Planning a big move? One of the first and most important questions anyone asks themselves when they are moving is whether or not they should hire a moving company to help them or if they can just make do with doing it themselves. Or maybe they can do a combination of both!
This all comes down to what matters most to you. Are you thrifty or on a budget? Do you prioritize money over convenience or vice versa? Going with the full-service option is the most convenient, but it also comes at the highest cost. If you go with the DIY option, then you will save the most money but it will require the most time and effort on your part. A hybrid move can potentially give you the best of both worlds by making things a bit more convenient than if you were to do it yourself, and it can also help shave a few dollars off the process.
Keep reading if you’re interested in exploring more of these options!
Looking at the bigger picture, every move is different and every family, person or couple will have different needs when it comes to moving. Since the situation will vary depending on if you’re a college student moving out of a dorm or are a five-person family moving from their home, there is no one size fits all answer.
But there is a one size fits most answer, and that is hiring the services of a moving company! Here’s why:
If you were planning to rent a moving truck and packing all your things up yourself, you might think this is a cheaper alternative to hiring a full-service moving company, and you might be right.
But you actually aren’t saving as much as you think.
The true costs of getting a rental truck is more than just the initial rental fee, which can range anywhere from $120-$200 for local moves and up to $2,300 for longer distances. On top of that, you need to fill up the gas tank, maybe a few times if you are going further or need to make multiple trips, which is another pretty penny. Truck rentals also charge you for the mileage you put on the truck, which is another fee to think about. On top of all that, there is liability coverage, and dolly rentals, pushing the amount you need to spend even higher. Is this really such a good idea after all?
Now let’s look at the non-monetary costs (your time and effort). To do everything yourself is not an insignificant time investment. Realistically, you need to pack everything on your own, get the truck rental, carefully load everything into the truck, unpack it all, return the rental truck, and then unpack your belongings out of their boxes. The whole process can take a lot longer than you think, especially if you can’t bribe your friends and family into helping you.
Considering all of these, yes, it may be slightly cheaper to do everything yourself. But the savings might not always be worth it in the end.