When it comes to moving home, you have two options. You can either coordinate all aspects of the relocation yourself or hire the services of a professional removalist company.
While both methods have their merits, ultimately, which one you choose will depend on your personal circumstances.
However, as moving home is one of the most stressful things you can do in life, we know that it is important to make that decision quickly, which is why we’ve put together this guide on the relative pros and cons of DIY moving over hiring industry experts.
Hopefully, you will find it insightful.
DIY Moving vs Hiring a Professional Removalist
If you are moving home, here is an overview of both of the options available to you.
What is DIY moving
As its name suggests, DIY moving is when you coordinate all aspects of the move yourself.
Typically, this involves doing the following activities:
- Creating a comprehensive checklist that outlines all the tasks you need to do
- Packing all your possessions
- Hiring a truck and transporting your possessions to your new home
- Systematically unpacking them
- Responsibly disposing of any rubbish
Pros of DIY moving
There are several benefits associated with doing a DIY house move. They include the following:
1. Much cheaper
As a general rule, it is much cheaper to move home yourself than to engage the services of a professional removalist. You won’t, for instance, need to pay for hourly labour costs or certain types of insurance.
2. More Flexibility
The great thing about DIY moves is that you have much more control over the process and flexibility in how you manage it.
As you are not constrained to the normal business working hours of the removalists, DIY moving allows you to start or finish at any time of the day, take breaks when you want to, and even decide which route you will drive to your new home.
The latter can be handy if you are driving a large truck for the first time and would rather not go on a main road or set off during rush hour.
3. You Can Pack Exactly How You Want To
With a DIY move, you can pack your belongings exactly as you want to,
This can provide you with the extra piece of mind of knowing that your most treasured and valuable possessions have been wrapped up extra carefully.
Cons of DIY moving
While DIY moving does have some benefits, it is not without its drawbacks too. Here are some negatives that can be associated with organising all aspects of the house move yourself.
1. Risk of Breakages and Injury
One of the biggest downsides to DIY moving is that you have an increased risk of your possessions becoming damaged in transit. Most usually, this occurs if the packing process has not been done properly or boxes have been incorrectly handled or stacked on the truck.
Additionally, you have a much higher risk of being injured when carrying boxes, particularly if you do not have specialist equipment to do so.
2. More Time-consuming
It is always a lot more time-consuming when you move yourself simply because you have to do everything.
Often a lot of time gets taken up loading and unloading the truck, particularly if there is only one or two of you doing it. Additionally, the packing and unpacking process can take a while, too, not least if you have to work and/or look after children.
3. More Physically and Mentally Demanding
When you coordinate all aspects of the move yourself, you are going to find the logistics and practicalities of doing so much more mentally and physically demanding than if you hired in help.
The various stages of moving home can take between 4 to 8 weeks, depending on the size of your property. So, by the end of it, you are likely to be exhausted!
What does a professional moving company do?
Professional removalist companies offer a suite of options to help you move home. This can include coordinating all aspects of the move for you or offering specific services such as unloading, transportation, and unloading. Some, like Muval, can even help you relocate interstate.
When hiring a professional removalist company, it is important to source detailed quotes, read customer reviews, and book them well in advance of moving day.
Pros of hiring movers
Here are some of the main pros of hiring a removalist firm.
1. Convenience and Speed
What professional movers really offer you is convenience and speed. In other words, the ability to move home without having to worry about the logistics of doing so in as easy and quick a timeframe as possible.
These companies have the experience, expert staff, and specialised equipment needed to ensure your move takes place in as seamlessly.
2. Liability and Insurance
Most reputable companies offer insurance that will cover you financially for any breakages that might occur during the moving process.
This means they are liable should anything get damaged and will have to cover the cost of it accordingly, which should give you extra peace of mind.
Cons of hiring professional movers
There are some negatives of hiring professional movers, the main ones of which are as follows:
1. Higher cost
When you engage the services of professional removalists you will end up spending more than you otherwise would if you managed the moving process yourself.
Typically, this cost begins with a base cost and then an hourly charge for labour. You might also choose to pay for other services, such as packing or extra insurance, that can see the cost quickly rise.
2. Potential for fraud
Unfortunately, not all removalist firms are reliable or reputable, which means there is a potential for you to be scammed.
That is why it is important to do your research thoroughly before choosing a company to move your possessions and to know your legal rights.
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