I was not paid nor did I receive any compensation or discount for this write-up on the You Move Me moving company. I like to write about products and services I find useful. This is one such example. I’m just another regular customer of this moving company.
We just moved houses (May 21, 2022). Talk about a busy 6 weeks. It builds up like a pressure cooker right to the moment the movers show up with the trucks. We were boxing stuff up right up until the movers strolled in the door.
We knew 3 months before our move date we were moving so we took our time hiring the right moving company. We asked around. Fortunately, we had friends who had just moved. They told us they used “You Move Me” moving service out of Vancouver, BC. They had about as much stuff as us and since they were nice enough to tell us how much it cost them, we had an idea of what to expect.
More importantly, our friends were very, very happy with their service.
Mission completed. We had found our service. Below is our full timeline narrative setting out in detail our experience using the You Move Me moving service.
1. They were exceptionally friendly on the phone when we first called
First impressions make a difference. There’s nothing worse than getting some snarky person on the phone or worse, a voice mail. We were able to speak with a pleasant human being who answered our questions and set up a time to have someone come out and give us a cost estimate.
2. It’s the first moving company I ever used that has locations all over North America
I know You Move Me isn’t the only moving company with many locations serving many areas, but it’s the first we’ve used. Moreover, the local locations are franchises so they are locally owned.
3. On the phone we booked a no-obligation appointment so they could check out all that we had and provide us a moving cost quote
One move in the past the company did not do a physical inspection of what we had. They showed up with only two guys and one large truck. It wasn’t enough. The move took 13 hours. They had to call in an extra guy and a truck. We learned our lesson and were very happy You Move Me scheduled an estimate appointment.
4. They showed up on time for the cost estimate assessment and the person they sent was exceedingly polite and pleasant.
The estimate went great. The person showed up on time, was friendly and had a realistic idea of what our move entailed. He asked questions that informed us that the company knew what we were doing.
5. They even included a quote to disassemble and reassemble are giant 14′ x 9′ trampoline. However, because our bunk beds were made by my dad, they could not disassemble those. My brother and I moved those.
We have a large trampoline. My wife and I set it up when we bought it. I don’t want to do that again. We asked if they would disassemble and reassemble it. They said that’s not a problem. When they said that, we were pretty sure we would hire them.
6. We received the quote shortly after the visit via email so there was a record of it.
The cost quote came quickly and was totally reasonable. I’m pretty reasonable when it comes to the cost of things and I knew our move would not be cheap. We were moving out of a 3,200 sq. ft. house with four bedrooms fully furnished into a 4,450 sq. ft. 7-bedroom house. We have a ton of stuff. The quote came in at around $4,858 for the move.
7. They provided cost quotes for both the packing service and moving service. We decided not to use the packing service but I would reconsider that when we move again.
While we didn’t end up using their packing service, they provided a quote for that as well. It was around $4,250.
8. The quote they provided set out they were sending 4 trucks and 8 guys. We’ve moved before and never did any company send out more than one truck or more than three guys. I was impressed right off the bat. We wanted to move on a Saturday which they were able to do.
Throughout the entire process to this point, the company could accommodate everything we asked for except disassembling custom-made bunk beds, which we understood. Saturday was not a problem which was great so I didn’t have to take a day off work.
When they said they were sending four trucks and eight guys, that was music to my ears. I knew then this company meant business and would handle our move inside 8 hours.
9. Moreover, their quote estimated that it would take six hours.
I thought six hours would be ambitious. If the move took longer, our cost would go up. The cost quote was not fixed. We were fine with that. At the end of the day, it took them 6.5 hours which is pretty darn good.
10. They sell boxes and every conceivable moving supply you might need. We ended up buying boxes at a local U-haul store.
We needed boxes and plenty of them. You Move Me sells boxes but the local U-Haul location was much closer. I went there and bought 70 boxes (we had 50 from our previous move that we had stored).
11. Come moving day, at 8:30 am the team leader called and asked what we liked in our coffee that he was picking up for us on the way (such a great start)
When the call came and we saw it was You Move Me, the first thought is “there’s going to be a problem” which is the last thing you want to hear. Instead, it was the crew leader confirming they were on their way and that they were picking up coffees for us. The day was looking up at that point, that’s for sure.
12. At 9 am, 4 big moving trucks came lumbering down our road
13. By 9:05 am we were showing eight movers throughout our house. They gave my wife and I the coffee they bought for us. The entire crew was super polite and nice right off the bat.
We took 15 minutes showing the crew throughout the house where there were boxes and furniture to move.
14. After our short tour, they got to work hauling out boxes and furniture.
They wasted no time. As soon as our tour was done, they got to work. Two guys started on the trampoline. Two guys started with furniture. The other four hauled out boxes (two at a time).
15. We could tell within minutes that the crew knew exactly what they were doing. They wrapped furniture in protective coverings.
The two guys who started on the furniture wrapped it up with protective blankets. Our furniture is junk for the most part but it’s our junk and we didn’t want it damaged. It was good to see they took such care.
16. They carried two boxes at a time which is no small feat. They wasted no time.
If you want a job that gets you in the best shape of your life, become a mover. These guys were strong and had incredible stamina. No breaks. They just kept hauling, lifting and moving.
17. They had a stack of huge wardrobe boxes that they dumped loose stuff we had (mainly toy tubs in the basement).
These large 5′ foot tall boxes sure came in handy. Anything loose that we didn’t box (there were some toys in some lousy tubs) they just dumped into these large boxes. It was great.
18. Immediately two guys started disassembling the trampoline and loaded it into a truck.
This was a big job. Fortunately, they only needed to remove the net which didn’t take them long. It wasn’t their first trampoline.
19. By 12:30 pm they had finished moving everything out of the house. We started the final walk-around and were done 20 minutes later.
At no point did we feel rushed by this crew. They were patient as we walked throughout the house looking for anything that might have been missed.
20. Their four-truck estimate was spot-on with a bit of room to spare in one truck.
Everything fit in the four trucks. Talk about a great estimate. One of the biggest delays with moving is running out of truck space. That’s happened to us in the past and it holds up the move unnecessarily.
21. The four trucks departed. We met them at our new house which was only five minutes away.
Our new house was only five minutes’ drive from the old place so the driving portion was super short. That no doubt saved us a few bucks since we didn’t have to pay for driving time.
22. Before we left, I ordered four large pizzas and bag of sodas for the crew to have before unloading. They were grateful for that. I was happy to pay for the time they took to have a lunch. They worked incredibly hard.
Whenever we hire folks, we like to be generous and appreciative. One way to do that is to buy the crew lunch. It’s a small cost but much appreciated by everyone. Our move day was a sunny day, which is definitely good luck in North Vancouver. We all had pizza and sodas in the backyard of the new house.
23. Shortly after 1 pm we gave the crew a tour of the new home so they knew which rooms were which for placing our marked boxes.
Our new house is much bigger than our former house. We had numbers for the bedrooms (there are 7 bedrooms). The rest of the rooms were pretty self-explanatory. We gave a quick tour identifying each room.
24. Minutes later they started unloading the first truck. The first item was the trampoline. They were super cool and patient while my wife and I figured out exactly how to position it in the backyard. They had it reassembled in about 30 minutes.
They tackled the unpacking similarly to packing. They started with the trampoline. That took several guys as they negotiated it into position in the backyard. Once done, they put the legs and net back on. I can’t tell you how grateful I was that they handled the trampoline. Here it is in our new backyard:
25. The crew offered to remove their shoes each time they entered but we told them that wasn’t necessary.
IMO, it would be insane to ask every mover to remove their shoes each time they entered the house. That would add to the cost as well although that wasn’t our motivating factor. If I were a mover, the last thing I would want to do is remove shoes each time. It’s a hard enough job as it is.
26. This crew unloaded as fast as they loaded. We stood by the front door directing where items were to go.
My wife and I were like traffic cops directing each mover to a room as they entered with furniture and boxes. We did mark each box with a room so that helped. If you’re moving, don’t forget to do this.
27. A desk was too big to fit into a bedroom so one crew member asked if it was okay to remove a bedroom door. We of course said “yeah” and they took the time to remove the door to get the desk into the bedroom.
We have a large desk that is very, very heavy. I royally screwed up by telling the crew it goes into the basement. They brought it to the basement but then I remembered we had decided to put it into our older son’s room. I apologized profusely and asked the movers to haul it upstairs. Once there, it was too wide to fit through the door. Fortunately, it was close and would fit by removing the bedroom door off the hinges. The movers asked if that would be okay. I said “of course”. They removed the door and desk fit. Phew.
28. By 4 pm all four trucks were empty and we were moved into our new house.
Truck after truck they moved it all into our house and onto our patio.
29. They did a walk-around with us and asked if we wanted anything moved elsewhere or set up. It was a very nice gesture.
Just as we did a walk-through in our former house, they did a walk-through with us in the new house asking if we wanted anything moved to another location in the house. That was a nice touch because they were no doubt exhausted and just wanted to go home.
30. At 4:10 pm we paid the bill. Before they all left, they gave us a nice housewarming gift: a plant of course. Here it is placed among our other kitchen plants:
We paid with credit card on their mobile payment device. Super easy. I was also able to add a gratuity to it although I had pulled out a pile of cash from the bank for this purpose.
31. Gratuity: You pay for their service at the end of the moving day. You can pay with credit card and there is an opportunity to give them a gratuity (which we did)
I know it’s proper to give movers a tip if they do a good job. Our crew did an amazing job. I had gone to the bank the day before to get a pile of cash for the gratuity but it turned out I could pay the gratuity when I paid with my credit card.
We gave a pretty hefty tip just because they were so great. I had read online that you should tip each mover $4 to $5 per hour if they do a good job. I tripled it $15 per hour per mover which was probably a bit excessive but we really appreciated the job they did.
32. Not one item was broken during the move. Not one scratch or hole put into a wall. It was a perfect move.
Nothing, and I mean nothing was damaged. Not any of our belongings or any part of the house. Impressive.
33. Well, almost perfect. It took 7 hours instead of 6… but then we all took a 30-minute break eating pizza. 30 minutes over is about as good as it gets. I was happy to pay for the extra 30 minutes.
I’m being facetious here. It was a perfect move thanks to them.
As the trucks rumbled down the road, we sat down on a sofa and put our feet up on some boxes.
34. When we move again, which I hope is not for a long time, I would hire “You Move Me” in a heartbeat. They were excellent. If they are available in your area, give them a try… at the very least get a cost quote.
I’m not a spokesperson for You Move Me. I wasn’t paid to write this article. I don’t get a cut of any business I send them. I get nothing out of this whatsoever
35. As an aside, it’s not always best to go with the cheapest quote. A bad moving company can make a difficult event infinitely worse. That said, “You Move Me” cost was totally reasonable. It’s not like we had to pay double the going rates for their excellent service.
Epilogue: It was after the fact that it occurred to me that our experience with You Move Me would make for a helpful article on my site. Had I thought about it before, I would have taken a lot more photos… of the truck, the emptying house and so forth. Hence, this write-up is unusually bereft of images.
