From selecting a new home to moving day and everything in between, moving comes with a multitude of planning, decision-making, and exhaustion. In addition to upending your life, you’ll have to decide how to pack and transport your belongings. The stress may tempt you to burn everything at some point, but don’t do that!
If you’re the type that loves to take on challenges and accomplish tasks on your own, then you may be leaning toward moving by yourself and skipping the moving company. But let’s talk about whether moving on your own is worth the trouble because it can be quite an undertaking and is often much more work than people anticipate. Moving by yourself and hiring a moving company both have pros and cons, and only you can decide which is right for you.
Pros of Moving by Yourself
- Complete Control: When you’re in charge, you can create your schedule, ensure your things are handled gently and move at your desired pace. You don’t have to rely on someone else and worry about the safety of your belongings.
- More Affordable: If you’re on a very tight budget, DIY moving may be your only option, and that’s OK. People do it all the time. This option works best and is most affordable if you can recruit friends and family to help out. If you still want to hire help but can’t reasonably afford full-service movers, consider hiring moving helpers to assist with just a few bulky items.
- Take Your Time: Do you hate feeling rushed? Would you prefer to spread the work out over a few days to make sure it’s done right? If you’re on your own schedule, you can take your time, make a road trip out of your move and enjoy the journey.
Cons of Moving by Yourself
- Heavy Lifting: If you have a bad back, the physical labor might be too much for you. Physically moving your stuff on your own requires a lot of energy that can be draining. Make sure you’re up to it if you decide to do the heavy lifting yourself.
- Driving a Large Truck: You must be comfortable driving a large moving truck. You’ll have to rent one to move all your stuff to your new place. The size of your truck may influence where you can make stops for gas, food, and lodging. Be sure you are up for the challenge.
- Time-Consuming: Professional movers are trained to do a quick and efficient job (at least good ones are). Movers will likely pack and move boxes quicker than you and a few friends.
Moving yourself may make the most sense if:
- You want to save money and don’t mind the physical labor
- You want control over packing, loading, and transporting
- You have a handful of reliable family/friends who are willing to help you move
- You have access to all the equipment and supplies required for your move
- You have a flexible timeline
- You love road trips
Pros of Hiring Movers
- Relieve Physical Stress: You don’t have to worry about the physical strain of moving; your movers got it for you!
- Comfortable Transportation: Are you intimidated by driving a huge moving truck? When you hire a moving company, they move all your belongings and drive them to your new place in their moving truck. You’ll be driving separately in your own car, which is likely easier to drive and more comfortable to ride in.
- Sit Back and Relax: Sometimes you can’t put a price on maintaining your sanity. With movers, you can hand over the stressful work to them so you can focus on other important matters.
Cons of Hiring Movers
- More Expensive: Hiring a full-service moving company is the pricier option. You’re paying for labor, gas, materials/equipment, and convenience. According to the American Moving and Storage Association, the average cost of a local household move is $2,300. Calculate how much you’ll spend on a moving truck rental, gas, and materials if you’re weighing the costs. The additional cost may not be as much as you think.
- Must Plan in Advance: It may be hard to book a moving company if your move is abrupt. Most moving companies have busy schedules and require scheduling in advance. There’s less flexibility. You may get whatever is open on their schedule.
- Trusting Strangers: If you are big on privacy and feel uncomfortable having strangers around, you may prefer a different experience than professional movers. However, you can alleviate some concerns by hiring a reputable company that you can trust. Talk to your friends and family to find a trustworthy moving company.
Hiring a professional moving company is probably best if:
- You have a bad back or other injuries that make it dangerous to do the heavy lifting
- You’re embarking on a long-distance move
- You live on the second story or higher
- Your schedule is hectic
- You have many significant or valuable antiques that are breakable
Additional Things to Consider
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- Timeline: How soon do you need to move? If you’re moving for a job and need more time to pack and transport your stuff amid other life events, it may be worth it to fork over the cost of a moving company. Your company may even pay for it. If your schedule is flexible and you’re physically able to pack load and transport, you may be fine moving on your own.
- Amount of Stuff: If you’re going straight from the college dorms to a new home, you may not even have enough stuff to need movers. In that case, the back seat of your car and trunk may suffice, or a small trailer. But if you’re packing up a 10,000 sq. ft home, that’s a different story.
- Budget: It’s essential to figure out your budget before deciding whether to move on your own or hire a company. DIY moving may seem way more affordable, but take into account the extra time, the physical effort, the supplies needed, packing, cleaning, loading and unloading the truck, and so on.
- Distance: The distance of your move will also play a factor in which moving method makes more sense for you. If you’re moving down the street or within the same building, rounding up your friends may be the easiest option. If you’re embarking on a long-distance move, choosing a moving company will make your life easier in various ways.
There are pros and cons to moving yourself and hiring a moving company. There will be heavy lifting either way. But with a moving company, you don’t have to do any of it. After weighing both methods, you’ll know which one is right for you. Hiring a moving company will alleviate stress, and if that’s the option you choose, you won’t regret it. Keep us in mind when searching for a moving company in Utah.