Moving is a hassle, but it's something that has to be done from time to time. What has to be decided is whether to put forth the energy and effort to pack everything up, put it on a truck or trailer, haul it to wherever we're going to be moving to and then unpack everything, or to have a moving company do it for us. While professional movers do cost money, which method is going to be the most cost effective for our needs?
Let's stop and look at the basic facts of what's involved in a move. First, everything has to be removed from where it currently is, then carefully packed in a box or other moving container. We have to consider all angles when counting cost and a big consideration is how much it takes to buy and pack our boxes. Next, what are we going to be using to transport our stuff to the new location? Is a trailer going to be sufficient? Or will we need to use some type of full sized truck? Lastly, what will it cost us to pack everything into that truck or trailer, transport it to the final destination and unpack it.
While we can do all of the above and some parts of it quite inexpensively in terms of dollars out of pocket (i.e. free boxes from the grocery store), other aspects can cost more doing it ourselves than having a moving company do it. Once we total the cost of renting the truck, trailer and mileage costs, they tend to turn out to be more expensive than a moving company. Even if we use our own vehicle, all the trips back and forth will eventually surpass the cost for the moving company doing it in 1 trip.
Most moving companies buy their packing materials in large quantities making them cheaper than what we would spend. And last but not least, the labor dollars spent on a moving company will almost always be cheaper than doing it ourselves. If you stop and calculate out the man-hours involved in a move, the cost per hour from a moving company will save you money.
While some people do genuinely enjoy moving, and for them, no amount of monetary savings will replace the fun they have, most of us have to really consider the dollars spent out. When it comes to deciding whether to make a move yourself, or to use a moving company, unless you've only got a single car-load of possessions to move, then after all the calculations are run, there's only one conclusion that makes sense. When you take the time to research, you will find that hiring a moving company is not much more expensive than doing the move yourself.