Moving Experience: Priscilla’s Move with Piece of Cake Moving & Storage
Fact Checked by: 
Brooklyn, NY → Miami, FL
$2,400
1-bedroom apartment, 755 sq ft
$2,181.60
$218.40 under quote (sold a couch)
1,300 mi
Long-distance, interstate
- I compared five quotes before I hired Piece of Cake Moving & Storage for my New York to Florida move.
- My final bill landed $218.40 under my estimate because I sold a couch before moving day, which brought my shipment weight down.
- 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 Priscilla O., who moved from Brooklyn, New York, to Miami, Florida, in July 2022 using Piece of Cake Moving & Storage. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
My move from New York to Florida
As a fourth-year medical student, I moved from Brooklyn, New York, to Miami, Florida, in late July 2022 to complete my clinical rotations. I had a modest relocation budget and a partner to move with, so finding a mover who communicated well mattered more to me than finding the cheapest option.
I did most of the packing myself to save money, but I had a bulky storage bed and an eight-foot-tall IKEA PAX wardrobe that needed to be taken apart, moved, and put back together by the movers.
I used moveBuddha’s moving cost calculator to budget for my move and compare what I should expect to pay before I started calling movers.
My Piece of Cake experience at a glance
My move went well by most measures, but damage to two of my most valuable pieces and how the claims process ended soured what was otherwise a positive experience.
- Communication: I’d give Piece of Cake high marks for how they communicated with me before and during my move.
- Pricing accuracy and transparency: My final cost came in about $200 less than what I’d been quoted because I sold a couch before moving day.
- Timeliness: Piece of Cake delivered my household goods on time, a few days before the end of the agreed-upon delivery window.
- Professionalism: The office staff and movers I dealt with were friendly, helpful, and professional, but I wasn’t thrilled with how the claims process ended up (more on that below).
- Loss and damage: A few large pieces of furniture were damaged during my move. The company made a good-faith effort to settle my claims, but I felt like the payout was lower than it should have been.
- Would I use Piece of Cake again? I had a good move by most measures, but I wouldn’t use Piece of Cake again, mainly because of the damage and how the claims process went.
under my original Piece of Cake quote
Find out what a move from New York → Florida actually costs before a mover tells you.
Why I chose Piece of Cake
I’d seen Piece of Cake trucks and crews moving residents into and out of my building, and I liked their low quote along with how professional my sales representative was on the phone. New York City-based Piece of Cake offers easy online quotes, flat-fee pricing, and has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, so I felt good about hiring them.
My biggest frustration came later: my movers talked me out of disassembling my IKEA PAX wardrobe on moving day, and I believe that decision is why it arrived damaged.
My move at a glance
Here’s a quick rundown of the numbers behind my move, from what I was quoted to what I actually paid.
| Moved from | Brooklyn, New York |
|---|---|
| Moved to | Miami, Florida |
| Move date | July 29, 2022 |
| Distance | About 1,300 miles |
| Move size | 1-bedroom apartment with combined living room and kitchen (755 square feet) |
| Moving company | Piece of Cake Moving & Storage |
| Moving quote | $2,400 (for 372 cubic feet of truck space) |
| Actual cost | $2,181.60 |
According to moveBuddha, users who compare quotes with its moving cost calculator save more than 30% on average compared to booking the first quote they get. My own quotes ranged from $1,873 to $5,050, so shopping around was worth it.
Quotes I compared
Before getting a quote from Piece of Cake, I prepared a detailed inventory including furniture, loose items, and an estimated box count. My sales representative also asked about specialty items like antiques, glass table tops, and IKEA furniture. Once he had everything he needed, he worked up an estimate, sent it by email, and walked me through it on the phone.
Piece of Cake’s $2,400 quote included disassembling and reassembling standard furniture, a $150 service charge for taking apart my storage bed, padding and protecting non-boxed items with moving blankets and plastic wrap, loading and unloading, transportation from New York to Florida, two weeks of free storage that I didn’t end up needing, and basic released-value coverage of $0.60 per pound per item. Because of the cost, I chose not to purchase additional coverage.
Here’s how my other quotes compared:
| Moving company | Estimated weight or volume | Estimated cost |
|---|---|---|
| American Van Lines | 2,352 pounds | $5,050 |
| AEY Logistics | 300 cubic feet | $2,298 |
| Expo Movers | 394 cubic feet | $2,959 |
| Premier Global Van Lines | 350 cubic feet | $1,873 |
Other than the quote from American Van Lines, which moveBuddha rates as one of the best interstate moving companies, all my quotes came in around what I expected.
Pickup day
My movers arrived promptly at 9 a.m. on Friday, July 29. The crew took a quick look around and reviewed my original inventory before getting to work. While they worked, I answered their questions, tidied up, and packed a few last-minute items.
Things were going smoothly until shortly into the process, when the crew leader told me that disassembling my IKEA PAX wardrobe would be too complicated and time-consuming, and that it would be easier to move in one piece. I agreed, but that decision ended up leading to damage and a claim I probably could have avoided if the unit had been taken apart as planned.
Delivery day
Four days after I moved out of my Brooklyn apartment, Piece of Cake emailed to let me know my household goods were on a truck bound for Miami. A few days later, I got another email proposing a final delivery date of August 12, between 3 and 6 p.m. My new apartment wasn’t quite ready for move-in yet, but I agreed to accept delivery that day anyway.
In the end, my things arrived in Miami on time, just 14 days after leaving New York. That’s a surprisingly quick turnaround for a small move going more than 1,300 miles during peak summer season, especially since my original delivery window didn’t end until August 17.
The crew called that morning to say they’d arrive around 3 p.m., and unloading went relatively smoothly. But my storage bed and IKEA PAX wardrobe had seen better days. Both were wrapped in moving blankets when they came off the truck, but the bed frame was broken and unusable, and the wardrobe’s frame, stabilizer, and back wall were damaged.
I suspect the wardrobe was damaged because it wasn’t disassembled, and because my items were handled roughly when they were offloaded into storage and then reloaded onto the long-haul truck for final delivery. To speed things up, the movers asked me to take pictures of the damage to submit with my claim. Damage is always frustrating, but I was especially disappointed because I’d paid $150 to have the storage bed disassembled and reassembled, and it came back broken anyway.
Pro tip: Released-value coverage isn’t real moving insurance, it’s a carrier liability protection that pays out based on weight, not the item’s actual value. If you own anything expensive, look into Full Value Coverage from your mover or a third-party insurance policy before moving day, not after something breaks.
Final thoughts
When everything was unloaded, I did a quick post-move survey by phone before I got transferred to the claims department. My claims representative apologized for the damage and walked me through how reimbursement worked. I had 90 days from move-in to file a claim, and 48 hours after that to file anything additional, so I waited until everything was unpacked before filing, just to make sure nothing got missed.
Piece of Cake’s first settlement offer came in at $482, but the weight they used to calculate it was wrong. Since I’d opted for the free released-value coverage instead of paying for additional coverage, that weight mattered a lot: I emailed the claims department back with a screenshot of the actual weight straight from IKEA’s product page. I also asked for a full refund of the $150 storage bed disassembly and reassembly fee, since the bed was damaged beyond repair and never got reassembled in my new place. Piece of Cake raised the payout to $520.10 but wouldn’t budge on the $150 fee. It was less than I was hoping for, but I accepted the offer.
I’ll give Piece of Cake credit: they made a good-faith effort to resolve my claim quickly, and they did increase their offer twice once I pushed back with real numbers. But refusing to refund a fee for a service they couldn’t actually deliver took the shine off an otherwise solid move, and it’s the main reason I wouldn’t hire them again. Looking back, I’ve also come around on the price. $2,181.60 for a 1,300-mile move during peak summer season is honestly a pretty good deal, even though the damage made it sting more at the time.
Use moveBuddha’s moving cost calculator to compare real quotes from vetted movers before you book, so you know your price is competitive before moving day.
My ratings
Here’s how I’d rank Piece of Cake Moving & Storage on a scale of 1 to 5:
- Communication: 4
- Timeliness: 5
- Pricing accuracy: 5
My move went well by most measures, but I wouldn’t use Piece of Cake again, mainly because they wouldn’t refund my $150 storage bed disassembly and reassembly fee.
More moving resources
Tips for future movers
These are the practical steps we recommend based on Priscilla O.’s experience:
- Research and vet movers as early as possible. Check a mover’s USDOT number before you book to confirm they’re licensed, insured, and experienced.
- Get multiple quotes to find the best deal. Comparing several movers, not just the first one you call, is how you catch a quote that’s out of line.
- Get rid of things you no longer need or use before moving. Selling or donating items ahead of time can lower your shipment weight and your final bill.
- Purchase full-value replacement coverage. Get it from your mover or a third-party insurer if you’re shipping anything you can’t afford to have damaged.
Better Moves Project · now accepting this year’s moves
Moving soon? We’ll pay you $500 to tell it like Priscilla O. 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!
