Should You Hire Professional Movers or Just Do it Yourself?

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Outline: 

Intro:

• To move yourself or to hire movers? Isn’t that always the question!
• Anyone will tell you there are pros and cons to both, it all comes down to your priorities, your budget, and your timeframe
• Complete list of pros and cons to consider when deciding: Moving by yourself vs hiring the pros.

 Before You Decide, Consider Your Priorities

• What is most important to you? Getting all your belongings there safely? Saving some money? Moving as quickly and efficiently as possible? Moving while simultaneously going to work and getting the kids to school? Understand your priorities, and you can make a more appropriate decision based on your needs.

Option 1: Moving By Yourself

• Why do it: to save some money. But here’s the reality of moving yourself, there are TONS of hidden costs:
• Packing materials
• Time you may need to take off work to get it done
• You’re not a pro, so there will be random convenience costs you spend from figuring out how to do this.
• Eating more takeous
• Renting a trailer or truck
• Paying friends or relatives to help (even with pizza)
• Investing a bunch of time

• Overall, it will still be cheaper, but unless you’re extremely organized, have moved before, and have a large family with nothing to do but help for a few weeks, the time and inconvenience could outweigh the minimal money saved.

Option 2: Full Service Professional Moving

• Why do it: You have the peace of mind of professionals who will take care of anything.
• While there are still some details to consider, like vetting different moving companies and meeting with them to perform your quote, overall you can outsource this whole fiasco.
• Pros often offer several moving packages you can choose from to meet your needs and your budget
• Pros also have damage coverage (liability insurance). Something else to vet your pros on by the way.
• You don’t have to stress - there are so many other things to think about, it feels great to get this one of your back.

Option 3: Pack Yourself, Have the Pros handle the rest

• If you love the idea of full-service but it’s not in the (credit) cards, pack yourself and hire them to haul.
• It’s an excellent compromise, you can still lovingly pressure your friends and relatives to help for pizza, and you can still save a bundle for packing yourself.

• With that said, see if the pros will provide some packing materials, like garment boxes. We offer a few for free! 

So, What will it be?

• Remember, hiring pros is supposed to make your life easier, so pay attention to your needs and what’s possible with your budget and invest in some help!
• Get a free quote with Moving Forward.

   
DRAFT: 

Shakespeare said it best: To move yourself or to hire movers? That is the question! Whether it is nobler in the mind to suffer all the burdens of moving on your own or to call up the pros to give you a hand. Okay, that may not be a direct Shakespeare quote, but give us a break, we’re a moving company, not a theater troupe.  Ahem. Back to the important questions you may be asking about moving:  what are the pros and cons of moving myself? Should I opt for a do-it-yourself moving or should I hire professional movers? Are moving companies worth it? The fact of the matter is there are pros and cons to both options that boil down to your priorities, budget and timeframe. Read on for a complete list of options that will help you to decide which one is the best for you: moving by yourself or hiring professional movers to do it for you.

Before You Decide, Consider Your Priorities

The way that Hamlet weighed his options was by talking it out in a beautiful elegant and poetic speech to himself. In order for you to figure out what your priorities are when it comes to moving, consider the following questions and maybe even say the answers out loud like Hamlet did:

• Do you want to make sure that all your belongings get to your new home safely? Maybe you have some prized antique furniture that’s been passed down for generations and you couldn’t bear the thought of single piece getting even a hairline scratch.
• Is your financial situation such that you need to save as much money as possible on moving costs?  Unforeseen car troubles, medical bills or sick pets can leave the piggy bank a little hungry at times.
• Are you on a tight schedule? Maybe you’re starting a new job in the city you’re moving to so you need to be moved in as quickly and efficiently as possible.
• Are you juggling going to work and getting the kids to school, to soccer to dance to Spanish tutoring?  Wondering how in the world you’re going to squeeze packing, moving and cleaning into your already insane schedule?

Once you have answered these questions and can identify your priorities, you can then make a more appropriate decision about moving based on your needs. Read on for moving options that will help you choose what’s right for you.

Question 1: Are you actually saving money by moving yourself?
If your priority is to go easy on the wallet and save money, you might be seriously considering moving on your own to avoid the cost of hiring movers. However, there also can be a hidden cost of moving yourself.  Before you take a deep dive into a DIY moving plan, consider the costs that may not be immediately apparent at first glance. Here are some examples:

• Packing materials: duct tape, sharpies, boxes, bubble wrap, moving blankets, dollies, etc. all cost money that adds up quickly.
• You’re not a pro, so there may be unforeseen convenience costs from spending the time it takes to figure out how to pack boxes like movers. And if you think you can just throw everything in the car, get ready to make more than one trip to your new home which will cost you more time and not to mention, more money for gas.
• Eating more takeout. Sure, Micky D’s is delicious, but costly to your health and wallet.
• Renting a trailer or truck. Not only does it cost money, but the time and hassle it takes to return the truck on time after an exhausting day of moving is less than ideal.
• Paying friends or relatives to help (even with pizza). Keep in mind you might have friends who can eat an entire pizza by themselves!
• Time investment. While this is not a dollar amount, you may have to take an unpaid day off from work or forgo a side hustle that brings in extra money so you can pack and move.

Overall, choosing to move on your own will be cheaper, but unless you’re extremely organized, have moved before, have a large family that can help for a few weeks and don’t mind asking your friends to help move, the time and inconvenience could very well outweigh the minimal money saved.


Question 2: Is Full Service Professional Moving Worth It?
If you’re priority is to get your belongings safely and soundly in the most efficient and timely matter to your new home and you have a decent budget for moving, why not have the professionals take the burden of moving off of your shoulders? While you still have to do the work of vetting different moving companies and meeting them so they can give you a quote, overall, you can outsource the whole fiasco that will make moving easy peasy!  Here are some other ways you may not have thought of that professional movers can help:

• The best local moving companies usually offer several packages you can choose from to meet your needs and your budget.
• Pros also have damage coverage in the way of liability insurance. By the way, this is a question you should ask when looking for the best interstate moving companies.
• Uprooting your life is stressful as it is. Why not at least take the labor part out of it so you can focus on things like getting the kids registered for their new school, preparing for a new job or signing up for a book club in your new neighborhood?

Question 3: What if I Pack Myself and Have the Pros Handle the Rest?
If you love the idea of full-service but it’s not in the (credit) cards, the best way to move yourself is for you to do the packing part of moving while hiring the pros to do the heavy lifting of loading and unloading the moving truck. It’s an excellent compromise that can save time and energy. You can still save money on packing by lovingly pressure your friends and relatives to help you in exchange for pizza and simultaneously avoid the back ache (literally) of making sure everything gets on and off the moving truck safely, soundly and in a timely fashion by hiring professional movers! Before you know it, you’ll be all moved in and reading Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing” with your new book club in your new neighborhood!

*Bonus note: Check with your moving company to see if they can provide packing materials, such as garment boxes. At Moving Forward, we offer a few for free!

So, What Will It Be Or Not Be?
Hamlet figured it out (though not to his benefit, the poor guy) so you can too! Okay so maybe it’s a little different. Hamlet was considering whether he would live or not live, while you are weighing the pros and cons of DIY and full-service moves. Nevertheless, moving is a daunting and often life-changing event that deserves careful thought and planning.  Once you have figured out what your priorities are and have a firm grasp on your financials, see if you can’t make your move a bit easier by investing in some help from the pros! Let the professional Redwood City Movers at Moving Forward help your stress-free moving dreams come true by giving us a call for a free quote!

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