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Sean Donnelly is a writer for USA TODAY Homefront. His content draws on more than three years of experience in the moving industry. He started as a laborer and was quickly promoted to moving crew leader. Sean also served as a move coordinator, where he conducted in-home and virtual estimates for customers. During his time in the industry, Sean assisted more than 500 clients with their relocation needs. Thanks to his years of hand-on experience, he understands all aspects of moving — from proper preparation to the quote process to effective packing techniques. Sean studied English literature and creative writing at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and is still located in the greater Springfield area. When he isn’t writing, Sean is a cohead coach of the boxing team at his alma mater.
Planning a move as a senior often comes with unique challenges, such as debris or junk removal due to downsizing, insurance requirements for moving into an assisted living facility, and a fixed relocation budget.
To find the best moving companies for seniors, we evaluated the top movers nationwide based on offered services, reputation and customer reviews, insurance options and other factors.
Based on our research, we recommend starting with quotes from International Van Lines (IVL) and Safeway Moving Systems Inc. This will give you an idea of what our highest-rated moving companies for seniors charge and help you estimate your moving costs.
Each mover we selected offers catered services to help you or your loved one settle in at a new home safely and efficiently.
Get quotes from the following moving companies to help get your move off to a smooth start.
We rated the best moving companies in the industry against our proprietary grading scale. We scored each provider on customer reviews, services offered, coverage area, pricing practices and more. Each mover here offers quality service nationwide and can assist with almost any moving need.
We ranked our best moving companies for seniors here, breaking down each company’s pricing, availability and customer impressions.
International Van Lines (IVL) is a nationwide moving carrier and broker that offers local and long-distance moving packages in all 50 states. This mover scored well against our grading scale for its comprehensive service profile, vast coverage area and high average customer review score.
What we like
We like IVL’s pricing transparency and easy quote process that make it easy for seniors to get fast and accurate estimates. Aside from the average rates for service listed online, IVL offered us a quick quote when we called for pricing. It also offers senior discounts as high as 15%.
What we don’t like
This professional mover’s nationwide service range makes brokering out some moves necessary, which can lead to varied moving experiences in different locations. Negative reviews mention unexpected brokering out of moving services as a drawback.
Moving clients can request nearly any moving service from IVL for local and long-distance moving services. Add-ons include the following:
We called IVL and spoke with a company representative for a moving quote. In all, this process took 15 minutes. We got a ballpark quote for a three-bedroom, 1,800-mile move that totaled $6,276. Packing services would increase the cost to $7,158.
This mover requires a deposit of 20% to 25% to book and provides 30 days of free storage with all long-distance moves.
IVL offers moving services in all 50 states.
This mover has a rating of 3.4 out of 5 stars on Better Business Bureau (BBB). Positive reviews mention efficient small moves, which is noteworthy for a company that provides senior relocation services. Negative reviews mention damages to personal belongings. However, this is expected to a degree with any national moving company.
Safeway Moving is a nationwide carrier and broker that provides long-distance services to all 50 states. Its senior relocation services are among its most advertised moving packages. Its fixed rates also ensure that no added or hidden fees are tacked on at the end of moves.
This mover demonstrated a thorough quote process during our interaction with its customer service team members. It provides flat-rate pricing for all moves, which makes it a great option for those moving on a fixed budget.
Some Safeway moves have been brokered out to third-party carriers. While this mover has largely positive reviews, its tendency to broker out services can lead to communication issues after moves are booked. However, this mover underwent a recent rebrand which has led it to provide a higher percentage of moves as a carrier.
Safeway offers no local moving options. We spoke with a company representative who mentioned that the company moves mostly one-bedroom apartments. This small-move experience makes Safeway a good option for senior moving clients with little inventory.
All moves include 30 days of free storage at the destination and can include packing services for added convenience.
We spoke with a Safeway representative to get a three-bedroom, 1,800-mile moving quote. They estimated a $7,760 all-inclusive rate with packing services built into the price. If we self-packed, the move would cost $6,245.
This mover offers long-distance service to all 50 states.
Safeway currently has a star rating of 3.7 out of 5 stars on BBB. These largely positive reviews mention courteous booking staff and efficient moving crews. Its recent reviews are especially telling, with mostly 5-star ratings for service and pricing accuracy.
Allied Van Lines is a nationwide carrier with 500 locations throughout all 50 states. This includes service availability for local and long-distance moves, even in Alaska and Hawaii. It offers specific service packages for small moves and a range of add-ons to make the process more convenient.
This carrier’s Express moving packages set it apart as one of the best senior movers. Allied Express provides clients with a moving container-like option that can fit most two-bedroom homes. This package includes full-value protection, packing and all associated labor.
We recommend looking at location-specific customer reviews before booking. Allied often has multiple locations within the same urban center or geographic area. These locations have independent sets of customer reviews — consult them before booking to ensure the highest-quality service.
Some negative reviews report poor customer service when processing damage claims, which you should be wary of if you’re booking a move with high-value items.
Allied offers local and long-distance service. Service packages can include packing, crating, vehicle shipping, storage, junk removal and more. Its Allied Express packages include all the services you need at one bottom-line rate to expedite small moves.
We contacted Allied Van Lines for pricing on a three-bedroom, 1,800-mile move. In all, this process took a little more than 10 minutes.
Our company representative informed us that, in the absence of an in-home or video call consultation, all estimates were ballpark pricing figures.
Our move would cost an estimated $7,000 with no add-ons. Packing would cost an extra $3,000 for the entire home and raise our total to $10,000.
This carrier services all 50 states.
This mover’s rating of 1.1 out of 5 stars on BBB does not indicate its overall performance across its many locations. Negative reviews here mention damaged furniture and hidden fees added to long-distance moves.
However, many individual locations have high ratings. For example, its Newark, Delaware, branch has a rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars on Google Reviews with reviews praising the moving crews and customer service staff.
American Van Lines is a moving carrier with central hubs in Florida, North Carolina and Texas. It provides local and long-distance moving services and employs some of the most experienced movers in the country.
This provider offers flat-rate pricing for all moves, which is a nice feature for clients moving on a fixed budget. It also advertises that its moving crews average a decade of experience, which provides added security when requesting packing or crating services.
AVL’s moving quotes come with high budget requirements — up to 50% of the total moving cost. Higher deposits are often reserved for longer moves, but it is still worth noting. Another prominent feature of negative reviews was the movers’ lack of punctuality.
This mover primarily offers long-distance service but also provides local moving around its hub locations. Its experienced moving crews can provide packing, crating, vehicle shipping, piano moving and more. AVL also offers secure storage at its headquarters and can contract out storage services elsewhere.
We spent about a half hour on the phone with an American Van Lines representative to get a quote for a three-bedroom, 1,800-mile move. Our representative was thorough and talked us through every step in the moving process. They also stressed that no quote could be considered binding without an in-person or video call consultation. Our cost without packing would be $7,004. Full-service packing increased the cost to $8,984.
American offers long-distance service to the lower 48 states.
Even though American doesn’t advertise service plans specific to senior citizens, its positive customer reviews persuaded us to put it on our list of best senior movers. It has a rating of 4.1 out of 5 stars on BBB, and reviews mention considerate moving crews and customer service staff. This includes praise for furniture protection and overall efficiency.
Getting quotes from professional moving companies is the first step in any successful move. When planning a move for yourself or an older family member, we recommend looking for companies that advertise senior discounts or experience providing senior moving services.
Keep the following actors in mind when getting quotes from movers.
Before requesting quotes, assess your situation and determine the moving services you’ll need. To do this, take a full inventory of your home.
Walk through your residence room by room and write down all goods you plan to take with you, noting anything that may require specialty services. Show this list to your company representative during your moving quote to determine your service package.
Add-on services can include the following:
All moving companies must carry proper licensing. National or interstate moving companies are federally regulated and required to have active United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) and Motor Carrier (MC) numbers. Use these numbers to reference a moving company’s registration status on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) database.
Beyond this, moving companies must carry local or state-level licensing. This can involve complying with a state governing board for movers or maintaining a state DOT number and local business licensing.
Get multiple quotes before settling on a moving company. When you get quotes, note each moving company’s pricing structure and billing practices for each service.
If you’re planning a long-distance move, press for a binding estimate. Binding estimates do not fluctuate between quote day and moving day unless your inventory or service needs change.
Customer reviews are your best resource when evaluating a moving company. Looking into multiple reviews from Google Reviews, Better Business Bureau, Yelp and social media can help you to accurately assess how well a given company treats its customers.
All moving companies provide a basic level of insurance coverage for lost or damaged goods. This released-value coverage reimburses 60 cents per pound per item if your goods are lost or damaged during a move. You don’t pay extra for such coverage. Beyond this, movers often provide full-value protection for loss or damages at an added cost.
If you’re moving to an assisted living facility or a senior community, your new residence may have specific guidelines or insurance requirements for moving companies to be allowed inside. Be sure to inquire about any mover requirements at your new home before moving day, and ask your customer service representative about the company’s basic insurance coverages.
We recommend starting your quote-collecting process with International Van Lines and Safeway Moving. You’ll get a good idea of how much your move will cost with a top-rated moving company for seniors.
IVL offers a 15% senior discount, while Safeway mainly caters to smaller long-distance moves, making both practical options. Getting quotes at least four to six weeks before your move date can alleviate stress and ensure you book with a provider that offers the services you need.
Our moving recommendations are all backed by our detailed rating methodology. To fairly assess both interstate and local movers, we have tailored two sets of review standards for long-distance and intrastate movers.
Both sets of review standards assess factors including reputation and customer satisfaction, availability and range, services offered, pricing and quote practices and customer service. We rate each moving company out of 100 possible points. We then divide the final score by 20 to obtain the 5-star rating we feature in our reviews.
BBB and Google Review ratings are accurate as of March 2024.
Editorial note: The name “Homefront” refers to the alliance between USA TODAY and Home Solutions that publishes review, comparison, and informational articles designed to help USA TODAY readers make smarter purchasing and investment decisions about their home. Under the alliance, Homefront provides and publishes research and articles about home service and home improvement topics.
Homefront has an affiliate disclosure policy. The opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Homefront editorial staff alone (see About Homefront). Homefront adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. The information is believed to be accurate as of the publish date, but always check the provider’s website for the most current information.
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