It all comes down to what your priorities are. Hire a mover if you are on a tight budget but value convenience. Rent a truck and do the job yourself to save money. Rent a moving container if you want some comfort but are willing to do some work to keep the costs down. These can be combined to create a customized, affordable solution.
You need to plan your move early and decide how much work you will do yourself versus how much you will pay a professional. It will determine which moving company is best for you, the convenience of your move, and the amount you spend.
What Type of Moving Company Is Right for You?
Professional Movers: Professional movers Brooklyn will load and ship your items to your new residence, then unload them for you. This is the easiest but most expensive option.
Containers: The movers will transport the container to your new house. This is the best compromise between effort and cost.
Moving Truck Rentals: Are you worried about the costs? Rent a truck and load it yourself. Drive it to your new house, then unload everything. You do all of it, and you save a lot.
Combining Moving Services: Mixing and matching services can give you a good balance of affordability and convenience. You could, for example, hire movers to ship your furniture and then rent a moving truck to transport your other items yourself. You can hire independent moving help for a few short hours, regardless of which moving service you choose.
We'll explain the costs, benefits, and how to find the best moving service for you.
Each moving client has unique needs. Every moving customer has different needs.
How to choose the right moving service for you. We'll give you some tips on how to mix moving services with other conveniences for an affordable price.
Hire Professional Movers
Pros:
Minimum labor
The least responsibility
The least driving
Cons:
Most expensive
Professional movers like Abreu Movers can take away a lot of the stress associated with moving. Moving companies that offer full service will handle your move from start to finish. They'll take care of everything, including packing and disassembling furniture and transporting and unpacking at your new residence. A full-service move will allow you to leave all the hard work and hassles to the professionals.
What Is the Cost of Full-Service Moving?
Full-service moving can be expensive. While rates vary significantly by company and are affected by location and seasonality, full-service moving costs typically range from $7,600 to $9,140 for local moves.
When you hire a full-service mover, you get exactly what you pay. The costs of hiring a full-service mover include the peace of mind you get from knowing that professionals will handle your belongings.
What Are the Options for Price and Service?
Moving companies that offer full-service usually have several different moving packages, each offering various services. If you want to save money and don't need packing services, you can have your movers do only the driving, loading, and unloading.
If you prefer, you can pay more for a comprehensive package of services to receive this treatment.
When gathering quotes, you should ask each company what services and packages they offer.
Get Multiple Quotes
It is essential to obtain several quotes before hiring a professional moving company. We recommend that you get at least three moving quotes from reputable companies. You will get the best deal for your move if you compare quotes from three reputable movers.
Price-Matching: A Few Words
If you want to lower the price of your move, get multiple quotes from your preferred moving company. You can get a cheaper estimate by contacting another (reputable), reputable mover. Then, you can take the written estimate to the preferred mover to have the price matched. Ask your company if they offer price matching.
Safety Net: Moving Coverage
For only $0.60 per pound, all trustworthy full-service moving companies offer basic liability coverage. This protects your possessions. For example, if a 300-pound bed frame broke during transit, you would receive about $180 ($300 x 0.60 =180), which may not be the same as its replacement cost.
This coverage will ensure you won't be left without place settings if your movers accidentally drop your dining set. Basic coverage will not cover the full cost of repair or replacement for expensive items. However, it is better than nothing.
You can pay more for more comprehensive coverage if you need more coverage than the basic package. The inclusions and rates of coverage vary by company. You can read our guide on moving insurance to get an overview of typical options.
Beware of Scammers
As with any other industry, there are dishonest moving companies that mistreat customers and try to scam them. You can easily avoid these phonies if you know what to look for.
Here's what you can do to avoid scammers:
Be sure that your estimate is “binding” before signing a contract.
Online reviews can show you if your chosen company is a scammer.
Verify that the company has the proper licenses and accreditation.
Read an article on how to spot moving scams for the complete scoop.
Renting a Trailer or Moving Truck
Pros:
Most affordable option
Cons:
The customer must pack and load
Customer must drive
Renting a trailer or truck to drive and load yourself will help you save on your move. You will save money, but inspiring movers is not as easy.
What Is the Cost of Truck Rental?
The rental fee for local moves can range between $20 and $ 200. Truck rentals for long-distance moves cost, on average, $2080, but during busy seasons (from spring to fall), they can reach $5,000.
You will be charged by the rental truck company for your total mileage when moving locally. These costs can sneak up on you if you are not careful. You can usually get unlimited mileage for long-distance moving if you don't go crazy.
When you rent a truck, fuel costs are also a factor. You will need to fill up your truck's gas tank at least once for most moves. Most moving trucks average between 8-15 miles to the gallon. This means you may need to refill your tank several times, and gas costs can quickly add up, especially with how fast gas prices are rising.
A trailer is less fuel-efficient than a truck since your car's mileage will be lower when towing it.
The costs increase when you add extras like dolly rental, liability coverage, and other moving equipment. Check out our moving truck price guide to learn more about the costs of renting a moving truck.
Non-Monetary Cost
A DIY move requires a lot of time. Pack everything, load the truck or trailer carefully, drive it to your new house, unload, return it, and then unpack all your possessions. The moving process is always longer than expected.
You may also have to deal with several issues, many of which you have no experience in:
Can you drive a truck 26 feet long safely?
Who will drive the car while you are driving the truck?
How do you organize all your things in the truck
What is the best place to park a truck for loading?
Can you park your truck at the Airbnb's and hotels you stay in on route?
How can you connect a trailer to the electrical system of your car?
What happens if your vehicle gets a flat tire or breaks down?
Last but not least, a DIY project can also be physically stressful. Unless you're a bodybuilder, you'll be sore after loading and unloading for a couple of days.
Bottom Line
Renting a trailer or truck and doing all the work yourself is always cheaper than hiring a full-service moving company. That's indisputable. Savings may not be significant, but there are other factors like time, effort, and stress to consider.
Moving is an excellent option if you only have a small number of belongings to move (no large pieces of furniture and a few boxes).
You should still consider professional movers if this is not the case. At least get some quotes. You might find that the pros are less expensive than you thought.
Renting a Moving Container
Pros:
No driving necessary
Moving services are more affordable than full-service moving
Cons:
The customer must pack and load
Renting a truck is more expensive
Containers are an excellent option for those who do not mind lifting heavy objects but don't want to drive across the country. Container moves offer a great middle ground between truck rental and full-service moving. Container moves are perfect for those who can afford some convenience but want to move on their own.
What Is the Process of Containers Moving?
A container delivery driver parks your container where you instruct them when you use a container moving company. You then load the container and usually have a few days. The company will then send a truck to collect the container and deliver it to the new house, where you can unload it.
The company will store your container after you have loaded it if you pay for this service. It's not always necessary, but it is nice to have this option if your mortgage or lease falls through and you'll need to make other arrangements.
How Much Do Moving Containers Cost?
The average cost of moving with a container is $3,800, but the exact price can range anywhere from $850 up to $12,000. The price range is wide because, as with any move, factors like distance, location, and time of the year can affect your cost.
Renting more than one container, which you might need to do when renting from a small company, can also increase the price.
Combining Moving Services
Pros:
Customizable convenience
Cons:
Costs in the mid-range
Hire professionals to handle the tasks you don't have the time or desire to perform. You can save money if you do the work yourself.
Rent a moving box for your most valuable items, then stuff everything in a trailer or truck.
Hire hourly labor to load the moving container.
Moving labor is a term that's often used to describe hourly workers.
Hire Loading Assistance
You can hire hourly moving labor to pack, unpack, and load your items.
A labor company can charge between $45 to $80 an hour for loading and unloading your items. Remember that this cost is in addition to the rest of your moving costs. Renting a moving container or truck and hiring labor for a few short hours can still be cheaper than hiring movers.
Conclusion
Hiring a full-service moving company like Abreu Movers is the best option for comfort and convenience, even though it is the most costly. Each of the other options we listed comes with greater responsibility, work, and stress. If money is your biggest concern, renting a container, moving with a truck, or combining a few services may be your best option.
Eric Chandler is a versatile entrepreneur with expertise in both writing and the moving industry. With years of experience as a writer, he has a talent for crafting engaging content on various subjects for major publications and online platforms. Eric also owns a successful moving company that provides reliable and efficient services to clients across the country. His extensive knowledge of the moving process, from packing to delivery, has earned him a reputation as a trustworthy moving expert.
