I Compared 3 Quotes for My Move from Colorado to Texas
As told to moveBuddha
- Jennifer W. moved from Centennial, Colorado, to Spring, Texas, in August 2022 to clear out a storage unit before settling abroad, a 990-mile move covering the contents of a 5 x 5 storage unit with fewer than 20 items.
- After comparing three quotes, she hired MiniMoves, and her Colorado-to-Texas move came in at $2,176, about $120 under the original quote of $2,296.
- This is Jennifer’s story, shared as part of moveBuddha’s Better Moves Project.
This account is based on a conversation with Jennifer W., who moved from Colorado to Texas in August 2022 using MiniMoves. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
My partner and I had recently retired and moved to Mexico, but we hedged our bets by storing our belongings in a 5 x 5 unit in Centennial, Colorado, in case the ex-pat lifestyle didn’t stick.
Once it was clear we were staying, paying ongoing storage fees no longer made sense. My mother had free attic space in Spring, Texas, about 990 miles away, and moving the items there was the smarter financial call.
I didn’t want the hassle of renting a truck and driving it myself, so I focused on finding a full-service mover. I used moveBuddha’s moving cost calculator to compare quotes and get a sense of what the move should cost.
My MiniMoves experience at a glance
Here’s how the move went from start to finish.
- Pricing accuracy and transparency: My move cost slightly less than the original quote. I paid $2,176 against an estimate of $2,296.
- Customer service: MiniMoves’ office staff was polite and professional, but they were difficult to reach. I gave them poor marks for communication throughout the move.
- Crew efficiency and professionalism: The movers were personable and efficient at both the pickup in Colorado and the delivery in Texas.
- Timeliness: My items were delivered one day later than the original window.
- Loss and damage: Nothing was lost or damaged on my move.
- Would I use MiniMoves again? MiniMoves came in under budget with no damage and only a minor delay on a 1,000-mile move. Overall, I was happy with MiniMoves and would use them again.
rating
4.8 / 5
Why I needed to move a small shipment from Colorado to Texas
My partner and I retired and moved to Mexico, but we weren’t sure the lifestyle would suit us in the long term. To keep our options open, we put our belongings into a 5 x 5 storage unit in Colorado.
Once we were settled and knew Mexico was home, I didn’t want to keep paying storage fees indefinitely. My mother had attic space in Spring, Texas, about 990 miles away, and moving the items there made more sense than continuing to store them.
I considered renting a moving van from a company like U-Haul or Penske and doing it myself, but that felt inconvenient and exhausting. My shipment didn’t include any specialty items, but it did include items with real sentimental value, including family photos and holiday decorations.
Since I was coordinating everything from Mexico, I needed a company that could give me an accurate estimate and reliable communication.
My move at a glance
| Move date | August 4, 2022 |
|---|---|
| Moved from | Centennial, Colorado |
| Moved to | Spring, Texas |
| Distance | 990 miles |
| Move size | the contents of a 5 x 5 storage unit (less than 20 items) |
| Moving company | MiniMoves |
| Moving quote | $2,296 |
| Actual cost | $2,176 |
Why I chose MiniMoves
I spent about two and a half weeks searching for the right company using Google, moveBuddha, and the Better Business Bureau.
After reading moveBuddha’s Best Options for Small Moves guide, I searched for “small moves from Denver to Houston,” skimmed the results, read reviews, and contacted several companies for estimates.
It took a few missed calls before I finally connected with Paul from MiniMoves, who provided a binding quote based on an inventory form I’d filled out on their website.
MiniMoves’ quote was a bit more than I wanted to spend, but the company had an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau (BBB), wasn’t a broker, and the reviews I found online were mostly positive.
I was initially leaning toward ShipSmart to save money, but alarm bells went off when I read multiple reviews from customers whose final costs had jumped significantly.
After mulling it over for a few days, I bit the bullet and went with MiniMoves. Getting ahold of Paul still took persistence, but his patience and professionalism reassured me. I signed the contract and gave them my credit card information to lock in my date and crew.
rating
4.8 / 5
Quotes I compared
Here’s how my three estimates stacked up:
| Moving company | Estimated weight/number of items | Estimated cost |
|---|---|---|
| MiniMoves | 14 items (MiniMoves’ estimate was based on the number of items Jennifer was moving) | $2,296 |
| Sterling Van Lines | 1,232 pounds | $2,477 |
| ShipSmart | 632 pounds | $1,795 |
MiniMoves’ estimate covered everything but packing (nearly everything was already packed) and extra insurance. I chose not to purchase additional coverage because my items weren’t valuable enough to justify the deductible.
Pre-move preparation
After booking, Paul told me delivery would take between one and three weeks and that he’d follow up within a day or two with a pickup time.
I didn’t hear back until about a week before my move, when a customer service representative from Amazing Moves (MiniMoves’ partner in Colorado) called to schedule pickup.
They initially wanted noon, but I had a lunch meeting. The representative worked around my schedule and set the arrival window for 2 to 4 PM.
Since I was still in Mexico, my preparations were limited to staying organized, buying plane tickets, and hoping for the best. I planned to arrive in Colorado the day before the movers, discard and donate what I didn’t need, and label the boxes clearly so I’d know what was in them later.
Pickup day
On move day (August 4th), the movers had trouble finding the storage facility. They called several times for directions, but the calls came up as out-of-state on my phone, so I didn’t pick up. We eventually connected, and the crew arrived just before 3 PM, well within the 2 to 4 PM window.
Amazing Moves’ Denver-based crew was professional and personable. I was impressed with how carefully they built out a detailed inventory and handled my items. Loading took less than an hour, and according to the movers, my shipment was even smaller than expected.
Communication while my things were in transit
My original delivery window was August 11th through the 25th. When I called for a status update on the 15th, I was told my things hadn’t even left Colorado.
I made more calls over the following days and left several voicemails, but it was days before anyone got back to me. I initiated nearly all the communication with MiniMoves after my items were loaded. Only one of my calls was returned, and the information I got was vague and unhelpful.
I assumed the teams at MiniMoves and Amazing Moves were overworked, but as the customer, I was putting in most of the effort to keep my move on track. Delivery was eventually scheduled for the 26th, but since I couldn’t be there that day, I had to arrange for my mother’s neighbor to meet the movers.
Delivery day
My original delivery window ended on the 25th, but my things weren’t delivered until the 26th. The movers in Texas (Roadrunner Moving) were running late but didn’t call to let me know, so I had to reach out to find out what was going on. I was told the company had difficulty rounding up enough movers that morning.
The service window was 8 to 10 AM, but the crew didn’t arrive until just after noon. It wasn’t a disaster, but the lack of communication made everything more stressful than it needed to be.
Despite the late arrival, the movers were courteous and careful, and everything ended up where it needed to be with no loss or damage.
Final thoughts
Communication was the biggest source of frustration on my move, and I was surprised by it given MiniMoves’ reputation.
It may have been partly a peak-season issue, because I moved during one of the busiest stretches of the year. On the pricing side, I paid about $120 less than my estimate, but I never found out how my final charges were calculated, so I didn’t walk away feeling like the pricing was particularly transparent.
There was room for improvement, but when I look at the full picture:
- My move came in under budget
- My items arrived only one day late
- Nothing was lost or damaged
Considering I moved a small shipment nearly 1,000 miles during the peak summer moving season, that’s a pretty good outcome.
Planning a similar small-load move? Use moveBuddha’s moving cost calculator to compare quotes from vetted movers and find the best price for your route.
My ratings
I gave MiniMoves the following scores on a scale of 1 to 5:
- Communication: 1. I initiated nearly every check-in after pickup, and the responses I did receive were vague. For a move I was coordinating from another country, this was the most stressful part of the entire process.
- Timeliness: 2. The delivery crew arrived a day outside my window and several hours past the 8 to 10 AM scheduled time, with no proactive updates on the delay.
- Overall experience: 2. I didn’t feel like I got my money’s worth. I didn’t think it should cost more than $2,000 to move such a small shipment. That said, MiniMoves’ quote was in line with the competition, the actual movers in Colorado and Texas were professional and careful, and I came in under budget. The communication gaps were what pulled the score down.
Looking back, 22 days is actually a relatively quick turnaround for a move like mine. And while I’d rather spend $2,176 on anything other than moving, the quote was competitive, and moving costs are genuinely high given current equipment, labor, and fuel prices.
Tips for future movers
These are the practical steps we recommend based on Jennifer’s experience:
- Understand the difference between brokers and agent networks. MiniMoves is not a broker, but the pickup and delivery were both handled by partner companies. This is standard across most van lines, but it’s worth asking your sales contact who will actually be loading and delivering your items so you know what to expect.
- Plan for communication gaps during peak season. If you’re moving between May and September, movers are at full capacity. Ask upfront how and when you’ll receive transit updates, and don’t assume proactive outreach is the norm.
- Don’t choose based on price alone. Jennifer’s instinct to skip ShipSmart based on recent customer reviews was the right call. A lower quote isn’t a deal if costs balloon at delivery. Check recent reviews specifically for mentions of price changes at the end of a move.
- If you’re coordinating a move remotely, build in extra buffer time. Jennifer was managing everything from Mexico, which made communication gaps especially stressful. Give yourself a wider window and designate a trusted local contact who can be present at both pickup and delivery if you can’t be there.
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