Best Moving Companies in Nelson
We assessed 8 moving companies in Nelson and ranked the top 5 on public rating quality, review volume and how recent the reviews are. The businesses listed below hold 1,329 Google reviews between them. No business can pay for a place in these rankings. Last updated 22 September 2026. How we rank →
Before you hire
Whether you are hiring furniture movers for a house move, an office relocation or removals with storage, get a written quote after an in-home or video survey, not just a phone estimate: sight-unseen prices routinely blow out on moving day. Confirm what the insurance actually covers, whether the crew are employees or subcontractors, and ask for the final price as a fixed quote rather than an hourly rate that runs long.
Top 5 Moving Companies in Nelson
The top 5 moving companies in Nelson are #1 Van and a Man, #2 NZ Van Lines Nelson, #3 Two Lads And A Truck, #4 Allied Moving Services, and #5 Award Movers, ranked by Top5 score. Scroll for our take on each, plus what to ask before you hire.
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1
Van and a Man
★ 4.9 726 reviews Top5 Score 1835★ 681 4★ 23 3★ 2 2★ 1 1★ 19Van and a Man takes on full house relocations, furniture-only shifts, and heavy single-item moves like commercial freezers, including jobs at short notice and sites with steep or difficult driveways. Crews pack trucks to maximise load capacity, assist elderly clients with packing and unpacking, and stay positive through access challenges that could otherwise drag a move out.
location_on 5 Rotherham Street, Tāhunanui, Nelson
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2
NZ Van Lines - Nelson Movers
★ 4.9 184 reviews Top5 Score 1655★ 175 4★ 5 2★ 1 1★ 3NZ Van Lines Nelson coordinates local house moves, inter-city relocations to places like Christchurch, and international shipping to destinations including the UK and Australia. Crews routinely unpack and place furniture exactly where customers want it, and office staff like Kristy and Catherine keep communication steady from first quote through to delivery day.
location_on 8 Rotherham Street, Annesbrook, Nelson
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3
Two Lads And A Truck
★ 4.6 122 reviews Top5 Score 1505★ 106 4★ 4 3★ 1 2★ 3 1★ 8Two Lads And A Truck handles flat shifts, full household relocations including inter-city moves from Nelson to Christchurch, and heavy or awkward items like antique furniture and pianos. Crews place belongings into the correct rooms as marked on boxes, and named staff like Stacey, Steve, and Shane are cited by multiple customers as the reason moves ran without stress.
location_on 258 The Ridgeway, Stoke, Annesbrook, Nelson
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4
Allied Moving Services
★ 4.6 87 reviews Top5 Score 1495★ 68 4★ 13 3★ 1 2★ 2 1★ 3Allied Moving Services covers local Nelson shifts, inter-regional moves to places like Tauranga, and international relocations to Australia and beyond, with packing of fragile items, kitchens, and awkward loads like grand pianos and trampolines included where needed. Grant and the office team, including Mandy and Karina, are cited repeatedly for keeping customers informed at every stage, from quote through to delivery.
location_on 12 Venice Place, Stoke, Nelson
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5
Award Movers
★ 4.9 50 reviews Top5 Score 1485★ 48 4★ 1 1★ 1Award Movers gets households, retail stores, and storage loads shifted across the Nelson and Tasman region, with Leon personally involved from first call through to the final item placed. Crews work through rain and awkward access without complaint, and regularly go beyond the move itself, assembling beds and protecting items with blankets for onward transit.
Before you hire a moving company in Nelson
Drawn from 445 customer reviews collected for this page. The first answer is what it costs.
What does hiring a moving company typically cost in New Zealand? expand_more
Local moves in New Zealand are priced by the hour, with two movers and a truck running between $120 and $180 per hour. Full house moves are often quoted as fixed prices, ranging from around $800 for a small home to $3,000 or more for a large property.
Factors like stairs, long carry distances, tight access, packing services, and weekend or peak-season dates all push costs higher. Fixed quotes give you more certainty than hourly rates, which can climb if the job runs longer than estimated.
How is a moving company held accountable if my belongings are damaged? expand_more
Furniture removal in New Zealand is unregulated, meaning no licence is required to operate, so accountability depends entirely on the contract you sign and the insurance in place. Most movers carry limited liability, which often covers only a fraction of an item's replacement value, so separate transit insurance is worth arranging before moving day.
Standard policies from any provider, including movers' own cover, usually exclude items packed by the owner and pressboard or flat-pack furniture, which is treated as fragile by nature. A written inventory signed by both parties before loading is your strongest evidence if a damage claim becomes disputed.
What should a moving quote include so the price does not change on the day? expand_more
A solid quote should state clearly whether the price is fixed or hourly, because an hourly rate with no cap can climb significantly if access is difficult or the job takes longer than estimated. Extras like stairs, long carries from the truck to the door, additional stops, and travel time between depots should all be itemised rather than left as verbal assurances. Packing materials, minimum call-out charges, and any weekend or after-hours loading fees need to be in writing before you confirm the booking.
What are the warning signs of a moving company you should not hire? expand_more
- –A quote given over the phone with no site visit or video survey, leaving room for large price increases on the day.
- –Requests for a substantial cash deposit upfront before any contract is signed.
- –Pricing that is hourly-only with no cap and no written breakdown of what triggers extra charges.
- –Damaged or lost items met with silence, unanswered calls, or no clear claims process, a pattern that appeared in more than one review set here.
- –Crews subcontracted to third parties the company then disowns when something goes wrong.
- –No-shows or late arrivals on moving day with no proactive communication beforehand.
What should you ask before booking a moving company? expand_more
- –Is the quote fixed or hourly, and exactly what circumstances would change the final price?
- –Are the crew direct employees or subcontractors, and who is liable if a subcontractor causes damage?
- –What does the mover's insurance actually cover, what is excluded, and is owner-packed or flat-pack furniture included?
- –Will someone do an in-home or video survey before quoting, rather than estimating over the phone?
- –How does the company handle damage claims, what is the process, and what is the timeframe for resolution?
- –Can you see a written inventory process, and will both parties sign it before loading begins?
Also recommended moving companies in Nelson
Ranked 6 to 8 on the same public review record.
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6
Crown Relocations - Nelson
★ 4.8 57 reviews Top5 Score 1475★ 54 4★ 1 1★ 2Crown Relocations packs and ships household contents for local Nelson moves, inter-regional relocations to Auckland and Cambridge, and international shipments to Australia and beyond, with named crew members like Angus, Lachlan, and Andy cited repeatedly across all job types. Their box-return service, where staff come back to collect empty packing materials once customers have unpacked, is a practical post-move detail that multiple customers flagged as a genuine bonus.
location_on 4 Tokomaru Place, Stoke, Nelson
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7
Conroy Removals
★ 4.3 77 reviews Top5 Score 1305★ 59 4★ 4 3★ 3 2★ 2 1★ 9Conroy Removals takes on domestic inter-city relocations, international shipping between New Zealand and Australia, and storage moves, with crews who pack kitchens, wrap furniture, and reassemble beds at the destination. On international jobs, the team keeps customers updated by text, email, and phone across the full journey, from uplift through to door delivery.
location_on 137 Pascoe Street, Annesbrook, Nelson
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8
Star Moving & Distribution
★ 4.1 26 reviews Top5 Score 915★ 18 4★ 2 3★ 1 1★ 5Star Moving covers inter-city and inter-island relocations, storage between moves, and shifts involving heavy art pieces, antiques, and delicate furniture with difficult access. Named crew members like Sean, Tim, and Phil are cited across multiple jobs for staying calm under pressure and keeping customers informed from quote through to delivery.
location_on 178 Tahunanui Drive, Tāhunanui, Nelson
About this ranking
What the 8 moving companies listed above hold, at the 22 September 2026 check.
Across the 13 locations we assess moving companies in, the 116 businesses listed have a median rating of 4.9, and one-star reviews are 3.2% of their total.
How are the top moving companies in Nelson chosen? expand_more
We build this page from Google Maps results for moving companies in Nelson. Each one is scored on its public rating and review record. Businesses outside the area, or whose reviews describe a different line of work, are left out, and a business whose main Google category is a different trade is held back until a person has checked what it does. A business whose website no longer resolves and that has had no Google review for six months is treated as dormant and left off the page until either changes. Every category and city is rechecked on a rolling cycle, about every two to three months. A location with a subscribing business is rechecked every month, and the whole page updates with it. See how we rank for the full method.
What does a business subscription offer? expand_more
No business can pay for a place in these rankings. Claiming and verifying a listing is free. It adds a phone number to the card and a small trust bonus (+3 points) to its score, for confirming a real operator stands behind the listing. The owner also gets a dashboard showing how their score is made up. A paid subscription provides an enhanced card with more ways to reach the business, including a website link and a detailed profile page. It also refreshes this page monthly and adds ranking history and competitor analysis to the owner's dashboard. The subscription adds nothing to the score. Claim your listing or see what a subscription includes.
Why isn't my business listed? expand_more
We build this page from Google Maps results for moving companies in Nelson. The usual reasons for missing out are a Google Business category that does not match, too few reviews to score near the top, or an address outside the area we cover. Sometimes we miss a business that should be here. Check where you rank first. If you are not there and think you should be, get in touch.