Should You Hire a Moving Company or Move Yourself?

Jan 17
08:49

2013

Janet Jhon

Janet Jhon

  • Share this article on Facebook
  • Share this article on Twitter
  • Share this article on Linkedin

If you choose to move yourself, you will have to locate a large truck to load all your items into, if you have back problems or are facing the move alone, it may work to your advantage to hire a professional to help you.

mediaimage
When a job transfer moves your family,Should You Hire a Moving Company or Move Yourself? Articles there are a million things to consider.  Will you choose the school down the street or homeschool your children?  Will you connect with the local cable company or install satellite television?  Are there benefits to one water company over another?  The sheer volume of decisions to be made can be overwhelming.  So when you begin to pack up your belongings, you might question whether it would be beneficial to hire a moving company or pack the items yourself.  There are certainly pros and cons to either decision.

There are several types of moving companies that could assist you in your move.  A full service company will bring in a team of workers to pack up all your belongings and load them into a truck.  With so many people involved in the process, they can get it done all in one day.  A hybrid company will allow you to help in the process of packing, just offering part-time help to shorten the time it takes to pack everything.  If you choose to pack and move everything yourself, the process may take weeks before you ever load the first box into a rented truck.

And speaking of trucks, if you choose a moving company, they will provide the truck needed for the move.  If you choose to move yourself, you will have to locate a large truck to load all your items into.  Are you qualified to drive a large truck like this?  Do you feel confident doing so?  You will need to factor in the expense of renting the truck when making your decision as well.  A small trailer that you pull behind your vehicle may cost as little as $50 while a large truck may cost several hundred dollars.  Consider whether you can return the truck at a facility near your new home or if you will have to drive back to your old hometown to return it after the move.  Is your family moving across the country?  Some companies will provide a truck and a driver, but you will have to provide the manpower to load all the boxes and furniture as well as unload it.  This may be an option to consider if you plan to fly or drive your own vehicle to the new place.

If you choose to move all of your belongings yourself, it is often much cheaper.  If you are in good physical condition and have friends or family members who are willing to help you move, it may be the way to go for your family.  However, if you have back problems or are facing the move alone, it may work to your advantage to hire a professional to help you.  Also, if you move yourself and break items, you have simply lost the item.  If you hire a professional and they break your items, they are insured and you can get a refund for the cost of the lost item. 

Sore muscles and the experience of the move are sometimes worth it to save money and celebrate a move, so the decision is up to you.