Packing is by far one of the most time consuming and tedious aspects of moving. Packing your entire home on your own is stressful to say the least. Not only will you have to verse yourself in the art of packing, you have to also be prepared to dedicate countless hours on doing just that. Let’s face it you can’t just throw things in boxes, for obvious reasons. Proper packing requires strategy, packing material, and time spent, all of which professional movers can provide for a fee. However, if you are still unsure whether to hire movers or do it yourself, you should weigh out the pros and cons of self-packing before taking the plunge. To help you make the decision that works best, we have created a list of pros and cons of self-packing. Please continue reading below.
PROS:
- Lower Costs
The biggest pro to self-packing rather than hiring professionals is that it’s certainly the cost effective option. From labor to supplies, packing services can significantly add on to your moving costs. In addition, most moving companies charge for packing supplies, which can quickly add up depending on how much stuff you have. On the other hand, if you are doing the packing yourself you may be able to find free boxes from local business and supermarkets. Especially if you are on a tight budget, you may wish to skip paying for packing services and handle the packing yourself.
- Convenience
Flexibility is another big pro of self-packing. Being on your time and not someone else’s plays an important role in reducing the overall stress associated with moving. It also allows you to pack your belongings with the utmost care. Let’s face it; a stranger packing your things is simply doing their job, there is no feeling attached to it. Ultimately, packing yourself gives you the freedom to pack for half an hour a day or for eight hours straight, at a pace that is comfortable for you. The choice is yours.
- Control
If you are one of those people that get uneasy and territorial when it comes to strangers handling your belongings, packing yourself will give you full control and spare you being even more uncomfortable during an already stressful time. Packing yourself also gives you the control over how your belongings are organized and packed. You can group your clothes by season, color code the boxes by room, and more.
- Security
When you pack your belongings yourself you will be less susceptible to theft. Although many movers are trustworthy and would never take anything from you, there are always exceptions. Self-packing allows for an extra precaution against such unfortunate events.
CONS:
- Time consuming
Don’t underestimate the time it takes to properly pack an entire household. When packing yourself you may get very frustrated if you don’t have the luxury of time. Packing will take up a large chunk of time, therefore be prepared to put other important aspects of moving on the back burner until you are through. Also, if you are unable to find the right time to pack, this process could take much longer than expected.
- Improper packing
Although you love your belongings very much, chances are you lack the experience to efficiently pack them. When you pack your own belongings, you are potentially compromising their integrity. All too often items are damaged in transit due to improper packing techniques.
- No liability
When you pack your own belongings you are assuming all liability in case something is damaged during the move. By law, movers are not liable for any damaged items that you packed yourself. Only when you hire movers to do the packing for you will they be liable for anything that breaks during transit.
- Furniture disassembly can be difficult
All particle furniture, as well as bulky items have to be moved in a disassembled form to avoid damage. To disassemble furniture you will require basic skills and tools. If you have no prior experience, attempting to handle these tasks on your own can result in costly damage to your furniture.
- Free supplies not worth it
The moving boxes you take from supermarkets and nearby stores have already been used for other purposes, greatly compromising their structure. They may not withstand stacking, resulting in damages to your belongings. Depending on what was stored in them before, second hand boxes can also be dirty or infested with critters. In the end, utilizing free packing supplies may end up costing more if something is damaged and now has to be replaced.