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Pros & Cons of Hiring Professional Movers For Your Home Contents

Are you getting ready for a big move? Well, join the club! According to CNBC, the advent of remote work has led more Americans to consider relocating this year, meaning many are packing up and moving into new homes. Plus, it’s not just the Americans, the pandemic and our new normal of working from home some or all of the workweek have workers in the UK also keen to move, usually to a property with more indoor and outdoor space.
If you’re thinking the same thing, you may have already considered hiring professional movers –– both for your mental sanity and physical safety. Here, we’ll look at some of the pros and cons of hiring movers.
Pros
We have three notable advantages for using the professionals rather than attempting to do it yourself, including:
- Additional services like packing
- Time-saving – i.e. movers will get the job done faster
- Less damage – movers have the tools to do the job
Professional movers are careful with belongings and property
The last thing you need is a scrape on the wall of your apartment right before you get your deposit back. But professional movers know what they’re doing: They come prepared with straps, dollies, furniture pads, and the like, and they know what furniture can fit through the doorway, how to disassemble and reassemble larger pieces, and even how to pivot sofas around tricky, winding staircases. They can also pack your valuables carefully and identify if one of your boxes needs repacking.
They provide additional services
In some cases, you’ll also be able to benefit from certain perks that go beyond the relocation of your things. An AskMoney piece on how to go about choosing movers spoke to some of the additional services professionals can offer. And depending on your situation, some might be helpful. For instance, the piece noted that some movers layout protective materials in your new home to keep everything pristine as they bring boxes and furniture inside. Other companies will assist you with unpacking. These additional services may cost you a bit more, but they can further lighten the load during a hectic move.
They save you time
From experience, you probably know the challenge you had with logistics and time when you did the last move yourself. A moving company gets your home contents moved out and into your new home in a fraction of the time, so you can complete the clean up before handing your old house over to new owners or tenants.
While you can make a day of it when you do it yourself, with a whole slew of friends paid in beer and pizza, movers have the experience, know-how, and equipment to get everything done on time. Remember, it’s usually in their best interest to get the job done quickly.
Cons
There are always negatives for using movers, too, and on balance, you will need to make your list and way up the pros and cons before making a decision.
Things can get broken
Professional movers often have time limits, so they’re working against the clock. If they start rushing, your fragile items could break (despite the care most movers take). Some companies offer insurance, but financial compensation can’t replace a sentimental object. Consider packing things yourself to minimize rush jobs and moving your most valuable items yourself on your own rather than throwing everything in the moving truck.
It’s an expensive service
Moving day with a professional service often averages around $80-100 an hour. And that doesn’t include any add-ons like insurance or truck rental. On the other hand, when you move by yourself, you can save on expenses. For a local move, an article on Forbes recommends things like renting your truck just for furniture or hiring day laborers to help with heavy lifting (rather than a whole moving crew). For more long-distance moves, it can be a little more difficult to avoid certain costs associated with shipping. But you can still keep a close eye on things to avoid unnecessary fees, compare your options, and so on.
You’ll have less control
When you have a team of movers running around your house, it’s hard to keep track of everyone and everything. You generally have less control over how the move goes, even if they do their best to respect your wishes. On the other hand, if you take on the move yourself, you can have complete control over the situation and make sure the process is as tidy as possible. Our previous “5 House Moving Tips” article provides some good ideas. For example, you can make checklists and declutter. These will help keep things organized if you take a hands-on approach.
It’s stressful
Moving house is stressful, but it’s not conclusive that using movers makes it more so. Having to trust your worldly goods in the hands of others, though, would make many people anxious. However, there is no way to avoid stress entirely, so it’s better to work out actions you can take to minimize your stress, including:
- Be organized
- Take the valuable goods with you – if you can
- Get moving insurance – this is peace of mind and a good destresser
- Make sure you do your checklist of items and their condition before and after the move
- On moving day, remember to take deep breaths. 🙂
Conclusion
Professional movers can make your move exponentially more manageable, but the service comes at a cost. So, if you want convenience and peace of mind, your best bet is to hire movers. However, if you want more control, then you can take things upon yourself, especially if you have fragile items of sentimental value. Consider the points above, and ask around for insight from friends and family before deciding to find what’s best for your specific situation.