Known for its low crime rates, zero sales tax, and lovely beaches, Delaware is a great place to call home. But if you’re moving into or within the state, the moving process can be stressful. Luckily, there’s no shortage of companies to make your local, long-distance, or international move to Delaware hassle-free.
The This Old House Reviews Team has reviewed dozens of moving companies, evaluating each based on its services, costs, reputation, years of experience, and availability. In this review, we break down the pros and cons of the best moving companies in Delaware.
Top Moving Companies in Delaware
Through in-depth research, we determined that the best moving companies in Delaware are:
- International Van Lines: Best Overall Full-Service Mover
- American Van Lines: Most Experienced Moving Labor
- Safeway Moving Inc: Most Customer-Oriented
- JK Moving Services: Most Customizable Full-Service Mover
- Allied Van Lines: Best for Vehicle Relocation
International Van Lines: Best Overall Full-Service Mover
International Van Lines (IVL) is a domestic and international moving company that was founded in 2000. It is currently headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where its team helps customers with comprehensive moves around the country and around the world.
Pros and Cons
✓ Recipient of numerous customer service awards, including Newsweek’s “Best Customer Service Award” for 2021
✓ Offers full-service moves for local, interstate, and international moves to more than 150 countries
✓ Provides air freight services, auto and car shipping, and warehousing and storage options
✘ Online moving calculator is not very accurate or detailed, and no sample pricing is listed on the company’s website
✘ Has only a few local branches in five states around the country, leading to use of third-party companies to handle moves in certain locations
✘ Use of third-party companies leads to a higher margin of error in shipping
Services
IVL is a licensed carrier and offers a host of services to make your move seamless. Learn more about International Van Lines services.
Cost
Using the IVL online moving calculator to estimate moving a three-bedroom house provided the quote of $4,200–$6,150, depending on the distance traveled. However, users have reported the online moving calculator is not very accurate. To get a more accurate estimate, speak with the company directly to provide it with information on the quantity of belongings or rooms you need to move, your starting location, the distance of your move, and your move date.
Learn More: International Van Lines Review
American Van Lines: Most Experienced Moving Labor
American Van Lines is a family-owned-and-operated full-service moving company based out of South Florida. With decades of moving experience, American Van Lines has a large fleet of moving trucks and operates weekly shuttles to and from nearly every major city in the country.
Pros and Cons
✓ Offers flat-rate pricing based on weight and mileage and doesn’t charge additional fees for last-minute moves
✓ Offers services for moving special items like antiques, pianos, and expensive artwork
✓ Is a nationwide carrier service across the Continental U.S.
✘ Requires a 10%–50% deposit up front
✘ No online quotes available
✘ Customer reviews mention communication can be difficult
Services
American Van Lines is available across the 48 contiguous United States and uses its own trained and insured movers rather than working with third parties. Learn more about American Van Lines services.
Cost
American Van Lines uses flat-rate pricing, meaning the actual price won’t change from the estimate you are given. Because of this, quotes may be higher than competitors’, and you cannot complete the quote process online. For a two-bedroom apartment (roughly 6,000 pounds) moving from Miami to Dallas, we received an estimate around $5,030.
Learn More: American Van Lines Review
Safeway Moving Inc.: Most Customer-Oriented
Safeway Moving Inc. is a veteran-owned-and-operated moving company that aims to provide efficient moving solutions. It stands out for its commitment to driving a positive customer experience, providing updates throughout your move, and offering customer service seven days a week. Safeway donates a portion of its profits to charity and is a strong advocate for helping seniors enjoy a more stress-free move.
Pros and Cons
✓ Offers binding quotes without any hidden fees or add-on costs
✓ Trains company representatives to assist with senior moves
✓ Stands behind its service with a 100% satisfaction guarantee
✘ Doesn’t provide local moving services
✘ Doesn’t offer instant online quotes
✘ Doesn’t have an online shipment tracking system
Services
Safeway Moving Inc. focuses on long-distance and interstate moves across the United States. It coordinates your move with its own crews or within its partner network, putting the pieces into place to provide a full-service move that eliminates the need for self-packing. Climate-controlled storage is available, and Safeway offers 30 days of free storage. The company also boasts a price-matching program for its long-term storage.
Cost
Safeway does not offer instant online quotes, and you will need to speak to the company over the phone to provide details about your inventory, current location, and prospective destination. Safeway promotes its binding estimate that has no hidden fees or hourly rates subject to change.
Get a free quote by filling out Safeway’s simple online form or calling 844-886-1118.
Learn More: Safeway Moving Inc. Review
Allied Van Lines: Best for Vehicle Relocation
Allied Van Lines is a full-service mover that helps with local and long-distance moves in all 50 states and international moves in more than 130 countries. We named Allied Van Lines “Best for Vehicle Relocation” because it provides its own movers and trucks to transport a variety of vehicles, which is uncommon in the moving industry.
Pros and Cons
✓ Offers relocation of numerous types of vehicles using the company’s own trucks and movers
✓ Offers GPS tracking on all shipments
✓ Offers additional fragile-packing service for delicate, breakable, or high-value items
✘ Specialty services may be priced higher than traditional competitor prices
✘ Customer reviews mention that the claims department is hard to reach, and the claims process can be difficult
✘ Allied’s Do It Yourself Packing service is priced significantly higher than competitors
Services
Allied Van Lines provides a large selection of full-service moving options for your Delaware move. Learn more about Allied Van Lines services.
Cost
Allied Van Lines bases its overall cost on the total weight and mileage of your move. Pricing will increase if you add additional services, such as crating, labor, and vehicle relocation. Allied’s website states that the average cost of a long-distance move with the company is $3,500. This is based on an average weight of 7,000 pounds, which is roughly seven rooms’ worth of belongings. This quote also includes a traveling distance of 1,000 miles, which is roughly the distance between Chicago and Dallas.
Learn More: Allied Van Lines Review
JK Moving Services: Most Customizable Full-Service Mover
JK Moving was founded in 1982 by a then-16-year-old Chuck Kuhn. After nearly 40 years in the business, the company is now the largest fully licensed and insured independent mover in the United States.
Pros and Cons
✓ Offers 24/7 customer support and GPS tracking on all shipments
✓ Financing options are available through Enhancify
✓ Has an A+ BBB rating and accreditation*
✘ Quote process is lengthy and not available online
✘ Local moves are limited to Maryland, Virginia, and Washington D.C.
✘ Tailored moving services may increase the overall cost of your move
*BBB information is accurate as of October 2022
Services
JK Moving serves as a local mover only in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., and it provides moving storage services and long-distance moves for the rest of the country. JK Moving acts as a brokerage service to find local equipment and services you need from third-party vendors. Learn more about JK Moving services.
Cost
JK Moving does not offer online estimates. Instead, customers should contact the company by phone and speak to a representative. Be prepared with information such as the total distance of your move, the total weight of your shipment, any difficult or challenging furniture you have, how many crew members your move needs, and any additional services you want to purchase.
To get an accurate, binding estimate, you may need to schedule an appointment with an estimator. Alternatively, you can use the company’s mobile app for a virtual in-home estimate.For a full-service move of a two-bedroom residence over 720 miles, we received an estimate of $7,521.
Learn More: JK Moving Review
Which Is the Best Moving Company in Delaware for You?
Selecting a moving company in your relocation to Delaware can be a big and overwhelming decision. Deciding between a full-service moving company or a container move is key and can significantly impact the cost. Fortunately, all the movers we reviewed provide free quotes for their services, so we recommend comparison shopping before making a final decision in your move to Delaware.
For a full-service move, we recommend International Van Lines for its balance of value, expertise, customer service, and specialty services. International Van Lines also provides vehicle relocation services for moves of a second car, boat, or other vehicle.
Compare the Top Moving Companies in Delaware
We recommend when shopping for the best moving company in Delaware that you compare several free moving quotes to make sure that you choose the best mover for your needs and budget.
Comparing the Top Moving Companies in Delaware
Provider |
Free Estimate |
Local |
Long-Distance |
Labor Included |
---|---|---|---|---|
IVL |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
|
American Van Lines |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
|
Allied Van Lines |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
|
JK Moving |
✘ |
✓ |
✓ |
|
Safeway |
✘ |
✓ |
✓ |
Other Considerations When Moving in Delaware
Once you have settled into your new residence in Delaware, be sure to protect your new home. A home warranty in Delaware can cover major systems and appliances when they break, and you will only be responsible for a portion of the cost out of pocket to fix or replace them. Contract with a good local pest control company to protect your investment. Get quotes for the best homeowners or renters insurance in your area to protect your new home and belongings.
Below are some helpful resources for Delaware residents:
- Best Home Warranty Companies in Delaware
- Best Pest Control Companies
- Best Homeowners Insurance
- Best Renters Insurance
- Best Home Security Systems
Frequently Asked Questions
Our Rating Methodology
The This Old House Reviews Team backs up our moving company ratings and recommendations with a detailed rating methodology to objectively score each company. We conduct research by reading through the company websites, analyzing customer reviews, conducting consumer surveys, requesting quotes, and speaking with customer representatives. We then score each moving company against our review standards for services, contents coverage, scheduling, trailer and container options, additional benefits, and reputation to arrive at a final score out of 100.
To share feedback or ask a question about this article, send a note to our Reviews Team at reviews@thisoldhousereviews.com.