DIY vs. Professional Long-Distance Moving: What Truly Offers Peace of Mind?

Moving long-distance requires a lot of decision-making, especially if you’re doing so with a family and a lot of luggage, furniture and appliances too. A major enough cross-country move can require weeks or even months of planning and preparation if it is to be done right, and isn’t dissimilar to other major life events.

(This is a contributed post, for more information about my compensation please read my disclosure policy)

One of the biggest decisions in the whole process people often need to make is whether to hire professional movers to help with the hauling and/or transportation, or to do everything yourself. This is the type of decision that can both sway the end cost of the whole process by hundreds of dollars or more in either direction and determine how many hours, days, or weeks of stress and effort you’re going to put in the whole endeavor.

So, let’s compare DIY vs. professional long-distance moving and see what’s the best choice for you and what truly offers peace of mind.

6 stages of moving long-distance

Moving seems simple in practice, and a lot of people don’t think too much about it until the time comes and they realize they should have started compartmentalizing the whole process much sooner. So, here’s a quick breakdown of the six main stages of every move.

1. Planning

The first and most important step many people skip altogether is the planning. Figuring out the timeframes, scheduling everything around the move, and deciding how to do the move itself are all things that should be carefully planned.

2. Packing

People often underestimate just how time-consuming packing can be, especially for larger households. If you’re doing it yourself and you have a lot of items to move, this stage can often take days.

3. Carrying and loading

This is a quick part of the process, but it’s also tricky and potentially dangerous too. Folks often underestimate just how heavy or difficult to carry some items are and injuries are far from uncommon when carrying and loading your furniture yourself. People are often hesitant to hire professional help out of fear of things getting broken or stolen, but items get broken or lost much more often when people try to DIY it.

4. Transportation

Transportation is simple in principle, but it is the most costly part of the process when it comes to moving long distances. Depending on the destination, it can also offer some unexpected complications, such as bad road conditions, nasty weather, etc.

5. Unloading

Similar to #3, unloading and carrying everything is often much simpler and easier with professional help.

6. Unpacking

The last step doesn’t just involve unpacking cartons with dishes or bags with clothes. It often includes unpacking and reinstalling kitchen appliances and other heavy items.

The main practical differences between hiring professional help and doing things yourself

The main considerations one should make when deciding between DIY moving and hiring professionals have four aspects:

1. What’s your budget?

Doing everything yourself will usually only cost you time and fuel for the truck or car (and money for the truck if you’re renting). This can often stay in the three digits of a thousand and so dollars, depending on how far you’re moving. Hiring professionals can double or triple that cost.

2. How much time you have

What’s lost in money when you hire professionals is gained in time and effort. A long-distance move can take not just days but weeks of full-day efforts and can put the lives of your entire family on hold for that time. If you have the time, that may be fine, but for many people, it’s more cost-effective to just hire professionals.

3. What are your own capabilities?

If your move is going to involve a lot of heavy lifting you won’t be capable of safely doing on your own, which often more or less settles things right there. Similarly, if you don’t have a large enough vehicle and can’t drive yourself, you’ll need to not only rent a truck but hire drivers as well. However, if you plan to handle the move on your own, Brechbill Trailers provides a range of trailer options that can help you haul heavy loads safely and efficiently.

4. How complicated is the move going to be?

At the end of the day, every move is different. If you’re moving alone and have only a handful of bags, that’s drastically different from moving with your entire family and all your household items.

Pros and Cons of hiring professional movers

Pros of hiring professional movers

• Fast and efficient
• Much lower risk of physical injuries
• Customizable service depending on what you need
• Peace of mind

Cons of hiring professional movers

• Can be costly
• Scheduling can be complicated

Pros and Cons of doing everything yourself

Pros of doing it yourself

• Cost-efficient
• Scheduling flexibility

Cons of doing it yourself

• Time consuming
• Physically demanding
• Health risks
• Higher risk of broken items
• Lots of hidden costs (rental truck insurance, supplies, fuel, etc.)

Which method is best for you?

If you’re looking for peace of mind and you have the budget, hiring professional help is usually the way to go. Especially if you know you can use the free time to work, then hiring professionals may not even be all that much more expensive in the end.

People often worry about things being broken or stolen, too, but that’s why it’s important to hire the right licensed and insured professionals. Plus, they are much less likely to break anything, compared to you hauling everything yourself.

If your move is relatively simple and small-scale, however, it may be simpler to just do it yourself if you have the time and you plan everything out well ahead of time.

(This is a contributed post, for more information about my compensation please read my disclosure policy)