About Us
Family Movers Ethio is Ethiopia’s trusted moving and packing company. From single apartments in Addis Ababa corporate relocations across Bishoftu and Sululta- we handle every move with care.
Contact Us
Apartment moves are the most common relocations in Addis Ababa — and the most often handled badly. Stuck lifts, no parking permit, fragile items packed loose, and crews that arrive an hour late are the standard complaint pattern. Family Movers Ethio runs apartment moves differently: every booking starts with a free site survey, a written quote that doesn’t change on moving day, and a trained crew that knows how to navigate condominium associations and high-rise lift schedules across the city.
We move studio, 1-bedroom, 2-bedroom, and 3-bedroom apartments anywhere in Addis Ababa, with extension to Bishoftu and Sululta when needed. Pricing starts at ETB 13,000 for a studio and is fixed before you commit — no on-the-day surprises.
Apartment Moving Pricing in Addis Ababa
Our apartment pricing is locked, written, and inclusive of crew, vehicle, basic protection materials, and disassembly/reassembly of standard furniture. The only things not included by default are cleaning (an optional add-on) and high-value insurance for items above ETB 50,000 in declared value.
What’s included in every apartment move:
- Free in-person or video site survey before booking
- Written quote with locked pricing — no changes on moving day
- Trained crew (full-time staff, not day labour) in branded uniforms
- Enclosed truck appropriate to the apartment size
- Furniture pads, mattress covers, bubble wrap, packing paper, and boxes
- Disassembly and reassembly of standard furniture (beds, dining tables, wardrobes)
- Floor and door-frame protection at both the origin and destination
- Basic liability coverage for damage caused during loading or transport
Optional add-ons: Move-in/move-out cleaning (Studio/1-Bedroom: +ETB 5,000 / 2–3 Bedroom: +ETB 8,000), high-value declared insurance, weekend or evening scheduling, and short-term storage between moves.
What We Move in an Apartment Relocation
An apartment move sounds straightforward until moving day — when you realize how many items live in even a studio. Here’s the standard scope of what our crews handle without you needing to mention it:
- Furniture: Beds, mattresses, sofas, armchairs, dining sets, wardrobes, bookshelves, desks, TV units, side tables, mirrors
- Appliances: Refrigerators, freezers, washing machines, microwaves, ovens, water dispensers, air conditioners (window units), induction cookers
- Electronics: TVs, sound systems, computers, monitors, printers, gaming consoles, routers, modems
- Kitchen: Cookware, dinnerware, glassware, small appliances, pantry items, utensils, food storage
- Personal items: Clothing, shoes, books, documents, photographs, toiletries, linens
- Specialty items: Artwork, framed photos, decorative items, plants, sports equipment, musical instruments (guitars, keyboards), bicycles
For items that need extra care — fragile artwork, antiques, designer furniture, or anything with declared value above ETB 50,000 — we recommend our high-value insurance option, arranged through a partner insurer at the time of quote.
What we don’t move: Hazardous materials (gas cylinders, fuel, paint thinner), perishable food in quantity, live pets (we recommend a separate pet transport service), illegal items, or anything our crew leader considers unsafe to handle.
Our Apartment Moving Process
Every apartment move follows the same four-step process. The intent is to remove every “what happens next?” moment so both sides — you and our crew — know exactly what to expect.
Step 1 — Site survey (20–40 minutes, free). A team lead visits your apartment, measures access points (doorways, lift dimensions, stairwell width), notes anything fragile or oversized, and confirms parking availability at both origin and destination. We do video surveys for clients who can’t host an in-person visit — common for expat moves where the new tenant hasn’t arrived yet.
Step 2 — Written quote (within 24 hours). You receive a quote that lists scope, crew size, vehicle type, materials, schedule, and any add-ons. The number is fixed. A 30% deposit confirms the booking; the balance is due on completion.
Step 3 — Moving day (the actual move). Crew arrives at the agreed time, in uniform, with materials prepped the night before. Floors and door frames are protected before any furniture moves. Heavy items go first, fragile items last. Apartment lifts are coordinated with the building manager so we don’t tie up the lift during peak resident hours.
Step 4 — Reassembly and walkthrough. At the new apartment, beds and major furniture are reassembled, rooms are placed per your floor plan, and we walk through every room with you before leaving. Final payment happens only once you’ve signed off.
Apartment Moves Done Right: Lift Coordination & Condo Logistics
This is the section most moving companies skip. Apartment moves in Addis Ababa fail more often from building access problems than from any other cause — and these are exactly the problems our crews are trained to solve.
Lift coordination. High-rise apartments in Bole, Kazanchis, and increasingly Lemi Kura have shared lifts that residents and movers have to coexist on. We typically move during the building’s low-traffic window (usually 9:00 AM–11:30 AM or 2:30 PM–4:30 PM, depending on the building) and confirm lift dimensions during the site survey to flag any furniture that needs to come down via stairwell instead. For Bole Bulbula and Friendship City condos specifically, we arrange lift booking with the building manager 48 hours ahead.
Condominium associations. Many Addis Ababa condos require a moving permit, security clearance, or proof of insurance before allowing a moving truck onto the property. We’ve moved into and out of every major condominium development in the city — we know which buildings need what paperwork, who to contact, and how long it takes. We handle the paperwork during the site survey period so moving day isn’t held up at the gate.
Parking and truck access. Older apartment buildings in Kirkos and Yeka often have narrow access roads or shared compound entrances. Our truck fleet includes smaller vehicles (3-ton and 5-ton) for tight access, and we scout parking arrangements during the site survey. If the building requires a permit for a vehicle staying more than 30 minutes, we secure it ahead of time.
Stairwell moves. When the lift is too small, broken, or the apartment is on a low enough floor (typically 1st–4th), we plan stairwell moves with reinforcement crew and protective wrapping. We charge no extra for stairwell moves up to the 4th floor; above that, additional crew time is added to the quote.
Common Apartment Move Scenarios in Addis Ababa
Most of our apartment moves fall into one of these patterns. If yours matches, we’ve done it before — many times.
- The first-time renter or buyer: Moving from a family home into your first independent apartment. Usually a studio or 1-bedroom. Common in Bole Bulbula, Jemo, and Lebu condominiums.
- The growing family: Moving from a 1-bedroom to a 2 or 3-bedroom because of a new child, in-laws moving in, or working from home. Common in Lemi Kura (CMC, Ayat) and Yeka (Megenagna, Kotebe).
- The expat relocation: Moving in or out of Addis Ababa with a strict embassy or company timeline. Often requires international shipping coordination, packing-only services for shipping containers, or origin services for inbound expats. Common in Bole (Atlas, Friendship City) and Kazanchis.
- The condo upgrade: Moving from a smaller condo to a larger one within the same complex. Common in Bole Bulbula and CMC. Usually a half-day move with a single truck.
- The downsize: Moving from a larger apartment to a smaller one for financial reasons, post-children, or after a divorce. Often paired with our move-in/move-out cleaning add-on for the apartment being vacated.
- The end-of-lease scramble: Booked 5–7 days out, end of the month, end-of-lease pressure. We handle these regularly — but the more notice you give us, the more crew options we have.
Add Move-In/Move-Out Cleaning to Your Apartment Move
Most apartment moves end with one or both of these problems: a security deposit at risk because the old place isn’t cleaned to landlord standard, or a new place that hasn’t been cleaned since the last tenant left. We solve both with our cleaning add-on, available exclusively when booked alongside an apartment move.
Apartment cleaning add-on pricing:
- Studio or 1-Bedroom: +ETB 5,000
- 2–3 Bedroom: +ETB 8,000
The cleaning crew works in parallel with the moving crew (one cleans the empty old place while the other unloads the new place) so a same-day turnkey relocation is possible. Cleaning includes floors, bathrooms, kitchen surfaces, fixtures, and windows.
Cleaning is offered exclusively as an add-on to a moving booking — we don’t take cleaning-only jobs. If you’d like to add cleaning to your apartment move, just mention it during your free site survey.
Frequently Asked Questions
AboutApartmentMoving
Get Your Free Apartment Moving Quote
Ready to book your apartment move? The next step is a free site survey at your current apartment — in person or via video walkthrough — so we can give you a written quote with locked pricing. Site surveys take 20–40 minutes and there’s no obligation to proceed.
Have Any Queries ?
Contact Our Office
Visit Our Office
Ayat, Lomyad Building,
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia