Without a doubt, one of the first questions that comes to mind when moving to a new address is whether or not you should hire movers or DIY it. This decision will determine the direction of the entire moving process from how you will plan the whole thing to what moving supplies you need and what tasks you have to complete.
Since this is an important decision to make, you need to gather all the needed information and even try to put together a pro and con list that can ensure a good moving experience. You must know what are the advantages, what risks can you face, and whether hiring a moving company will be worthwhile or not. You must know what are the advantages, what risks can you face, and whether hiring full moving services will be worthwhile or not.
In other words, you must be aware of the benefits and drawbacks of hiring a commercial moving company. So, here’s a list of things to consider:
The Advantages of Hiring Movers
Professional movers not only provide the necessary logistics and transportation needed for moving but they also make the moving process smoother, more reliable, and less stressful. Deciding whether or not to hire a moving company or going DIY is a difficult thing but you need to take into consideration various factors – both advantageous and less advantageous. So let’s start with the good ones:
It’s safer
The safety of your belongings is at the top of the list of the many advantages of hiring a moving company. Not to exaggerate, but it is the most crucial aspect when it comes to moving, so once that is assured, you will have nothing to worry about.
They have specialized packing and moving equipment which allows them to provide the best possible security for your belongings and avoid damaging them during the moving process.
Professional movers have the ability and know-how when it comes to packing and managing various types of products, including exclusive items, art pieces or any type of fragile objects in the safest and most effective manner possible.
Another important factor when you choose to work with professional movers, especially if you choose a full service is that they also provide appropriate protection materials such as corner guards, moving blankets, masking tape, etc and use them to prevent any type of damage that may arise during the moving process; not only to your belongings but also inside the house you’re moving out of (of in to). They use specialized moving equipment which ensures that there will be no scratching floors, dirtying walls and so on.
Aside from ensuring the safety of your belongings, choosing a moving company means you (and your back) will also be protected. They do all of the work, so you (and your family and friends) don’t have to lift heavy objects and risk any personal injury.
It’s time-saving
When traveling, time is most likely to be the second biggest problem you will encounter. There are many too many things to do, tasks to accomplish, and plans to make, all of which take far too much time. Hiring a moving company will solve this issue as they will handle your transfer in record time, allowing you to focus on other things.
Your movers will arrange the pick-up, transportation, and delivery, provide the required materials, and do all of the work (or as much of it as you want them to). They will carry your stuff to your new home, so you won’t have to deal with driving a big and heavy moving truck in the city traffic or narrow streets which may be quite time-consuming and potentially even dangerous if you don’t really know how to handle a van.
Moving requires a lot of effort – packing loads of boxes, disassembling bulky furniture, transporting heavy objects, cleaning your old and new homes, and so on. It can leave you totally exhausted, not to mention that you might end up with muscle strains, back injuries, hernias, and other health issues. If you go for a full moving service, you will save yourself all of the effort and possible risk.
It’s more organized
The stress coming from the relocation process is immense. There is just so much going on at the same time. An experienced moving company adds order and consistency to this process so that it doesn’t turn into uncontrollable chaos, as well as streamlining the moving process to make it smooth and hassle-free.
When you choose to do it yourself you’ll have a bunch of tasks to complete even before the process actually begins such as getting packing materials, hiring a truck, arranging for extra support on a moving day, setting the route and preparing your new place. When working with a moving company, all you have to do is set the date and time, as well as state your specifications and the movers can handle the rest. They will plan the logistics, supply the necessary materials, and carry out the relocation in a secure, timely, and effective manner.
It’s a lot less stressful.
Having a dependable and competent moving partner will relieve you of much of the moving tension. And this is without a doubt one of the most significant advantages of hiring a moving company. You won’t have to think about packing supplies, you won’t have to think about time, you won’t have to think about money because you’ll know the final moving expense ahead of time, you will not depend on others and last but most important, you will have peace of mind!
The Drawbacks to Hiring Movers
Despite the various advantages of recruiting movers, there are several reasons why one might be set back from hiring a moving company and choosing to DIY. Here are some of them:
The cost can be high
The average cost of a local transfer can even reach $2,000, and a long-distance move around $4,500. Depending on your particular needs and conditions, the cost of your move can be either on the lower or on the higher side of the spectrum. Spending too much money on moving services might not seem like a good idea, particularly if you’ve already spent a lot of money on your new home and have a lot of upcoming expenses to cover.
Self-moving could be a more cost-effective and practical choice for you but not quite recommended unless you move very close-by.
It can be less flexible
If you want to hire skilled movers, you should know that it’s not always simple, particularly during peak moving seasons (summer months, weekends, etc.) when many people are relocating.You must begin looking well in advance and you might need to adjust the date of your move to accommodate the timetable of your chosen company. Furthermore, if you book a moving company, you must be ready by the scheduled date – if anything unexpected occurs and you need to postpone or cancel your transfer, you might be charged a cancellation fee.
You need to trust them
When choosing a moving company, you must be prepared to be dealing with strangers and bringing strangers into your home. If you feel uncomfortable with strangers handling your personal and sentimental possessions and you do not trust them to take good care of your prized belongings – movers are not for you.
When you move yourself, you may tend to believe that you will take extra care of your prized possessions but since you lack technical skills and packing and moving experience, you might not be able to move it all in one piece, despite your best efforts. It might be preferable to employ skilled, trustworthy professionals to move your household goods and just bring your most precious belongings with you.
Beware of moving scams
There are con artists out there who prey on unsuspecting consumers. Moving scams are very common and if you are not cautious, you will either lose a lot of money or all of your earthly belongings.
It is, however, very simple to eliminate the possibility of moving scams – all you need to do is thoroughly research the moving company and learn to identify the red flags of moving fraud.
To summarize, hiring skilled movers will make your transfer safer and faster, but it will cost you money. Of course, there are many more advantages and disadvantages but you must balance protection and comfort against price and make a decision.