DIY Moving vs. Hiring NYC Movers: Which Is Better?

It doesn’t matter if you’re moving across town or across the country, the moving process is expensive and stressful. Even in the best-case scenario, it can take at least a month to organize and plan your move and that doesn’t even include the packing! The biggest question you might have when moving to NYC is whether hiring professional movers is right for you. After all, it allows you to offload the stress of lifting and transporting. In fact, many NYC moving companies also offer partial and full packing services.

Of course, all of this comes at a price. For many people, the DIY route might seem attractive as it’s the cheaper option. However, it might not always be the best choice for you. So how do you know to hire a mover? Below are a few variables you should consider when deciding to hire NYC movers.

Managing Your Time Effectively

The first thing you should consider is how much time you have to complete your move. There are a lot of reasons why you might be short on time for your move. Maybe you were too busy with work or perhaps you broke off a long-term relationship and need to move out immediately. Whatever the reason, if you’re on a tight time schedule, it might make sense to hire movers to take care of the time-consuming work of packing and moving your stuff.

If you’re moving with other people, you should be completely transparent with each other about how much time they can dedicate to the move. Even if you plan and organize everything perfectly, things don’t always go as expected and you might end up running behind schedule. If you or roommates/family members have doubts about the amount of time they need to get everything packed and ready, hiring movers might be a good choice.

Smart Budgeting Strategies

Money and time are just as important when deciding if movers are worth it for your relocation. Before you start calling up your local movers, you need to figure out how much money you can put aside. In order to do so, you first need to get a general idea of how much movers cost. Of course, this depends on a variety of factors such as distance, how much you need to move, additional services, and more. In general, a local NYC move can cost between $500-800 for a studio apartment for your standard loading and unloading. Once you start adding other services such as packing/unpacking, moving supplies, tips for movers, etc., and more the price can get close to $1,000.

To get the most accurate quote from a moving company, take an inventory of your home and figure out what you actually plan on bringing with you. This process can also help you decide if you need movers or if you can do it yourself. An inventory can also help in case items get lost or damaged and can also help obtain renter’s insurance or homeowner’s insurance for your new place.

Once you have tallied all your items, call up at least 3 to 4 different moving companies so you can look at the average price. This can give you a general idea of what you can expect. Make sure to include the cost of any additional services you want to add. On the other hand, if you’re budget is tight you can choose to DIY some aspects of the move such as packing yourself or finding ways to get moving supplies for free or cheap. You might even go the DIY move route if you only have to move a handful of boxes and no heavy furniture or equipment.

Physical Ability

Be honest with yourself. When was the last time you lugged around a bulky piece of furniture up and down a flight of stairs? Chances are you’ve only done it once when you moved into your apartment. A DIY move might be cheaper initially, but what happens if you hurt yourself during the move? If you’re not familiar with proper lifting techniques, you can easily throw out your back, which means you might have to hold off on your move for at least a few days. Even if you manage to rope in a few friends, moving furniture and other items is hard work. Plus, what happens if someone else gets hurt helping you move?

Experienced movers have moved pretty much every type of furniture and appliance possible. They are also specifically trained in appropriate moving and safety procedures to ensure no one gets hurt on the job. And they use specialized moving equipment to make their work safer and faster. Plus, if they end up damaging the building you’re moving out of or into, they will have insurance to cover the damages.

Considering the Distance in Your Move

While hiring professional movers is great even if you’re moving down the street, you definitely will want to hire them if you’re making a long-distance move. While the basic steps are the same, packing and loading to a vehicle, it comes with its own set of challenges. For example, you can’t make multiple trips if everything doesn’t fit on one vehicle and you can’t depend on friends or family to help you unload at your new place. Depending on how far you’re moving, it might even take several days for you to even reach your final destination.

It takes a lot of time, effort, and planning to make a long-distance move possible. So unless your possessions can fit into a few bags and suitcases, you’re better off hiring professional movers They know exactly how to pack your items on the truck to maximize space and reduce damage. Plus, they will know what routes to take and how to drive safely during bad weather.

In Conclusion: Final Thoughts

By taking all of these variables into account, you can decide whether it makes sense to hire a professional NYC moving service. In some cases, you might have to hire movers as many newer buildings will require it in order to protect the building from potential damage. So before you decide you can do it yourself, make sure to call your new apartment’s building managers and ask about the moving requirements.

Once you’re ready to make your move, make sure to give us a call to receive a free quote. Great Movers NYC offers amazing quality service at affordable prices. It’s why we’re the movers NYC residents trust.

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