Superb workers -- BUT some tips for dealing with mgmt This review is five stars -- for the workers, who are by far the most important part of the company and the ones you'll be interacting with most. They were excellent, hard-working, and professional throughout (with one exception, but I'm told he's no longer there). * SEBASTIEN was absolutely fantastic. He helped with packing two days and the move on day 3. He was extremely skilled and organized, quick and efficient, professional to his fingertips, and fun to chat with on day 2. He's been doing this for 16 years and headed our team. Trust me, this guy is an ace. Make sure to request him on your team. * SKYLER also helped with packing on the first day and was great to work with. Mgmt had screwed up the scheduling for my reserved time so they had a lot less time to pack, and we ended up going late into that night, but Skyler kept a positive attitude and worked extremely hard. He was also fun to chat with, which helped the day go much more quickly, while still staying entirely professional. I really, really wish he had come back on day 3 for the move, instead of the new guy. * LUCAS helped with the move on day 3, and he too was professional and excellent, and worked so hard. He got the stairs at both places, on a hot August day, and stayed positive and just kept on going. He was great and pleasant to work with, and really careful that everything went to the right place. * The one caveat was a new guy who came to help with the move on day 3, though he left early. I've also been told he is no longer with the company (so may not be relevant to other moves). He said his name was Tsay. He was moving things from the apartment out to the stairs. So Tsay was inside with me from 9am-1pm with no one else around. Within 5 minutes, he started hitting on me -- and this went on for 3 1/2 hours (!). He would not take no (50 different ways) for an answer. Unequivocal harassment. Once he got a very hard no around 12:30, he became resentful and hostile for the rest of the day. It was extremely unpleasant and, for a woman with bad past experiences, very intimidating and uncomfortable. It made the morning and parts of the afternoon when I had to interact with him just awful. Why on earth didn't they send Skyler from Tuesday, instead of this guy?! That would have made the day go quickly, and he would have stayed professional *and* worked quickly and efficiently. SMH. Abby told me the next day "the worker you mentioned was let go this morning", so hopefully Tsay won't be a risk for anyone else. But considering mgmt's lack of follow through on other things, just a fair warning that if this guy does show up, buyer beware. As for the mgmt... well, I know it is hard to find a good company in the moving business. But I do have a few warnings/tips for dealing with them (Abby, Kenny, and the owner Max). 1. If Kenny, one of the managers, calls to ask you if he can delay your scheduled time bc there's an "emergency at the office" -- just say no. I agreed to wait, but it wasn't an emergency, he just wanted to do a last minute job instead of my reserved one. Kenny then didn't follow through on any of the promises he made in the morning (they were later; he didn't keep me updated; he didn't come himself; he didn't talk to Abby about making up the time or "doing something for my bill"). This company likes being able to help people in tough spots. BUT IF you have reserved in advance, another person's lack of planning does not constitute your emergency. Just say no. Keep your time, bc mgmt is too busy to keep track of it and communicate with each other to fix the problems their delay will create. 2. Mgmt seems to have difficulties with communication, both with you and each other, once a job has started. Confirm everything explicitly with everyone else, even if they say they'll tell the other person (eg if Kenny says he'll tell Abby X Y Z). Keep it short and concise. Be VERY clear about what you're saying. Do their communication for them. 3. They may underestimate the time needed to get your job done. (1.5x for me.) So, if you need your estimate to prepare your expenses and/or to get reimbursement of any kind, err on the side of caution and set aside quite a bit more. 4. Be prepared for them to bill you on the spot at the end of the work, over the phone. And keep your checkbook out, bc they will charge you a 3.5% fee if you pay by card. (They apparently don't cover their Quickbooks fees but pass them on to the customer -- they could cover them in their overhead / build them into their prices, that's a perfectly normal practice, I am also a business owner.) OVERALL, it's really the WORKERS who make the move and who you will be spending your time with. SEBASTIEN, SKYLER, and LUCAS were solid gold, and I highly recommend them. If you're careful with mgmt, things should go okay. As moving companies go, this is a good one, and I'd definitely recommend it for those excellent workers. read more

I recommend without reservation Moving Forward as your choice of a moving company for local or long distance moving. Abby is an owner of the company and handles all administrative matters including estimating the costs and timing of the move(s). She sorts out all of the issues relating to your move as it occurs. Our move occured in three different stages and the furnishings were delivered to three different locations, two of which were hours from Charlottesville. Abby is always available by telephone for any matter. The three men who assisted us were Jarvis, Kayvon, and Sebastien. They were courteous, clean, respectful of your belongings, carefull and always willing to accomdate your wishes. The proverbial "put it here, no put it there" never phased them; they cheerfully moved the item about. They disassembled and assembled beds and similar items. The movers were extremely skilled at what they do and were terrific. Moving Forward is the best. More detail: We engaged Moving Forward to move us from Glenmore, Keswick, Virignia to our new Westminster Canterbury (WC) home on Pantops in Charlottesville, Virginia as well as to move some of our furishings to a home in the the Washington, DC area and other items to another home in the mountains of West Virginia. On the first day, the three men packed a van to the limit with our furnishings from our Glenmore home and took them to our new home in WC. On our second trip they moved items from our Glenmore home as well as items from a storage unit facility. Some items were taken to our new WC home and remainder of the furnishings were taken to our daughter's home in the Washington DC area. On the third trip items were moved from our Glenmore home to our WC home and the remainder of those items taken on to our farm home about 110 miles from Charlottesville in the mountains of West Virginia. They accommodated our need for scheduling these three moves with our requirments of which furnishings went where and when without reservation. They provided all packing materials so we could pack some items for them to move or use the packing for ourselves if we wished. In summary, the cost was extremely reasonable given the necessity and complexity of scheduling the moves to three different locations at the appropriate time to accomdate all. They were fully repsonisble and always available by phone; they were courteous, and careful in the handling of your furnishings and, accomdating of all of your needs. I highly and without reservation recommendation MOVING FORWARD. Call Abby now. 434-249-1708 read more

I recommend without reservation Moving Forward as your choice of a moving company for local or long distance moving. Abby is an owner of the company and handles all administrative matters including estimating the costs and timing of the move(s). She sorts out all of the issues relating to your move as it occurs. Our move occured in three different stages and the furnishings were delivered to three different locations, two of which were hours from Charlottesville. Abby is always available by telephone for any matter. The three men who assisted us were Jarvis, Kayvon, and Sebastien. They were courteous, clean, respectful of your belongings, carefull and always willing to accomdate your wishes. The proverbial "put it here, no put it there" never phased them; they cheerfully moved the item about. They disassembled and assembled beds and similar items. The movers were extremely skilled at what they do and were terrific. Moving Forward is the best. More detail: We engaged Moving Forward to move us from Glenmore, Keswick, Virignia to our new Westminster Canterbury (WC) home on Pantops in Charlottesville, Virginia as well as to move some of our furishings to a home in the the Washington, DC area and other items to another home in the mountains of West Virginia. On the first day, the three men packed a van to the limit with our furnishings from our Glenmore home and took them to our new home in WC. On our second trip they moved items from our Glenmore home as well as items from a storage unit facility. Some items were taken to our new WC home and remainder of the furnishings were taken to our daughter's home in the Washington DC area. On the third trip items were moved from our Glenmore home to our WC home and the remainder of those items taken on to our farm home about 110 miles from Charlottesville in the mountains of West Virginia. They accommodated our need for scheduling these three moves with our requirments of which furnishings went where and when without reservation. They provided all packing materials so we could pack some items for them to move or use the packing for ourselves if we wished. In summary, the cost was extremely reasonable given the necessity and complexity of scheduling the moves to three different locations at the appropriate time to accomdate all. They were fully repsonisble and always available by phone; they were courteous, and careful in the handling of your furnishings and, accomdating of all of your needs. I highly and without reservation recommendation MOVING FORWARD. Call Abby now. 434-249-1708 read more

I rarely do reviews but have to compliment Moving Forward in Charlottesville for outstanding service. On a scale of 1 to 10, they are a 20! Owner Abby Bartee was able to accommodate my short deadline and when the guys arrived I could see immediately that they knew how to do the job perfectly. They were organized and took amazing care of all of my furniture. They had expert training and experience and together knew how to wrap, lift and carry all of my heavy antiques. They NEVER hit a wall, like my previous mover and after the move I was not left to repair and paint walls. I was referred to Moving Forward by my new storage company because they had watched them work and knew just how good they were. The movers Sebastian, Josh and Matt didn't just grab furniture, but planned each move before they picked up each piece. That's why there were no damages and in the end, they actually saved time and saved me money because they were so efficient. As in any business it takes hiring people that care about what they do, do it right the first time and make every effort to feel good about the job they did. On a scale of 1 to 10, I truly give Moving Forward in Charlottesville a 20! I will only use this company for any future local or long distance moves. The prices are very competitive and they save you money and time because they do it right the first time! I recently moved from the West Coast (eight months ago) and my move by North American Van Lines was a disaster with damages and denied claims. I tried another local mover who's name started with "Y" and had issues and damages to my furniture and walls. I had a flawless move using Moving Forward. I have no affiliation to Moving Forward but just felt it was important to let my neighbors know their best solution for an excellent moving company. read more

Moving Forward was such an absolute pleasure to move us. We are so glad we hired them. They are a very nice family run business- that runs like clock work. They showed up ready to go with a nice, new, clean truck..proper gear... right on time. Crystal gave us a very fare cost estimation for the move and agreed upon price; better than many other competitors, that I'm sure would not have done as good a job. Tyler and his crew are go getters, worked really hard and made sure our household goods were packed in the truck correctly and safely made it to our new location in absolutely pristine condition. They covered our big furniture items in blankets and plastic wrapped them, secured with straps, so not one piece or item had a blemish. Not one mark on a wall, step or doorway. They were extremely careful, they moved with a sense of purpose and fast but not rushed. It was amazing! All the employees were smart, engaging and very pleasant and professional to deal with. At the new location they asked where to put each item and took care to go to the the different rooms and didn't just throw things in and leave. Being in the military I've moved a lot and this company, hands down, has their total act together. Moving Forward will take the stress and anxiety of a big move and put you at ease, knowing it will be done right and your stuff will be in good hands. I highly recommend Moving Forward. In fact I hope to use them again in a few years. M&E P read more

It can be hard to find good, trustworthy, insurance carrying movers with their own truck & reasonable rates. This crew has it all. From my first email to Brent to the final piece being moved in, they were incredibly responsive, courteous & honest. I provided a list of items, description of the locations, & addresses to & from within the Charlottesville VA city limits & they did the rest. They showed up on time 8am Saturday with great energy, took incredible care of our items, worked cautiously when my wild 2 year old boy would streak across the room & were all around really nice guys. They even knocked a few bucks off at the end because my list of items was smaller than I originally gave to them. We moved from a 3BR 2BA 2000 sq ft house to another with a normal amount of furniture for that size. We had some very sensitive old furniture & 2 larger TVs, as well as some regular Ikea stuff & medium boxes - they took appropriate care with each item. If you're on the fence about trusting a mover in the area just based on your own research with emails, websites or business listings, go with this crew, they are great from start to finish!!! read more

Look no further than Moving Forward for your moving services! I needed a company to help me move my belongings from North Charlottesville Self storage to a basement apartment in Belmont, but with only two days notice. To further complicate things, I was calling on a Friday and moving on a Sunday. Most places could only book me for Monday at the earliest, but Abby from Moving Forward quickly and flawlessly helped me book an appointment for Sunday morning! The drivers were punctual, professional, efficient, and friendly. They called to confirm the appointment the day before my appointment, and when they were in the road to confirm their ETA. I had two movers for a one bedroom apartment, and they were super quick, friendly, really careful with my belongings, and in constant communication about where I wanted things unloaded in my apartment. They were also sweet to my dog. The pricing was very competitive, too! Cheaper than most of the other companies I contacted. I will definitely be hiring them again for my next move! read more

I am so incredibly grateful to everyone on the Moving Forward team. We were moving from Arizona and the shipping company said "the truck will arrive sometime before 5pm" and then suddenly, "it will be there by noon." Kenny jumped into action and quickly assembled a 5 person team to help. We did have some communication snafus (but think this is attributed to chatting on Yelp and talking to someone else on the phone) but they were quickly remedied. My recommendation - just call! The guys on the ground were AMAZING! We had to unload a 26" trailer with some going into a storage room and some into another moving truck to come to our apartment. They were efficient, fast and joked along with me as I neurotically double and triple checked boxes. It was an incredibly stressful day but I could not have been happier with how it went thanks to Sebastian and his crew. I will 100% hire them again when we move from our temporary housing in Cville to our new home in Scottsville next month. read more

Booking Moving Forward for our in-town move was the BEST decision I've made in a while. The two guys arrived promptly at the scheduled time, were happy, competent, strong, and complete professionals. They took wonderful care of our furniture, lifted heavy and bulky items with such ease, and were able to figure out how to get furniture through tight spaces and stairwells. The guys moved so fast they finished an hour and a half faster than the quoted time, we were amazed! They took the stress out of moving, and I can't thank them enough! They were kind to oblige our request to make another stop at a storage unit, and tetris-ed every single thing into the truck - it was incredible. We feel so taken care of and are incredibly thankful to have booked such a competent and friendly company to help us with our move. I highly recommend Moving Forward to anyone looking for a moving company. Their rates are the best and the team is wonderful. Thank you guys sooo much!! read more

I do not have the words to speak highly enough about this amazing moving company. Our move was a nightmare, but Moving Forward was the bright light. I called early on a Tuesday morning to try to hire them for the same day. They were actually able to do it! Even returned my call before they opened. Then when the arrival of our things was delayed throughout the day, they stuck with us. Abby and Kenny took every one of my phone calls and messages and responded in a friendly, fast and professional way. They were calm and kind all day. Sebastian, Dominique, Jake and Damani were the best movers I have ever worked with. They were so incredibly careful with all of our things, placed everything for us, made sure we were happy, and never even seemed bothered by the hours long delay that day. Truly they were outstanding. I have moved more times than I'd like to remember, but I can guarantee that these people and Moving Forward are THE BEST!!! read more

I called and set up a move 2 weeks out to move a REALLY, REALLY, REALLY heavy sewing cabinet. After a one day delay...was no big deal because they set it up for the next day, Sam and Steven arrived 15 minutes early to move the monstrosity 2 blocks and up a flight of stairs. Getting it into the truck was easy, but now came the stairs. Sam and Steven were determined not to be beat out by a lousy sewing cabinet even when I was willing to do it another day and wait for another helper. I couldn't watch, but heard their moans and groans of them working it up the stairs one step at a time. Finally they had it in place. These guys are beasts!!! They were professional yet friendly and very persistent. I'm so glad I called Moving Forward. They were the best. I would HIGHLY recommend them for a move of anything, especially after moving this huge, heavy (HEAVY) cabinet. Thank you for all your hard work. read more

Brent was just awesome. We needed to move my son from Charlottesville to Staunton right after Christmas. When I contacted Brent via email with the informations necessary for a quote, he got right back to me. On moving day, Brent and his crew member arrived early and ready to move! They handled everything with kid gloves, taking extra steps to make sure the boxes were securely taped. Once we got on the road, Brent even texted with his arrival time. Everything was squared away neatly and in one piece! Overall, I would highly recommend Brent and his team for your moving needs. I am even thinking of using him again when my son moves back to Richmond! This company is priced well, punctual and meticulous with your belongings! I would have given 10 stars if that had been an option! Thanks again Brent! Sharon Valencia read more

Our best move ever thanks to Tyler and team! We had a very complicated move in December, 2018 - leaving our home of 20 years to move from the Valley back to Cville. We also had to move our elderly mom out of her home into our new house on the same day. Despite the very long day, Tyler's team was upbeat, organized and courteous through the very end. They kept our spirits up, treated our belongings with 'white glove service' and ensured that everything was placed where we needed it to be so that we did not have to re-arrange anything heavy after they left. We have spoken of this group often with admiration, singing their praises to everyone. Don't hesitate to work with this group. Clear communication, fair pricing, kind and attentive service. It's hard to believe that our movers could have such a positive impact! read more

I cannot say enough good things about this company!! I would give them 10 starts if I could. I originally had a different company lined up for my move, but they were unresponsive to my voice messages and emails so I decided last minute to contact Moving Forward. I was able to speak to a representative and get my move scheduled right away. Because of the last minute notice, they ended up doing the job after work for me on a Thursday night. The moving crew was very professional and efficient, and took care of everything in under three hours. They told me they had been working together for a while and it shows. They were extremely gentle with my belongings and also very careful in both of my homes. They will be the only company I contact if I ever have to move again. Cannot beat their customer service. read more

Highly recommended. The current owner, Tyler, and 2 of his guys (Don and Steven) moved us this past week and we were extremely satisfied with their work. Tyler is very conscientious and it was obvious that doing a good job was high priority for him (as well as keeping it as cost-effective for us as possible). His communication with us throughout the process was excellent and the way he leads his crew really stood out. All of the guys were young, energetic, very personable, courteous and positive (you could tell that they enjoyed working together). They took great care not to damage anything and all of our walls and possessions made it through without any problems. We would absolutely hire them again for any future moves. read more

Nothing but great things to say about my experience with them in March 2019. Crystal was awesome in responding to my questions regarding my move and was very flexible when I needed to adjust the date. The two men who moved me were punctual on the day of my move and actually ended up moving me in half the time estimated. Extreme care was taken with all my furniture (no dents, dings) and their re-assembly of furniture was done so quickly. No detail was left unnoticed, from unscrewing the legs on my couch so they wouldn't get scratched to re-positioning furniture in several spots within a room until I was satisfied with its placement. Very reasonable price and made my move as painless as possible - would highly recommend! read more

Moving Forward was booked solid when I called to schedule our move, but they figured out a way to make it happen. Tyler and Steven showed up right on time, went to work right away, and, except for a short lunch break, didn't stop until the job was done--two dynamos. They were careful to wrap items with blankets and plastic so that nothing was damaged. We have a lot of heavy items, several having to be carried up to the second floor, but these two succeeded in getting it done quickly and with no damage. On top of all that, these guys are friendly and quite pleasant to work with. Thanks, Tyler and Steve of Moving Forward, for your excellent and efficient work and for taking a lot of the stress out of moving! read more

We were in a tough spot with my parents house being emptied and several antiques (larger items) going to one place and then a week later, after sorting, we had another move for the rest (Central to Northern Virginia). From start (getting the quote for the moves from Crystal) to finish (the men setting up the last item in our house), we were very pleased. The staff is quick, careful, efficient and all the while very polite and courteous. Tyler and the others did a great job on both moves. We have moved seven times in 14 years, including going from coast to coast. Moving Forward ranks highly because they are reasonably priced and you get all that I mentioned above. read more

Tyler and his team helped us move the contents of our house to a storage unit we are using until we've closed on our next house. Making everything fit required a lot of thought and a little magic. They had both and using Moving Forward for this work was hands-down the best decision we made. Tyler and Sam knew how to break down the job to be most efficient and worked with care on everything they handled. Because they worked fast, smart, and efficiently, every single thing is in our storage unit - safe and sound - today. We are thrilled to know that we can work with them again on the move out of the storage unit and into our next home! read more