5 Mistakes People Make When Considering a DIY Move

Moving is a significant undertaking and involves lots of planning. One of the essential decisions people must make when relocating is whether to hire a professional moving company or make the move themselves. When thinking about this critical decision, it’s vital to consider all the potential obstacles that can occur. Knowing your circumstances can help you make the best decision for your household.

Here are some of the mistakes people make when weighing a DIY move.

1. Assuming the Most Cost-Effective Move is a Self-Move

There is a common misconception that self-moves are cheaper than hiring professional movers to move your belongings. However, moving involves more than boxing belongings and loading them into a truck. Even experienced DIY movers will likely miss details. Here are some factors to consider before moving:

• Is the move local or long-distance?
• Does the relocation involve an apartment or house?
• Can reliable friends and family help? (Most people can't move alone.)
• Are there many heavy or bulky items to move?

The best time for a DIY move is when you move a short distance and in a small space. However, if the relocation is longer and more complex, you should hire a professional mover. In addition to reducing the risk of your cherished belongings being broken and personal injury, professional movers can complete the job in a few hours, which an be more efficient and cost-effective than DIY moves.

2. Not Considering Potential Injuries

Professional movers know how to lift and move objects in and out of trucks. But unfortunately, DIYers often don’t know how to do this correctly and end up causing themselves serious injuries. Also, moving DIY means enlisting family and friends to help, which can also put them at risk of injury.

3. Neglecting to Factor in Reliability

Even if you successfully recruit people to help you move, this doesn’t mean things will go smoothly. Your volunteer helpers might forget, have another priority that day, or another life factor might make them cancel, possibly at the last minute, leaving you to make the move yourself. You also may not have enough helpers to move the bigger or heavier items. When hiring a professional company, you can know your help will reliably show up on moving day.

4. Not Knowing How to Pack

Sure, you could toss all your belongings into boxes, plastic bins, and even trash bags, but it’s not the most efficient or safe way to move items. However, unfortunately, that’s what many people do since they don’t have the expertise to wrap, stack, and bundle items to pack carefully. Pros are highly skilled at packing items correctly and efficiently to avoid breakage and transporting items safely to their destination.

5. Underestimating the Challenges of a Rental Truck

Truck rentals seem straightforward, but they are one area in which DIY moves usually go wrong. Mistakes people commonly make include:

• Renting the wrong size truck
• Not verifying the rental company's reliability
• Waiting until the last minute and having a limited selection
• Neglecting to have the proper insurance
• Unaware of additional costs above the base price
• Assuming a truck is easy to drive
• Failing to secure the proper permits for designated areas

Truck size is essential. A truck that’s too small won’t accommodate all of your belongings. And one that’s too big will allow your things to shift, causing potential damage. 

Ready to Get Planning Your Upcoming Move?

Planning and juggling a move while managing life’s day-to-day responsibilities can be stressful. Working with a professional moving company removes the pressure and completes the job. If you want a free quote or to learn more about packing and other services we offer, contact us today!