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Should You Pack Yourself or Hire Professionals?

Packing for a move
The answer can be more than just money and convenience. If you are busy, have the budget and have done your research and gotten reliable recommendations hiring a packing service may be the best call. Even if you have enough time and are particular about how everything you have is handled, you may still want to hire a professional. Are you moving a short distance or a long distance?
Hiring full packing services will provide you with extra time but will cost you extra money.  They can save you a lot of physical and emotional stress and time. Your time may be more valuable with working the hours it would take you to pack. You won’t have to lift a finger when it comes to heavier items like beds and furniture. Professionals could potentially pack everything up in a few days. It could come down to a scheduling decision; if you work around the clock, you probably won’t have extra time on weekends to box everything up.
Professionals have insurance and experience that will not only prevent damage, but replace or repair any accidental damage that might occur during packing and moving. A team of professionals will be more efficient than your household and knows what to do and how to organize. They are trained to properly pack household items and will do it with the best equipment for the situation.
One area moving companies can not top you at is on which items are sentimental. They should treat everything you own as valuable, but when you hire a crew of packers, you won’t be deciding what items go in which boxes. This could cause some confusion when unpacking, but you should feel safe that all items will be transported without being lost or damaged.  If you do decide to hire packers, make sure you give them as much guidance as possible about what should go where.
Packing your yourself can provide a bonding experience for your family… or be a stressing fiasco depending on how well you can work together.
Saving money by cutting corners in moving equipment may seem like a good deal, but boxes from the supermarkets may not be very clean or may easily break. Your makeshift padding will be hardly as safe and efficient as Styrofoam peanuts or bubble wrap. Consider buying quality packing supplies, especially for more valuable and delicate items.
If you do pre-pack but still have professionals move your boxes, be careful to inventory and declare valuable possessions. Label boxes and consider taking pictures of the contents as they are before they are packed together as a quick inventory method. This also lets you have a record of the condition of your things before they were moved if a dispute arises.
Inexperienced home movers can easily use twice the space actually required for packing. Professionals have little tricks to maximize space in their trucks when packing and know how to secure items to ride without damage.  They have experience taking apart furniture and reassembling it and are better able to move heavy or awkwardly sized possessions. They know how to properly disconnect and connect your appliances and devices, and the tools needed for the job. Do you have what you need to connect your washer? Do you have a couch that won’t fit through a door? Valuable art or sculptures? Professionals have specialized equipment and techniques to handle all these situations.
Using a moving company may not be as expensive as you think, and it’s worth your time to get an estimate for large or long distance moves. When you’re considering costs, most reputable companies base the cost on the weight of your cargo. Local moves are often charged per hour. Movers must legally provide some liability coverage for your belongings, but check the fine print. It may not cover the cost of replacing a damaged or lost item. For the most comprehensive protection, you’ll need to purchase full-value insurance from your moving company or an insurance company.