Should you hire movers or do it yourself?

One of the best things about moving from one home to another is that you are given a number of good options about how to approach the home moving process: hire movers, move by yourself, or perform a hybrid move between the two.

Having a variety of relocation options is always advantageous, but now you’re going to have to choose the one that best suits your needs. Deciding whether to hire movers or move yourself can sometimes be a bit tricky, so here we will discuss how each major relocation factor will influence your final call.

The most important thing you need to remember is that Hiring movers vs. moving yourself is an individual decision that will depend on the

• move distance,
• number and type of your belongings,
• time until Moving day,
• moving labor,
• additional services,
• safety,
• stress, and of course
• cost.

So, should you hire movers or move yourself?

Move distance

The distance between Point A (your current home) and Point B (your destination home) should play a huge role in your decision to either hire professional movers or do it by yourself.

• Long distance. When you’re moving long distance, like moving to another state or moving across the country, then the best way is to hire cross country movers because the costs, dangers, and risks of self-moving become too great.
• Short distance. When you’re only moving a short distance, like across town or to a neighboring city or within the county, then it can actually make sense to move by yourself by borrowing a pickup truck or a van from a friend, or renting a moving vehicle from a local truck rental agency.

How to keep moving truck rental costs under control?

Number and type of belongings

So should you hire movers or do it yourself? Base your decision on how much stuff you are moving to the new home.

• Movers. Hire the services of a reputable moving company if you are moving out of a large home with too many items in it. Also, if you happen to be moving specialty items such as a piano, a hot tub, a pool table, antique furniture, etc., then the sensible thing is to call in the pros.
• Do-it-yourself. Provided that your home inventory is not too big and you don’t own any valuable household items that require specialist packing and expert transportation, then you and your friends should be able to handle the move on your own.

Should I hire professional packers?

Time until Moving day

Is it better to hire a moving company or do it yourself? The answer to this question is not always easy. One important thing to take into account is how much time you have until the day of the move.

• Too little time. It’s no secret that professional movers are known for their efficiency thanks to their sheer experience. If you have something like one week or less to prepare to move out, then hiring a mover to handle your emergency move will be the right thing to do.
• Enough time. Having at least 3 weeks or more before Moving day arrives should be enough to pull off a self-move. Just make sure you follow a good moving checklist to organize your time in the best possible way.

How to save time when moving

Moving labor

Together with the cost (see below), the other deciding factor in your decision whether to move yourself without professional movers or not is moving labor.

• No friendly help. Having too much time on your hands, you may get to pack your entire home by yourself. However, you can’t possibly cope with Moving day on your own if you are unable to gather up your friends to give you a hand. In such cases, hiring a moving company is your only option.
• Friends to help you out. Ultimately, the best way to move yourself is to know that you can count on your pals with packing and especially with lifting and carrying heavy boxes and even heavier pieces of furniture. Consider moving by yourself if you know friendly backup will be readily available.

What is moving labor?

Additional services

Professional movers or DIY? By now, the best way to move to another home must have become much clearer. Another way to check the correctness of your decision is to take into account the extra services you’ll need.

• Full-service movers. You may need a number of extra services for the successful completion of the move – packing, unpacking, furniture disassembly and reassembly, custom crating, hoisting (rigging), temporary storage, and so on. In such cases, your best bet is to use the services of a full-service moving company.
• Moving yourself. The overall complexity of your own home move will help you decide which option is the better one for you. If you don’t really need any specialized moving services, then moving by yourself could work as long as all other conditions are favorable too.

Additional services offered by professional movers

Safety

Safety is paramount during a home move, and as such, you must factor in its significance in relation to moving yourself vs. hiring movers.

• Professional experience. The home moving process can be rather dangerous. Your friends may be willing to help you but they will likely lack any relocation experience, and they do not come insured either – what if anything gets broken or if somebody gets hurt due to inexperience. Hire professional movers when your initial risk assessment shows elevated DIY safety risks.
• DIY experience. Should you hire movers or move yourself? The answer to this conundrum comes down to whether or not you’ve moved home before. If you have, then you’ll know what it takes to establish and maintain a good level of safety throughout the move. No costly property damage, no costlier personal injuries.

How to prevent accidents and injuries when moving

Stress

Stress is such an important factor to consider when wondering whether to move by yourself or hire professional movers to take care of the job for you.

• Stress-free move. Hiring professional movers to handle the toughest aspects of your move will mean that you won’t really have to do anything, especially if you’re paying for a full-service move. No planning and no work for you also means you won’t have to cope with move-related stress at all. Just sit back and enjoy the show.
• Stressful move. Even if you find the best way to move yourself, you cannot possibly avoid the stress that comes with organizing and executing a self-move. Money, time, property damage, injuries, and safety of your family are all great stressors. Then add the stress-inducing thought of having to navigate a big rental truck through unknown lands and unfamiliar roads until you reach your destination.

How to reduce stress when moving house

Cost

Needless to say, the cost of the upcoming home move will be the most important factor to help you make an informed decision about hiring movers or do it yourself.

• Moving by yourself. Many people believe that hiring a moving truck and performing a self-move is always less expensive than hiring a full-service moving company. If only things were that simple! When doing the preliminary calculations, you may find out that moving by yourself is not really the bargain it seemed to be in the beginning. Make sure you take into account everything: toll costs, packing materials, the cost of fuel, and the price of your time too. You’re probably overlooking a number of hidden DIY costs too!
• Hiring a moving company. Professional moving services tend to be expensive but they are usually worth every penny. The lack of stress and the peace of mind that your items will arrive safely in the new home are enough to convince you that hiring a reputable, reliable and affordable moving company is the right choice for you. Get a quote to learn how much such a mover will cost you.

How much does it cost to hire movers