Moving your family to a new home can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re juggling your children’s needs alongside moving logistics. The right solution is about finding professional movers who understand family moves and can make your relocation as stress free as possible.
Whether you’re planning a local move or looking into long-distance moving services, here are my top tips for moms in need of a good moving company:
- Prioritize safety and security.
- Choose family-friendly moving services.
- Pay a bit more for comprehensive service.
- Tap into your parent network for referrals.
- Do your part to prepare for the move.
Let’s take a deeper look at each of these tips so you can find a moving solution that can integrate into your move like another family member and get your valuables where they need to go safely.
1. Prioritizing Safety and Security
Safety should be your number one priority. Not only will the moving company handle your family’s belongings, but they will also interact with you and your children.
Professional moving companies should make you feel confident and secure from your first interaction.
Start by verifying any company you consider has background-checked employees. Reputable movers understand that families need peace of mind and will openly discuss their screening processes.
Don’t hesitate to ask direct questions about their hiring standards. Next, verify the company’s credentials and years of experience. Look for:
- A valid DOT number for long-distance moving.
- Current licensing and insurance.
- Physical business address.
- Proven track record in your type of move.
Watch out for these red flags that might indicate an unreliable company:
- Unusually low quotes compared to other estimates
- Reluctance to provide insurance documentation
- Pressure to sign contracts immediately
- No physical business location
- Limited or no online presence
Remember that any legitimate moving company should carry liability insurance and workers’ compensation.
This protects not only your belongings but also ensures you’re not liable if someone gets injured during the heavy lifting process.
Don’t be shy about requesting proof of insurance—reputable movers expect and welcome these questions.
Speaking of insurance, understand exactly what’s covered under their policy. Basic liability coverage might not be sufficient for valuable items, so ask about additional protection options.
A professional company will explain your coverage choices and help you make an informed decision based on your family’s needs.
2. Assessing Service Packages for Family Moves
When you’re moving with children, having the right level of service can make all the difference. Full-service moving companies offer a wide range of services that can be a game-changer for busy moms, but it’s important to understand what services you truly need.
Professional packing services are especially valuable when you’re juggling family responsibilities. Full-service movers can:
- Pack entire rooms while you handle the kids.
- Safely wrap and protect fragile items.
- Organize and label boxes by room.
- Disassemble and reassemble furniture.
- Prioritize unloading children’s items first.
- Move around busy school schedules.
When using these services, carefully label all boxes. Professional movers should have a clear system that helps you prioritize which boxes to unpack first so children’s rooms and essentials can be quickly set up.
3. Research and Cost Comparison
Understanding moving costs helps you budget effectively for your family’s move. Remember the Rule of 3: always get at least three moving quotes before making your decision.
This gives you a clear picture of fair market rates and helps identify any outliers.
Here’s a rundown on what you can expect to pay:
| Service Type | Local Moving (< 50 miles) | Long Distance Moving (> 50 miles) |
| Basic Move (Loading/Unloading) | $500-$1,500 | $2,000-$7,500 |
| Partial Packing | Add $500-$1,500 | Add $1,000-$2,000 |
| Full Service | $1,500-$3,500 | $4,000-$12,000+ |
| Additional Services | Storage: $50-$200/monthSpecialty Items: $100-$500/item | Storage: $100-$300/monthSpecialty Items: $200-$800/item |
While it’s tempting to choose the lowest bid, consider the value of comprehensive service when moving with children. A slightly higher quote from a full-service moving company might save you money in the long run by:
- Preventing damage to valuable items.
- Reducing stress and time investment.
- Including insurance coverage.
- Providing reliable customer service.
- Offering scheduling flexibility.
Reputable companies will provide clear, written estimates. They’ll also explain any potential additional costs upfront, helping you avoid surprise charges on moving day.
For example, when I moved my family to New Jersey last summer, I was impressed by Zip To Zip Moving Company’s approach to family moves. Their initial quote was detailed and transparent.
They broke down every cost from packing supplies to loading and unloading. What really stood out was how their crew interacted with my kids.
They took time to explain what they were doing, kept the atmosphere light, and even labeled my children’s boxes with fun stickers to make unpacking less daunting.
Throughout our cross-country move, Zip To Zip’s customer service team kept me updated and answered my questions promptly, making what could have been a stressful transition feel remarkably smooth.
4. The Power of Parent Referrals and Customer Service
There’s no substitute for personal recommendations from other parents who’ve been through the process. Fellow moms understand the unique challenges of moving with children and can provide invaluable insights about their moving experience.
Ask specifically about how the movers handled children’s items, their flexibility with last-minute changes, and their communication throughout the process.
Online reviews are helpful, but connecting with local parenting groups or neighborhood associations can lead you to movers who truly understand family needs.
Pay special attention to how companies handle customer service during the quote process—their responsiveness and willingness to address your concerns early on often indicate how they’ll treat you during the actual move.
5. Moving Considerations for Mothers
You’ve picked up some quality tips on how to find a mover that’s right for your family.
But besides choosing a moving service, I’ve put together my best advice on managing the moving process with kids.
- Timing is everything: Consider school schedules when planning your move. Summer moves give kids time to adjust, but they’re often more expensive and require booking months in advance. If moving during the school year, try to align with natural breaks such as winter or spring vacation.
- Room-by-room priority planning: Work with your movers to establish a clear unloading sequence. Children’s rooms should typically be set up first to maintain their routine. Pack a separate “first-night box” for each child with essentials such as favorite pajamas, toys, and bedtime stories.
- Keeping kids involved yet safe: Create a kid-friendly moving day plan that keeps children engaged but out of harm’s way. Consider arranging childcare during heavy lifting, or designate a safe “kids zone” away from the main moving activities. Many professional movers are experienced in working around families and can help coordinate this.
- Managing emotional transitions: Remember that moving is as much an emotional journey as a physical one for children. Label boxes so favorite items can be quickly located, and maintain regular routines as much as possible during the moving process.
- Special item handling: Point out your children’s favorite items to movers so they can handle them with extra care.
The key to a successful family move lies in choosing a moving company that understands these unique challenges.
I found that having movers who genuinely care about family needs makes an enormous difference.
That’s why I chose Zip To Zip Moving Company—their comprehensive understanding of family moves, from packing services to load-unload expertise, truly set them apart. Ready to start planning your family’s move?
