When deciding how to move, it comes down to two options: moving yourself vs. hiring movers. They both have their pros and cons, but the best method for you all comes down to your needs. Do you need to move quickly? Are you physically unable to load and drive a moving truck? Are you trying to save the most money possible? There might not be one option that meets all your needs, so determine your top one or two priorities. Our detailed breakdown evaluates the pros and cons of moving yourself vs. hiring movers so you can make the best decision for you.
Moving Yourself Vs. Hiring MOvers: The Pros and Cons
Moving Yourself
Pros
- Inexpensive
Expense is the number one reason people decide to move themselves over hiring a moving company. When you move yourself, you only pay for the truck and gas. Labor is supplied by you, family members, or whatever friends decide to help after being bribed with pizza and soda. If you opt for this route, do the calculations to make sure you’re actually saving money by doing all the hard work yourself. The advertised rates of truck rentals often don’t include mileage or other hidden fees, which can quickly rack up if you’re making a couple of trips. - Maintain Control
You’re in control of everything when you move yourself. You’re not depending on someone else’s availability to move you on your preferred moving date. You don’t have to worry about someone moving too fast with your belongings or too slow and delaying your move. You’re moving the boxes so you can ensure they’re loaded and unloaded safely. And in the case of inclement weather, you can more easily postpone your move or decide how to protect your boxes and furniture. - No Restrictions
When moving yourself, you decide how to pack everything. You can leave awkward-to-pack items loose, like mop buckets, curtain rods, vacuums, and lamps. You don’t have to abide by any box weight restrictions and can pack as you’ll be okay with carrying. It’s your move, and you get to make up the rules.
Cons
- Possibility of Injury
Doing all the heavy lifting yourself is arguably the worst part about a DIY move. Lifting heavy boxes requires using muscles in ways you probably don’t on a regular basis, and you’ll be at risk for injury. If you only have a few belongings to move, this might be doable. But if you’re moving from and to a multiple bedroom house, consider the stairs you’ll have to walk up and down. Since you’re not an experienced mover, the chances that you’ll scratch or mark up the floors or walls are probably high. And multiple trips up and down the stairs with heavy items is exhausting. - Extensive Planning
When you do the move yourself, you plan the move yourself. That means you coordinate a truck rental, fill the truck with gas, acquire moving materials, and ensure enlisted help is there at the right time. And there are a lot of things you’ll have to learn that would be second nature to professional movers. You’ll have to learn how to wrap and protect furniture for a move, how to load and unload a truck, and how to secure items to the truck to ensure safety during transportation. - Handling Problems
Along the same lines, if there’s an unexpected problem, you’ll be the one handling it. If there’s a mix up with the truck rental, the truck breaks down, or settlement gets pushed back, it’s up to you to rearrange every detail again for a different moving day.
Hiring Movers
Pros
- Avoid Possible Injuries
The best part about hiring professional movers is you don’t have to do any heavy lifting yourself. They’ll move everything up or down however many flights of stairs there are and safely load everything on and off of the moving truck. You don’t have to worry about straining any muscles or injuring your back and can focus on unpacking and settling in to your new home. - Years of Experience
When you hire a reliable and legitimate moving company, you’re not just paying for truck, gas, and labor. You’re also paying for years of experience. They’ll know how to protect your items in the event of heavy rain. If there’s a difficult turn on the staircase, they’ll figure out how to safely get the piece up or downstairs. They’ve spent years wrapping furniture to protect it for a move. You don’t have to learn how to do all of this because they’ll take care of it for you. - Less Stressful
Moving is always going to be stressful, but hiring professional movers will make it much less so. They’ll save you time as they expertly load and unload your belongings. They’re the ones driving the moving truck, which, depending on the size, can be notoriously difficult to maneuver. If a problem arises, like a truck breaking down, it’s their responsibility to source another truck.
Cons
- Expensive
Price is the biggest turn away for most people when it comes to hiring professional movers. If the company is legitimate, there’s going to be a bit of a price tag. Even if you’re only moving a few streets away, moving a three bedroom home could be over $1,000. - Less Flexibility
Hiring professional movers means giving up some control over your move. They have guidelines to adhere to, like a box weight limit, restrictions on moving certain pieces, or cancellation fees if you need to reschedule. And if they’re booked up on your preferred moving day, you’ll either need to choose a new moving day or find a new company.
In the battle of moving yourself vs. hiring movers, if the second has won out, it’s time to start looking for a moving company. We at Moving U & Junk U believe we’re the movers for you. We provide packing, moving, and junk removal services. Whatever you need help with, we’ll tailor our services to meet your needs. Looking for us to only move the bulky items to your new home? We can do that. Are you interested in a hands off, full service packing and move? We can do that too. Our professionally trained, friendly movers are here to make your life easier on moving day so you can focus on a fresh, well rested start in your new home.
To get your free estimate for packing, moving, or junk removal, give us a call or text at 484-301-2442 or email us at info@movingujunku.com.
