Professional Movers or DIY: When Local Moving Companies Make Sense

Moving? Here's how to decide between hiring
professional movers and calling up a few friends.

Moving is stressful no matter how you look at it.
You have so many details to attend to from change-of-address forms to utility
hookups to the very basic question of whether to hire a professional
moving company or tackle those boxes and that furniture yourself. For most
long-distance relocations, moving companies are the only option that makes
sense, but if you're just going across the city or a few towns over, sometimes
it's better to handle your own move. Not certain what's best for you and your
family? Here are some things to consider when deciding whether to bring a
moving company in for your upcoming move.

Volume

It's one thing to move an apartment's worth of
stuff; it's an entirely other situation to relocate the contents of a two-story
home from point A to point B. When you're considering a do-it-yourself move, be
honest about how many things you and your family really own, and how easy it

will be to handle those items yourself. If you have large or heavy items (think
pianos, pool tables, and fridges) or just a hefty number of boxes, you may be
better off using the pros. They'll have the tools and skills to efficiently and
effectively move large volumes of belongings in a safe manner. That will save
you strained muscles, dinged furniture, and possibly even a few friends!

Transportation

Do you own a pickup, box truck, or large SUV? Does your
best friend? If you already have a truck available, transporting your household
goods from your old address to your new one will be a lot easier. Ready transportation
eliminates the additional cost of renting a truck and keeps the overall cost of
your relocation as low as possible. However, don't let needing to acquire a
truck be the deciding factor in whether or not to DIY your move: Check truck
rental prices, and you'll likely find that they're much lower than hiring professional movers. So if you have ready and willing friends standing by to do the lifting,

you may find you're better off renting the truck and diving in headfirst.

Storage

Can all of your items go straight from your old
house to the new one? Or will a scheduling issue on one end or the other
require storing some, or all, of your items for a period of time? When you're
coordinating moving AND storing your household goods, a local moving
company is often a wise investment. These teams typically offer packing,
storage, and transportation services, and they can help manage the various
aspects of what items are going where, how, and when. For sheer logistical
coordination, when you factor in storage, the price of local movers is
well-worth the peace of mind.

Time vs. Cost

However, in the end, it all boils down to a time vs.
cost analysis. In nearly every case, moving yourself takes longer and costs less
than hiring local movers. Ultimately, you'll need to decide whether a faster,
more-efficient move is worth the price tag of a professional moving company or
if you're willing to spend a weekend or two schlepping your belongings to your
new house to keep the cost down.

Maria Allen is a home improvement specialist and an
online marketing professional for Prospect Genius, providing search engine
optimization for local companies.