a few things right. We stayed available during the move instead of running errands, and we offered the movers water throughout the process.
Delivery day
Delivery took longer than I expected, and I wish I’d understood why before pickup. I didn’t realize the two- to seven-day window Mayzlin gave me was just an estimate, so it was unnerving to learn that all of my stuff was still in Tampa seven days after the move.
I’ve since learned that moving companies commonly wait until a truck is fully loaded before making an interstate haul. That makes sense for fuel efficiency, but I didn’t know it until I reread my contract. I wish Mayzlin had been more forthcoming and clear about it, because I was led to believe the process would be more streamlined.
My belongings were delivered 10 days after my scheduled moving day, well within the 30-day guarantee. Always read your contract carefully, because 30 days is a pretty standard turnaround in the moving industry.
Unloading in Charlotte took around four hours. My oversized couch was damaged in a way that left a bent piece of metal sticking out in a hazardous manner.
The movers also lost essential pieces of my desk, so they couldn’t figure out how to put it back together. I couldn’t work around it either, and the desk was unusable. Aside from those errors, I was pleased with how careful the crew was with the rest of our things.
Final thoughts
My move was adequate, but the process wasn’t what I expected. I’d never hired a full-service moving company before, so I didn’t know what to expect.
Mayzlin’s customer service was helpful and communicative throughout, but I felt the company was intentionally vague about pricing, timeline, and add-on services. Once I read the fine print in my contract, I knew everything was above board. I’m still not happy with the $872 gap between the $5,500 I negotiated and my final bill of $6,372.
Looking back, I was warned that extra charges were possible, both in writing and by the QA team along the way. Much of my frustration came from not knowing my contract or how the moving industry works. Still, that lowered quote was a big reason I picked Mayzlin, and I don’t think the company should have dropped my estimate to $5,500 when the final bill ended up nowhere near it. At the very least, I wish Mayzlin had been more transparent about how much the quote could change after the final walkthrough.
I also thought it was OK to deduct the extra long-carry fee from the crew’s tip. I’ve since learned that’s the wrong move. Long-carry fees are common, and mine was spelled out in my paperwork. The crew isn’t responsible for the added charge, so penalizing them isn’t the way to resolve the issue.
In hindsight, I wouldn’t use Mayzlin again. The damage to my belongings wasn’t significant, and I filed a claim within my 90-day window, but I felt misled about hidden fees throughout the process. I now see that was mostly a misunderstanding on my part, since I didn’t know how full-service movers operate.
If I ever have to move again, which I hope I never do, I’ll make a real effort to understand the contract before I sign it. That way I’ll have a better sense of my moving budget and any hidden fees. I’d also take more time to donate, sell, and downsize before packing, and I’d label or number my boxes as I pack them.
I also wish I’d disassembled and reassembled my own furniture. It would have saved money, and I would have kept better track of the desk parts that got lost in transit.
Before you book, run your own numbers through moveBuddha’s moving cost calculator and compare quotes side by side, so a price change after the walkthrough doesn’t catch you off guard.
My ratings
Here’s how I rated Mayzlin’s performance on a scale of 1 to 5.
- Communication: 3. The text and email updates before moving day were good, but the phone calls during the move left me confused about which add-on services were included.
- Timeliness: 3. The crew arrived at 8:14 a.m. inside its window, and my belongings were delivered 10 days after pickup, within the 30-day guarantee.
- Quote accuracy: 3. My negotiated $5,500 quote grew by about $600 after the walkthrough, and the long-carry and furniture fees pushed my final bill to $6,372.
- Overall experience: 3. The crew was careful and professional, but the lost desk parts, the bent sofa, and the extra fees kept me from rating Mayzlin higher.
More moving resources
Tips for future movers
These are the practical steps we recommend based on Josh’s experience:
- Read your contract before you sign: Josh felt Mayzlin was vague about pricing, the timeline, and add-on services, then found everything was above board once he read the fine print. Ask questions about anything unclear so you know your budget and your potential fees.
- Expect your quote to change after the walkthrough: Mayzlin’s final inventory check added about $600 to Josh’s quote. That’s common, because people often underestimate how much stuff they have, so ask how much a quote can change before you accept a lowered number.
- Ask about long-carry and other add-on fees up front: Josh’s oversized couch didn’t fit in the elevator, which added a $150 long-carry fee. Long-carry fees are common, and the crew isn’t responsible for them, so don’t deduct them from the tip.
- Treat the delivery window as an estimate: The two- to seven-day window Josh was given was only an estimate, and his belongings arrived 10 days after pickup. Movers commonly wait for a full truck before an interstate haul, and 30 days is a pretty standard turnaround in the industry.
- Downsize and label before you pack: Josh recommends donating, selling, and downsizing before a move, and labeling or numbering boxes as you pack them. Our guide to decluttering for a move is a good place to start.
- Keep track of furniture hardware: Josh wishes he’d taken apart and reassembled his own furniture. It would have saved money, and he would have kept better track of the desk parts that got lost in transit.
- Research each company’s reputation: Josh wishes he’d spent more time on individual company reputations despite his tight schedule. Reading Better Moves Project stories from other movers is a good way to learn how the industry works before you book.
Moving soon? We’ll pay you $500 to tell it like Josh did.
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