The most reliable
Brooklyn Movers

The sweet spot is fall and early spring (but we move year-round)

Otter Moving shows up no matter the weather. Rain, snow, sleet, sweltering July afternoon — our crews work through it. That part isn't your problem.

What is your problem: New York summers can be brutal on you and on your stuff. Temperatures regularly hit the 90s from late June through August, and standing around a hot truck while your couch comes down five flights of stairs is no one's idea of a good time. Your belongings feel it too. Electronics, candles, vinyl records, wood furniture, and houseplants don't love sitting in 95°F cargo holds.

Winter in Brooklyn brings its own thing — snowstorms, salt-covered sidewalks, frozen door hinges. We handle it, but expect things to move a little slower when there's slush on the stoop.

Fall (September through November) and early spring (March through April) are the sweet spots: mild temperatures, less storm risk, and off-peak pricing. End and beginning of the month always book up first because of lease cycles, so reserve early if you're aiming for those dates.

If you have to move in July or January, we'll still get it done — just pack a separate bag with essentials (medications, chargers, a change of clothes, a water bottle) and keep it with you instead of on the truck. You don't want to be digging through boxes in a 90°F apartment looking for your toothbrush.

Most Brooklyn buildings will ask for a COI

If you're moving into a high-rise, condo, co-op, or managed apartment building anywhere in Brooklyn — and especially in DUMBO, Williamsburg, Downtown Brooklyn, or along the waterfront — building management is almost certainly going to require a Certificate of Insurance (COI) from your moving company before they let the move happen.

The COI protects the building in case of damage. When you're comparing movers, always ask if COIs are included — some companies charge for them, and some don't provide them at all. Otter provides COIs to every customer free of charge, for as many addresses as you need. It's part of how we operate, not an upcharge.

Each building has its own COI requirements (specific dollar amounts, specific named insureds), so once you have your move date locked in, ask your building's management office for their exact requirements and pass them along to your Otter consultant. We'll handle it from there.

Reserve the elevator and loading dock the day you sign the lease

In any Brooklyn building taller than a few stories, you'll need to reserve a freight elevator and loading dock window in advance. Some buildings only allow moves Monday through Friday. Some only between 9 AM and 4 PM. Some require a deposit. And the busy buildings — particularly the newer luxury rentals in Williamsburg and DUMBO — can book out their move slots weeks ahead, especially around the 1st and the 30th.

Contact your new building's management as soon as your lease is signed. Missing your slot doesn't just delay things — it can mean rescheduling the entire move and paying twice.

Brooklyn parking is a sport. Plan for it.

This is the curveball nobody outside New York warns you about. On most residential blocks in Brooklyn — think Park Slope brownstones, Carroll Gardens row houses, the narrower streets of Cobble Hill — there is no obvious place to park a 26-foot moving truck.

You have a few options. The official one: request a "No Parking" permit from the NYC DOT for your moving day (about $20 and worth every cent). The unofficial one: put cones out the night before and hope your neighbors respect them. The lucky one: your building has a designated loading zone.

Whatever your situation, tell your Otter consultant during the quote process. We've moved in and out of every kind of Brooklyn block there is, and we'll plan the truck size, crew size, and timing accordingly.

Plan around the BQE and the bridges

Brooklyn traffic has predictable rhythms, and the BQE has its own personal grudge against move days. The BQE backs up consistently from about 7-10 AM and 4-7 PM on weekdays, especially the stretch between the Verrazzano and the Brooklyn Bridge.

The Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Williamsburg Bridges all clog during rush hour, and weekend bridge traffic into Manhattan can be just as bad — particularly when there's a Nets game, Liberty game, or event at Barclays Center.

Our crews build buffer time into the route, but if you're moving across boroughs and your friends and family are driving themselves to help, plan around rush hour. Sunday mornings and weekday middays are the smoothest windows.

Walk-ups, stoops & stairwells — tell us everything

Brooklyn has some of the most beautiful housing stock in the country. It also has a lot of walk-ups. The honest truth is that stairs and access change the math — both on time and on crew size. A 4th-floor walk-up with a tight Victorian stairwell takes substantially longer (and needs more hands) than the same apartment on the ground floor with a driveway.

When you request a quote, tell your Otter consultant exactly what the access situation looks like: floor number, walk-up or elevator, how many stoop steps, doorway widths for any big or awkward furniture, whether there are any tight landings that might be a problem for a couch.

The more we know up front, the more accurate your flat-rate quote is, and the fewer "uh-oh" moments on move day.

If your move-in and move-out dates don't line up, our storage has you

This happens to everyone in Brooklyn eventually. Your current lease ends on the 31st, your new place isn't ready until the 4th, and you have nowhere to put your stuff for the gap. Otter Moving offers flexible short-term and long-term storage at our climate-controlled facility right here in Brooklyn — secured, closed to the public, and ready for delivery on the timeline you need.

We pick up your items, store them, and deliver them to your new door when you're ready. No long-term contracts. No stressing about where your sofa is going to sleep this week.