Specialty & heavy item moving in Vancouver.
Vancouver specialty movers for hot tubs, pianos, safes, aquariums, motorcycles and art. Crated, rigged and moved by a crew that has done it before. One flat rate.
Most moving companies will move your couch. Fewer will take on the hot tub, the upright piano, the 700-pound gun safe, or the wall-sized aquarium, and a lot of the ones that say yes have not actually done it before. We have, repeatedly, and the photos on this page are from our own jobs rather than a stock library.
What counts as a specialty item
The honest definition is anything where the weight, the shape, the fragility or the value means it cannot just be wrapped and carried like furniture. In practice that means:
- Hot tubs and swim spas. Heavy, wide, and almost always in a backyard with a gate and a grade between it and the truck.
- Pianos. Uprights, consoles and grands, each needing different equipment.
- Safes. The category where the gap between "heavy" and "needs rigging" matters most.
- Aquariums. Large tanks are structurally fussy and do not tolerate flex.
- Art and sculpture. We have crated Dalí pieces by hand. Value and fragility, not weight, drive the plan.
- Motorcycles and project vehicles. Secured properly for transport as part of a move.
- Outdoor structures. Playhouses, sheds, and the occasional full-size TARDIS replica.
How we scope it before move day
The single biggest difference between a specialty move that goes well and one that goes badly is whether anybody looked at the route beforehand.
For any heavy or awkward item, we want to know:
- The item's real weight and dimensions. Not an estimate. A safe that is 400 pounds and one that is 900 pounds are different jobs with different equipment.
- The exact path out and in. Doorway widths, stair count, turns at landings, gate widths, and the grade between the door and where a truck can legally park.
- What is underfoot. Grass, gravel, pavers and decking all behave differently under a loaded dolly, and some of them will not survive it without protection.
- Photos. For hot tubs and large items especially, three or four photos of the item and the route out tell us more than a paragraph can.
That is also why specialty items belong in the quote rather than being sprung on the crew. A flat rate that accounts for the actual rigging is fair to everyone. A flat rate that assumed a two-person carry and meets a 900-pound safe at the top of a staircase is not.
Hot tubs specifically
Hot tubs are the most common specialty request we get, and they come with a short list of things you need to handle before we arrive:
1. Drain it completely. A tub with water in it is immovable and the weight will damage the shell. 2. Have an electrician disconnect it. Hard-wired tubs need a licensed disconnect. This is not something a moving crew should be doing. 3. Clear the route. Gates off their hinges where necessary, patio furniture moved, and any low branches cut back.
From there the job is rigging: the right dollies for the surface, enough hands for the weight, and a plan for the grade. Most Vancouver backyards involve at least one awkward transition between the deck and the driveway, and that transition is where the planning pays off.
Pianos, and what we do not do
We move uprights and consoles as a matter of course, and grands when we know in advance so the right board and skid come along. The route matters more than the instrument: a piano through a straight ground-floor doorway is routine, and the same piano up a turning staircase is a different conversation.
One thing we are clear about: we do not tune pianos, and no mover should pretend a move leaves tuning untouched. Book your tuner for a week or two after the move, once the instrument has settled into the new humidity.
Art, sculpture and the genuinely irreplaceable
Some items are not heavy at all and still need the most care in the truck. We build custom crates by hand for sculpture and large framed work, and those pieces get loaded last and unloaded first so they spend the least possible time in a moving vehicle.
If you have something where the value is well above ordinary household contents, tell us at quote time. It changes how we pack it, where it rides, and what insurance conversation you should be having.
It is still one flat rate
Specialty items are scoped into the same flat rate as the rest of your move. There is no separate hourly meter that starts when the hard part begins. The price we confirm is the price you pay, and the reason we ask for photos and measurements up front is precisely so that promise holds.
Ready for a number? Get your flat-rate quote and tell us what the unusual item is, plus a couple of photos of the route it has to travel.
We've moved stranger.
Real photos from real Nash moves, not stock photography.
A Dalí dancer, crated by hand
Tubs stacked wall to wall
A Dalí clock, right on time
One clawfoot tub, wrapped tight
A motorcycle, babied
An entire backyard playhouse
What our customers say.
Nash Moving helped my parents move recently and were fantastic. My parents loved how friendly, fast and efficient they were. The guys were always happy and really seemed to enjoy what they were doing. Highly recommend.
Nash Moving is the way to go! Nate, Aaron and their team are master packers and movers. Fast, efficient and very professional. Their years of experience really showed throughout the process.
Thank you Nash Moving for helping myself and my many clients move!
Asked before booking.
Can you move a hot tub?
Yes. Hot tubs need to be fully drained and disconnected before we arrive, and the electrical disconnect is an electrician's job rather than ours. From there it is a rigging problem: we assess the path out, the fence line, the gates, and the grade, and we bring the dollies and manpower the specific tub needs. Send photos of the tub and the route out when you get your quote and the number we confirm accounts for the real access.
Do you move pianos?
Uprights and consoles routinely, grands with advance notice so we can bring the right board and skid. What matters most is the route: stairs, turns, and doorway widths at both ends. A piano is not just heavy, it is heavy and awkwardly balanced, so it is planned rather than improvised. We do not tune afterwards; book your tuner for a couple of weeks after the move once the instrument has settled.
Can you move a gun safe or a large safe?
Usually yes, and this is one where we need real details up front. Weight, dimensions, and the exact path in and out decide whether it is a four-person carry, a stair-climbing dolly job, or something that genuinely needs specialised rigging. Stairs and safes are a bad combination without the right equipment, so tell us the weight and the route and we will tell you honestly what it takes.
What about an aquarium?
We have moved wall-sized tanks. The tank has to be fully drained, and livestock and plants are your responsibility to transport separately, because they cannot survive the timeline of a move in a drained tank. Large tanks are also more fragile than they look: the seams do not like flex. We crate or brace accordingly.
Do you move motorcycles, project cars, or other vehicles?
Motorcycles and non-running project vehicles, yes, as part of a move. They get secured properly rather than strapped and hoped for. What we are not is an auto transport company, so a car going across the country on its own is a different service. If it is going along with a household move, ask us.
Is specialty moving priced differently?
It is part of the same flat rate, scoped to the specific item and the specific access. A hot tub down a set of stairs is a different job from a hot tub on a flat concrete pad, and the price should reflect that rather than a generic surcharge. What we will not do is quote a specialty item sight unseen and then revise it on the day.
The rest of what we do.
Where we do it.
When are you moving?
Pick a date and we'll carry it straight into your quote. Not sure yet? You can skip it.
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