There are three things you can be certain about when you’re moving: it’s stressful, it’s expensive and it’s not easy. Some of those things are easier to rectify than others. What many people try to do is plan, organize and execute the move themselves to save money, for example. But that will almost certainly make the process both more stressful and even harder than usual. So is DIY moving worth it? Can it be a good solution to some of your problems? Or is it a cardinal mistake that you will most assuredly regret? Let’s take a look at all the pros and cons of moving by yourself vs hiring professional movers NJ to handle your relocation. That should help make your mind up on what to do!
Should you opt for a DIY move?
DIY moving – how does it even work?
IF you’ve never moved by yourself before, you probably don’t realize just how many things you will have to do. When you hire movers Bergen County, even only for a limited number of services, they check a lot of to-do boxes. Without their help, it’s all on you. So let’s take a very brief look at all the steps you will need to take when DIY-ing a relocation:
- thoroughly research the moving process
- set the date for the move and plan out what you’re going to do in preparation for it
- find and rent a moving truck to use if you don’t have a large enough vehicle (or plan several trips)
- buy packing supplies in advance
- pack everything you own, including your furniture
- load the moving vehicle
- drive to your new address, no matter how far that is
- unload the vehicle and unpack your belongings
It should be noted that this is an abridged version of your checklist. Most of these tasks you will need to break down into smaller steps. And that’s without even mentioning such things as insurance, meal planning, and pet relocation. This is, of course, not to say that DIY moving is impossible or that you shouldn’t attempt it. But you should prepare for all the work you’ll need to put into it!
The benefits of DIY moving
There is a reason why people choose to move without the help of movers Clifton NJ: sometimes, it can be the smarter and better choice, especially when we’re talking local. Why is that? Let’s take a look at some of the pros of taking matters into your own hands!
Full control over the move
When you’re the only one involved in the moving process, you’re the one who decides everything. There’s no one to tell you that the weekend you chose for your moving day is inconvenient. No one can rush you to do the packing at a pace that doesn’t suit you. You don’t have to coordinate with anyone, work with anyone or depend on anyone. Your word is final. This gives you a lot of freedom and flexibility that you wouldn’t otherwise have.
No risk of moving scams
Moving scams are one of the greatest risks when hiring movers. No matter how much research you do, how thoroughly you look into a company, how many moving reviews you read, there’s never a true guarantee. That means you could easily end up with your stuff being held for ransom while you’re out thousands of dollars for no reason. When you’re moving by yourself, this isn’t an issue. Since you are relying on yourself only and you obviously won’t scam yourself, you’re safe on this front!
Less expensive overall
Here’s something you should know: professional movers, especially good ones, don’t come cheap. You don’t even need a moving estimate NJ to figure that out. Anywhere between a couple of hundreds and tens of thousands is what you should set aside for your moving budget. And the farther away you’re moving, the more it’s going to cost you. While doing the work yourself is not exactly going to be free (you do need to buy supplies, rent a truck and pay for the gas after all), the costs are unlikely to go higher than what you’d pay for movers.
You’ll save some money if you decide to move by yourself.
The downsides of DIY moving
Of course, if everything were so simple, professional movers would all be out of work. Since they’re not, it’s safe to assume they provide a necessary service. So why may people prefer hiring movers? Well, these cons of DIY moving may have something to do with it.
A lot of hard work
We’ve mentioned this before, but it certainly bears repeating: moving home is hard work. Without the help of movers, that work is entirely on your shoulders. And trust us when we say that no matter how prepared for it you think you are, you are underestimating the workload. Even with the help of family and friends, you will need to put in a lot of time and energy into DIY moving.
Physically, mentally and emotionally exhausting
When we say hard work, we’re not just talking about the physical either. Oh, don’t get us wrong, all the heavy lifting, furniture moving, and general running around will certainly be terribly exhausting and can even be dangerous. But it’s the mental and emotional toll that the endless stress and enormous responsibility will take on you that you should really worry about. And that’s when everything goes right. How hard do you think it’s going to be to face unforeseen problems you haven’t dealt with before?
If you’re going to move by yourself, you’d better be ready for the stress.
Not nearly as inexpensive as you probably expect
Although hiring movers will in most cases still be more expensive, DIY moving doesn’t come without a price tag either. And it can be a hefty one too! The costs of stocking up on moving supplies, renting a truck, paying for gas and all the thousands of other little things add up quickly. Soon you’ll find yourself dropping hundreds of dollars on what is supposed to be the cheap alternative. So what you really need to ask yourself is whether all the hard work and stress is worth saving a few bucks.
Hiring movers instead of DIY moving – is it the better choice?
The best alternative to doing it all yourself is hiring professional movers. How does that compare to DIY moving? Well, it will most likely be more expensive though probably not by as much as you’re thinking. On the other hand, it will also be far less stressful and require far less work. It’s up to you what takes precedence!
