We couldn't have been happier with choosing John and Ballard Preferred Moving! We just had an in-city move here last weekend and looked long and hard at a reliable moving company. We have had many moves in our life and unfortunately we have had many poor moving companies "take care" of our stuff. With Ballard Preferred, they set a new standard in professionalism, efficiency, and care. The owner, John, worked with us on our moving date as it was a little flexible but needed to be done on a weekend. Those dates get snatched up quickly, but he was able to get us into his schedule. We had many emails, calls, and texts about getting the logistics of the move set up; and he came to both residences to visually do an inspection of what was to be moved and what each space looked like (great preparation on his end). The date of the move itself was a pleasant surprise compared to previous moving companies we've hired. John brought a 4-man crew and two trucks with him in order to power through the move. They came right on time and got work straightaway. John knew exactly what he was doing, directed his men with authority and forethought, and were 100% professional during the entire day. I could go on, but I think you get the gist. Ballard Preferred Moving is legit and the real deal. I would highly recommend them for any move without any reservations! A big thanks to John and his crew. You made our move stress-less and worry-free! read more

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. read more

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 Yelp. You should consider using them first. read more

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. read more

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. read more

Called to move on Memorial Day weekend, and John was very rude and hung up on the phone on me. "Hi this is John." "Hi is this Ballard Moving Compan-" "Yeah it is." "I was wondering if you had any times available on Saturday, May 28." "Oh no man, that's Memorial Day Weekend." "Oh, are you all booked?" "No I just can't get any employees to work for me on Memorial Day weekend, and I'm helping a friend move that weekend so it's just not gonna happen. We're a big company, but I just can't get any employees to work for me that weekend." "...so you're all booked?" *click* Well good luck to you too, John. read more

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. read more

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! read more

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). read more

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? read more

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. read more

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. read more

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. read more

Just finished my move with these guys and they are solid. They all bust their you know whats and get the job done. I called at the last second and John the owner found a way to fit me in. They packed my storage unit amazingly well. In response to some people who gave bad reviews, John the owner is old school and can probably seem a bit direct and unfiltered. I am from the Northeast so I know the type. Gruff but big teddy bears and solid men. It's not rudeness. It's just old school honest man to man stuff. The two guys working for him were solid guys too and took a lot of care into moving my stuff. I won't think twice about using them again. read more

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. read more

John and his team have truly earned all the five star ratings, they are as good as it gets. They set the bar for service period. We had an exceptional situation: short time frame, across the lake, work schedules, and all the emotions that go along with "uprooting". They couldn't have been better, the best moving experience we've ever had. Look no further, this is your mover. read more

Having John O'Connell and Preferred Moving Company move my 96-year-old mother's household goods from Seattle to Portland was a wonderful experience. I can't say enough good things about the excellent service, promptness, thoroughness, careful handling, kindness, and all-around professionalism that characterized the work John and his helpers did. John went above and beyond what would normally be required to be certain that the move was as easy as possible for this elderly person--not an easy task considering how much stuff she has and how each item is a sentimental treasure in her mind. I also want to comment on the negative remarks a few other reviewers made about John's phone style. Keep in mind that perfect "bedside manner" is not always an accurate indicator of a good doctor--similarly, John may seem a bit abrupt on the phone, but nothing could be further from the truth, he is a very caring person as well as being organized and knowledgeable about the job of moving--four generations of his family have done that job. My hats off to John--there aren't many businesses left in this world who give the excellent service and unbelievable value for the money that we experienced with John O'Connell and Ballard Preferred Moving. read more

I had a problem of having to move a motorcycle up some stairs in Magnolia and John was good enough to fit me into a very busy schedule and basically bail me out as I had already sold my old home. He and another worked arrived exactly when promised and the fee was very reasonable. read more

When you use John, at Ballard Preferred Moving, you have made a friend for life! I hired John a few years ago to move me from Seattle to Portland. He was amazing. Later he helped a friend clear her home temporarily to allow her son to get married and have a lovely reception there. Everything went very well. Now it's 2014 and I want to move a couch to Portland: how to do it cost effectively? John spoke with me numerous times and in the end we decided that I would borrow a friend's truck. John offered to come and load the little truck for me in Seattle. I paid very little for this help. This was a true act of kindness on John's part! Without his help I would have been stuck. He knows he will never move me again, since I don't even live in Seattle now. John was so attentive that he wanted me to call him with an update on the trip, as well as confirmation that I had reached Portland safely. What a nice human being! When John says he will do something, you can take it to the bank. He will do it on time and very professionally. I just looked at the Sam H review from 4/4/14. While I can't speak to the details of hours, costs and so on, I do want to acknowledge that John's style of doing business can leave one wondering. He can be brusk, and he does not filter his comments; he says what he is thinking. That being said, he did not disappoint me or my friend and recently went way out of his way to solve my little problem. In my experience John will work with you to find the most cost effective solution to your moving needs. read more