Start with what is actually moving
A moving quote can price whatever the estimator sees. If the spare room, the shed and the hall closet are still full of things you plan to give away, they may end up priced, packed and carried anyway. A useful first step for a Valdosta move is a slow walk through your own home.
Take each room in turn with a notepad or your phone, and sort what is there into four piles on paper: coming with you, selling, giving away, and discarding. Mark the large pieces by name: the sofa, the bed frames, the dresser, the dining table, the washer and dryer. That list is what you will hand to each mover, so that every quote describes the same load.
Georgia's rules on household goods carriers
Georgia Department of Public Safety Rule 570-38-3 applies to household goods carriers operating in intrastate commerce, and says no one it covers may operate as or hold itself out to be a household goods carrier without first obtaining a household goods carrier certificate from the Department.
The Georgia Motor Carrier Act of 2012 moved regulation of household goods movers from the Georgia Public Service Commission to the Georgia Department of Public Safety, effective July 1, 2012; the department says movers carrying household goods within Georgia must hold DPS certificates or permits.
The question for every mover you call
Ask each company: "Does this move call for a Georgia DPS household goods certificate, and if so, what is your certificate number?" Write the answer beside the company's full name, street address and phone number, and keep it with that company's quote.
While you have them on the line, ask for proof of liability coverage and workers' compensation. Then call your homeowners or renters insurer and ask what your own policy covers while your belongings are loaded, on the road or in storage.
Quotes that describe the same job
Ask for a survey in person or by video, and open every door during it: closets, cabinets, the attic hatch, the shed. Ask for the quote in writing, with:
- the crew size and the truck size;
- an hourly rate or a set price, and what starts and stops the clock;
- packing and materials, as separate lines;
- charges for stairs, a long walk to the truck, or taking furniture apart;
- the deposit, how it is paid, and the terms if you change the date.
Ask what could move the final figure, and have that added to the quote.
Room by room
The kitchen
Pack the cupboards you rarely open first: serving pieces, the extra pans, the glassware for guests. Leave out one plate, cup and set of utensils per person until the end. Wrap glasses singly and stand plates on edge in the box. Use up or give away open food, and ask the mover which liquids and pantry items it will carry.
Bedrooms
Strip the beds the night before and bag the linens. Ask whether the crew takes bed frames apart and puts them back together, and what that adds. Dresser drawers can be emptied or, if the mover allows it, left full of light clothing; ask.
Living areas
Photograph the back of the television and any other device before unplugging it, so the cables go back in the right places. Put remotes, cords and small hardware in a labeled bag. Ask how the mover protects screens and glass-fronted furniture.
Bathrooms
Set aside medicines, glasses, chargers and the things you need each morning in a bag that rides with you. Pack the rest in small boxes, with lids taped and liquids sealed in plastic.
Garage, shed and closets
Ask each mover for its list of items it will not carry, and plan for those yourself. Drain fuel from small engines if the mover asks you to. Open the hall closets during the survey as well.
Labels that do the directing
Give each room at the new address a name and write it on every box, on two sides and the top. Tape a matching sign on each door at the new place. Number the boxes and keep your own list of what is in each, with photos of furniture and anything valuable before it is wrapped.
Where Valdosta's drinking water comes from
The City of Valdosta draws its water from wells drilled into the Upper Floridan Aquifer; in Valdosta the top of the aquifer is about 200 feet below the ground surface and the city's wells go another 200 feet into the limestone. The Utilities Department treated 3.1 billion gallons in 2025.
On move day
- Meet the crew lead, walk the rooms together, and point out what stays.
- Agree where the truck will stop and keep the path clear.
- Keep your bag of essentials, documents and keys with you.
- Check every cupboard, closet and drawer before the truck leaves.
- At the new place, count boxes against your list and note any damage on the paperwork before you sign.