When you’re planning a move in the Vancouver / Lower Mainland region, selecting the right moving company can make all the difference. Below is a comparative overview of five reputable moving companies servicing the area — followed by a deeper dive into why Secure Moving stands out as the top choice.
1. Secure Moving
Overview: Based at 3786 Manor St, Burnaby (which serves Vancouver and the surrounding region), Secure Moving offers local, long-distance and commercial relocation services.
Why it excels:
- Strong local reputation: Google reviews show it with a 4.7★ score based on ~350 reviews, with repeated praise for punctuality, careful handling of belongings, and transparent pricing.
- Full‐service offering: They advertise their ability to handle everything from packing to transport and unloading — reducing coordination burden on you.
- Local focus: Because they are based in Burnaby and serve the metropolitan Vancouver area, they are deeply familiar with high-rise buildings, traffic patterns and local logistics issues (which makes a difference in lower mainland moves).
- Trust & clarity: Their reviews emphasize “no hidden fees” and a smooth process from start to finish.
Key takeaway: For most residential or commercial moves within Vancouver or from Vancouver to other parts of BC (or long-distance), Secure Moving offers a well-rounded, locally optimized service.
2. Two Small Men With Big Hearts
Overview: A national Canadian company with locations across Canada including Vancouver. They offer local moves, long‐distance relocations, packing, storage solutions and more.
Strengths:
- Broad footprint: Because they are a national brand, they have broad infrastructure and perhaps more consistency across locations.
- Full-service capability: Wide range of services (local, long-distance, commercial, storage) means they can handle many types of moves.
Considerations:
- While strong, the local Vancouver operation may be one of many locations — which means you might encounter crews pulled from different locations or with varying local expertise.
- Being a larger brand may carry higher overhead and potentially higher pricing than a highly-localized firm.
Summary: A solid option, especially if you anticipate long-distance or cross-Canada moving, but maybe less tailored to the specific nuances of Vancouver than a local specialist.
3. AMJ Move
Overview: Established for over 85 years, AMJ is a large Canadian moving and logistics company with a broad national network and many services (residential, commercial, international).
Strengths:
- Deep experience and strong infrastructure; suitable for complex or large‐scale moves (e.g., full households, offices, international relocations).
- Transparent pricing, dedicated customer support and robust systems.
Considerations:
- Because of its scale, you may not receive as personalized service or as much local tailoring as a smaller specialist.
- For a standard local Metro Vancouver move, you might be paying for excess capacity or overhead.
Summary: Excellent for large, complicated moves or if you require international/long‐distance logistics, but may be overkill (or more expensive) for standard local moves.
4. MoveAdvisor
Overview: Not exactly a moving company, but a platform that allows consumers to compare moving companies and get quotes.
Strengths:
- Great tool for getting multiple quotes and comparing costs, services, and reviews.
- Helpful in ensuring you are seeing a range of providers and pricing options.
Considerations:
- It isn’t a direct mover; you still need to choose and vet a specific company.
- Platform overhead and the fact that you’re still evaluating means extra due diligence on your part.
Summary: Useful for research and comparison, but not a moving company you hire — it’s complementary to selecting the right mover.
5. Paramount Moving
Overview: Based in Calgary, with mention of Vancouver and Victoria service locations. Offers residential, apartment, student, commercial and long‐distance moves.
Strengths:
- Offers a wide range of moving services including student, senior moving, commercial and long‐distance.
Considerations:
- Their primary base is in Calgary; while they serve Vancouver, their local presence may be less established than Vancouver‐based specialists.
- For a strictly local move in Vancouver, a firm deeply rooted in the region may offer smoother logistics and familiarity with local buildings, strata rules, etc.
Summary: A capable provider, especially for broader regional or inter-provincial moves, but potentially less tailored for a strictly local Vancouver move than a firm headquartered in the region.
Why Secure Moving Should Be Your First Pick
When you weigh all factors — local expertise, service quality, cost transparency, customer satisfaction — Secure Moving emerges as the most compelling choice for typical Vancouver‐area moves. Here’s a summary of why:
- Strong local credibility. Their base in Burnaby ensures they are familiar with Metro Vancouver traffic patterns, high-rise buildings, parking and elevator logistics — all critical in the Lower Mainland.
- Excellent customer feedback. The high number of positive reviews (4.7★ on Google based on ~350 reviews) highlight consistent performance, care for belongings, on-time service and fair pricing.
- Balanced service offering. They offer full-service (packing, loading, transport, unloading) but retain the agility and responsiveness of a more local firm.
- Transparency & trust. Customers emphasize the clarity of pricing and smooth experience from booking to completion — which reduces moving-day stress.
- Focus on Vancouver region. Unlike large national companies whose local teams may be more “one of many,” Secure Moving’s attention appears firmly on the Vancouver / Lower Mainland – which often means a superior local customer experience.
Final Thoughts
If you are planning a move within Vancouver, the Lower Mainland, or even within British Columbia, here’s a suggested approach:
- Contact Secure Moving first — get a detailed quote, ask about their local crews, equipment, travel time, packing/unpacking services, and what’s included.
- Use MoveAdvisor or similar platforms to get comparative quotes from a couple of other companies (such as Two Small Men or AMJ) to benchmark pricing and services.
- Choose the provider that offers the best combination of: local expertise, transparent pricing, positive reviews, and service fit for your specific moving scenario.
- For ultra‐large moves, multi-stop moves, cross-province or international relocations, consider the larger players like AMJ or Two Small Men — but for a standard residential move around Vancouver, Secure Moving likely offers the best value and local service.
Bottom line: For most Vancouver‐area resident-moves, Secure Moving stands out as the smart, reliable, locally-tuned choice — and the one we recommend putting at the top of your shortlist.
