Ever since the global pandemic of 2020 uprooted lives and shifted the economy, remote work has become more popular and possible. As a result, many Americans are choosing to leave the big cities, where it was once necessary to be stationed to find higher-paying jobs, in preference for the small-town life. If this sounds familiar to you, you’re probably wondering whether you should hire professionals like these Asheville movers or if you can get away with moving yourself. Let’s look at the pros and cons of both options with regard to what’s most important to you: time, money, effort and risk.

Time

Benjamin Franklin once wrote, “Time is money,” a fitting statement for the man whose face appears on the one hundred dollar bill. If you are extremely busy or don’t have enough time before you need to pack all your things and move, then hiring professionals will get the job done quickly and smoothly. If you do have plenty of time, let’s say a month or more before your moving date, then you could save a pretty penny by doing it yourself. This brings us to our next consideration.

Money

In case money is a concern for you, the DIY move is almost always going to be the cheapest option. On the other hand, keep in mind that you will still have to pay for gas, any mileage you put on your car, boxes and other packing materials. If you are lucky enough to get help from friends or family, then it would be appropriate to repay them in some way too, if not in dollars, then in food or drinks afterward. Of course, hiring movers is the most expensive option, with many movers charging up to $200 per hour. If you can afford it or if the price is worth the relief it brings you, then go for it!

However, there is a third option. Let’s say packing things and organizing boxes stresses you out the most. You can hire movers to only pack your stuff for you, leaving you to perform the load-in and drive. This may be the right choice for someone with a significant amount of things, moving somewhere within the same general neighborhood or city. Alternatively, you could pack all your items yourself and hire movers to drive for you. The latter option is ideal if the drive will be the most stressful part, as in the case of someone moving across the country. In this way, a hybrid approach to moving could save you money in areas where you already feel self-sufficient while providing you much-needed support in your problem areas.

Risk

Moving involves gutting your home, putting everything into boxes, loading it into vehicles, driving a long distance, moving things again into the new house and organizing the items in each room. Each step in this process poses a potential risk of damage to your belongings. Valuables may jostle around and fall over in the moving truck, or some items may get lost in transit.

If your belongings are lost, stolen or damaged at any point when you are moving by yourself, unfortunately, it’s all on you. If the same were to happen when working with a moving company, you could prove that damage had been done and receive some reparations, especially if you have moving insurance to cover you. That being said, the risk you take on may be higher when trusting someone else to handle your possessions. Make sure you hire vetted movers with good reviews who have clear policies on damage or lost items. If you are the kind of person who likes to be in control, then doing it yourself may be worth it to make you feel more comfortable.

Effort

How much stuff do you have?

Perhaps you have made a major move once before in your life, but this time, your situation is likely to be different from how it used to be. It’s natural to have accumulated more things over time, especially if you have a family and a house. Contrarily, you may be all on your own, living in rental properties and with relatively few possessions. The amount of effort you expend during your move will depend on how much stuff physically needs to be moved. If you fall into the first category, then hiring movers will make an enormous load more manageable. If you are closer to the second category, it might not be unrealistic for you to perform the move independently.

How much driving do you have to do?

If you are making a move right next door, then there’s little need to hire movers to drive for you. The case of a cross-country move, however, is a much more intense ordeal. Are you up for driving long distances? Would you honestly be able to do it by yourself, or is there someone available to go with you for safety reasons? Are you comfortable driving and maneuvering a large vehicle? If the answer to any of these questions is no, then working with professional movers is probably the way to go.

How much strenuous labor can you perform?

Moving does not merely require packing and driving, but also hard physical labor. Remember you will have to move that heavy mattress and each piece of bulky furniture through doors and up and down stairs. Are you strong and able-bodied enough to do this labor yourself, or do you need others to help you?

How much help can you expect from others?

You may feel confident in your lifting abilities and may only need help with a few sizable essential items. If you choose the DIY route, delve into your network of friends and family and enlist as many helpers as possible. On the contrary, don’t be caught in a pinch if no one is available or able to help you. If you are like most people, the physical labor will be too much for one person. In this case, you’ll save yourself from injury by bringing in a professional crew.

There is no right or wrong answer to moving. Every individual situation will have significant differences from the next. If you have lots of time, plenty of people to help, and little money to spare, then doing it yourself might be your best option. On the other hand, you can save yourself several headaches if you can afford to hire movers to take on the responsibility for you. The bottom line is that no matter where you are headed next in your journey, you never have to go it alone.