Thinking About Moving in Minnesota or Wisconsin? View Our Guide

15 Years of Moving Experience

Fast, Friendly, Affordable

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over 200,000 Customers Served

Is Now the Right Time to Move?

There’s no perfect time to move in Minnesota, but there are better and worse windows. Summer is the busiest season for movers in the Twin Cities — more availability is gone by May than most people expect. Fall moves tend to be more flexible. Winter moves are fully manageable with the right prep, and you’ll often find better availability and pricing.

You’re probably ready to start planning if any of these apply:

Your current space doesn’t fit your life anymore
Your lease is ending or your home sale is closing
You’re relocating for work in the metro or to another city in Minnesota or Wisconsin
You’re downsizing or moving a family member
You’re tired of putting it off

Once you’ve made the call, planning gets a lot easier.

Should You Hire Movers or Do It Yourself?

This is the first real decision, and it’s worth thinking through honestly.

DIY moves can work for small apartments, short distances, and situations where you have reliable help and flexible timing. If you’re moving a studio across Minneapolis and have four friends with free Saturday, it might be fine.

Professional movers become valuable when:

The move involves a full household
There are heavy or specialty items
Time constraints are tight
Liability protection matters
You want to avoid physical strain

The difference is more related to equipment, insurance, experience with access challenges like narrow stairwells or elevator buildings, and accountability if something goes wrong.

One thing people often underestimate with DIY moves: truck rental, fuel, packing materials, and the realistic cost of damaged furniture or a strained back add up fast. It doesn’t always save as much as it looks like on paper.

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Understanding the Cost of Moving in the Twin Cities

Cost hesitation is one of the main reasons people stay in the “thinking” stage longer than they need to.

Size of Your Home and Volume of Items

The more you’re moving, the more time it takes to load, transport, and unload. A studio apartment and a four-bedroom house are completely different jobs, even if they’re going the same distance. The more accurate your inventory is going into the estimate, the more accurate your final quote will be.

Distance Between Locations

Local moves within the Twin Cities metro are typically priced by the hour. Long-distance moves (e.g., from Minneapolis to Madison or Duluth to the Cities) are usually priced by weight or a flat rate based on mileage. The further you’re going, the more that distance factors into the total.

Time of Year

Summer is peak moving season in Minnesota, from Memorial Day through Labor Day, and demand can drive pricing up during that window. Fall and winter moves tend to be more affordable and easier to schedule. If your timeline is flexible, moving off-peak can save you real money.

Access and Logistics at Either Location

Stairs, long carries from parking to the door, narrow hallways, and elevator buildings all affect how long a job takes. So does truck parking. If the truck can’t get close to the entrance, every trip takes longer. Flag any access challenges when you’re getting your estimate so nothing catches the crew off guard.

Packing Services

If you’re packing yourself, that’s not part of the labor cost. If you want the crew to pack some or all of your home, that adds time and materials. It’s worth getting clarity on this during your estimate so the quote reflects what you actually need.

Getting a realistic number requires a real inventory. That’s why Matt’s Moving sends a specialist to walk through your home and build a quote from actual information, not a rough estimate over the phone.

How to Choose a Moving Company in Minnesota

Minnesota doesn’t have a shortage of moving companies, but not all of them operate the same way. A few things worth verifying before you book anyone:

Licensing and insurance. Minnesota movers operating legally carry the required state licensing. Interstate moves also require FMCSA authority. Matt’s Moving is fully licensed, bonded, and insured — and we carry more coverage than the local average.
Written estimates. Any reputable moving company will provide a written estimate. Verbal quotes aren’t binding and leave too much room for disputes later.
Estimate type. There’s a meaningful difference between a binding and a non-binding estimate, and it matters to your final bill.
Reviews and track record. Matt’s Moving is A+ rated with the BBB and holds a 4.7-star average across Google, Yelp, and Facebook. We’ve moved more than 200,000 customers in Minnesota over 15 years. That history is verifiable.
Communication. How a moving company talks to you before the move tells you a lot about how they’ll treat you on moving day.

When Should You Start the Process?

The first thing to consider is consider, as mentioned above, is the time of year that you plan on moving. Even in the early thinking stage, timing matters. Peak moving seasons fill quickly. Waiting too long to schedule can limit availability or increase pricing.

Most local moves are best scheduled two to four weeks in advance. Summer moves may require even earlier booking. So, even if you’re not ready to book, the earlier you start gathering information the better. Here’s a general timeline for local Twin Cities moves:

6+ weeks out: Good time to start getting quotes and comparing options
4 weeks out: Recommended booking window for most local moves
2 weeks out: Still workable for many moves, but availability is less predictable
Less than 2 weeks: Possible but can limit your options, especially in summer

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How to Transition from Thinking About a Move to Planning Your Next Move Out

How to Transition from Thinking to Planning

Once you’ve made the decision to move, the focus shifts from weighing your options to actually getting things done. This is where the process starts to feel real, and having a clear path forward makes all the difference. The earlier you move into planning mode, the more control you’ll have over how everything unfolds. Here’s what that next stage looks like:

Confirming Your Estimate: Lock in your quote with your moving company so there are no surprises later. This is also a good time to ask any remaining questions about what’s included.
Finalizing Your Inventory: A solid inventory list helps your movers plan the right truck size, the right crew, and the right amount of time. The more accurate it is, the smoother moving day goes.
Creating a Packing Timeline: Don’t leave packing to the last minute. Working backwards from your move date, room by room, keeps things manageable and stress levels low.
Preparing for Moving Day: Think through the details in advance, things like parking, elevator access, and who’s handling what. A little preparation goes a long way when the day actually arrives.

The clearer your decision is at this stage, the easier everything that follows becomes. When you’re ready to take the next step, your moving plan is waiting.

Start With the Basics Before You Start Packing

Before you book a truck or buy a single box, it’s worth taking a step back and thinking through the logistics of your move. The decisions you make early, even the small ones, can have a big impact on how smoothly everything unfolds. Working through these details now saves a lot of headaches later. Here’s what to think about first:

What’s Coming With You: Decide which items are making the move and which aren’t. Knowing this upfront helps you get an accurate quote and avoid paying to move things you don’t need.
What to Sell or Donate: Moving is one of the best times to declutter. The less you move, the faster and more affordable your move tends to be.
Packing Services: Decide early whether you’ll pack yourself or have your movers handle it. This affects your timeline, your materials, and your overall budget.
Restricted Items: Some items can’t be transported by movers, including hazardous materials and certain chemicals. Knowing the restrictions ahead of time prevents surprises on moving day.
Access Challenges: Think about stairs, narrow hallways, elevator reservations, and parking at both locations. Flagging these early helps your moving team plan accordingly.

Getting these details sorted before your move date makes everything else easier to plan. Once you know what you’re working with, the rest of the process falls into place naturally.

Common Early-Stage Moving Concerns

Knowing what to watch out for early makes the rest of the process a lot less stressful.

Cost Comparison

DIY moves can look cheaper on paper, but the full picture often tells a different story. Truck rental, fuel, packing materials, equipment, and the very real risk of damaging something in transit can close that gap fast. When you factor in your time and the physical toll, professional movers often make more financial sense than people expect.

Avoiding Moving Scams

Not every moving company in Minnesota and Wisconsin operates with the same standards. Before committing to anyone, verify their licensing, ask for written documentation, and read the estimate terms carefully. A reputable company won’t make that process difficult.

Commitment Pressure

Getting a moving quote shouldn’t feel like a sales pitch. Reputable movers near Minneapolis, and in the general Minnesota/Wisconsin area typically offer free, no-obligation estimates so you can take your time, compare your options, and make the decision that’s right for you, without anyone pushing you toward a signature.

Getting informed early puts you in control of the process. At Matt’s Moving, estimates are always free and always pressure-free, so you can move forward with confidence when you’re ready.

Ready to Explore Your Options?

If you’re still deciding, that’s completely fine. Our team is here to help you understand pricing, walk through your estimate options, review your inventory, and figure out whether professional movers are the right fit for your situation.

Residential Movers

Specialty Movers

Commercial Moving

Packing & Unpacking Service

Storage

Long Distance Moving

Junk Removal

There’s no obligation. Just honest information to help you make the right call.

WHY MATT’S MOVING IS DIFFERENT FROM OTHER MOVING COMPANIES

We are faster, friendlier and affordable. We also have a higher valuation coverage (move protection) than other local moving companies. Our residential movers are professionally trained to a high standard in the move industry.

We Are More Than Just Local Movers

We also offer packing materials and supplies at an affordable price for local residential moves, commercial moving services, and we provide long distance moving service for residential moving customers.