Best Moving Companies in Palmerston North
We assessed 7 moving companies in Palmerston North and ranked the top 5 on their public review record: rating quality, review volume and how recent the reviews are. The 7 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
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.
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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.
location_on 17 Bennett Street, Cloverlea, Palmerston North
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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.
location_on 96 Princess Street, Palmerston North Central, Palmerston North
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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.
location_on 12 Humphries Place, Awapuni, Palmerston North
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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.
location_on 21 Liberty Grove, Kelvin Grove, Palmerston North
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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.
location_on 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? expand_more
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? expand_more
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? expand_more
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? expand_more
- –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.
What should you ask before booking a moving company? expand_more
- –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.
Moving Companies ranked 6 to 7 in Palmerston North
They scored below the top 5 on the same public review record.
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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.
location_on 7C Amesbury Street, Palmerston North Central, Palmerston North
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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.
location_on 27 El Prado Drive, Milson, Palmerston North
Related Palmerston North rankings
About this ranking
How are the top moving companies in Palmerston North chosen? expand_more
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. See how we rank for the full method.
How often are rankings updated? expand_more
Every category and city is recrawled on a rolling cycle, about every two months. This page was last checked on 3 September 2026.
Can a business pay to appear in this list? expand_more
No. Top 5 and Also Recommended positions are merit-only and cannot be purchased. Verifying a business is free. A subscription adds a website link on the card, a public profile page, and competitor and ranking history in the owner's dashboard, none of which affects ranking position. 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 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. At the last update, the smallest review count among the 7 businesses listed here was 23. Check where you rank or read how rankings work.