Self Moving vs Hiring Movers

Self Moving vs Hiring Movers: Is Hiring a Mover in NYC Worth It?

People who plan on moving houses will likely have to make the decision between moving themselves (or self moving) and hiring a moving company. At first glance, these two choices have immediate implications. After all, self moving means less costs and the person moving will do everything on their own terms. Likewise, hiring movers will give them a helping hand with their moving needs, but it will definitely take a toll on their budget. In turn, should this decision be straightforward?

As it turns out, not necessarily – both choices give different solutions to various questions related to the house move. Anyone who plans on moving faced with the decision of choosing between these two options should move beyond their immediate implications and look at other factors regarding their move instead.

Self Moving vs Hiring Movers: The Factors To Consider

Since both self moving and hiring movers have their own strengths and weaknesses, it may help to evaluate these two options from the perspective of various moving considerations. Here are questions people need to ask when faced with this decision: 

Where is the destination?

Moving will always cost money, regardless if it’s doing the move DIY or with a moving team. Moves typically require truck rental, insurance, fuel, and other miscellaneous costs. However, a huge part of that budgeting has to do with the location of the move itself. Of course, moving within the same area (or a local move) will cost cheaper than a long-distance move. 

However, while self moving gives more control to the person doing the move, hiring a moving team will give them an easier time handling various costing and requirements required by offices in their destination. In turn, moving with a moving company might end up becoming cheaper than doing a self move. Here are some average costs as of writing: 

• Long-distance moving –

  • With a moving company: $5,630
  • Self moving: $4,000 to $7,000

• Local moving –

  • With a moving company: $1,170
  • Self moving: $1,325

What materials are required?

While moving from house to house provides a mental image of stuffing things into boxes, there’s more to packing and unpacking than shoving belongings into containers. A large part of the moving budget involves getting the appropriate packing materials. These include items such as packing tape, packing boxes, markers, protective wraps, and other specific containers and paraphernalia for specific items.

People who require extremely specific items for their items might want to opt for self-moving. However, those willing to pay extra might get their money’s worth as a moving company will generally include material costs as part of their standard pricing. This means the moving team will provide the necessary materials themselves, removing the need for a person to scour the hardware store for specific items.

What about transportation costs?

Another important consideration when choosing between self moving or hiring a moving team would be transportation costs. Remember, having to move within a particular time frame might incur higher transportation costs than usual, especially when there’s a need to rent vehicles for hours across various days. Here is a quick breakdown of average costs of transportation from the perspectives of self moving and hiring a moving team: 

As well as packing all your stuff, you need to get it from one location to another, typically on a pretty tight timeframe. This is the most part of the costs for both options, but, again, there’s a pretty large discrepancy between the two. Let’s break that down here –

• Self moving: 

  • $190 – $240 per day for truck rental
  • $150 for trailers, etc.
  • $150 for rental insurance
  • + Fuel

• With a moving team:

  • $145 per hour for two movers and a truck
  • $55 for additional services and tips

How long will moving take?

After assessing costs in terms of packing materials, transportation, and distance, it’s also important to consider the time frame necessary to accomplish the move as a whole. Remember, “moving day” isn’t always a day, and can happen across days depending on the schedule. Moreover, moving things from boxes to and from trucks across houses also takes time, which in turn should factor into the overall timeline of the move.

According to Movers.com, packing a house over 2,000 sq ft can take up to seven days. By comparison, a moving company can have a house of the same size packed within just 13 to 16 hours. Likewise, it’s safe to assume that a moving team can help clients move their things into their new home in that same span of time as well.

What is the option with the most convenience?

Lastly, it’s also important to factor in convenience in terms of assessing self moving versus hiring a moving team. Granted, a moving team will likely cost more as a client will hire not just a team but also their equipment and perhaps even vehicles. However, their presence can give a helping hand to clients that can drastically reduce the time and effort they need to manage the move – and this kind of convenience may be worth the increases in costs. 

For instance, professional movers such as those at Roadway Moving can provide various services for the convenience of customers, including:

• • Vehicle rental and transportation, with a team of 102 trucks, trailers, and vans
  • Storage options for clients, with facilities with up to 250,000 square feet of storage

• Full packing and unpacking, including specialized services such as art moving and hanging, and even the safe disassembly and reassembly of various pieces of technology

To enjoy these benefits and find out precisely why hiring a mover in NYC is most definitely worth your while, contact a friendly member of the team at +1-212-812-5240 today.