Residential Movers for Homes, Apartments & Condos in Washington, DC, Northern VA & MD
You need movers. You’ve probably already called three companies and gotten wildly different quotes. One guy was going to show up in a U-Haul. Another one hasn’t called you back. The cheap estimate sounds too good to be true (and if you read the reviews, it probably is).
We’re Georgetown Moving, and we’ve been hauling furniture around the DMV since 2001. Here’s what matters when you’re picking a moving company, and why you really want your residential movers to have local expertise.
You Can’t Just Roll Up With a Truck in Washington, DC Area
When you hire residential movers in the DMV area, you need a team that knows how to navigate the parking and community rules.
Parking is a genuine headache. You’ll need residential parking permits well in advance, or you risk not being able to move or getting towed mid-move. Old Town Alexandria’s cobblestone streets are gorgeous, but not easy to navigate with a 26-foot truck.
Moving in the Washington, DC area means dealing with building restrictions you might not encounter in other areas. These include reserving the building elevator (sometimes weeks in advance) or making sure the property managers have your mover’s certificate of insurance. Some properties have staircases so narrow that you have to take apart your furniture or hoist it to get it up the stairs.
That’s why you want residential movers with local experience.
How Long Will My Move Take?
We’ll be able to give you a reasonable timeline with the quote, but in general, most local residential moves take 4 to 10 hours, depending on how much stuff you have, the distance, and the time of day or year.
- Studio or 1-bedroom apartment: Usually 3-5 hours
- 2-bedroom apartment or condo: Plan for 5-7 hours on average
- 3-bedroom house: Generally 6-9 hours.
- 4-bedroom house or larger: Count on a full day, usually 8-10 hours.
Obviously, moving in or out of a first-floor apartment or single-story home with easy parking takes less time than a walk-up apartment or parking in a loading area 100 feet away from your front door. Heavy items also take longer to move, especially a piano or a gun safe that might require special equipment.
Do I Have to Pack Everything Myself?
Do you love packing? Most people dread it. Even when you’re excited about the new place, stuff seems to multiply when you start pulling it out of cupboards and drawers.
The good news is you don’t have to do it yourself. We can pack as much or as little as you want.
Full-service packing means we pack the whole house (and the garage, and the basement). We usually do this the day (or two) before the move, and of course, we use professional packing materials and inventory everything. We can even build custom crates for special items.
If you want help with a few rooms or the fragile items, partial packing services mix and match based on your time and budget.
What About My Expensive/Weird/Fragile Stuff?
People always ask about their problem items. The antique dresser from your grandparents or the 75-inch TV you just bought.
We move this stuff all day and can wrap and load all of it to keep it safe. If you’ve got something genuinely unusual, just mention it when we do the estimate. We’ll figure it out.
What If I Need Storage During or After the Move?
Storage is a lifesaver when you’ve got a timing gap between homes or a few things that won’t fit into your new place.
Here are common reasons our clients need storage during a residential move:
- You’ve got two weeks in temporary housing until your new house is ready for move-in.
- You’re downsizing and want to keep a few pieces for your kids or hold onto them long enough to decide what to do with them.
- You’re in the government or military and going out of the country for a couple of years, or you will be in temporary housing before your permanent assignment.
- You’re renovating and don’t want construction dust in the crevices of your furniture, or just want it out of the way while they’re working on your home.
- You’re a college student away from the summer or spending a semester abroad.
You can always rent a truck, move everything into a storage unit, and then hire movers to empty the unit when you’re ready to unpack, but we make it much easier. We will pick everything up and move it into our secure, climate-controlled storage until you’re ready.
If you’d rather load at your own pace, say you’re doing a kitchen renovation and need to clear out gradually, we have portable storage units.
How Do I Choose Between Moving Companies?
Most moving companies can get your stuff from point A to point B, but will they make your life easier, and do you trust them with your grandmother’s china?
Every legitimate moving company needs an ICC-MC license number. They should also carry insurance and be able to send you a certificate right away; most condo buildings require this before they’ll let movers in the door. If you’re military or work for the government, look for GSA approval.
No moving company is going to be able to give you an accurate quote without detailed information about your inventory. You want a company that gives you a free estimate based on what you have to move. When you call, you want to make sure you’re talking to a real person in the local area, not routed through a system that bounces you around the country.
If you might need storage, ask whether they have climate-controlled facilities. We’ve been doing this in the DC area for over 20 years with the same local ownership.
Local Residential Movers With 20 Years of Experience
We’ve been moving families and professionals around DC, Northern Virginia, and Maryland for over 20 years. Our moving crews are background-checked, and we’ve figured out the quirks of just about every neighborhood and building type in the area.
Call (703) 889-8899 or contact us online for a free estimate. Someone local and knowledgeable answers the phone.
