Why You Shouldn’t Move by Yourself

We’ve all seen that Friends episode — the one with Ross and his brand new sofa. Rather than paying the money to have it professionally delivered, he does it himself, and it does NOT work out in his favor.

His new sofa becomes completely destroyed before actually making it into his apartment.

This is a perfect example of why you just shouldn’t move by yourself. Let’s face it, moving is no easy task, yet we do it quite often. Whether it’s for upsizing, downsizing, a new job, or starting a family, Americans relocate an average of 11.4 times during their lifetime.

We can all laugh at Ross and his awful moving experience, but in reality, it’s easier to hire a professional. Read on for a few more reasons why you shouldn’t move by yourself.

Time Is Money

Wouldn’t you rather save your vacation time for, well vacation? And forget about unpaid leave, you’re going to want that extra cash for paint, artwork and new furniture to decorate your new place.

Even if you’re just relocating down the road, coordinating and executing a move takes some serious time. Hiring local movers saves you from actually having to request time off work.

Your boss with thank you, and you will thank yourself when your weekends can be spent enjoying your new home rather than frantically packing up boxes.

Change Is Overwhelming

You’re starting a new chapter. New schools, new neighbors, and a new environment… it’s bound to cause some stress. You’re also coordinating a change of address (dealing with the post office always causes high anxiety), setting up cable and electric, and dealing with water, sewage and trash companies.

People don’t realize how taxing a move can be. Psychologists have shown studies that moving can cause negative emotions, such as panic, grief, and fear. Stress is already high, and choosing to move by yourself is not going to make things any easier.

Hiring a local moving company will make the process quicker and more organized. Movers are efficient and experienced, and most companies also offer full packing services. So no worries about running out of bubble wrap or hitting the local liquor store up multiple times for free boxes.

Mover’s insurance policies help you rest assured that your valuables are safe. They also provide inventory checklists to ensure that none of your items get lost in the shuffle.

Heavy Lifting Can Hurt

Move by yourself and risk a serious injury. Movers are well educated on the proper moving techniques and have the right equipment for the job. They show up with furniture pads, hoisting straps, dollies of all different sizes, and tools for unassembling and reassembling furniture.

Movers are also skilled in maneuvering around hallways and staircases, decreasing the risk of property damage. They also have ramps for lifting that grand piano or four-poster king size bed into the moving van.

Say your new home isn’t quite ready, moving companies have flexible storage system options. This will be some additional loading and unloading, which they are happy to handle.

You Need the Right Set of Wheels

The truck, it’s the most important piece of the moving puzzle. Chances are you don’t have a large moving van at your disposal. So, you’ll have to either rent one or make endless trips back and forth.

If you underestimate the amount of furniture and boxes that need to be moved, you could find yourself with a fully packed truck, and half a house’s worth of stuff that still needs to be moved. Or you can completely overshoot it and end up with tons of wasted truck space that you already paid for.

Loading the truck and the placement and arrangement of heavy or valuable items should also be handled by a professional. Driving and maneuvering a huge moving truck through an unfamiliar area is something you want to avoid at all costs.

In an ideal world, you want everything to fit in one trip, and movers are really good at getting it right on the first try.

Friendship Only Goes so Far

Think twice about calling in all those favors that your family, friends, and colleagues owe you. They may mean well, but nothing puts a damper on friendship like moving someone else’s entire home.

Movers are reliable and always show up on time, with a full tank of gas, ready to work. Friends and family can become distracted by the excitement of moving, and the process can take a whole lot longer than necessary.

If you still want to show your friends some love, give them furniture that you no longer need or throw a big house party once you’re all moved in. Parents and grandparents can help by babysitting while you unpack and decorate your new home.

If You’re Feeling Left Out…

While the heavy lifting should be left to the professionals, there are a few things you can do yourself before the big move. Create an organized checklist of things that need to be done to ready your home for movers.

A few easy hacks that will save you in the long run:

• Take pictures of how things are set up (TV wires)
• Pack an overnight bag filled with everything important (change of clothes, toiletries, phone charger, etc.)
• Keep your clothes on hangers when packing so you can easily transfer them to your new closet
• Vacuum seal blankets, sheets, and pillows to save space

Get rid of stuff you no longer need by selling on eBay or donating to charity. Hoarding and collecting items you have no use for is not going to make the move easier.

Move by Yourself, at Your Own Risk

We live in transient times, so a move may be coming up in your near future. It’s important to outweigh the pros and cons to ensure you have the best possible moving experience.

Making the decision to move by yourself doesn’t necessarily save you money. Some people are wary of hiring a professional moving company because of the unknown costs. Do your research and request a free moving quote from a local company.

Interview a few different companies, and prepare yourself ahead of time with a list of moving questions you should ask. In the end, you may find that it isn’t more expensive, and isn’t worth all the added hassle.