Two Nairobi movers can look at the same one-bedroom home and quote very different amounts. One may be pricing a vehicle and carrying labour. The other may include boxes, packing, furniture protection, dismantling and unpacking. The lower figure tells you little until those differences are visible.
If you are deciding how to choose a moving company in Nairobi, start by making the job comparable. Then check the company, the people doing the work and the terms that apply if something changes. A polished website or a familiar brand name is useful context, but neither replaces a clear agreement for your particular move.
Give every mover the same version of the job
Prepare one inventory and send it to each company on your shortlist. List the larger furniture, appliances and approximate number of boxes. Include balcony furniture, outdoor items and goods stored elsewhere. Add photographs of the pieces that may need special handling.
Supply both addresses, floor numbers, lift availability, loading points and the preferred date. Tell the mover about a narrow staircase or a basement a vehicle cannot enter. A quotation prepared without this information may simply be based on a different assumption from the one you have in mind.
Our house-moving service page describes the residential work we assess. For any provider, ask which of those tasks are included in its offer. Do not use the number of bedrooms as your only description of the load.
Use a single comparison sheet
Write one company per column and one task per row: materials, packing, dismantling, loading, transport, unloading, reassembly and unpacking. Add rows for the inventory, stairs, carrying distance and any storage. Mark each item included, excluded or unclear.
The unclear column is the one to resolve. If a quote says “all inclusive”, ask what that means for your kitchenware, wardrobe, television and furniture fittings. A clear exclusion is easier to plan around than a comforting phrase that means different things to different people.
Refer to the moving-cost guide for broad budgeting context. Do not treat an advertised starting price or another household’s bill as a promise for your own route, access and belongings.
Check who you are contracting with
Ask for the business name that will appear on the quotation, invoice and receipt. Check that the telephone contacts and payment instructions belong to the business you intend to hire. If a trading name differs from the registered name, ask for the relationship to be explained.
Kenya’s Business Registration Service provides company and business-name registry services, including official searches. Use the relevant official process where you need to verify an entity. Registration establishes an identity; it does not establish the quality of packing or guarantee that a move will go well.
Be cautious about documents sent only as screenshots with no way to verify their origin. The same applies to a last-minute message changing the receiving account. Confirm a payment change through an already established company contact before sending money.
Ask where the company can be contacted if a problem needs follow-up. A verified physical location can help, but a photograph of an office or truck is not by itself proof that the sender owns or operates it. Look for consistent information across the quotation, company channels and independent records.
Read reviews for the work you actually need
A review saying a crew was friendly does not tell you how the company handled a fifth-floor apartment, a large office or a long-distance delivery. Look for recent reviews describing a similar move and the details that matter to you: communication, packing, access, timing and how concerns were handled.
Read a range of ratings. Check whether complaints describe a repeated issue and whether the company’s replies address the actual problem. One enthusiastic review is not a representative sample, and a single negative review needs context. Be especially careful with testimonials that cannot be traced to an independent platform.
Recommendations from friends can be helpful if you ask what they bought. Did the crew pack everything? Was there a lift? How much furniture was involved? Was the price agreed after a survey? These questions make a personal recommendation more useful than a name alone.
Space Move’s company information can be checked alongside independent feedback. Apply the same standard to us that you apply to another mover: specific evidence, a matching service and a written plan.
Find out who will be at your door
Ask who conducts the assessment, who coordinates the booking and who leads the crew. Establish whether another provider will handle any part of the move. A subcontracted vehicle or partner arrangement is not automatically a problem, but you should know who is responsible for the work and for updates.
Confirm how the crew will identify itself and which contact can resolve a question during loading. If you have building-security requirements, arrange the necessary details before moving day rather than requesting them while a vehicle waits outside.
For apartments, discuss the largest pieces separately. Ask how the team will assess a sofa that may not fit the lift, furniture that needs dismantling and any long carry from the loading point. Our Westlands apartment guide shows why loading bays and building arrangements can matter as much as road distance.
Ask about insurance using your actual belongings
“Insured” is the start of a conversation, not the complete answer. Ask what policy applies to your booking, what goods and stages it covers, what exclusions or limits apply, and what evidence would be required if you reported a loss.
Explain if you will pack your own boxes, move a valuable item or store goods between homes. Ask how those circumstances are treated under the relevant terms. Do not assume that the full replacement cost of every item is automatically payable.
Request the reporting procedure before moving day. Photograph valuable items and existing marks, retain the inventory and keep evidence of value where available. If something happens, notify the company promptly, record what you can and preserve packaging if an inspection is required.
A company that explains the process calmly gives you something usable. A verbal promise that every problem will be refunded immediately is not a substitute for the applicable written terms.
Decide how changes will be handled
Ask what happens if you add furniture, lose lift access, change the date or cannot receive the load at the agreed time. The quotation should identify the basis of the price and the circumstances in which the scope needs reviewing.
Clarify deposits, balance payments, cancellation and rescheduling terms. Ask when each payment is due and how it will be acknowledged. Do not infer a refund entitlement from a social-media exchange or another customer’s arrangement.
If you may need temporary storage, discuss collection, handling, storage and final delivery together. A monthly storage figure does not explain the whole cost of moving goods into and out of a facility.
For a more involved booking, write down the expected sequence: survey, confirmation, packing, collection, transport and delivery. Identify which events depend on building permissions or another provider. This makes a delay easier to manage without pretending it cannot happen.
Recognise the warning signs that deserve a pause
- The provider will not identify the business taking responsibility for the booking.
- A price is offered without any meaningful description of the inventory or access.
- Payment instructions change unexpectedly and cannot be confirmed independently.
- Important exclusions or cancellation terms remain unclear after you ask.
- The company promises a specialist task but cannot explain who will assess or perform it.
- You are pushed to pay before receiving the agreed scope in writing.
None of these points requires you to accuse someone of fraud. They are reasons to stop, clarify the arrangement and choose another provider if the uncertainty remains. Your aim is to make a sound booking, not to win an argument.
Use one awkward item as a comparison test
Imagine that your sofa will not fit into the destination lift. Ask every shortlisted mover what information it needs to assess the alternative. A useful response asks for dimensions, photographs, floor level and the staircase route before confirming handling and price. A vague assurance that the crew will “sort it out” leaves the most expensive uncertainty unresolved.
The same test works for a glass dining table, a large wardrobe or a fridge. It reveals whether the company is planning your actual move or selling a standard description. Keep the answer with the scope so the crew receives that information too.
The message to send before accepting
A short confirmation can prevent a long misunderstanding: “Please confirm the quoted inventory, both addresses and access arrangements, the services included and excluded, the date and proposed arrival window, payment stages, insurance terms and the process for changes or damage reporting.”
Attach the current inventory rather than referring vaguely to a previous conversation. If the answer changes a material point, keep the updated quotation with the booking. Make sure the person paying and the person receiving the move have the same version.
When you ask us to assess a move, use the Space Move enquiry form and provide the two addresses, inventory and date. The useful comparison is between companies quoting for the same work. Once that is clear, price becomes a much more meaningful part of the decision.