Among the millions of decisions that must be made when someone is planning to move is perhaps the most important one... Should I move myself or let the professionals handle it? This may seem like it comes down to a choice of money versus time but, even with all the time in the world, there are situations when handing the moving of your goods over to the pros is recommended.
Many
local moving companies range in cost and can be super affordable. Moving your belongings by yourself can be very stressful, moving yourself may save you time, but in the long run, it will cost more in terms of personal sanity than that money is worth. This is especially true if you have a large house to move, many fragile items, or a lot of belongings or if you are not very organized.
Moving is always stressful, but when hiring a moving company the stress goes from booking and picking up a truck, packing, loading, unloading, working around heavy objects, getting friends to help you, finding a place to park the truck and packing delicate items to worrying about the movers being on time. Especially if you are prone to stress this can be more effort than is needed.
People who are injured or have lifting limitation should definitely not try to tackle moving responsibilities independently. Even minor injuries can be escalated by carrying boxes, walking up and down a step and the risk of slips and falls can make normally tolerable injuries lead to hospital visits. Also, think about the damage that could happen to you and/or your belongings if you slip on a wet floor.
If you are in a time crunch, hiring movers allows you to shower in the morning and get last-minute business done. Moving even an apartment, then unloading it at the new location is at least a full day. Most people lead very busy lives and don't have a full day to sacrifice. Even moving on the weekends means giving up one of those all to precious days off.
Even if you opt for a self-move, there are items that should still be moved by the professionals:
Piano or other large instruments: Big, delicate and heavy; these are the trifecta of a mover's bane. The piano is probably top of the list when it comes to dangerous objects to move, mostly because of its weight and the fact that so many parts are so delicate.
Aquariums: It doesn't take a genius to figure out that carrying a large glass box while walking backwards down stairs is asking for trouble. Aquariums become much more fragile once the water is removed and no one likes the idea of large glass shards flying about and shattering. It should go without saying, but be sure to remove your pets before moving the aquarium and make it the first thing put together once it has arrived at the new destination. Your pets will thank you.
Big screen TV's: Heavy with a big glass sheet, these are not only dangerous to move, but can make anyone cry if they shatter or crack.
Pool tables: Because most tables have a piece of slate, they are exceptionally heavy. They usually have to be disassembled, reassembled and then balanced in their new location. Great recreational activity, not so great to move.
Washers and dryers: The unexpected damage that comes with these is the use of two-wheeled dollies on front loaders. There is the potential for the dolly to damage the inner workings of the machine.
Fine art: The smallest ding can devalue, diminish or even ruin artwork. So whether it's a statue or a painting, let the movers custom crate it. As an added bonus, even the cheapest movers have insurance, so unless you've got an original Degas and Picasso, the insurance will alleviate much of the financial burden.
Think carefully about if you are willing to damage an item or injure yourself before taking on any object. When in doubt, leave it to the pros.
Written by Margarita Hakobyan
