Moving to a new place is an exciting experience. It enables you to explore a new environment, meet new people, and gain new perspectives. But considering the numerous tasks at hand, not everyone truly enjoys relocations.
Aside from all the backbreaking work involved, moving can also be expensive! For people who want to economize, moving on their own seems very enticing. But is it really worth it? Or could hiring professional movers be the most economical and effective option?
To Hire or Not To Hire Movers?
When planning your move, you’ll confront a tough dilemma of whether to DIY move or hire movers. There are a lot of considerations but everything boils down on your top priority – convenience or money. Hiring a moving company brings in convenience and efficiency but it entails high costs.
The average cost for a local move is around $80-$100 per hour while a long-distance move can cost around $5,000 or even more. Moving costs depend on multiple factors including the distance, volume and type items to be transported, and type of moving services availed.
On the other hand, moving on your own could save you money but expect it to be a physically demanding and laborious process. You need to organize and pack your belongings, arrange the logistical aspects of the move, rent trucks if necessary, and do all other moving-related tasks.
To ensure a successful DIY move, you need to plan ahead and dedicate time for it. From the preparations to the packing and loading onto the vehicles and down to the unpacking and settling into your new home, you’re completely hands on. As such, you need to know every detail of the move.
When to Move on Your Own?
While hiring professional movers seems the easiest way to go, there are some situations where DIY moving is worth it. These include the following:
· If you’re moving with a strict budget
· If you got enough time for organizing the move and packing your stuff
· If de-cluttering is something you like to do
· If you are handy and own basic toolkit
· If you’re just relocating to a nearby destination, such within the same block or city
· If the scheduled move is still months ahead and you have plenty of time to plan and prepare
· If you want flexibility and don’t want to be bound into the mover’s schedule
· If you don’t have that much belongings, like if you’re living in a one-bedroom apartment or studio
· If you got friends or family whom you can enlist for help
If any of these scenarios are true to you, then DIY move can be a good option. However, moving on your own may not always be the better alternative. In some cases, you can save more when you work with a moving company.
Is DIY Moving Worth the Time and Effort?
The thought of relocating on your own can be daunting that many people simply decide to enlist moving companies without thoroughly evaluating their present situation. A moving consultant at https://www.torexmoving.ca/ reminds clients to thoroughly consider their current state and explore all available options before making a final decision.
One of the most difficult aspects of moving is really packing your clothes, books, electronics, furniture, and other stuff into boxes. Usually, people end up having to complete all of these tasks on their own anyway, whether or not they hire movers.
Likewise, disassembling and packing furniture is not always easy. It requires at least basic handyman skills like screwing and unscrewing, and tying knots. Additionally, you also need to invest in the right tools and supplies. If such handy tasks stress you out, then you should start packing a few months before the scheduled move or hire experienced movers.
When you hire professional movers, they’ll arrive at your home equipped with the right tools and supplies, and manned by at least around 7 movers. These movers can help you pack and load your stuff into the truck. If you don’t have enough friends to help you, expect things to take a little longer.
Moving on your own is certainly much cheaper than hiring movers. However, the savings may not be that substantial especially when you consider all the stress, effort, and time you’ll need to put into. If you find yourself in any of the scenarios above, then moving alone is a great choice. But if it is not the case, hiring professional movers is strongly suggested. Alternatively, you can look for moving companies that offer hybrid moves that allow you to assume some moving chores, thereby saving money.
Overall, DIY moving can be worth it only if you fall into any of the scenarios listed above. If you fail to meet these recommendations, then hiring movers is highly recommended.
