If you’re preparing to move, you may be considering finding a way to move that is cost conservative (after all, you did just purchase a new home). Many people consider packing and moving themselves rather than investing in a professional removalist team.
Today, we’ll look at the benefits and risks of moving yourself compared to hiring a removal and storage Sydney team. Is there one right answer?
The short answer is, no.
What’s right for you will likely depend on your budget and the specifics of your move. Let’s take a look.
Packing and Moving Yourself
In this scenario, you are your own boss. You are responsible for securely packing all your belongings and transporting them to your new home. If you opt to take on the task yourself, you’ll still need to budget for your move so you can purchase boxes, tape, packing materials, bubble wrap, and rent necessary moving equipment like dollies, moving blankets, and a truck.
Advantages of a Self-Move
Puts You in Control: Moving yourself allows you to create your own schedule. You can pack boxes on your own time rather than having everything ready for professional packers to come in. Overseeing when and how long you pack gives you flexibility that you wouldn’t have with a professional team coming in. And no need to worry about booking a professional moving team in advance—when you take on the job yourself, you can move any time that is convenient for you (provided you’re able to rent a truck).
Costs Less (Maybe?): This is the go-to reason most people opt to take on a relocation themselves—they want to save money. Packing and moving yourself saves you from paying a professional team…but it also means you’re going to have to spend money on things that would have been included in the removalist’s fees (like renting moving equipment). Couple that with the petrol costs for making multiple trips between your old home and new, and there’s a chance the money you save by moving yourself is quite minimal.
Disadvantages of a Self-Move
Physically Exhausting: It can take weeks to properly pack your home and carving out time to pack everything after a long workday or on weekends can be physically and mentally exhausting. The same goes for moving—making multiple trips loading and unloading instead of letting a team do it for you is backbreaking work and can lead to injury if you aren’t careful.
Comes with Some Risk: Odds are, you have little experience when it comes to properly packing household items. You may start off strong but, as exhaustion and boredom set in, it’s likely you’ll start cutting corners—throwing random items together in a box without including proper padding. This can increase the odds that items break during your move. Again, the same goes with moving. Stacking boxes on your own with no real understanding of how to secure items in your car or truck can result in damage, and loading/unloading heavy items without proper training or equipment can leave you injured