Pros and Cons of Hiring a Moving Company or by DIY

Moving, be it across the street or to a new city, is a complicated process. Among the key decisions to make before moving include hiring a realtor, looking for a new house, and determining which furniture to move. You should also choose between hiring a moving company and moving yourself.

Deciding whether you should hire movers or DIY the move depends on several factors, primarily your budget, the proximity of your new home, and the complexity of the move. Below are the pros and cons to help you decide whether to hire professional movers or move yourself.

Hiring a Moving Company or DIY Move: What to Consider

Hiring professionals and DIY-ing the move are two common options available to anyone planning to relocate. While both options have their fair share of pros and cons, you should additionally consider the following factors when deciding between these two options.

• Moving timeline – you might not have enough time to pack everything and plan for the move if you have a deadline or moving to secure a job opportunity. Hiring movers like My Piece of Cake Moving, is a better option if you need to move within a short period.
• Costs and capability – if family members and friends can help you complete the move, moving yourself is cheaper. If you are disabled or have limited mobility, consider hiring professional movers.
• Distance – where you are relocating to is another important factor to consider. Moving yourself makes sense if you are moving to the house next door or down the street. However, expert cross country moving services are a better choice if you’re moving very far away.
• Value of your items – you should hire professional movers if you have several fragile and valuable items. Professionals know how to pack and handle fragile equipment. Professional movers also offer moving insurance that compensates for damaged goods.

Hiring a Moving Company

Professional movers provide the much-needed muscle and means required to complete the move. Benefits of working with a moving company include:

Pros

1. It makes the move safer

Safe moving is an undebatable benefit of hiring professional movers. A professional moving company assures of safe moving because:

• They are trained in how to pack and move items professionally. As such, you can be sure your items will be handled with the best possible protection.
• Moving companies have special moving trucks, and drivers can facilitate the move, regardless of the weather, road, or traffic conditions.
• They have moving experience – they are aware of various moving risks and challenges and can handle or avoid them.
• Good movers know how to pack, load, transport, secure, and unload your items. This reduces the risk of damage to items. They are unlikely to drop electronic devices, stack breakables below heavier cartons, or bump delicate furniture.
• Professional movers also ensure the safety of your property. They use special moving equipment like furniture pads and sliders to minimize home damage when moving in or out.

2. Hiring professional movers saves time

Time constraints are a common concern for anybody planning a move, especially with many things to do. This becomes increasingly challenging if you should report to work and watch your family while planning the move. However, delegating the moving tasks to movers gives you enough time to focus on other activities, such as bidding your neighbors goodbye and planning the trip to your new home.

Professional movers will:

• Pack, pick up, and load your belongings into their moving trucks.
• Transport and unload your items in your new home. You won’t have to drive heavy moving trucks, as would be the case if you rent a moving truck.
• Complete the move in the shortest period. They are trained and experienced to complete the move faster and more efficiently.

3. Make the move less stressful

Partnering with a professional moving company takes the moving stress off your shoulders. This is probably the greatest benefit of working with professionals, especially if you have other commitments. For starters:

• They come with packing supplies – most moving companies also pack for their clients. This means you won’t have to worry about hiring packers or buying packing materials.
• No cost surprises – estimating the total costs of moving when moving yourself is difficult. However, the moving company provides price estimates from the start, allowing you to budget accordingly.
• No dependence on others – you won’t need help from family members and friends to complete the move.

Cons

While working with a professional moving company is certainly beneficial, it comes with the following drawbacks:

1. Hiring professional moving services is expensive

Moving costs range between $2000 for a local move and $4500 for long-distance. The costs may increase depending on your unique relocation needs, such as the time of the move, the type of items for moving, and the need for additional services. These costs might become unbearable, especially if you’ve spent a lot paying for your new home.

2. Less flexibility

Hiring a moving company requires finding an experienced and reliable moving crew with a moving truck and other equipment required to complete the move on your preferred date. Unfortunately, this is not possible, especially during peak moving season. You should search for movers in advance and pay more to enjoy quality services.

Moving Yourself

Renting a moving truck can help you complete the move by yourself. Below are the pros and cons of this moving option:

Pros

1. Total control over the move – the ability to fully control the moving process is probably the greatest benefit of moving yourself. You choose the moving truck, moving supplies, and other activities involved in the move. You also enjoy the flexibility of deciding when to move.
2. Saves on cost – moving yourself is a perfect option for those with a tight budget. Even if you are moving across the street, the costs of hiring a moving company can add up. Renting a moving truck saves thousands in moving costs.
3. Flexibility to pack how you want – there’s no pressure of packing your belongings perfectly as you prepare for a DIY move. Professional movers can only load sealed boxes. However, you don’t have to box up everything, especially if the items aren’t fragile.

Cons

You should reconsider moving yourself because of the following:

1. You’ll do all the heavy lifting – moving yourself means taking all the responsibility of completing the move. Unless you can engage your friends and family members, packing, loading, transportation, and moving, are all on you. This might prove challenging, especially if it includes heavy furniture.
2. Requires a lot of planning – while you should also have a plan when hiring professional movers, coordinating the entire move yourself is very engaging. You should figure out everything, including packing, transport, and unloading.
3. Unexpected problems may arise – you can’t be sure of a flawless move, especially if it is your first time. Moving some items, such as heavy furniture, requires special tools that professional movers only have.

The Bottom Line

Unless you are moving next door or have very few belongings, you should enlist the help of moving companies. Full-service moving companies eliminate the stress of packing, lifting, and transporting your belongings. While it might cost more and is less flexible, you’ll have peace of mind working with professionals.