Updated Jan 10, 2023
Updated Jan 10, 2023
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While most people associate moving as a long, laborious, and stressful process, there are companies out there committed to providing a more relaxed and luxe experience. Luxury moving companies offer services that you won’t find with standard movers, ranging from custom crating for fragile instruments to climate-controlled storage for works of fine art in transportation. If you’re moving anything valuable (or you just want a break when making a long-distance move) you may want to consider splurging for luxury moving services.
While there are luxury moving companies operating across the country, not every mover is equally qualified to provide these types of services. We’ve created a comprehensive guide to moving with luxury moving companies — be sure to read on before you risk leaving your valuable possessions with the wrong team.
Our top recommended luxury moving companies of 2023:
Company | Website | Our Take | Our Rating | BBB Rating | Cost |
International Van Lines | Click here | Best Full-Service Mover | 9.8 | B | $600 to $4,900 |
Allied Van Lines | Click here | Most Vehicle Shipping Options | 9.4 | A+ | $750 to $4,500 |
American Van Lines | Click here | Most Transparent Pricing | 9.7 | N/A | $500 to $5,300 |
JK Moving Services | Click here | Most Customizable Moving Experience | 9.5 | A+ | $2,500 to $5,500 |
North American Van Lines | Click here | Best Pricing Options | 9.2 | A+ | $750 to $4,500 |
FlatRate Moving | Click here | Best for Moving Discreetly | 9.1 | A+ | $900 to $4,500 |
International Van Lines (IVL) is one of the most highly rated full-service moving companies in the country. They continually win Newsweek’s Best Customer Service Award for their competent and friendly customer service representatives, and they have facilitated over half a million moves in their two decades of experience in the moving industry. IVL can help you move your valuable items with their luxury moving services, including packing and unpacking as well as careful transport. Whether you need to move a wine collection or fine art pieces, International Van Lines can safely move your luxury items to their new home.
International Van Lines has a helpful chart on their website so that you can see how much extra services cost, such as moving around awkward corners, long carries, and flights of stairs, as well as moving heavy items like hot tubs or grand pianos. From Miami to New York or Los Angeles to Chicago, you can count on IVL to get all of your high-end belongings to their destination unscathed.
Pros
Cons
IVL is a full-service moving company, which means that their team is equipped to provide a multitude of services above and beyond loading and transportation. IVL currently allows its customers to book the following special add-on services or moving processes.
Full-service moving companies like International Van Lines base their pricing primarily on the following two factors.
To help you estimate what you might pay for service, browse the table below. You’ll find average pricing information from previous IVL customers based on the size of each customer’s home and the total distance of their move.
<250 miles | 500 miles | 1,000 miles | 2,000 miles | |
Two-bedroom home | $1,400 to $4,400 | $1,900 to $4,900 | $2,100 to $5,100 | $2,400 to $5,400 |
Four-bedroom home | $3,200 to $6,200 | $5,100 to $8,100 | $5,700 to $8,700 | $6,200 to $9,200 |
State Availability: All 50 states
Get a quote from IVL here.
American Van Lines (AVL) provides local moving and long-distance moves all across the continental U.S. They have over 40 years of experience in the moving industry, and they have a list of services they offer for your moving experience. American Van Lines can provide packing materials for your luxury items; they can also pack everything up with a full itemized inventory, so you know exactly which item is in which box. American individually packs and wraps each item in your home so that you can have a stress-free move without worrying about your items getting damaged. They offer free quotes and guaranteed pricing — you can plan a last-minute luxury move at no extra cost.
American Van Lines’ luxury movers will take extra care packing and transporting your fragile items like china, fine art, antique furniture, and even pianos. Unlike many moving companies, their team has certified antique packers and movers available on staff, which can be a valuable resource when moving expensive, older items. When you work with AVL, you can rest assured that only trained, in-house staff will be handling your most important items.
Pros
Cons
American Van Lines currently allows its customers to book the following special add-on services or moving processes.
Estimate what you might pay for your unique move with AVL using the table of average customer pricing below.
<250 miles | 500 miles | 1,000 miles | 2,000 miles | |
Two-bedroom home | $1,700 to $4,700 | $2,300 to $5,300 | $2,600 to $5,600 | $4,200 to $7,200 |
Four-bedroom home | $4,800 to $7,800 | $5,600 to $8,600 | $7,400 to $10,400 | $10,800 to $13,800 |
State Availability: 48 States
Get a quote from American Van Lines here.
JK Moving Services employs only qualified and certified professionals who are highly experienced in making cross-country and interstate relocation services as smooth as possible. You can have one of the most customized set-ups in the moving industry with one of JK’s tailor-made moving plans. They assign you a personal move coordinator to figure out what your quote will be. This moving coordinator is then with you to plan and execute your move every step of the way. This provides a personal touch to your moving experience and ensures that you can stay updated about what’s going on with your luxury move. You can contact customer service at any time through JK’s mobile app, and you can use this app to track your shipment. JK has experience moving government agencies, military families, corporations, large and small businesses, and hundreds of thousands of families.
Pros
Cons
JK Moving Services currently allows its customers to book the following special add-on services or moving processes.
JK Moving Services prides itself on providing the most personalized moving services in the industry. Because of this, the company requires that you connect with a moving coordinator before you get a quote, which ensures that the estimate you receive is accurate. As a general idea of what you might pay when you move with JK Moving Services, you can usually expect to pay between $2,500 and $5,500 to move a two-bedroom home a total distance of 500 miles.
State Availability: All lower-48 states.
Get a quote from JK Moving Services here.
Allied Van Lines is another full-service moving company that provides service on local, cross-country, and long-distance moves. They are a great choice for a luxury moving company when it comes to transporting expensive or rare vehicles. They can move almost any vehicle, including but not limited to cars, trucks, SUVs, boats, motorcycles, and ATVs. You can choose whether you would like open carry transport for your vehicle (which is an open trailer without a roof) or if you’d like your vehicle to be transported in an enclosed trailer. If you select the latter, Allied can ensure your luxury vehicle is protected from the elements and road debris during transportation.
Loading and unloading is included in all moving plans with Allied Van Lines. If you simply need someone to move your fragile items, Allied has a moving plan just for that. They can even do custom crating services for specialty items like antiques, pianos, art, or expensive electronics.
Pros
Cons
Allied Van Lines currently allows its customers to book the following special add-on services or moving processes.
Estimate what you might pay for your unique move with Allied Van Lines using the table of average customer pricing below.
<250 miles | 500 miles | 1,000 miles | 2,000 miles | |
Two-bedroom home | $1,800 to $4,500 | $2,400 to $5,400 | $2,700 to $5,700 | $4,400 to $7,400 |
Four-bedroom home | $3,300 to $6,000 | $5,700 to $8,700 | $7,500 to $10,500 | $10,900 to $13,000 |
State Availability: All 50 states
Get a quote from Allied Van Lines here.
No company on this list has been in the moving industry longer than North American Van Lines. They have been helping people move since 1933, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have new developments to offer their customers. North American has created a driver simulator to aid in driver safety and avoid accidents on the road. They have also developed their own satellite tracking system to track each shipment, allowing you to keep your eyes on your most valuable items throughout the moving process.
You can sign up for a high-end moving plan with North American Van Lines that includes packing services, unpacking upon arrival, fragile item moving, and appliance disconnection and reinstallation. North American Van Lines also offers multiple tiers of pricing that you can use to ensure that you know exactly how much you’ll pay to move. For example, if you’re moving a major shipment, you can book “not to exceed” pricing that puts a total cap on the amount you pay. If you have a single item you need to move, you can also request single-item pricing.
Pros
Cons
North American Van Lines currently allows its customers to book the following special add-on services or moving processes.
Estimate what you might pay for your unique move with North American using the table of average customer pricing below.
<250 miles | 500 miles | 1,000 miles | 2,000 miles | |
Two-bedroom home | $1,800 to $4,500 | $2,400 to $5,400 | $2,700 to $5,700 | $4,400 to $7,400 |
Four-bedroom home | $3,300 to $6,000 | $5,700 to $8,700 | $7,500 to $10,500 | $10,900 to $13,000 |
State Availability: All 50 States
Get a quote from North American Van Lines here.
FlatRate Moving’s elite white-glove moving service is the top luxury moving service in New York, but they operate throughout America’s major cities. This service is at the top end of luxury moving—FlatRate Moving uses discreet black vans so that your move is as unobtrusive as possible, and this service is specially engineered to move ancient artifacts, antique instruments, fine art, sculptures, and any other expensive, valuable, and rare items. FlatRate even provides headsets to its movers so that they don’t speak loudly to each other, and they use noiseless packing tape to make the moving process as quiet as possible. This careful system can be ideal for anyone who lives in a tight space (like an apartment building) or who wants to move with as little attention or obstruction as possible.
Pros
Cons
FlatRate currently allows its customers to book the following special add-on services or moving processes.
FlatRate Moving specializes in moving small spaces without fanfare. Though you can claim a quote quickly over the phone with a representative, we’ve collected a few examples of pricing estimates on common moving processes from the company. Browse estimates using the list below before you claim a free estimate for specific pricing.
Route and options | Size of home | Pricing estimate |
Move within the same apartment building or complex | One-bedroom home | $900 to $1,250 |
New York City to Los Angeles | One-bedroom home | $2,800 to $3,400 |
New York City to Miami | One-bedroom home | $2,100 to $2,700 |
New York City to San Francisco | One-bedroom home | $3,400 to $3,800 |
Long-distance move with packing (multiple routes available) | Two-bedroom home | $3,600 to $4,500 |
State Availability: 50 States
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Reputation means a lot when choosing any moving company, but it’s especially applicable when you’re selecting a luxury mover. Luxury movers are the ones we want to trust with our most valuable and irreplaceable possessions. This means that customer reviews and experience within the moving industry are essential considerations to make before you book. Let’s look at some other things we should look for when choosing a luxury moving company.
To verify that a moving company is legitimate, ask for the company’s USDOT number and verify it here. Having a valid USDOT number means that the mover is licensed and approved to provide cross-country moving services. You should also check to see what certifications the movers have, such as piano relocation certifications, antique packing, and moving qualifications, and high-end carpentry services to make custom crates for your luxury goods.
Sometimes it can be a bit of a mystery to figure out how moving companies come up with the estimates they give you for a move. The more services you add to your moving plan, the more complicated the quote may seem; however, costs involved with luxury moving companies, like any movers, are actually fairly straightforward. The following factors heavily influence the price that you’ll pay for your luxury move.
If you’re searching for luxury moving services, you’ll want to leave yourself plenty of time to be sure that you’re working with the best possible company for your needs. When you compare luxury movers, don’t only consider price — be sure to connect with each company on a personal level to ask about team member experience, special certifications, and insurance options. Doing your due diligence and comparing multiple moving service providers helps ensure that your things arrive safely and in the same condition you packed them in. We recommend getting a quote from each one of our recommended providers to begin your search for a reputable luxury mover.
Typical movers pack up and transport household goods like furniture, clothing, dishes, books, and anything else that can be placed into a box or wrapped up. There is significant overlap between regular moving services and luxury moving services, except that luxury moving services involve moving expensive or irreplaceable goods, like fine art, sculptures, instruments, historical artifacts, and other pricey objects. Some luxury movers even provide services like private plane transport and nannying on moving day.
Four to six weeks in advance is usually plenty of time for a moving company to schedule your move date, plan their route, and give you a final quote on the cost of the move. If you have a large number of specialty items that need specific handling, like crating, disassembly, or careful wrapping, it’s best to let your luxury mover know as soon as possible.
Most moving companies provide short-term storage with long-distance moving plans, and luxury movers will be sure to offer you storage for your items, complete with 24-hour video surveillance and climate control. Some companies have limited storage options, though, but they might be able to help you find local storage at your destination.
Summertime is the busiest time of the year for moving companies; therefore, rates will increase, and it will be more difficult to book your ideal moving date. Wintertime and autumn are the best times of the year to hire a moving company because it’s the off-season. If you move during a weekday rather than a weekend, you can save money on your move as well.
Depending on where you’re moving, you must factor in the travel time for you and your items. However, the packing and loading process for a luxury move should take no more than half a day, or perhaps a whole workday if you have a large house or many items which need custom attention.
At House Method, our primary goals are to be a reliable source of information and to be totally transparent to our readers. With that in mind, we’ve developed the following formula to render objective ratings – on a scale of 10 points – for the moving companies we review.
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