Ballard Preferred Moving

Awesome! I’d have to use profanity to say it any better: they were f***ing awesome.
They were on-​time, good and… though I wouldn’t promise this to anyone: under budget!
Seriously, one guy packed our entire kitchen in 1 hour. 1 guy, 1 hour, kitchen packed. Every drawer, all the plates, everything. Well packed.
We didn’t plan to use them to pack much but they were so fast, why not?
And the move was entirely done before 1pm. Nothing broken, nothing lost.
Not sure what more you could ask for?

As an update to my previous review — we hired John again when we just moved across town. We didn’t even call other companies! They showed up on time, were incredibly careful with our items, and moved very quickly. As before, I couldn’t be happier. Their professionalism and great attitudes were a well needed bright spot in what otherwise was the move from hell (due to the apartment company being completely incompetent).

This review is based on my limited interaction w/​the owner, John, who I thought was overall rude and disorganized.
Setting up the estimate appointment with John, I should have known this was trouble, as complaining and a rude temperament was the vibe I got. I’m from the northeast, and maybe I’ve gotten soft living in Seattle for the last 10 years, but no customer should put up with the kind of energy John gave off. He started complaining how busy he was and how everyone wanted to move on the 4 days I needed help. Then he started complaining how difficult parking would be at the drop off location without asking whether there was a loading zone (there is).
When he arrived at my apartment to do the estimate, he came 15 minutes early, which was great, and although I told him I’d be right up, he seemed adamant that I hurry to meet him outside as he had someplace to be.
Upon a quick inspection of my items, he was able to point out potentially tricky items. Within 3 minutes, he started walking out and said he had to go. I had to stop him to ask him about an estimate, which he gave me with his back turned to me walking out the door.
Although I made it clear I only needed help with the big items and that I had a 4 hour window for my move-​in reservation, the written estimate (which I had to email him for the next day) stated it would take a few guys 6 – 7 hours to move my stuff, which seemed really long given that I have a 1 bedroom apartment, the destination was only 3 miles away, and a friend and I moved all this stuff out of my old house and into my current apartment in less than 4 hours. When I reiterated that I only needed help w/​the big items and that I would need to limit the move to 4 hours, he insisted that his crew needed 6 – 7 hours.
Needless to say, I did not end up hiring John for this job. There are a lot of nicer, more professional 5-​star rated movers on Unilocal.You should consider using them first.

I’m so thrilled I found these guys! I had a last minute request and they not only came out with in an hour of my request, but even called guys who were on their day off to make it happen!!! They were hilarious and so positive in a very slap stick kind of way. They’ve got my business for life! Thanks John, Guy, and Chad!

I have moved a lot of times and used movers from very large corporate moving companies and several local companies. Ballard Moving and storage was the best moving company, out of 13 (yes, 13) moves. Great group of guys.

If I could give Ballard Preferred Moving SIX stars, I would.
My recent move was one of the easiest movesI have made, and a big part of the credit goes to ME for choosing Ballard Preferred Moving. John goes the extra mile for his clients– he is professional, polite and practical. His demeanor is no nonsense, he was forthright and honest in his assessment, then managed to exceed expectations. When he learned that I had no other transport to make a local move, he and his team did an extra load before the big moving day, to make my move less stressful. His team is beyond the pale in courtesy and are cheerful and hard working. I can’t thank them enough for all that they did in such a short amount of time.
If you want a professional experienced and courteous movers in the Seattle area, this is the business you call.

Beware: Get your estimate in writing. I worked with John, the owner and he quoted me «straight time» only, after visiting my home and taking a look at everything that would be moved. During a phone call a week prior to my move, he told me he’d be there at no charge, to get his guys started. He left after the items were moved to my new home, and one of his employees settled up with me at the end of the day. I was charged an extra $ 350 for John’s time.
I contacted John personally several times. He has yet to respond to calls or emails, and cashed my check.
If I could rate the owner and the actual movers seperately, I’d give the movers 5 stars. They did an excellent job. But I’d warn everyone considering using them to get your estimate in writing.

John and his team have moved me, my father, and many of my friends countless times over the last 15 years — office to office, home to home. I can’t say enough good things about working with Ballard Preferred. For many people, moving is a highly emotional exprerience — but the BPM group really knows how to «organize» the customer to make the move go smoothly and their advice on even the smallest details is invaluable. They make moving almost fun.
As a matter of fact they are moving me again in a few weeks!
On another note, the price is alway fair and never a surprise!
And they are very FAST.
What else could anyone need?.

John was easy to work with, punctual (early actually so be ready), respectful, careful, fun to be around, and flexible. He’s been in the business so long some of his clients consider him their moving therapist. Did I mention he’s also affordable?
Thank you John for making our move remarkably easy.

What can I say other than it was the best moving experience ever?
I’ve moved countless times, and just couldn’t muster doing it myself with my daughter.
John came over, gave us an estimate, loaned us some boxes for odd sized things, then showed up on time and in a great mood, loaded and unloaded everything carefully and quickly. Just delightful!
I really appreciated the friendliness and good cheer. Just what you need when you’re stressed by moving yet again.
Thanks, John. When we need a mover, we know who to call again!
And we are recommending him to all our friends in Seattle, too.

Ballard Preferred has moved my parents twice, our business twice, and my boss’s family once. John O’Connell really knows his stuff and there’s no job too large or too small. He’s honest and reasonably priced. He and his crew are timely, careful, quick, and friendly. What’s not to like? There simply is no better mover in town.

I can’t say enough about John and his team. I called with barely 2 weeks before my move, they already had one scheduled for the morning but were able to get me in right after. They showed up exactly on time, they were fast and careful with my items on loading, they wrapped a jewelry armoire for me, they provided hanging wardrobes for moving clothes and they were loaded in no time. Unloading went even quicker, they could not have been more efficient and mindful of the time spent to get the job done. I REALLY appreciated this. I didn’t have one item broken, chipped or even a mark out of place. On top of everything they were friendly and a pleasure to do business with. I can’t recommend them enough. If I move again, they will be the only ones on my list to call.

We needed to get an in-​city move done right before Christmas. Thanks to some contracting work, I wasn’t able to even start looking for a moving service until early December. My realtor had highly recommended Ballard Preferred Moving, so I decided to start with them. I had no trouble reaching them by phone to make arrangements. The owner came out and looked over both houses. He was brisk but friendly and seemed solidly professional. He said they were fairly busy but he could squeeze us in the weekend before Christmas, weather permitting. Given their solid reputation and the short notice, I didn’t even ask what the cost was going to be.
He and his packing team showed up a little early Saturday morning. They tore through the place boxing everything in sight. I had stuff we were planning to junk and stuff belonging to my landlord scattered all over the house. I had marked such items with tags of blue tape, and not a single one of those turned up at the new house. They asked where we were planning to spend the night and then left the beds intact. They showed up early again on Sunday and whooshed everything that was left over at full speed.
We have a couple of oversized pieces of furniture, and it wasn’t clear if they were going up to the third floor where we wanted them. Since their final location affected where most other stuff went, they moved them in the first load. Amazingly, they got all the oversized items exactly where we wanted them. Even the owner didn’t think they’d manage to get one bookcase up there, but through removing a door and moving in tiny increments, they managed it.
They put the door back on, didn’t take off our banisters, and generally were very careful not to bump or scuff anything. I was impressed by the combination of speed and care. They put down protective materials for the floors and corners wherever they could. They made a good effort to deposit boxes and furniture in the rooms we wanted.
The only problem we had was the window A/​C at the old house. Despite yeoman efforts from half their team, we were never able to get the thing out of the window. I really appreciated all the effort they put into it even though they ultimately had to abandon it. (If you’re reading this guys, we found the instructions. Turns out the secret was to remove the front panel. That exposed the handle for sliding the unit out of the chassis which exposed the last three screws.)
When they presented the bill, it was considerably less than I’d been prepared to pay for such a high quality, short notice move. I have no plans to move again anytime soon, but if I do I will totally call these guys first. My only warning to you is be ready before they show up — they move FAST.

John and his team have moved both me and a family member– both moves went as smooth as can be. If you want the «white glove» treatment at very reasonable rates then BPM is for you.
They really go the extra mile– you’ll be very surprised then writing your own five star review after they flawlessly move your household.