There are two main options available to you if you want to move home. Firstly, you can do everything yourself. The second option is to hire movers in Arlington VA. Both have their particular pros and cons. Hopefully, the following information will enable you to decide which of the two options is right for you.
Doing it Yourself
The biggest advantage of a DIY job is that it is so much cheaper. Just get some friends together to lift the heavy things. At most, you will have to pay for a van rental and the petrol. Do consider transit insurance, as well.
That said, there are some significant disadvantages:
- You probably have more stuff than you thought. Once you add up everything in your living spaces, your attic, your basement, and your garage, and you will suddenly feel like you don’t just need a few friends and family members, you will need an entire army to load and unload it all.
- You will suddenly notice how difficult it is to move large items through your doorways and down the stairs.
- You may struggle to find sufficient boxes to pack all your belongings. You can purchase boxes, of course, but that is actually surprisingly expensive. As such, you may have to spend months asking your friends to keep any box they are given.
Professional Removals
Hiring professional movers has a number of clear advantages:
- They know what they are doing when it comes to lifting heavy items, dismantling certain products, negotiating doorways, and so on. Do make sure, however, that you use a properly registered mover, which guarantees that they offer a high quality service. To be a member of a group like the US Movers Association, for instance, the company has to meet some very high standards.
- They can offer you a range of packaging services. You don’t have to use this, if you do have a lot of boxes already, but they can do it for you. In fact, they can even pack your entire house up if you want, although this will cost you a bit more.
That said, the big disadvantage is the cost, and professional movers are almost always more expensive, even if you buy boxes.
If you do choose to hire professional movers, make sure you get at least two or three estimates to make sure you are paying a fair price. Some other tips include:
- Get online quotes for a general idea, although these are in no way binding.
- Ask estimators to actually visit your entire property to give you a quote, and ask them for a ‘no more than’ estimate, so you can budget properly.
- Ask about insurance coverage. Most movers have public liability insurance and transit insurance in place, but not all of them do. This is something you must know about.
Make sure you are properly organized, whether you pay for professional movers or do it yourself. You can’t comfortably move home if you only start packing the night before.