Best Moving Companies in Palmerston North
We assessed 7 moving companies in Palmerston North and ranked the top 5 on public rating quality, review volume and how recent the reviews are. The businesses listed below hold 1,171 Google reviews between them. No business can pay for a place in these rankings. Last updated 3 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 Palmerston North
The top 5 moving companies in Palmerston North are #1 Crown Relocations, #2 Central Rentals, #3 365 Movers, #4 A Ford 2 Move, and #5 NZ Van Lines, ranked by Top5 score. Scroll for our take on each, plus what to ask before you hire.
-
1
Crown Relocations - Palmerston North
★ 4.9 460 reviews Top5 Score 1785★ 434 4★ 14 3★ 3 2★ 3 1★ 6Crown Relocations coordinates packing, storage, and interisland delivery as a single managed process, handling fragile wrapping, container loading, and multi-stop relocations across the North and South Islands. Named crew members like Riki, Jon, Kane, and Ken turn up prepared and work through the job without the customer needing to supervise, which takes a lot of the stress out of moving day.
17 Bennett Street, Cloverlea, Palmerston North
-
2
Central Rentals
★ 4.8 182 reviews Top5 Score 1645★ 167 4★ 5 3★ 5 2★ 2 1★ 3Central Rentals fills the gap between moving in and your furniture arriving, delivering rental beds, fridges, washing machines, and lounge sets so you are not living on the floor. Nelson and the team have handled house moves directly too, with reviewers noting sharp communication from booking through to drop-off and a knack for getting furniture around tight stairwells without damage.
96 Princess Street, Palmerston North Central, Palmerston North
-
3
365 Movers
★ 4.9 141 reviews Top5 Score 1625★ 135 4★ 3 1★ 3365 Movers gets furniture, sideboards, and full household loads between cities, with Wellington to Palmerston North and Palmerston North to Auckland both covered in reviewers' accounts. Satbir and the crew pre-document existing item condition before loading begins, arrive at the stated time, and wrap fragile pieces before putting anything on the truck.
12 Humphries Place, Awapuni, Palmerston North
-
4
A Ford 2 Move - AF2M
★ 5.0 84 reviews Top5 Score 1575★ 84A Ford 2 Move takes on everything from small furniture shifts around town to full inter-city relocations like Palmerston North to Christchurch and Palmerston North to Thames, absorbing day-of delays like key holdups and rain without slowing down. Angie visits beforehand on bigger moves to walk through the job and answer questions, and the crew will help pack remaining items, hook up appliances, and place everything into the right rooms at the other end.
21 Liberty Grove, Kelvin Grove, Palmerston North
-
5
NZ Van Lines - Palmerston North Movers
★ 4.6 148 reviews Top5 Score 1545★ 127 4★ 9 3★ 2 2★ 1 1★ 9NZ Van Lines fields named crews across residential pack-and-load, office moves, and international unpacking jobs, with reviewers consistently pointing to specific people like Dave, Lee, Caleb, and Jordan as the reason things went smoothly. Their crew members write contents on wrapping to match customer labels, maintain a checklist system to account for every item, and place belongings into the correct rooms at the destination end.
50 Makomako Road, Kelvin Heights, Palmerston North
Before you hire a moving company in Palmerston North
Drawn from 140 customer reviews collected for this page. The first answer is what it costs.
What does hiring a moving company typically cost in New Zealand?
Local moves in New Zealand are priced by the hour, with two movers and a truck running from around $120 to $180 per hour. A full three-bedroom house move can cost between $800 and $2,500 depending on distance and job complexity.
Stairs, long carries, difficult access, and packing services all push the price up, as does booking on weekends or at the end of the month. Fixed quotes suit larger or interstate moves, while hourly rates suit smaller local jobs where the scope is clear.
How is a moving company held accountable if my belongings are damaged?
Furniture removal is unregulated in New Zealand, meaning no licence is required to operate a moving company, so accountability depends entirely on the contract you sign and the insurance in place. One company's contract terms declined a floor damage claim by citing a clause that excluded liability for floors, walls, and fixtures, leaving the customer to claim on their own contents insurance and pay an excess.
A mover's own goods-in-transit cover often excludes owner-packed cartons and flat-pack or pressboard furniture, so check those exclusions before you pack a single box. A written inventory, signed by both parties before loading, is your strongest evidence if a damage dispute goes unresolved.
What should a moving quote include so the price does not change on the day?
A solid quote should state whether the price is fixed or hourly, because an hourly rate can climb fast if access is difficult or the job runs long. Stairs, long carries from a truck park to a front door, extra stops, and packing materials are all common add-ons that catch customers off guard when not agreed in writing beforehand. Depot-to-depot travel time and any minimum call-out charge should be itemised, and one review noted the crew arrived and could not move certain items at all because the right equipment had not been discussed at quoting stage.
What are the warning signs of a moving company you should not hire?
- –A quote given over the phone with no in-home or video survey is a strong sign the company will underestimate the job and either not fit everything or charge more on the day.
- –Damage to multiple items with no follow-up contact, no apology, and no offer to repair or compensate is a pattern flagged in more than one low-star review.
- –A company that declines damage claims by pointing to contract clauses rather than attempting resolution should be treated with caution before you book.
- –Late arrivals with no proactive communication, or a failure to show at the agreed time, signal poor operational management.
- –Quoting to move specialist items such as vehicles or motorcycles without the equipment to do so, then leaving the customer to solve the problem on moving day, is a serious red flag.
- –Unresolved insurance claims left open for months with no response from the company indicate the post-move support will be just as poor as the move itself.
Why 56% of moving company one-star reviews are about damaged or lost belongings
What should you ask before booking a moving company?
- –Ask whether the quote is fixed or hourly, and get a written list of every charge that could be added on the day, including stairs, long carry, and extra stops.
- –Ask whether the crew are direct employees or subcontractors, because some companies distance themselves from liability when a subcontracted team causes damage.
- –Ask exactly what their goods-in-transit insurance covers and, critically, what it excludes, including owner-packed boxes and flat-pack furniture.
- –Request an in-home or video survey before the quote is finalised, not a phone estimate, so the crew knows about access issues, heavy items, and volume in advance.
- –Ask how damage claims are handled and what the timeframe for resolution is, then get the answer in writing rather than taking a verbal assurance.
- –Confirm the arrival window in writing and ask what communication you will receive if the crew is running late, since poor timing on moving day is one of the most common complaints across reviews.
Also recommended moving companies in Palmerston North
Ranked 6 to 7 on the same public review record.
-
6
HMT 5911 Movers Limited
★ 4.8 23 reviews Top5 Score 1355★ 22 1★ 1HMT 5911 Movers steps in when timing is tight, with reviewers booking same-day furniture pickups and last-minute return trips that the crew turned around without fuss. Chan and the team have packed up homes without the owner present, relocated a full house in a single day, and collected forgotten items a week after the original move.
7C Amesbury Street, Palmerston North Central, Palmerston North
-
7
Allied Moving Services
★ 4.2 133 reviews Top5 Score 1265★ 93 4★ 16 3★ 3 2★ 1 1★ 20Allied Moving Services takes on household relocations, business closures, and international shipments, coordinating multi-load pickups spread across several days to keep large jobs manageable. Rhys, Jack, and the crew are known for packing trucks to capacity without damage, and for covering the full process from delivering boxes before the move through to placing furniture at the destination.
27 El Prado Drive, Milson, Palmerston North
About this ranking
What the 7 moving companies listed above hold, at the 3 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 Palmerston North chosen?
We build this page from Google Maps results for moving companies in Palmerston North. 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?
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?
We build this page from Google Maps results for moving companies in Palmerston North. 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.