Money or sanity – choose wisely! If you’re wondering if you should rent a truck or hire movers for your interstate move, read this guide before you pick up the phone.
You wanna know how to make moving fun?
Next time your partner asks if you have any moving boxes at home, tell them "No, all our boxes are still; that's why we got them at the stationery store."
That may earn you a few chuckles, or a stern glare.
Okay, you got me - I don't really know how to make moving fun... or if such a thing is even possible. But, I can help you figure out if you should rent a moving truck or hire professional movers. Full disclosure, I didn't come up with the idea for this article, I found a really helpful guide and just wanted to share it with other people facing the same dilemma that caused me to lose sleep. If you wanna check out the guide, just click here.
I'll assume some of you stuck around, or came back, if for no other reason but to see if I have any other hilarious moving jokes. (I do.)
✔️ How Do Most People Move?
You'll probably be surprised to learn that only 22.7% of people hire professional movers; others choose various DIY options - from renting a moving truck to DIY-ing the whole thing, without any outside help. (Except for friends and family, of course. If you choose that, make sure to bribe them with enough beer and pizza.)
And it's easy to see why DIY moving is so popular - it's cheaper. If you're moving locally, DIY is a no-brainer. Hire a truck, drive a short distance - done and dusted. However, if you need to drive from Manhattan to LA... well, you certainly could - but it won't be a walk in the park. Which is why you should compare your options - paying a little extra for the sake of sanity doesn't sound too crazy.
✔️ Renting a Moving Truck - What You Need to Do
Let's get the obvious part out of the way: When you rent a moving truck, you'll definitely save money. That's the main benefit of DIY moving.
But, you should know you will be doing all the heavy lifting - both literally and figuratively. You'll have to plan the whole thing, pack up all your stuff, load the truck, drive the truck all the way to wherever, unload all the stuff, and unpack everything. That's a lot of responsibility - but it also means you get full control of the move. So if you're a bit of a Monica Geller, this may work for you.
And if that's what you decide to do, there are some great options out there. Both U-Haul and Budget offer trucks of all sizes for both local and cross-country moves.
✔️ Hiring Professional Movers - What to Expect
When you hire a moving company, they pretty much take care of everything - and you get to kick back and relax. Sure, it will generally set you back more than DIY - but you can't understate the importance of an efficient and stress-free process. This is especially true when you're moving out of state and have to juggle a lot of moving parts. (Pun intended.)
If you're interested in hiring professional movers, there are a few things you should know:
1) book your moving company early - it will be cheaper and you'll be able to book the best movers because they won't yet be booked
2) move in the off-season - same reason as above.
3) pack your stuff - packing costs extra, so if you can, DIY that part.
✔️ Get Moving Estimates
Last but not least, 4) get moving estimates from multiple companies and compare rates and services. The guys who wrote the guide I mentioned above, Movers.com, can help you get quotes from up to seven local moving companies. Just visit their website and fill out a short form - it's easy and it's free.
Oh, and one last thing: if you're currently renting, don't forget to leave the apartment in the same condition you found it in. It may be hard to get a dozen thousand cockroaches on short notice - but try your best!
