
Moving to a new place is exciting, but there are some reasons that can make the experience nerve-wrecking. The whole process of having to pack everything into boxes and having to do all the heavy lifting is definitely no fun for anyone, which is where furniture movers and professional moving companies come in. Generally paying someone else to do the literal and figurative heavy lifting is a very good idea. However, before you hire professionals it is important to actually think and determine whether you really need them.
Deciding whether they are worth it really comes down to the benefits versus the cost. Some questions that people need to ask themselves when they are making their decision are:
1) Does the cost of moving/shipping the furniture exceed its worth
This might seem like something that is completely unnecessary, but it does help. People should conduct an honest evaluation of the monetary worth of your furniture. It might seem cheaper than buying new furniture, but if you were to do your research to check out the pricing on Craiglists, you might be able to save money if your get rid of your old stuff and start over.
For example, you might just be moving less than 2 hours away and you could handle most of the moving yourself. You decide that rather than keeping your existing furniture, you want to start from scratch but keep the big items. So if you are hiring movers, maybe it can be a bit expensive or above your budget, but it can also be cheaper to sell those items and start new.
2) Could you move the furniture yourself?
If movers seem to be out of your budget and you don’t want to leave your stuff behind, you should consider renting a moving truck. Trucks generally have a daily base fee and require people to fill up with gas prior to returning them. You may be able to move all your things over a few trips for just a few hundred dollars.
However, you also need to think about whether you are capable of moving your furniture. For example, if your furniture is very heavy duty and you need to go up and downstairs, you run the risk of possibly throwing your back out. So, it is very ideal to hiring professionals who are trained to move furniture safely and they know how to lift heavy things carefully.
3) Does the furniture have sentimental value?
When you first live alone, it is more than likely that you have furniture that doesn’t break the bank. However, you may have some pieces that hold sentimental value within your family and while it may seem convenient to get rid of it before your next move, you also don’t want to look back and wish that you still had it. If it is a piece that holds sentimental value and you don’t know how to move it, hiring a professional comes into play.
Movers have the experience and equipment to take care of valuables and make sure that they get to the designated place without damage. So, if that piece of furniture requires special care when moving, it is wise to call in the professionals.
If you can’t afford furniture movers at the moment of your move, you can consider storing the items for a few months in a storage facility until your new place is fully set up and the furniture will be shipped at a later date.
At the end of the day, if you are deadset on preserving sentimental pieces, moving expensive furniture, or unable to move the stuff yourself, hiring movers is definitely worth it. However, if you think you can handle everything yourself or get a few helpful friends, then kudos do trying to do it yourself!
Of course while there may be so many benefits to relocating, it does not mean that it is not stressful. A major thing that people need to think about once they have decided to move is whether they are going to move themselves or get help from a professional moving company. While there are positives to both, in this situation where you have never left home before and you have that added stress, it would be more convenient to hire a moving company to get all your prized possessions from point A to point B, so that you don’t need to worry.