Moving Mayhem: Should I DIY my Move or Hire Pros?

 

Moving is among the most challenging tasks you will ever have to do, merely because of the number of separate tasks that must be completed. A common decision you’ll need to make is whether to move yourself or hire professionals. Both options have pros and cons, and it is important to look at all your options before making a decision. This guide will help you evaluate which path is best for you.

 

DIY Move

 

Pros

 

Save Money

Relocating on your own will cost you only the cost of packing supplies and maybe renting a truck. Relocating containers are another excellent cost-cutting alternative.

You Set the Schedule

When you move yourself, you can set the schedule on your own time. When something pops up that causes a change in your plans, there will be no cancellation costs for changing your relocation date.

You Have Greater Control

If you are in charge of the relocation, you have complete influence over how your belongings are treated, how the moving vehicle is loaded, and when the relocation occurs. You make all the decisions regarding the entire moving process.

You Can Avoid Being a Victim of a Scam

While the majority of moving firms are trustworthy and dependable, others are out to con you your money. Moving oneself reduces the likelihood of this happening.

 

Cons

 

Great Deal of Hard Work

Moving is hard, which is why so many people employ professional movers. Not only must you carefully pack all of your things in wraps and boxes, but you must also make sure they make it onto and off of the truck without being damaged. If either of your homes have stairs, you’re in for a long day.

Physically Exhausting

Without using the proper form, lifting heavy boxes and furniture can seriously injure your back. Even if you recruit the assistance of some muscular pals, you are still vulnerable to serious injury.

Inadequate Experience

If you aren’t in the moving profession, odds are you don’t recognize how to move heavy objects, safeguard your furniture, or pack or drive a moving truck. Lack of experience puts you in danger of damaging your belongings or injuring yourself.

You Might Take More Days Off Work Than Expected

Moving yourself would almost certainly necessitate more time away from work. You may save money up front by moving yourself, but if this comes at the cost of taking off work, it may no-longer be cost effective.

 

Hiring Professional Movers

 

Pros

 

You’ll Have Much More Time to Concentrate on Other Activities

With a moving company loading, transporting, and sometimes even packing your possessions, you will have more time to concentrate on the many other things that need your attention—looking after your kids and pets, setting up utilities in your new home, and updating your postal address.

Less Responsibility

Hiring movers allows you to delegate responsibilities and reduce some of the stress of relocating. That way, they can keep an eye on everything, and you won’t have to worry about the minor (or major) details.

They Handle the Heavy Lifting

Leave the hard lifting to the experts. After all, these professional movers were engaged for a specific reason. They have the skills, tools, and physical ability to move your furniture and belongings safely and efficiently.

They are Experienced and Efficient

Most movers are experts who know how to protect your furniture throughout the move, how to safeguard your home’s walls, floors, and entryways, and how to position your possessions on the moving vehicle in the most effective way to preserve space and avoid a disaster. Hiring movers increases the probability that your relocation will go ahead smoothly.

Cons

 

It Could Be Costly

Hiring professionals can be expensive based on the size and distance of the relocation. A local household’s average relocation expense is about $2,300! What a splurge! Even if you’re only relocating down the block, hiring a mover will set you back quite a bit of money.

Less Flexible

When you hire professional movers, you lose quite a bit of control over your relocation. Life is unpredictable, and if an emergency stops you from relocating the day you scheduled your movers, you might be levied a cancellation fee to compensate for the inconvenience.

Impersonal

You probably don’t know the movers personally. Most people would agree, entrusting your personal belongings and valuables to strangers can be nerve-racking. That is why it is critical to conduct your research, read reviews, and compare ratings before hiring a mover to assist you with the relocation.

The option of whether to relocate yourself or employ experts is particular to your personality, requirements, and the details of your relocation. A DIY relocation will be considerably more challenging if you are relocating long distances or have a large property. In addition, if you have kids and other obligations to attend to, hiring a moving company will make the procedure much smoother and less stressful. Nevertheless, if you are unmarried, on a tight budget, have a tiny house, and have little furniture to move, a do-it-yourself relocation may be a better option for you.

Before making a choice, examine your situation: what’s most vital to you—control, safety, timing, simplicity of use, and price are all essential aspects to consider when determining whether a DIY move or hiring professionals is the right move for you.

 

7 Things You Should Always Consider When You’re Looking for a Moving Company

 

If you have ever moved houses, then you know that it’s not the most pleasant experience. After all, you need to think about hundreds of things at once – you have to pack everything, put it in the right boxes, so you know what is where, organize a truck to transport it and load it with your things, and once that is done, you need to unload it and unpack everything. Sounds exhausting, doesn’t it? In most cases, it is.

However, there are some ways in which you can make the whole process a lot easier on yourself – one of them being hiring a moving company. You might be wondering – why would I do that? Well, hiring someone to help you move will prevent you from having to do part of the steps we mentioned above by yourself.

As experts from highestcashoffer.com rightfully notice, “a moving company already has trucks of all sizes to transport your belongings safely, and, if necessary, can safeguard your belongings in a private storage facility.” What’s more, the movers will load and unload the truck, thus saving you the hassle of taking care of it yourself.

Before you can let them do that, however, you need to make a very important decision, which can be quite challenging – especially if it’s your first time doing something like this. You need to choose the moving company to hire. Since we understand the hassle, we prepared a short list of seven things you should take into consideration when looking for one. Want to find out more about it? Well, you will just have to keep reading then.

Recommendations from People You Know and Trust

It’s common knowledge that Google is not the best place to start your research. While it might help you organize your move better, by, for example, giving you examples of a moving checklist, so you’ll know what to do, it is not the right first choice when it comes to looking for moving services.

Instead of searching it up, try asking your family members or friends. Perhaps someone was in the same situation not so long ago and can share their opinion on the company they hired.

Now, you might be wondering – why not google it first? Well, it is not uncommon for people to have a bad experience with a company that has only good reviews. On the other hand, there might be some companies that are still new, and thus not have an established web presence. By asking your loved ones, you might gain some information you wouldn’t if you started from online research.

Good Reviews

Now, don’t be mistaken – we are all for looking for opinions online. However, as we said, it shouldn’t be your first choice, as there are a lot of things you might miss out on. Now that you have probably gathered a few company names from your loved ones, you can use online reviews to learn more about them and their practices.

Keep in mind that, usually, people write a review either when they had a very good experience with the company or a terrible one. However, both of them are important, as they can help you understand what you might be getting yourself into when choosing that particular company.

It’s like when you want to sell your house – you don’t just randomly select a company to help you with that. Instead, you are doing your research, to make sure you are making the right decision.

Successful Track Record

If left to choose between a company that has been around for years or a new company that is just getting started, people would most likely choose the former – unless they know people that can really recommend choosing the latter option.

Thanks to the information you can find online, it shouldn’t be hard to discern a general idea about their practices, and their record with clients. Look at things such as being on time, maintaining the condition of possessions and keeping the rates fair.

License and Insurance

This might sound like a no-brainer but never go for a company that isn’t insured or licensed. While everyone can buy a moving truck and consider themselves a moving company, according to the law, only the licensed and insured ones have the obligation of protecting your property.

When it comes to interstate moves, the moving company has to be registered with the U.S. Department of Transportation, after which they receive a unique USDOT number. You can easily check if the company’s DOT number is valid by searching a database provided by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. The best thing you can do is to look at what licensing laws are present in your state, and whether the company you are planning on choosing abides by them.

Transparent Rates

The price that moving companies give you when you book service is usually just a base rate, concerning how many hours it will take them, and how many movers you will need from them. However, it doesn’t include things like additional packing materials, or additional fees for moving large and heavy objects.

Keep in mind that, generally, the price you are given when booking services of a moving company, is just to provide you with a general idea of how much you will be spending. That’s why it’s important that you ask about any additional fees that might apply, and what are the reasons behind them. If the company is not willing to share that information, it might be best to just choose another one.

Fitting for Individual Needs

Remember – every move is different. Moving a studio apartment will be different than moving a two-story house. However, no matter how big or small, you need to find a company that will be able to accommodate all of your things and meet your needs. Some of the questions worth asking yourself are:

  • Does the company have a moving truck of the right size, that will be able to fit all my boxes and furniture?
  • Is the company able to provide additional packaging materials, such as bubble wrap or moving blankets?
  • Is the company available during the time period convenient for you?

Beware of Fraud

While millions of people move every year, all over the world, there is a chance of being scammed if you don’t take the necessary precautions. Check whether the company has a valid DOT number, active license, or look for an opinion about them online. Be cautious about movers that ask for a deposit – especially if the amount is higher than 20%. If you want to find out more information about how to make sure you are hiring a legitimate company, you can always check the website of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

The Bottom Line

There’s no denying that competition between moving companies is high. There are so many of them that at one point it can become overwhelming – however, that’s also one of the reasons why you should always do your research before hiring one. You probably want to make sure that you are making the right decision, don’t you?

In general look for companies that offer high-quality services, have a proven history of safety, and are reliable. Keep in mind the things that we listed above, and you should be just fine.