Can a Self-Move Work?

Self-Moving is an Economical Alternative to Hiring A Moving Company

Oct 14, 2009

Moving can be very expensive. Do-it-yourself can cut costs, but one may not want to put in the time or energy. Try to assess whether or not it's a good option.

Finally ready to make the big move – but should someone hire professionals, or do it himself? Self-moving can save money, but may not be worth the other efforts involved. When considering a self move, there are many factors to think about. Each person must evaluate them in light of his own situation.

Factors to Consider for a Self Moving

With a self move, one will probably need a lot of time and a lot of help. A self move means that he will be doing all the packing, unpacking, loading and unloading himself, in addition to the driving. Will there be extra hands available at both starting and ending points to help out? Is there a lot of heavy or valuable items, such as furniture or appliances? If so, helping hands are a must, as the mover will want to be extra careful.

Is there enough time to complete all the tasks? The mover will have to purchase all of the packing and moving supplies himself, besides for actually moving. A successful self move will generally be a smaller move with a close destination, that doesn’t require a tremendous amount of time or assistance. Even when weighing in the financial side, the mover may end up taking off work in order to put in the time to do the move.

The mover should also factor in extras, such as food and lodging on the way to the endpoint. Altogether, these additions may subtract significantly from the financial benefit of a self move.

Who Will Do-it-Yourself Moving Really Benefit?

A single person or smaller family is most likely to do well with the self move, as there will be fewer items to move, and less worry about how to get all the people to the destination.

Another issue to take into account with the self move is actually driving the vehicle. A self move may necessitate the rental of a large truck, which may require a special license. Driving a large truck is different from driving a regular car, with much larger mirrors and a longer vehicle to steer.

The size of the vehicle poses other problems, as you will not be able to pass through all bridges and underpasses. A truck must be driven slower than an ordinary vehicle, and you will need to make wider turns. One may also need to obtain certain parking permits for loading and unloading that a full service operator would typically negotiate.

Don’t make a decision based solely on cost – the mover must consider his circumstances and see what works best for him or her.

The copyright of the article Can a Self-Move Work? in Home Management is owned by Jennifer Saibil. Permission to republish Can a Self-Move Work? in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.