I have moved from Chula Vista to Mission Valley on May 7th. Roy, Silvester and Angel were movers.I have already moved a lot of knick-knacks including kitchen stuffs and most of clothings. What movers had to do was move furnitures and boxed stuffs. What I noticed was they did their job in a leisurely way. It seemed to me they were thinking : hey what's the point of finishing early ? Do I get extra credit or any reward for it ? No, by finishing early I will get less because customer will be charged minimum amount written on the contract. What do you think I moved stuffs in advance before movers come to my place for ? To finish it early, right ? If they finished it early, I would have definitely tipped them good. When moving was over, I tipped them anyway. They were courteous, though. Derek on the other hand, was very efficient and professional. He answered all of my questions very quickly and sent me a reminder email before moving date. read more

Moving last week was a breeze thanks to Roy and Juan. They are great guys and I would HIGHLY recommend them to anyone (and actually already have). They arrived early, were super flexible and accommodating and just all around cool guys. From the moment Roy and Juan arrived, we knew we had made the right choice in working with Derek and his team. The guys were super careful, wrapping items and placing them into the truck quickly and gently. We really felt like we were having a couple of friends help move us, they were so easy to work with. We will certainly be using 1st Choice Movers every time we make a move in the future. Seriously, if you are on the fence with who to hire, this is it. Derek is FAST at responding to emails, he is really easy going and the whole experience comes without all of the cold interactions I found when contacting other companies. Thanks so much, guys! Key Points: Team: Roy and Juan -They arrived early -When they had a morning cancellation, they offered to come even earlier -Super Friendly -REALLY responsive guy in charge -Gentle, Fast and Smart -Affordable, Flexible and Relaxed -Completed the move in just barely over 3 hours (inner-city move, all furniture in 900 sq ft apartment) read more

I give 1st Choice Movers "greater than" 5 stars!!! I initially e-mailed the top 10 movers I found on YELP (by stars and by reviews). I sent messages out on 11/18/12, a Sunday, and the very first to respond was Derek with 1st Choice Movers --- I was very impressed (1st impressions are important). Few/Some of the other companies called, but were either very vague on their changes and/or they nickel and dimed you on every little thing (using their dollies, blankets, fuel costs, etc.). Derek was straight up --- $279 which covered 2 movers and truck, 3 hours min, no additional charges. Move was scheduled for 12/4/12 @ 0815. On moving day Leo and Carlos arrived at 0806 (not late, again, I was impressed). Both Leo and Carlos were extremely polite, courteous, and efficient. They moved me from Chula Vista to Old Town, SD in 2hr 34min. This company knows Customer Service and Customer Satisfaction!!! Thanks Derek, Leo, and Carlos! I appreciate you and the 1:1 support and attention you provided me and my family. read more

Wow. You never know what you're going to get with movers because there are so many options and a lot of fake reviews out there. We took a chance with 1st Choice (after some recent disappointments with other companies - see below) and trust me when I tell you, these are the only movers I will ever use again or recommend to other people. Here's how it went... Called for a last minute in-city, 4 stop move. Derek emailed me back instantly, super nice, could fit me in on Sunday afternoon. Yay. Sunday rolls around and they're running early, which is fantastic because we didn't want to go late into the night. Great start. Asa and Gary texted when they were 30 minutes out and showed up at the first stop when they said they would. Perfect. Here's the best part: they moved everything in the time we thought it would take WITHOUT DAMAGING ANYTHING. No scratched walls. No banged up furniture. No dawdling. Eager to help with anything we needed. AMAZING. As for the recent experience with other moving companies, we just moved to SD from LA and the movers who brought us down here were nice but banged up A LOT of stuff - furniture, walls, frames, etc. At the end of the move, the owner did a little scam and charged us more. Also, one of the stops we made with 1st Choice was to get some things out of storage. The movers we used to get the stuff in there were gruff and obnoxious. So in summary: 1st Choice was great with the furniture, great with time, price was excellent (no hidden charges or last minute surprises), and couldn't be more accommodating. Shall I be corny and say these guys are my 1st Choice forever? Yes. read more

This review is long overdue. Over a month ago I hired 1st Choice Movers to pack and move half of my 4 bedroom house. The personal circumstances were pretty unpleasant but Derrick and his team made the experience much less painful. For one thing, Derrick was incredibly accommodating, and didn't even indicate the work that went into moving the date for the packers at the last minute. Only later did I hear that the packers had to rearrange personal schedules and hire babysitters to enable the change! And when they told me this, they weren't complaining, it just came up in the course of the conversation. Brenda and her team were very likable, efficient and careful with my objects. I have a lot of art and was nervous about a few pieces and they put me at ease immediately. Then Joe, Josh and Leland showed up. They were equally efficient and careful - and each had a great sense of humor. At one point they were moving an object that had a really delicate surface and one of them actually removed his shirt so they could use it like gloves to protect the finish on the piece! I would strongly recommend this team to anyone. I have already referred them and will continue to do so. I would trust them with my next move wholeheartedly. read more

I've used 1st Choice Movers twice in the last 4 months, and both moves were easy and smooth! I decided on this company because of the high level of customer service provided by Derek. He is very responsive to emails and extremely personable. His teams called both times with an estimated time of arrival, and were polite and courteous. They did their best to complete the moves as quickly as possible (one-bedroom house moves complete in less than 3 hours), and were gentle with my belongings. I hope I don't have to move again soon but, if I do, I'll definitely use 1st Choice! read more

This place is really 5 stars. How many companies, restaurants, anything gets five stars. Derek the owner is really responsive. We set up the move within a couple of emails and everything about the move is clearly laid out. The movers Paul, Edsone, and Juan came on time. They carefully pack things. We did not have scratches on our furniture like with typical moving companies. I would totally use them again. Highly recommend. read more

This was the best moving experience my wife and I have had. Being in the military, we have moved 4 times in the past six years, and first choice movers achieved our goal of hiring movers without breaking the bank. Long story short, we had all of our stuff packed away, and were hoping to get the move done in less than three hours so as to save a little money. We expressed as much to Jose, Stan, and Robert, and these guys busted their tails to get this done. Not only did they kick ass, but they did it with sincere care for the maintenance of our furniture. Finally, all three were nice as hell and showed perfect professionalism. If you have a choice of movers, these guys definitely should be the choice. read more

I was very happy with the outcome of my move. The guys worked quickly and efficiently and were all a pleasure to work with. There was one little hiccup with putting my bed back together, but they went out of their way to return and make it right. I would highly recommend 1st Choice Movers to anyone making a local move. read more

Straight forward, professional, on-time, trustworthy, and hustled. What more could you asked for. This was by far the best moving experience that I have ever had. And I have had a few. I have moved five times in four years. I will you 1st choice movers again, no question! read more

Late posting this review. We moved Oct 8th, and I cannot say enough good things about these movers.. Not a scratch on anything. They shrink wrapped our fragile furniture with blankets. They moved a 4 bedroom house. At the new residence, they moved out a refrigerator, moved stuff out of the garage, moved in our stuff, then moved stuff to our storage unit. it was amazing how well organized they are. read more

Decent, honest help for an affordable price. We hired 1st Choice to help move a truckload of our big furniture and essential items from a condo to a house. I had to rent the truck. One big guy did most of the moving while a much smaller guy organized the truck. Since it was the last day of the month, and not their first move of the day, they were already pretty tired. It was not pointed out that day, but a couple of the pieces of furniture did get scratched pretty badly. The guys were so exhausted by the time they got to the house that they didn't want to put things where they belonged, so much of it just stayed in the garage. I wish I had pushed them a bit more, because what would have taken them an hour took me a couple days. Overall, they're great. It's a step up from doing everything on your own. I would probably use them again, because they seem to be dominating good reviews on yelp at the moment. :) read more

I am late for my reviews, since we're still settling down in the new place. But I feel obliged to give my 5 stars to the 3-man team led by Leo (sorry I forgot the other two names). No surprises from the begining till the end. since we move a lot, on averag once a year, i know whom to call next year. :) read more

This is the second time I have used them in two years and I couldn't be more happy with the service. Derek was able to fit in his schedule my last minute small move. Then his team arrived on time, Lye and James were very professional, polite and helpful. They offered to help us in anyway they could. It is just a great service overall. This is my First Choice moving company for sure! read more

Second move with Derek and we truly would never choose another moving company again. I told Derek moving is like a visit to the Dr....not really what you want to do, but I'm so glad once it's done that I've chosen the best. :) There really is a reason why 1st Choice Movers has consistent 5 star reviews on Yelp. They are that good. Polite, friendly and experience movers who show up on time! I was scheduled for an 8:30 am start time and the truck and guys were there at 8:20. Word of advice. BE ready. They really aren't there to pet your cat. They're ready to work and really appreciated us being completely packed and ready. One of the guys complimented us and said our estimated and quoted time would probably be really accurate because of our organization. They were done literally exactly at the 3 hour mark. Perfect! Not one ding on any of our furniture or walls either. They were awesome! Derek runs a tight ship and even emailed us later in the afternoon to thank us. Thank you Derek! We hope we won't need you for awhile...but when we do 1st Choice will be our only call. read more

Moving is stressful but Derek and his team worked to make it a smooth process. I chose 1st Choice because of the recommendations on Yelp and I was not disappointed. In all honesty moving day was better than expected. All three movers were polite and professional. They were quick yet careful. Best part of the entire move was watching Ronnie skillfully fill my 10x10 storage unit with all of my earthly belongings- with room to spare! I highly recommend reaching out to Derek for your next move. Professional, punctual, and clear communicators! read more

These were the best movers I had. They moved me on 8/30/10. Super fast, really friendly. They moved me out of a 2 story condo on the 2nd floor of a building with the slowest elevator and into a storage unit on the 2nd floor of a building in under 3 hours (including transportation time). Amazing. I highly recommend. read more

I followed all the reviews and went with 1st Choice Movers to move us into our new home. I even had to postpone our original move date (since we lagged on packing) and Derek was able to accommodate within a week. Their pricing is super straight forward and no random surprises. The moving truck even looked nice and we'll kept - not like some beat up ones I often see on the road. The guys moved everything quickly and efficiently and they were done an hour before we expected! I highly recommend 1st Choice and will definitely use them again. read more

This is our third time using 1st Choice Movers! Derek is quick to respond and provides detailed information. The day before we moved I thought there was no way all our stuff was going to be packed up and ready! Enter the packers: Brenda, Heidi and Lilly. These ladies did an amazing job! I was amazed with all they did and we were appreciative of the great job they did labeling the boxes also! The guys who moved us were very hardworking and respectful! read more

When it was time to move again recently, my first contact was 1st Choice Movers based on the great experience we had the first time around. Same as before, Derek responded to my quote request promptly and was responsive, informative, and professional throughout. Just out of curiosity, I got some other quotes from a few other companies, and 1st Choice came out best. Same as last time, IT RAINED on our move day. But, the crew was on time, careful, thorough and professional (though our downtown building made it difficult and there were delays, they remained upbeat throughout). Bottom line: I trust 1st Choice movers and they are worth every penny! read more

These guys are great! They were nice guys, mostly professional. They were careful were our furniture and boxes as it were their own. My only reason for giving a 5 star is there were a few boxes put in garage that needed to go upstairs... clearly labeled. There were other boxes stacked on top that we had to move. Also, they like to play unedited rap music. I was not liking that considering the impression it could leave on our new neighbors. I would definitely use them again because they were very careful, nothing damaged, and the crew was nice. read more

I can't describe how much I hate moving. And as a military family, we get to do it A LOT. I think I have seen it all from a lot of movers, shady business practices, cryptic charges, all the surprise charges they spring on you the day of the move, laziness, lateness...you name it. So anyway, last month when I needed to move from Tierrasanta down to IB I really wasn't looking forward to it. We did all the packing of the household goods ourselves and rented a pack rat POD for those items, however we still had a household full of large furniture and a piano that I knew we needed professional help with. Trying to find movers is hard, getting one to actually call you back and shoot straight with you is even harder. That was definitely NOT the case with Derek and 1st Choice. Derek promptly responded to all our emails and phone calls, was very honest and upfront with all pricing (he gave us a solid range for the move, with a minimum and maximum price, something that I hadn't ever seen any other moving company do). Other companies were giving us estimates to have two or three guys and one truck come out, and after Derek heard our list of what we had to move, he immediately said that he would want five guys and two trucks, which made more sense to me, esp with moving the piano. Anyway, the day of the move they were scheduled to arrive at 8 AM, and they showed up 10 minutes early, which was great. They also had the five guys Derek promised and two trucks, with all the correct packing gear (tie downs, furniture pads, etc...). I can't tell you how many times I have had movers show up without the # of guys promised or with some crappy truck without any moving equipment - and of course the day of you just have to suck it up and deal with their excuses. Definitely not the case here. Derek showed up with his crew that morning and they got right to it. My wife and I had cleared out the house of everything other than the stuff they wanted to move, so we had it very organized, which in turn made it easier for the movers. Anyway, they had everything in the trucks by 11 AM. Trucks made it down to IB and after lunch they started unpacking at 1 PM and were down at 3 PM. Nothing broken, nothing damaged. The price came out right in the middle of the range Derek gave me. I paid by check, which was nice (a lot of movers only want cash, which I think is a little shady). For once in my life, I didn't mind tipping the movers, all of which were friendly, capable guys that treated my family and my possessions with respect. They also cleaned up after themselves - I have had movers take off and leave junk laying around which annoys the heck out of me. I sincerely believe that any other moving company would have taken the entire day and still not have finished - mainly because they would have low-balled the job and just sent a couple of guys and one truck, which they probably would have used as an excuse to make multiple trips in the truck (most companies also like to charge you extra for each trip of the truck, which is one of those BS things that 1st Choice didn't do). Anyway, I would definitely use these guys again, and I am recommending them to friends as well. read more

The whole experience was great! Derek made it very easy to schedule and estimate the job. Evan, Andy and Aday were right on time, very efficient and very polite. The job was completed about an hour before I had anticipated. Thank you for your excellent service! read more

We were really happy to get some good help with our move from an apartment to a town-home and were mostly looking for a mover who can help us with the heavy stuff (desks, bed, BBQ, TV, sideboard and so on). 2 Movers showed up on time and did a great job, even though it was raining! They had to carry the sideboard up to the third floor and did a great job with a very heavy piece. We did end up with a scratch or two on the white ceiling but they informed us about it immediately and apologized. It's no big deal since it's the white ceiling and not the painted walls and I really appreciated the notice and apology. It can happen with very heavy and bulky pieces in a tight stairway - so I understand. They packed everything very neatly and securely in the truck and had lots of blankets with them. Our furniture is in great shape and those two were very nice and happy even after all the hard work. Derek was very quick to answer my call and offered an appointment on the day of our choice. Great customer service - they were able to bring a truck - would definitely use them again! Thanks again! read more

Roy, James and Lyle are the best movers we've ever had, and we've moved state-to-state several times. This time we moved within San Diego, and they handled everything with care. From the moment they got out of the truck to the final part when they left, everything went as well as it could. Thanks 1st Choice Movers! read more

I REALLY wanted to like these guys. My goodness the yelp reviews are outstanding. Perhaps I got unlucky or perhaps it was an off day for these guys? PROS: -Derek got back to me with a response right away when I first called to book a move. This made me hopeful from the beginning. -The price is really affordable as far as moving rates go. -The movers (can't remember names) were friendly enough. CONS: -They were not as careful with my belongings as I had hoped they would be. For some reason, they did not wrap a lot of my furniture. I could see in their truck that they had blankets and wrapping material, but they didn't wrap major pieces of furniture that should have been wrapped. Luckily, I did remove my sofa slip cover (thank goodness) but they left huge black dirty handprints on the sofa. Also, there were dirty handprints on a wall hanging which they also did not wrap. They also severely scratched our patio glider. The owner did take it to have it "fixed" but the stain that was put on it is darker than the rest of the glider and it won't ever look the same. I appreciate that he had it repaired, but no one ever apologized. Also, one of the movers broke a light bulb during the move. I know a light bulb is not a big deal, but again, no apology and yet another sign of their lack of care for my things. read more

After reading my review, Derrik the owner, contacted me to get a detailed account of what happened on our move. He really wanted to make things right, and wants his business to operate with professionalism and integrity. He also informed me that the movers we had issues with were no longer with his company, so I will give them another try on my next move. read more

These guys are great. Sorry, but my bird ate the business card with their names, otherwise I would mention them. We called them at the last minute to move our belongings from a POD, who, for a long explanation, could not drop the POD off at our new job location, so these guys transferred everything into their moving trucks and brought it out. Minus a few dirt marks and dings on the staircase up, I have no complaints. They were professional, polite, and had a sense of humor. I would definitely call them again when we move to our next job location in about a year. Thanks guys! read more

This company is highly recommended! Quick to answer my emails and what a quick and perfect move by jasper Joe and Leland ..friendly and got the move complete in 2 HOURS ....I will definitely use them again in the future read more

Originally I contacted (un)Reliable Delivery. Although I got an e-mail quote from (un)Reliable, my follow-up questions by e-mail and phone message were completely ignored. So I contacted 1st Choice Movers, and Derek Parker was prompt to communicate back and make every reasonable accommodation to fit me in their schedule. I was supposed to have 3 people move me, but one of the 1st Choice guys wasn't able to make it. So 2 guys moved me instead, Roy & Zeth. It worked out fine since I didn't have a huge amount to move. They were courteous, efficient, and it was evident to me that they wanted to do a good job, Everything took just over 3 hours start to finish, and they had the integrity to charge me for 2 guys moving without me pointing that out. Kudos to all these guys for running a great business. Their high ratings are well-deserved. read more

This review is over a month late - sorry about that! We moved back in July and I thought Derek's team did a great job. Edgar, Leo and Carlos were very friendly and they did a great job packing and unloading our stuff - twice! On the way to the new place, their truck broke down, so the move was delayed a few hours. A technician came out to try to fix it, but it wasn't possible, so they had to wait for another truck to come. When it did, Derek was there, as well as the other crew that brought the second truck, so all 7 of them had to transfer our items (from a 2 bedroom) into the other truck... lots of extra lifting!! But with all that, Derek was very helpful and communicative, and he took an hour off our bill since we had to wait 3 hours for our stuff to arrive. All 3 of the movers were very diligent in protecting our items, so that nothing was broken or even dinged. This did add a little time to the move, in comparison with movers I've used in the past - but I was happy that everything was safe and arrived in the same condition as when it left the old place. The only reason I didn't give the full 5 stars is because one of the 3 movers didn't seem to move as fast or efficiently as the other 2. I cut him some slack though, because it seemed like he was maybe the new guy - often waiting for instruction on what he should do next. All in all, I would use 1st Choice Movers again, and would recommend them to any friends that move in the future. Thank you! read more

1st Choice should be your first choice in selecting movers. Ronnie and his crew were extremely friendly and professional. They moved us in record time at a great price! They took the time to wrap all our furniture which saved it from dings and breakage and everything arrived intact. His crew kept up their good humor during a really hot day...will definitely be recommending their service to everyone we know! read more

We moved from a 3 story townhouse to a 3 story townhouse. Lots of stairs and walking. But Derek's guys Ronnie, Asa, Joe and Adrian were amazing. They surveyed the house and went to work. Didn't hear one complaint about the situation. They showed up on time and ready to work. They wrapped what needed to be wrapped, packed up loose items, and were very very professional and were very knowledgeable and helped us out whenever we needed it. The pack out went flawless. Onto to the new place. They managed to position the truck so they could walk right off the truck onto the walkway without going up the stairs. Very smart on their part. They off loaded the truck and read what we wrote on the boxes and put them where they needed to go. They even put together some of the furniture for us. After all said and done we were very impressed with Ronnie, Asa, Joe and Adrian and their professionalism. I highly recommend 1st choice movers as they are professional and Derek will come out and take a look and give you an estimate. Derek was very informative and very easy to get a hold of. Book them now for your next move!!! Thank you Derek and your awesome team of Ronnie, Asa, Joe and Adrian!! read more

With the help of 1st Choice Movers, my husband and I were able to move out of our rental and into our first home together last week. It was a great experience from the very beginning. Derek was great when it came to organizing/scheduling our move, he was very quick and responsive to emails. We had to make a couple last minute changes to our move in date and he was very accommodating and made it easy and stress-free for us. On the move day, we had David, Carlos and Stivan as our moving team. I cannot express how amazing and hardworking they all were. From the minute they stepped into our lot, they were hustling and moving things out quickly and carefully. They wrapped every single piece of furniture we had and made sure nothing got broken. We were very impressed. We give all the guys 5 out of 5 stars, they were all so polite and great at what they do. We had a successful move in day because of you guys. Thank you 1st Choice Movers for all your help! We will definitely recommend you guys to our friends and family in the future. read more

We have finally settled into our new home in Carlsbad. We found 1st Choice Movers on Yelp and were SO expressed. Derek was awesome! Our close date continued to change and he was extremely flexible with our move date. He answered all our questions and gave us a call as soon as we sent our first email. The crew of guys showed up early and did such a great job wrapping up all our furniture. They were such a friendly group of guys and they were so flexible when it came to rearranging the furniture. I would highly recommend this amazing company. read more

Best moving experience ever!!!! Everyone hates moving but Derek's team made it so easy. They came early, hustled, and properly wrapped all the furniture and art frames with no damages through the move. I can't thank them enough. Seriously, 1st choice is the way to go! They are the best forget the rest! Thanks guys!!!! -Annie read more

Easiest move ever. I was able to set up the move with Derek a few weeks ahead of time, everything went smooth from the beginning. The movers showed up early and were great, they moved everything out of my storage to my new apartment, and even moved things I left in storage to a small unit for me. They were great moving me in, it's just me so they were very helpful in placing all my furniture where it needed to be and even helped me figure out how to arrange my sectional in the living room, I had no idea where I wanted it, but they figured out a great set up for me. They offered to help build the bed and asked if there was anything else they could do. They really do everything! The move was quick, efficient, and very professional. Leo, Asa, and Josh were great. I will definitely use 1st choice again, and recommend it to friends. Thank You! read more

My movers (and shakers) were Ryan and Juan. These two guys were fantastic. My GF initially contacted Derek and he was quick to reply with all the info we wanted before we even asked.. These guys are professionals. I felt like I was hanging out with some old friends and moving. They took care of my stuff like it was their own and were kind and courteous the entire time. Did I mention it was over 100 degrees on my moving day? 107 to be exact. These guys didnt complain one bit about anything. I highly recommend 1st Choice Movers! Thanks for your professionalism Derek and a HUGE THANK YOU to Ryan and Juan for helping me move on probably the hottest day of the year. Hopefully its not so hot out next time. read more

I've moved a lot. These guys were great. Courteous and careful. Everything made it in great condition including the walls. Will definitely use again if I have to move. read more

Roy and Edwin did ms awesome job quickly, efficiently and carefully moving all our stuff. I would highly recommend them to anyone!