Example Move: A 2-Bedroom Condo From Anna Maria Island to Lakewood Ranch

Who Is Moving in This Example?

A couple we’ll call “the Garcias.” They’re leaving a 2-bedroom, second-floor condo in Holmes Beach for a single-story house in Lakewood Ranch. The trip is about 25 miles. They have one cat, a sleeper sofa, a queen bed and about 30 boxes. The move date is a Saturday in late June.

What Problems Did the Plan Have to Solve?

Four things made this harder than a move across town.

The elevator. The condo board allows moves only on weekdays and Saturday mornings, with the elevator booked and padded. The board also wants the mover’s certificate of insurance on file a week ahead.

The drawbridge. Under a Coast Guard rule from April 2025, the Anna Maria Island Bridge on Manatee Avenue opens for boats at a quarter past and a quarter to the hour, 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. A truck that arrives a minute late sits and waits.

June weather. Summer storms tend to roll in after lunch. Loading early keeps boxes dry.

The gate. The Lakewood Ranch village needs the moving company’s name on the guest list before the truck can enter.

How Did the Garcias Plan It?

Here’s the order they followed. You can use the same order for your own move.

1. Six weeks out: called +1 (941) 392-6022, were connected with a mover and described both homes, the elevator and the date. They called two more movers on their own to compare.
2. Five weeks out: each mover did a video walk-through. Each gave a signed, itemized written estimate, which Florida Statute 507.05 requires before work starts on a move inside Florida.
3. Four weeks out: they checked each mover’s state registration on our verify a mover page, then picked one. They paid a small deposit by credit card.
4. Three weeks out: they sent the certificate of insurance to the condo board and booked the elevator for 8 a.m.
5. One week out: they gave the mover’s name to the Lakewood Ranch gate and confirmed the arrival window.
6. Two days out: they set the cat up at a friend’s house for the day and packed an essentials bag.

What Would a Move Like This Cost?

Using moveBuddha’s Bradenton averages from September 2026:

An island condo with a bridge wait, an elevator and a long carry can take 6 or 7 hours instead of 5. At about $116 an hour, 6.5 hours comes to about $754 before any summer markup. With a 20% to 30% peak markup, that lands near $905 to $980.

That is a rough example built on averages. Your real price comes only from the mover’s written estimate, and it changes with stairs, packing, distance and date. See moving cost in Bradenton for the full breakdown.

How Did Move Day Go?

The crew reached the condo at 7:50 a.m. and walked the rooms with the Garcias. They padded the elevator and protected the hallway floor. The sofa had to come apart to fit, which the crew had planned for after the video walk-through.

Loading finished around 11:30. The truck crossed the bridge just after the 11:45 opening and missed the afternoon rain. The gate let the truck in because the name was already on the list. Unloading took about two hours.

Before signing the delivery papers, the Garcias checked each piece as it came off the truck and wrote down one scratched lamp base. They paid the balance on the signed contract and the crew left.

What Can You Learn From This Example?

• Book the elevator and send the insurance certificate early. Many island condo boards won’t bend on this.
• Plan around the bridge. Ask the mover to time the crossing to the quarter-hour schedule.
• Load early in summer. Afternoon storms are common from June through September.
• Get three written estimates. The Florida Attorney General recommends three.
• Note damage before you sign. Write it on the delivery papers, then file a written claim with the mover.

Island moves have their own guide on our Anna Maria Island page. For a move that runs into trouble, see moving problems.