Moving to a new home is stressful and time-consuming. After all, you have to pack up your belongings, gear up for the long drive, and get your pets or children ready for the big move. Thankfully, you can hire professional movers to help you with your journey. Plus, you can choose between three options when hiring for a moving service. You can either hire a full-service move, hire a moving truck, or mix both and customize it to your liking.
Hiring for a full-service move means hiring everything a moving company offers. They will pack your belongings, disassemble your furniture, transport your items, and unpack in your new home. However, a full-service move has one huge caveat—it’s pricey. The traditional cost of a long-distance full-service move can cost between $2,000 to $7,500 with an additional fee of $500 to $4,000 for packing service. Thankfully, if this price range isn’t your cup of tea, there are labor alternatives you can choose to save money.
Why You Should Consider Labor-only Movers
Labor-only Movers Are More Affordable
If you have a limited moving budget and you can’t afford to spend for a full-service move, labor-only movers will help you stretch your budget when hiring professional movers. With labor-only movers, you can focus on packing your lightweight belongings and let professionals pack your furniture and load and unload your belongings to your new home. However, keep in mind that there are moving companies that don’t provide equipment when moving. It’s still best to buy your electric pallet jack to lift heavy equipment without relying on moving services.
Hiring Labor-only Movers Gives You More Control Over Packing
If you’re the kind of mover who doesn’t want strangers to pack their belongings, your money will be better spent on labor-only moving services. Being meticulous about your equipment is no joke either, particularly if you own expensive gear such as camera equipment or antiques. With labor-only moving services, you can control how your belongings are packed and which packing supplies will be used in the process. However, if you choose to pack your items yourself, you need to commit plenty of time on your part.
Alternatives to Hiring Movers
Mover Aggregator Sites
HireAHelper. This website is an online marketplace used to find and book nearby moving labor professionals. HireAHelper offers loading and unloading services, moving trucks, or even full-service moving companies. Furthermore, this website allows you to see the complete pricing for every moving service, which has over 3,400 companies available with the span of 48 states. Plus, HireAHelper is easy to use and has an online review service that will help you find the best labor professionals for you. And last but not least, HireAHelper states that the moving company will shoulder all damage claims, and if they don’t, HireAHelper also has insurance coverage for your belongings.
MovingHelp. Just like HireAHelper, MovingHelp is a moving services aggregator website that helps the user search for nearby moving services. This website offers loading and unloading services, packing and unpacking, driving assistance, and cleaning. Furthermore, users can quickly identify high-ranking moving professionals by checking the on-site rating system. And last but not least, MovingHelp is easy to use. Simply enter the moving fate, zip code, and your preferred time of day, and you’re all set.
Renting a Moving Truck
People who are looking to move their belongings on their own often need to rent a moving truck. Fortunately, moving trucks are inexpensive, readily available, and easy to find, only paying for a flat fee plus gas. If you rent a car, you don’t have to worry about transportation anymore, and you can save yourself the trouble of using your own vehicle for moving.
Usually, moving trucks cost between $132-$336 for a local move and $500 to $1,700 for long-distance moves. Remember that you have to factor in cost per mile, fuel costs, rental deposit, and car towing. We recommend these services for renting trucks: U-haul and Penske.
Portable Storage Containers
If a moving truck isn’t enough for you, consider hiring portable storage containers for storing your furniture and massive equipment. Plus, storage containers come along with professionals picking up the container and delivering it to your new home for you to unload your gear. We recommend U-Pack or U-Haul for storage container services.
Asking Help from Friends
If you don’t have enough budget for a moving truck or moving professionals, and you have willing friends, consider asking for their help when moving. You need to consider if they’re available on the chosen moving date and lift heavy equipment. However, at the end of the move, you could treat your friends with pizza and beers. Plus, all of you can celebrate your house warming party on the same day of the move.
Choosing a DIY move will cost less, grant more control in scheduling, and let you carefully transport sensitive equipment. All in all, at the cost of hard work and time, your move will go according to your plan and cost less compared to hiring full-service companies.
