You’ve found the perfect new home, signed the contract or lease agreement, hired a reputable professional moving company, and set a moving date. Congratulations!
Now you have another choice: pack everything yourself or hire packers. Many moving companies offer packing as an optional add-on service.
If you opt for a packing service, trained professional packers employed or contracted by the moving company will come to your home, do an assessment of your belongings, and then put everything in boxes or moving blankets, so it’s ready for the movers. If you choose to pack yourself, you must get your own moving boxes and supplies and pack everything.
Which way is better? Packing yourself will cost less but take up more of your time and energy. You’ll also have a greater risk of damage to your belongings during the move. Hiring professional packers will save you time and effort and give you increased coverage for your household goods.
This post will give some advantages of each choice and situations in which you might go with each.
Advantages of Hiring Professional Packers
Saves you time and energy
Professional packers are trained to pack household items quickly and safely while making the most efficient use of packing boxes and supplies. Unless you have a lot of packing experience, packers can probably complete the task faster and with less waste. This is particularly true if you have a lot of household goods. It might take several days or weeks to pack, whereas professional packers can be done in a day or less.
They Will Pack Properly
Professional packers follow proven procedures to pack your belongings securely and safely. They have training, experience, and supplies to pack fragile items like glassware, dishes, and electronic devices to prevent damage.
Even if you have valuable or unusual items, professional packers will ensure they are packed properly with the appropriate materials. If you pack everything yourself, it may take hours to get the right materials and determine how best to pack these items.
Less Risk of Damage
Because packers have packed everything right, there’s less risk of damage to your valuable belongings during transport. This is particularly important if you’re moving a long distance. Your boxes may be bumped and jostled inside the moving truck, but your items inside will not be damaged if correctly packed.
You’re Covered For Loss or Damage
Moving companies provide basic coverage for your household goods while in transit, and you can also opt for additional coverage. But they do not cover items that you packed yourself. Furthermore, if the movers notice anything you packed improperly, they will require the items to be properly repacked at your expense before loading them onto the moving truck. With professional packing, you have insurance coverage in case of damage to your belongings.
Advantages of DIY Packing
Lower Cost
Professional packers typically bill by the hour. Although they work fast, the total cost will depend on how many belongings you have, how long it takes to pack them, and the amount of packing supplies needed. Packing yourself is almost always less expensive because you don’t have to pay for packers’ labor and time. You only pay for moving boxes and packing supplies, which you can get for free or at a discount.
Trust
Many people have misgivings about having strangers come into their homes and handle their belongings. It takes a certain amount of trust in the packers to allow them to pack your household goods. Furthermore, there’s always concern about theft or items being mishandled and broken. There’s less reason for concern about this with reputable movers, but when you pack everything yourself, you avoid these issues altogether.
Greater Control
When you pack yourself, you know where everything is and which box contains what. Professional packers are trained to make the most efficient use of space, so they may pack your hair dryer and your toaster together, just because they fit in the box. Then they may write a generic label on the outside of the box. This makes it more challenging to find everything afterward. With self-packing, you can make notes as you go along, so you know what box your CD collection was in.
When Is It Worth It to Hire Packers
The choice of whether to pack yourself or hire packers is a personal one and depends on your situation. If you have the time and energy, you might consider packing yourself. But if you’re on a tight schedule and can afford it, hiring packers might be advantageous. Another option is to hire packers for delicate or awkwardly shaped items, and pack everything else yourself.
Here are some situations where it might be a good idea to hire packers:
If you’re moving long distance and need to arrive before your household goods. Many people need to move first, for example for work or school, and get their household goods later. If that’s your situation, it may be more feasible to get your belongings packed and shipped to you instead of going back and packing it all yourself.
If you’re physically unable. If your physical condition prevents you from packing yourself, then you will need to hire packers.
If you must leave in a hurry or don’t have time to pack yourself. Packing takes a while. If you’re short on time, you may want to hire packers who can get it all done faster than you likely can.
Whether to hire packers or pack yourself often comes down to a choice between time and money. This post has described some benefits of each way to help you make an informed choice.
We hope you found this post, Is It Worth It to Have Movers Pack For You? helpful. For more great information, check out our post, Reasons To Consider Packing Professionals For A Long-Distance Move.
Have Experience in the Moving Industry? Want an Additional Income Stream? Work With All Around Moving!
Partner with us and we’ll help you make money by establishing your own moving consultant business. Click here to learn more.
