Best Last-Minute Moving Companies (Updated Review)

Few things can be more stressful than having to make an emergency move to a new home or apartment on short notice. How are you supposed to find residential moving services that can help with next day or even same day moving?

While this is hardly the ideal moving experience, the good news is that some movers are equipped to help with last-minute moves. By knowing which companies are available to help, you can take some of the hassle out of a stressful situation and get everything safely to your new home.

Best last-minute moving companies

Here are our top moving companies for last-minute moves:

• Best customer service: Mayzlin Relocation
• Best for long-distance moves: U-Pack
• Best for local moves: AirVan North American Van Lines
• Best for transparent pricing: American Van Lines
• Best for flexible moves: Bellhop

Best customer service: Mayzlin Relocation

As a family-owned business, Mayzlin Relocation stands out for its personalized approach to handling moves. Even with a last-minute request, Mayzlin will assign you a moving consultant to help you from start to finish. Mayzlin offers 24/7 live customer support, as well, to help you handle any emergency needs.

Mayzlin can handle local and long-distance moves, no matter how large or small, and provides full-service offerings, including 30 days of free storage. However, it’s important to note that Mayzlin’s service area is limited primarily to the east coast and southern states.

Although smaller than many mega-corporations in the industry, Mayzlin has built a solid reputation for its services and focus on customer satisfaction. That focus is a major reason we also named Mayzlin to our list of best interstate moving companies.

Read our full Mayzlin Relocation review.

Best for long-distance moves: U-Pack

If you need to book long-distance or interstate moving but don’t have the budget for full-service long-distance movers, U-Pack offers an excellent middle ground as a moving trailer and storage container company.

Here’s how it works: you order U-Pack’s ReloCube storage containers or a freight trailer that you will load yourself. You’ll have three days to load the container or trailer, after which U-Pack will transport it to your destination. Temporary storage is also available with the company’s ReloCube containers.

U-Pack storage containers are often available for last-minute moves with just a few days’ notice, though you may not be able to get as many storage containers as you normally could, depending on availability. However, you’ll only pay for the space you use, which can result in significant cost savings, as long as you’re up to the task of loading everything yourself.

Not only is U-Pack a great last-minute solution, we’ve also named them the best moving container company in the nation.

Read our full U-Pack review

Best for local moves: AirVan North American Van Lines

When looking for last-minute full-service local movers, AirVan North American Van Lines is a great place to start your search. Established in 1933, North American Van Lines has more than 500 agents located across the country to help facilitate your move.

This means that no matter where you live, you’re likely to book a local move at the last minute. However, it’s important to note that since North American contracts out some of its services to local movers, the quality can vary depending on your location.

North American’s virtual in-home quotes make it easy to get a fast free estimate for the cost of your move. All you have to do is show your furniture, belongings, and home layout to one of the company’s agents over FaceTime or video chat. Better yet, North American’s not-to-exceed pricing option will give you a maximum limit for how much you’ll pay for your move. If you choose that option, your total cost might come in lower than estimated, but it will never go above the quoted amount.

Read our full North American Van Lines review

Best for transparent pricing: American Van Lines

Looking for clear pricing on last-minute moving services? American Van Lines offers clear, transparent pricing and — best of all — they don’t charge extra fees for last-minute moves.

Transparent pricing isn’t the only thing American Van Lines has to offer. In fact, they’re on our list of best moving van lines for their ability to handle all kinds of moves, including complicated ones. They offer complete packing services, and are equipped to handle specialty items like pianos and hot tubs. Their workers are background-checked and drug-tested, contributing to an excellent customer service score. However, your best bet to get a quick quote is to call them directly, since you can’t get an instant quote online.

Read our full American Van Lines review

Best for flexible moves: Bellhop

For flexible, user-friendly last-minute moves, you can’t go wrong with Bellhop. Thanks to their Uber-like technology, you can book last-minute moving assistance in a hurry. You can reserve a 26-foot truck, which also includes blankets and padding for wrapping furniture. Bellhop provides 16-foot trucks in some locations, so be sure to ask about this if you are making a smaller move.

If you don’t need a truck, you can opt for the labor-only package to help with loading and unloading.

You can book your reservation online through an easy-to-use menu, or chat with an online representative to book help. One thing to keep in mind, though: their teams generally don’t have the specialty know-how needed to help with complex items like pianos or fine art. Their service area is also relatively limited compared to other movers.

Read our full Bellhop review

Comparing the best last-minute moving companies

Need to make a quick comparison of last-minute movers? This chart offers a quick rundown of what you can expect.

Factors to consider when choosing a last-minute moving company

When you’re facing a last-minute rush to find a moving company, it can be tempting to click on whichever name comes up first. Take a breath and relax. It’s always a good idea to compare multiple moving companies so you can make the best decision possible. You can also take a look at our picks for best moving companies for more options.

Consider the following factors:

• Pricing: Make sure you get a quote that accurately reflects your moving needs. Keep in mind that moving costs are often higher for last-minute moves, as many companies charge a flat-rate rush fee because of the extra costs that come when they don’t have a lengthy planning period. Be wary of quotes that seem extra high or too low (i.e. too good to be true). Use our moving cost calculator to quickly compare rates.
• Availability: This can be a tricky one when trying to schedule a last-minute move. Your preferred moving company may not necessarily be available to pick up your stuff on the day you need to move out. This alone is reason to reach out to multiple movers.
• Customer reviews: The internet is your friend when trying to vet whether a last-minute mover is legit. Customer reviews can help verify their services (and the quality of those services). A legit moving company should have at least several years of experience to draw from to aid in your emergency move.
• Available services: When doing a last-minute move, you’re more likely to need full-service moving help simply because of how little time you have to get everything ready. Make sure your mover can provide essential support such as packing materials, packing and unpacking services (including furniture disassembly), and short- or long-term storage services, based on your needs.

Tips for last-minute moves

Achieving a stress-free last-minute move isn’t really possible. But by taking a step back to assess your moving needs, you can at least make the process a bit more manageable.

Here are a few tips to help your last-minute move go as smoothly as possible:

• Look for ways to avoid the need for a last-minute move. When possible, look for ways to delay your move to give yourself some breathing room. This could include renegotiating your move-out date with your landlord, temporarily staying in a hotel, or moving in with a family member. Look into all your options so you’ll have more time to find a mover.

• Ask for help. A last-minute move is no time to try to tough things out. Friends, family members, coworkers, and neighbors could all potentially offer help with everything from providing packing supplies to finding a temporary place to stay. But you have to ask.

• Be wary of too-good-to-be-true offers. Some shady businesses will try to take advantage of desperate people stuck in a last-minute move situation. When you request a moving quote, watch out for hidden fees, especially with lowball estimates that seem too good to be true.

• Don’t let yourself get pressured. Once again, get multiple free quotes so you can compare your options. Scammy movers tend to be pushy to take advantage of your situation so you sign a contract quickly. Reputable movers will be forthright about what they can and cannot do. Trust your instincts if something feels off about a particular mover.

FAQs about choosing last-minute moving companies

What day of the week is best to hire movers?

Professional movers tend to be the busiest on the weekends, when people don’t have to worry about their move conflicting with school or work. If you find yourself in need of short-notice or same day movers, try to hire them for the middle of the week. Since most moving providers aren’t as busy during this time, they should have better availability. Also, your cost estimate could be significantly cheaper than if you tried to book a last-minute weekend move.

How can I move quickly and cheaply?

When you need to move out as quickly and cheaply as possible, renting a moving truck is probably going to be your best bet. Even though you’ll have to do all the heavy lifting yourself, moving trucks are usually available to rent on short notice, and at a lower rate than hiring professional movers. If you need help packing or loading the moving truck, services like Bellhop or HireAHelper can help you get hourly labor on short notice.

How many days notice should be given when hiring movers?

In a perfect world, you’d hire professional movers as soon as you have a moving date selected — usually several weeks or even a few months in advance. This helps ensure that your preferred moving company will be available on the day of your move. It can even help you save money by locking in a lower rate. Similarly, for a short-notice move, you should contact movers as soon as you know you need to move out.