No move is too small. Whether you need to move a studio apartment, a single piece of furniture, or storage items, our professional movers provide safe, affordable, and efficient small moving services.
A studio or one-bedroom apartment in Boston typically contains a bed, a dresser or wardrobe, a desk, a small sofa or futon, a kitchen table, and 10 to 20 boxes. This fits comfortably on a 16-foot box truck and requires a two-person crew. Most studio moves in the city complete in two to three hours, including loading, driving between locations, and unloading. The variables that affect time are floor level and stair access. A ground-floor studio with a parking spot out front is faster than a third-floor walk-up in a Somerville triple-decker with street parking 80 feet from the door. Both are small moves, but the labor effort is different. For a full overview of all our services, visit our moving services page.
You bought a sofa from a private seller in Brookline and need it delivered to your apartment in Cambridge. You purchased an antique dresser from an estate sale in Newton and cannot fit it in your car. Your elderly parent needs a heavy bookcase moved from their house to yours. Single-item moves are billed at the same hourly rate with the two-hour minimum. For most single-item jobs within the Boston metro area, the total cost falls within that two-hour window. The crew arrives with blankets, dollies, and straps, wraps the piece, loads it, drives it to the destination, and places it exactly where you want it. If you also need help packing fragile items, our packing services are available as an add-on.
Sometimes nothing leaves the building. You want the living room reconfigured, a heavy armoire moved from the second floor to the basement, or a treadmill relocated from the garage to an upstairs bedroom. These jobs require the same skills and equipment as a standard move, just without the truck. In-home rearranging is particularly common after renovations, furniture deliveries, or seasonal reconfiguration. A two-person crew handles most in-home jobs in under two hours. Whether you need one item moved across the room or a full room swap, we bring the proper equipment to do it safely without damaging walls, floors, or the furniture itself.
Moving items into or out of a storage unit follows the same hourly structure. Whether you are loading a 5×10 unit at a Public Storage in Somerville or emptying a 10×20 unit at Extra Space in Quincy, our crew handles the lifting, loading, and organizing. We stack and arrange the unit efficiently so you can access items later without digging through a wall of boxes. Boston also has over 50 colleges and universities, and every May and September thousands of students move in and out of dorms and off-campus apartments. We coordinate with campus move-in procedures and handle the heavy lifting so students and parents can focus on orientation and setup. If your move involves an apartment relocation, our apartment moving team is available for those jobs as well.
Your belongings are protected every step of the way. As a $2 million licensed and insured moving company, we ensure professional service with added peace of mind during your move.
Our team knows Boston streets and building rules, ensuring efficient planning, safe transport, and fewer delays. We make local moves smoother with trusted experience.
We offer clear, itemized pricing with zero hidden fees – so you always know exactly what you’re paying for. Our charges are fully transparent and usually limited to travel, hourly labor, and supplies.
We carefully take apart and reassemble furniture such as beds, desks, wardrobes, and shelving to ensure safe moving, proper fit through tight spaces, and secure setup – saving you time and preventing damage.
We offer weekend, evening, and last-minute moving slots to fit your schedule. Our team works around your availability to ensure convenience without sacrificing quality.
Our movers are courteous, respectful, and trained to handle all types of items. From delicate glassware to heavy furniture, we treat your move with care and professionalism.
One of the advantages of hiring a professional moving company for a small move is truck selection. We match the truck to the load. A studio move does not need a 26-foot truck. A 16-foot box truck costs less to operate and is significantly easier to park on Boston’s narrow residential streets. For single-item pickups and in-home jobs, we sometimes use cargo vans that fit in standard parking spaces. For dorm moves and small apartment relocations, 16 to 20-foot trucks handle the volume without the bulk that makes maneuvering through Cambridge or Back Bay difficult. You are not paying for unused truck space. The truck we send fits the inventory you described during the estimate. For full apartment relocations, our dedicated local movers team handles those with the right equipment and crew size.
Small moves feel like they should be easy to handle without professional help. Rent a truck, grab a friend, and get it done in an afternoon. In practice, this approach has recurring problems. The most common moving injuries are back strains, herniated discs, and dropped items landing on feet. A full-size sofa weighs 150 to 250 pounds. A queen mattress is awkward to carry through a narrow stairwell even if it is not particularly heavy. Professional movers use lifting straps, dollies, and stair-climbing equipment that distribute weight safely. Walls, door frames, stair railings, and hardwood floors also take damage when heavy furniture is carried without protection. In a Boston rental, damage to the apartment means losing part or all of your security deposit. Our crews use blankets, corner guards, and floor runners to protect both the item and the building. Renting a truck from U-Haul or Budget costs $40 to $100 for the base rental, plus mileage, fuel, insurance, dollies, and blankets. By the time you factor in the rental, the time spent picking up and returning the truck, and the value of a full day spent on physical labor, the total cost often approaches what a two-person crew would have charged to handle everything in half the time. If you only need help with the physical labor and have your own vehicle, our labor-only service is another option worth considering.
Small moves with Continental Moving are billed hourly with a two-hour labor minimum and a one-hour travel time charge. The crew size is typically two people for studios, single items, and in-home jobs. If the move involves a third-floor walk-up or heavier items such as a piano, a safe, or a large appliance, we may recommend a three-person crew. The hourly rate covers labor, the truck, standard equipment including dollies, blankets, straps, and tools, and basic liability coverage. Packing materials used during the move are included. We provide estimates in advance based on your inventory and building details. For most small moves, the estimate is straightforward: two movers, two to three hours, one truck. No surprises.
Planning a small move and not sure what to expect? Below are the most common questions we receive. For larger household moves, see our local movers page or our apartment movers page.
Yes. The minimum is two hours of labor plus one hour of travel time. For most small moves within the Boston area, the total falls within or close to that minimum. We provide an honest estimate upfront so you know what to expect before the crew arrives.
Yes. We regularly pick up items from private sellers, furniture stores, estate sales, and auction houses. Give us the pickup address and item description, and we will handle the rest. The job is billed at the standard hourly rate with the two-hour minimum.
Yes. Washers, dryers, refrigerators, and other large appliances are moved with appliance dollies designed for their weight and dimensions. We do not disconnect or reconnect gas or water lines — a licensed plumber handles that if needed.
If additional items fit on the truck and the crew can accommodate the extra time, yes. If the additions significantly change the scope of the move, we will provide an updated estimate before proceeding so there are no surprises.
That falls under in-home rearranging or single-item service. The two-hour minimum applies. For a single heavy item on stairs, two movers typically complete the job well within that window. Call us and describe the item — we will let you know what to expect.
Call Continental Moving at 508-904-2029 to describe your move. We will match you with the right crew size and truck, give you an honest time estimate, and schedule a date that works. Small moves often book on shorter notice than full household relocations. If you need a crew this week, call and ask about availability — mid-week dates are usually the easiest to fill on short notice. For long distance moves out of Massachusetts, we handle those too. And if your move involves a full apartment, our apartment movers team is ready to help.
