You’ve managed to get that apartment in the city or your home for life in your ideal neighborhood and you’ve informed friends, neighbors, and doctors about your change in address, now for the hardest and most exhausting part: getting your things packed for moving day. What do you do? Start moving yourself or hiring movers?
Either way, both have their pros and cons and we’re here to list them so you can decide how you want to deal with your big move.
Hiring Movers
Pros
Other people do the lifting for you
If you have problems lifting anything, especially heavy objects due to some physical issue, old age or you’re just lazy about it, hiring movers is the best call to make as doing the move yourself when you have a physical ailment increases the chances of injury, making it highly dangerous.
It’s a lot more efficient
Movers are trained to be fast and efficient so they can get you to your new home as quickly as possible. This is one of the greatest appeals of hiring movers. If you’re relocating due to work and you don’t really have the time or want to deal with packing, a mover can do it for you.
Your belongings are insured in the event of damage
Any legit business in the moving industry has an insurance policy in the event that movers accidentally break any of your belongings. How much they’re willing to cover will vary from company to company so make sure to read their terms and get a valuation before committing.
Cons
Costs often higher compared to doing it yourself
Since you’re paying other people to do the work for you, that drives up the total cost of the move on top of other costs such as the truck (if your moving service doesn’t already provide you with one). If you have a sizable budget for the move, it should allow you to hire a moving service.
You have to let the movers work the way they’re instructed to work
Movers are trained professionals. They’ve been instructed to do their work a certain way to ensure consistent service and avoid accidents. When you hire a moving service and they show up to pack up your stuff, the most you can do is tell them which item goes to which box and what to label. It’s not really a problem for most people but some may have anxiety or OCD issues that may prevent them from hiring a service.
| Pros | Cons |
Other people do the heavy lifting for you |
You’re running on a tight schedule because the movers you hired are paid by the hour |
| It’s a lot more efficient since movers work around the clock | Costs often higher compared to doing it yourself |
| Your belongings are insured in the event of damage | You have to let the movers work the way they’re instructed to work |
Moving by yourself
Pros
Costs are much lower
Since you’re not paying anyone to do the work for you (other than maybe food for yourself and anyone offering to help you), the expenses will go mostly to the truck, gas, boxes and possibly toll fees depending on how far you have to go. Again, if you’re strapped for cash, moving by yourself is much better than hiring a service.
You get to set up the timeline and control every aspect
One of the beauties of moving by yourself is you get to decide on the workflow, which item goes to which box, and the order of which room you pack up.
Cons
It’s exhausting
Doing everything yourself means you’re going to be exhausted on top of the stress of dealing with paperwork and other work associated with the move. And if you suffer from physical issues that prevent you from lifting heavy objects and climbing up and down ladders or have items that are too heavy for people a single person or even multiple people to lift, hiring movers is recommended.
There’s a lot more planning involved
There’s already a lot involved with a move comparing to just hiring. Moving by yourself and renting a truck is part of the tasks that you have to do if you plan on doing this on your own. If you don’t have the time to prepare because the move is so sudden or your job keeps you busy or too tired to think, it would be better if you hire movers instead.
You run the risk of injuring yourself
While you can be as careful as you can and take note of tips on how to move safely, at the end of the day, doing the move yourself comes with the risk of getting hurt and injuring yourself. If you feel that you might not be able to pick up things from the ceiling or high shelves, it’s better if you hire a moving service instead.
No insurance
If you break something as you put your belongings into boxes, you will have to replace it using money out of your own pocket. If you have expensive furniture or electronics that you can’t afford to replace, get a moving service.
| Pros | Cons |
| Costs are much lower | It’s exhausting |
| You get to set up the timeline and control every aspect | There’s a lot more planning involved. |
| You run the risk of injuring yourself | |
| No insurance |
There’s no doubt that moving is an exhausting and stressful affair. But hopefully, after weighing in the pros and cons of moving yourself vs. hiring movers, you can make the right choice and ensure that moving day goes as smoothly as possible.
But ultimately, the number one deciding factor for choosing between the two is money. If you don’t have the money to pay for a moving service but you really need help, you could try asking your neighbors for help. But if you can afford it, or you’re just too busy, go ahead and hire a moving service.
