A lot of people would prefer for self service moving so as to minimize expenses. In addition to that the main consideration for self service is that you can handle things at your own pace and style.
Self Service Coverage
If you favor self service, you will do almost everything on your own. This means that you have to pack and seal the items and load them to the truck. As soon as the items arrive at the port of destination, you will be in charge of unpacking.
Cautions of Self Service
Understand the fact that the participation of the moving company will be limited to driving the truck. All other undertakings will be left to you. This follows that if there are a lot of things to be moved then you must gather all the help that you need. Perhaps your neighbors and friends can help you wrap and move the items. Also, in unloading the items, you will need the same amount of assistance. Truthfully, self service is only ideal for small scale shipments.
Moving Yourself
Pros
- Total control over your move – In my opinion, the greatest pro to a DIY move is the fact that you are in complete control over the entire moving process. Not only do you get to choose the truck and all of your moving supplies, but you also can handle all the boxes yourself to ensure that nothing breaks in the process. Committing to a DIY move means that you have the flexibility to decide when to begin the move and when to end the move. If you’re moving in bad weather, you get to decide how best to protect your belongings. You’re also in control of how to load the truck, and you don’t have to worry about movers dumping boxes and furniture in rooms they don’t belong.
- Save money – If you’re on a tight budget, then a DIY move is probably for you. Even if you’re just relocating next door, the expenses incurred from hiring a moving company can quickly add up and exceed expectations. However, if you rent a moving truck, you could save thousands. For instance, U-Haul’s largest moving truck option holds four-plus bedrooms and costs around $40 to rent. When selecting your U-Haul, you have the option of choosing add-ons and loading supplies for a fee as well.
- Pack however you want – Along the same lines as the last pro – when preparing for a DIY move, you don’t have to worry about perfectly packing all of your belongings. Movers will want all of your boxes to be sealed and ready to go when they arrive. But by moving yourself, you won’t necessarily have to box up odd-shaped belongings, such as lamps and plants. You won’t have to obsess over how to box up other items, like simple pillows and blankets, either. You can pack as little or as much as you want – as long as everything is in that truck on moving day, you’re good to go.
Cons
- Heavy lifting – In my opinion, the worst thing about a DIY move, is the fact that you’re going to have to move everything yourself. Unless, of course, that duty happens to fall on the shoulders of your beefiest (and clearly, best) friends. Still, lifting all of those boxes and clunky pieces of furniture is not going to be a walk in the park – especially if there are a lot of staircases to worry about. If you or your friends are inexperienced movers, you could mark or scratch up the walls while lifting couches and beds down the stairs. A one-bedroom apartment may be easy enough to move without professionals, but a five-bedroom may just break your back.
- Planning – Don’t get me wrong: hiring a moving company also takes planning. But coordinating an entire move yourself is going to take A LOT of planning. You’ll have to figure out the logistics of getting your stuff from point A to point B. You’ll also have to plan out the best way to properly load the rented moving truck – which items go in first and last – and how they are arranged inside the truck.
- Unexpected problems arise – If something unexpected happens – like your couch getting stuck in the door – you may be out of luck. Without the assistance of professional movers and certain moving tools, you could end up wasting hours trying to fix the situation – instead of relaxing on that couch inside your new home.
Hiring Movers
Pros
- You won’t have to lift a finger – Leave the heavy lifting to the professionals. After all, these trained movers were hired for a reason. By enlisting a reputable moving company, you won’t have to worry about lifting and carrying any of your heavy couches down the stairs and out the door. You also won’t have to worry about straining muscles, scratching up new floors or begging friends to help with the lifting. Instead you can focus on babysitting your children, watching your pet and other important tasks at hand. Or you can just kick back and relax.
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- Efficiency – Assuming that you’ve hired a legitimate and experienced moving company, I’d venture to say that your movers will be pretty reliable. Unlike friends who can flake, the moving company is under contract to assist with all agreed upon aspects of the move. The moving company should arrive on time with the appropriate moving supplies and equipment – saving you from the not-so-fun task of gathering dollies and furniture pads at the last minute. In the long run, hiring a reputable relocation company saves the customer a lot of moving hours.
- Less stressful, overall – In general, hiring movers saves you from many of the common moving day stresses. In addition to a moving company’s time-saving benefits, hiring help will also save you from having to maneuver a giant moving truck down the highway. Moving trucks are notoriously tricky and challenging to drive. Trailers aren’t much easier either. If the idea of loading and driving a large moving truck stresses you out, then I highly recommend hiring movers to help.
Cons
- Less flexibility – When you hire professional movers, you limit your own control over the move. From the date/time of pick-up to the manner in which the movers load your belongings, there’s not much you can do to change when and how you move. Worst case scenario: you could end up waiting weeks for your moving truck to arrive, if the relocation company has multiple stops along the way. For those who like to be in complete control, hiring a moving company may not be the best option for you.
- Expensive – According to the American Moving and Storage Association the average cost of an interstate household move is about $4,300 (distance of 1,225 miles) and the average cost of an intrastate move is about $2,300 (4 movers at $200 per hour). Both average moving costs are for 7,400 pounds.
This does not mean that you go for the cheapest offer. There are moving companies that offer competitive rates without compromising the quality of their services.
