Should You Hire a Moving Company or Do It Yourself?

If you have a move coming up that you are preparing for or are anticipating, the absolute first thing you need to think about is whether or not you want to hire Local n Long Distance Movers to help you out. This is a question you need to answer quickly, for everything else - organizing the move, gathering supplies, the actual move - depends on this.

But how do you make that decision? You need to know the ins and outs of moving and moving companies - what the process entails, what you stand to gain - before you can proceed. Luckily for you, we will be delving into this process below. We will present all the pros and cons of hiring a moving company to help you decide whether that is something you want to do. So, without further ado, let’s get started!

Pros of Engaging a Moving Company

Let us first consider the many pros that come with hiring a moving company:

It makes the process safer

This is the most obvious benefit of hiring professionals. They have specialist supplies that will stop them from damaging your prized possessions. They also have their tricks-of-the-trade in case you will be moving a long distance. And the crew is trained to handle and operate all of these details for  you, making sure that the process goes off without a hitch.

Not only does a moving crew make things safer for your furniture, but also for you and your family. It is very easy to hurt yourself while trying to lift heavy objects. You might throw out your back, drop something on your foot, or fall badly. By hiring a moving company, you eliminate these risks.

It saves you a lot of time

Time is of the essence when you’re moving houses. It might seem like you have a lot of it, but between everything else you need to do, you will soon find that you don’t. Besides, packing in itself is an arduous task, and underestimating the time it takes will result in delays. That is when it pays to have a professional crew handle it for you.

By eliminating the need and responsibility to do your packing, you are freeing up many hours you would have spent playing Tetris with luggage and boxes. You can sort out electricity and gas for your new house, and create a floor plan for the movers to follow and set your furniture down at points you prefer.

It saves you from stress

Without having to worry about safety and time, the move will go a lot smoother. Knowing this is bound to reduce your stress levels. What’s more, money is also something you won’t have to worry about, since almost all moving companies tell you up-front how much the move might cost. Knowing that from the start will give you less anxiety.

Right when you engage a service, they calculate all the costs - including deposits - and give you a quote that is in the same ballpark as the final amount. You will have no surprises sprung upon you at the last minute, allowing you to go forward and do what needs to be done in peace. Pro tip: Ask for a binding, not-to-exceed estimate when asking for a quote.

Cons of Engaging a Moving Company

As with everything in life, nothing is wholly positive. Let us now look at the cons of using movers:

It is costly

There is no getting around this. Moving services, because they bring trained professionals and specialized materials and equipment, will charge a hefty amount. You can safely assume that a local move will cost around $2,500 and a long-distance one around $4,500. Plus, depending on what you’re moving and how much you’re taking with you, this price is bound to climb.

With all the costs that come with a new house waiting at your new doorstep, spending so much just to move might not seem like the best idea. This might make self-moving seem like the more attractive deal, but be sure to do some research and look for cheaper moving services before you decide on anything.

It gives you less control

Because you are hiring professionals, they have their standards and practices. This means they will not be doing the job as you see fit, but as they see fit. If they're packing up your contents, you will not have full control over what goes into what box, which items are packed together, or how they’re packed into the truck. What’s more, there is no 100% guarantee on the timing for when your items will reach you, as variables such as weather or unexpected occurrences,  can't be controlled. 

On top of this, you will be trusting your precious goods to strangers. Sure, reviews count for a lot, but how much can you trust people who don’t know the value - monetary or sentimental - of the items they are moving? Ask yourself this in the very beginning before you commit to the idea of using a moving company.

Now that you know the most important pros and cons of hiring a professional moving crew, you are in a better position to decide whether you want to go that route. Moving your things yourself is always an option, but there are costs and risks involved with that as well. Whatever you end up doing, do your research well and be safe. It’s a demanding job, and you don’t want to get hurt before moving into a new home!