Pros and cons of self-packing when moving

Moving time is always a major hit to your budget. We all want to save some money, somehow. Whether save it on packing, packing supplies or try to cut out some unnecessary moving expenses. In the end, it all comes down to deciding if you are for or against self-packing when moving. This is usually the service that people tend to avoid since it cost you more and you can do it alone. Before you make a decision, see the reasons for and against self-packing.

Let us start from the most noticeable fact that packing is tedious, time-consuming and it ends with unpacking everything at the end of a move. So your job only starts with packing. Once you accomplish that, you still have to do all the unpacking when you arrive at a new place. The excitement from moving will surely provide you a little bit of extra energy, but time is something you can expect to lose in the end.

Pros for self-packing when relocating

It is cheaper

Honestly, the main reason for people to decide to pack themselves is surely money. When you are packing your belongings, you will have to pay only for packing supplies. Depending on how resourceful are you, maybe you can even lower the cost of packing supplies by finding some free boxes from local stores or by renting supplies. Some companies are renting moving pads, moving blankets and similar items.

On the other hand, if you hire a moving company it will significantly increase your expenses. Most movers have their own packing supplies, especially those who offer you packing service. It is more expensive than using free cardboard boxes. But, there is a large difference between these two.

Boxes that you could find in local stores, supermarkets are usually lower quality boxes, not meant for moving purposes. Moving boxes are durable and good quality because they need to last through the packing, transportation, and unpacking. We packed them with various heavy items, so the boxes should be solid. Moving long-distance means that your belongings will be in longer transport. The best cross country moving companies usually offer various options regarding moving boxes. There are different sizes and quality and therefore the price can be lower or higher.

Convenience and organization

Anybody who likes to stay on top of everything will feel more comfortable to do the packing on their own terms. This is a good way to plan and organize everything alone without the interference of movers. If you are still working, you can pack in your free time and as long as you like.

There is no time frame for packing. Start a few weeks earlier by packing items you won’t be using until you move. Some people don’t like strangers to handling their precious belongings. If you decide on self-packing when moving, you will feel less stress knowing where everything is packed. Label everything the way you like, just make sure that you properly label fragile boxes, so they don’t damage during transport and loading.

Cons of self-packing when moving

Reasons to hire a moving company are also important. Bottom line is that you consider everything before you decide. This includes also the experience needed for packing and handling your belongings properly. 

It takes too much time

When you are a beginner in packing, you will soon realize that it takes so long. Just imagine that you need to pack your entire house. How long are you packing for a family vacation? This is not nearly as that. Packing will consume all your free time and you will surely feel stress and pressure, once you learn that it is much longer than you have planned. Let’s say that you are moving from Florida to some colder climate. Besides packing, you need to think about everything you might need in your new place. If you pay for a packing service, you will leave yourself enough time to do some other important tasks before relocation.

Liability

The other side of the medal, so to speak, when you are self-packing when moving, is that there is no liability. Movers are not responsible for damaging anything you have packed yourself. They can’t give you guarantees for the belongings you have packed. They are held responsible when you hire packing services.

Improper packing

Certain experience is required for packing. You have to pack your items safely, so they stay undamaged during transport. Because of the haste during relocation, people don’t pack properly or in most cases don’t even know how to pack properly. While you are in a hurry, you won’t have enough time for research and learning how to pack.

Handling antiques and furniture disassembling

When you hire a moving company you don’t have to worry about your furniture. They have experience in disassembling furniture and the right tools for that. If you are packing alone when moving, you have to know how to disassemble furniture and assemble it once you arrive. It also important if you have some antiques to pack them properly. Also, be careful when you are moving wooden furniture, you need to know how to pack wooden furniture. You can replace or compensate for this kind of damage.

When you hire movers packing services you can expect that they will have their own packing supplies like boxes and other materials.

These are trained professionals that know the proper way to prepare your items for packing. Also, the proper way to pack them safely. Because they have experience and right kind of tools, they will pack your entire hose very fast. Actually, they can pack everything in just a few hours. It depends how big your house is, that is how many rooms they need to pack.

So, after reading this, you can decide whether you are for self-packing when moving or if you’d rather hire the pros to do it. Good luck!