When it comes to moving services, there are two basic options
available. You can hire professional movers, or you can do it
yourself. Both of these moving options have their advantages and
disadvantages, so which one is right for you?
Hire professional removalists: Minimise stress
Professional moving services are more expensive than DIY moving,
yet for many people, they can relieve much of the stress associated
with relocation.
If you are pressed for time in your move, or if you simply don't
want to bother moving all of your boxes yourself, the use of moving
services will be a far better option.
Before choosing a moving service, it's important to calculate
the total expense of your move. Depending on how far you are
moving, whether it is within your city or across country, your
total moving budget will factor in fuel, lodging, tolls, meals, and
even potentially, money lost from taking time off of work.
After your moving expenses have been calculated, you can compare
that amount to what it would cost to hire removalists to do the
work for you.
If the total cost of moving yourself is more than hiring
removalists, then the choice is clear. Even if moving services are
slightly more expensive than self moving, you still may choose to
employ removalists to make the job easier, especially if you're
moving your entire family.
DIY moving: Save money
DIY moving is an alternative to hiring moving services that is
gaining popularity in Australia. Many commercial services now offer
self moving to make it convenient for customers to move their
belongings inexpensively by renting and driving their own
truck.
Do-It-Yourself moving will allow you to save on the cost of
removalists by renting a moving truck and loading your boxes and
furniture yourself.
You are then responsible for driving the rental truck to your new
home, unloading, and returning the truck safely, usually back where
you pickedn it up from. With self moving, you are normally charged
a low daily rate for truck rental.
In order to make the wisest and most economical decision for
your move, here are three important questions to ask yourself:
- What is the travel distance of my move?
- What is the total volume of items I need to
move?
- How much will my total move cost?
Depending upon the answers to the questions above, it will make
the choice easy between using a moving service or Do-It-Yourself
moving. If you are moving across country, a moving service will be
more reliable than handling the move yourself.
Similarly, if you have a house full of heavy, expensive furniture,
a moving service may be more qualified to handle this for you. Yet
if cost is your primary concern, consider self moving to save money
by packing and loading all of your belongings yourself.
Top moving tip
Want to save money on your move? Move during the off season
outside of the summer months, or book a moving service on a weekday
instead of the weekend for cheaper rates.