Do it Yourself, or Hire a Professional?
By Marissa Emery, Moving Consultant, Truck rental.com Staff
Packing is the one aspect of moving that takes up the greatest amount of time. It is also the only thing that stands between your things arriving in one piece, and lost or broken goods. To this end, it is vital that you make sure to choose the right packing method for you. This guide is written to help you understand your packing options, as well as what is involved with each one.
Professional Packers
Most fulls ervice moving companies are happy to offer a packing service as well. Usually, for an average four bedroom home, this process will take about two days. During these two days, professional packers will come into your home and load all of your belongings into boxes and cartons that will then be loaded into thei truck. These packers know how to pack all kinds of items including glass, books, dishes, and electronics.
Why Hire a Professional?
Hiring a professional packer is a great idea if you have never moved before or you simply do not have the time to pack yourself. These people will make sure that all the boxes are labeled and all of your delicate items are packed so that they do not break.
Make Sure you are Covered
Keep in mind, however, that most professional packers are not responsible for things that may break along the way, so it is important that you are there while they pack and that you insure your belongings to cover loss. Check with your homeowners insurance company to see if packing and moving are covered under your policy.
The Costs Involved
Hiring a professional packer or packing service will always cost more than packing yourself. You will save lots of time, but you will need to pay for the time spent packing as well as any packing supplies that are used in the process. This will include any boxes, padding, tape, or paper.
Packing Yourself
Packing your own things can ensure that everything is handled in the manner that you would approve of. Since you will be the one packing, you can ensure that if something gets broken, it is your own fault. You will also be able to tell what is in each one of the boxes that you pack. While you may not have the knowledge about packing that a professional has, you can verify that everything is packed in the way that you want it.
Why do it Yourself?
Packing yourself can save you a lot of heartache. By packing your own things, you can make sure that you know where everything is. You can also verify that anything you do not want packed and loaded into a big truck gets set aside. This is also the free method of packing your things and can save you money when you are hiring a moving company of any type.
Costs Involved
The cost of packing yourself lies almost entirely on the time you will need to spend at this task. If you are thrifty, you can cut your monetary costs to almost nill. Call around your local area and see if there are any stores that are willing to give away some boxes. Chances are that there are lots of boxes that you can take off their hands. You can also use your own linens and towels as padding and packing paper. This will not only save space, but it will help protect your breakables as well. In the end, the only cost you should incur is packing tape and lunch.
Making the right Choice
How you decide to pack is up to you. Before you make the final choice, you should look into how much time you are going to have and what your monetary budget is going to be. These two factors will help you make up your mind as to whether you should hire a professional or do it yourself.
