My New Jersey to Texas Move Cost Exactly $5,290
Fact Checked by: 
Jersey City, NJ → Austin, TX
$5,290
Two-bedroom home, 4,991 pounds
$5,290
Exactly what I was quoted
1,753 mi
Long-distance, interstate
- I compared two quotes before I hired Safeway Moving for my Jersey City to Austin move.
- My final bill was $5,290, exactly what I was quoted, with nothing lost or damaged across 1,753 miles.
- 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.
Free · no phone calls · real prices from vetted movers
This account is based on a conversation with Marcel M., who moved from Jersey City, New Jersey, to Austin, Texas, in July 2023 using Safeway Moving. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
My move from New Jersey to Texas
In the summer of 2023 my wife and I moved from Jersey City to Austin to be closer to family. We were also doubling our living space, going from a two-bedroom home of about 1,200 square feet to a four-bedroom place of 2,400.
I planned this move for a year before taking the plunge, and I still found the process stressful. What I needed was a reliable mover who would show up on time and not damage my things. I scoured Google and picked through Reddit forums, where the information turned out to be inconsistent and unhelpful.
Once I found moveBuddha I had a mover within a few days. The site gave me objective resources and first-person accounts of working with different companies, and I used it to compare the best interstate moving companies. According to moveBuddha, users who compare movers this way save more than 30% versus taking the first quote they get.
My Safeway Moving experience at a glance
Here’s what stood out most about moving with Safeway Moving, good and bad.
- Communication: This is my one real complaint. I wanted more timely and accurate communication, particularly while my things were in transit, when I heard nothing at all.
- Pricing accuracy and transparency: The pricing impressed me. I paid $5,290, exactly what I was quoted, and I never paid a dollar over it.
- Professionalism: My experiences with Safeway employees were inconsistent, and the unloading crew in Austin blew me away with how friendly and professional they were.
- Timeliness: Six days for my things to reach Austin, which was well inside my contract. I got only a few hours’ notice before unloading.
- Loss and damage: Zero missing items and zero damage on arrival, including boxes of glassware that traveled nearly 2,000 miles.
- Would I use Safeway Moving again? Probably not, because of the communication, though I found the pricing competitive. I got good value for the money and would have valued more contact.
over my original Safeway Moving quote
Find out what a move from New Jersey → Texas actually costs before a mover tells you.
Why I chose Safeway Moving
Safeway had the best reviews on moveBuddha, and its pros and cons lined up with what I wanted in a mover, so I knew fairly quickly it was the right company. I requested a quote through moveBuddha and a representative reached out the same day. The sales rep was knowledgeable and easygoing, which impressed me further.
My $5,290 covered disassembly and reassembly of standard furniture, wrapping furniture in moving blankets, and transportation including taxes, tolls, mileage, labor, and fuel surcharges. It also included insurance at $0.60 per pound per item, which is the basic valuation coverage movers are required by law to provide free. Compensation is calculated by weight, so a broken 30-pound table pays out up to $18 regardless of what the table is actually worth.
rating
- GPS tracking en route
- Veteran-owned
- Dedicated move coordinator
- Flat-rate pricing
- Donates a portion of moves to charity
My move at a glance
Here are the basics of my relocation, including what I was quoted and what I actually paid for my Jersey City to Austin move.
| Move date | July 17, 2023 |
|---|---|
| Moved from | Jersey City, New Jersey |
| Moved to | Austin, Texas |
| Distance | 1,753 miles |
| Move size | Two-bedroom home (1,200 square feet) |
| Moving company | Safeway Moving |
| Moving quote | $5,290 |
| Actual cost | $5,290 |
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 two full-service movers after reading a lot of reviews. I was hoping to keep the cost as close to $5,000 as possible, and both came in near enough that the decision came down to reputation rather than price.
| Company | Estimated volume/weight | Estimated cost |
|---|---|---|
| Safeway Moving | 4,991 pounds | $5,290 |
| American Van Lines | 4,991 pounds | $6,027 |
Pickup day
I had two phone calls with Safeway before move day, and the rep was thorough about what to expect. What I appreciated most was that they suggested ways to cut the cost. They recommended a piggyback move, where one Safeway client shares a truck with another client heading the same direction, and they suggested I pack my own household items to bring the bill down.
So my wife and I took inventory, decided what to move, donate, or throw out, and packed everything ourselves. moveBuddha’s guide on how to pack fragile items is the reason my glassware survived the trip intact, and I’d point anyone moving breakables at it.
The movers arrived at 10 a.m. on July 17, right inside their window. Loading mostly went smoothly, and I would have appreciated more care with my things. One mover stood my couch vertically and it toppled onto a marble coffee table, damaging the couch frame.
Loading took around five and a half hours. I made myself available the whole time, watching the crew work and answering questions as they came up. I’d paid a portion when I booked and paid another third on move day, using Zelle to avoid Safeway’s credit card processing fees.
Delivery day
I didn’t hear from Safeway at all while my things were in transit. I got myself to Austin quickly, and it took six days for the truck to arrive, which was well inside my contract. The sales rep had made it sound like it would be sooner, so my expectations were a little warped going in.
Delivery was hectic for the same reason. Safeway called me on a Sunday night to say they’d arrive at 8:30 the next morning. I wanted more notice than that, and I shuffled my schedule to accommodate them.
The unloading itself went smoothly. The crew was friendly and did a great job, everything arrived damage-free, and Safeway held to the original quote, so I didn’t pay a dime over $5,290.
Final thoughts
I moved during a busy season, and I think Safeway did the best they could with that. The process went about how I expected: my things arrived undamaged and the pricing was reasonable for a full-service move this long.
What I’d want next time is better communication, and it’s likely why I’d try a different company. I’d also tell anyone planning a move to read the contract carefully, because that is the most accurate way to manage your own expectations, especially in peak season. I mixed up my first available delivery date with the actual delivery date, which is apparently a common mistake, and the piggyback move that saved me money also added time. It isn’t unusual for delivery to take three weeks or more, so have a plan for arriving later than you hoped, and keep your schedule flexible while your things are in transit, because movers can turn up early when another job finishes fast.
Planning a long-distance move? Use moveBuddha’s moving cost calculator to compare real quotes from vetted movers before you book.
My ratings
Here’s how I scored Safeway Moving on a scale of 1 to 5 based on my end-to-end experience.
- Communication: 2 out of 5. My lowest score. Nothing while my things were in transit, and a Sunday night call about an 8:30 a.m. delivery.
- Timeliness: 4 out of 5. Six days to Austin, well inside my contract, with almost no warning before unloading.
- Quote accuracy: 5 out of 5. I paid $5,290 against a $5,290 quote, with no add-ons at either end.
- Overall experience: 3 out of 5. Accurate pricing and an excellent unloading crew, pulled down by the communication.
More moving resources
Tips for future movers
These are the practical steps we recommend based on Marcel M.’s experience:
- Know the difference between your first available delivery date and your actual one: Marcel M. conflated the two, which is why six days felt slow even though it was well inside his contract. Ask your rep to state both explicitly.
- Understand what a piggyback move costs you in time: Sharing a truck with another customer saved Marcel M. money and added days. It’s a good trade if you know you’re making it.
- Ask which payment methods carry fees: Safeway charges for credit card payments, so Marcel M. paid by Zelle instead and saved a meaningful amount. Check the contract terms before move day, not at the truck.
- Pack fragile items yourself, carefully: Marcel M. packed his own glassware using moveBuddha’s fragile-items guide, and every piece survived 1,753 miles. Packing your own boxes also reduces the bill.
- Understand what $0.60 per pound actually pays: Basic valuation coverage is free and calculated by weight, so a 30-pound table pays out $18 no matter what it cost. Decide whether that’s enough before you decline extra coverage.
- Stay flexible while your things are in transit: Marcel M. got a Sunday night call about an 8:30 a.m. Monday delivery. Movers can arrive earlier than expected when another job wraps up quickly.
Better Moves Project · now accepting this year’s moves
Moving soon? We’ll pay you $500 to tell it like Marcel M. did.
Share your quotes, your final bill, and what actually happened on move day. No script, and we never edit your rating.
Not what you were looking for?
Check out other categories that can help you find the information you need!
