Moving in NYC: DIY or Hire Movers?

So you’re planning to move in NYC: DIY or Hire Movers?. Well, right from the start you should know that a well-defined structured plan is essential for a successful NYC move. But the biggest dilemma one usually comes across when moving is whether to DIY-it, or use an additional pair of hands packing and taping boxes shut.

It is important to note a couple of things when it comes to moving in NYC before we break into a pro and con list of hiring against a DIY move. It is obviously more expensive to hire movers, but it is definitely not easy to DIY-it and potentially dangerous. If you are searching for more convenient options on the internet, which will make moving to and from a building to another at fair prices, note that many buildings in New York City require commercial moving businesses to have a certain type of insurance for the use of service lifts. So make sure you match credentials against those of your house, whether the one you are moving out or the one you are moving into, before you employ an individual or organization.

Employing experienced movers

The main advantage of hiring movers is that if you would not have to raise a finger in the entire process. Movers will come to your flat, pack everything for you, move everything out of your old house, and relocate everything into your new one – quickly! Since they do this all the time, the process is fast and easy. But one of the most important aspects is that your valuables are in safe hands and correctly boxed.

A moving company takes care of everything for you, down to the most minor detail. You won’t have to buy packing materials, rent a truck and figure out how to park it in front of your house, or ask your friends to come help with bulky pieces of furniture, bribing them with pizza. It’s true that employing a moving company can be quite expensive and even if you move very close by, it can even end up costing you maybe thousands of dollars. But you need to take a look at the big picture before dismissing the idea of hiring movers based just on saving money. 

Also, for some people having strangers come and handle your possessions might be more stressful than doing it yourself. Consider your style of personality and consider this when you decide to recruit movers.

Moving by yourself

You can effectively manage the whole moving process by DIY-ing it! If you love to pop the bubbles of the bubble wrap and enjoy organizing everything you own, then moving by yourself might turn into a fun task. But be aware…it takes time! A lot of it. If you have got a couple of weeks worth of free time and availability between rentals and would you rather transfer slowly one box at a time, then no problem! Doing it yourself is probably a good idea! But if you have a lot of stuff, very little free time to pack and organise and even less time to move, then it can be literally a nightmare. It’s best to do it yourself when you don’t have plenty of things to move or because you have some extra free time you want to fill. You probably don’t have large pieces of furniture to transport if you’re a single person who moves from an apartment to another – only a few blocks away. In this scenario, you might even manage to motivate a friend or two to help you out and you can even take advantage of this chance to weed all your belongings so that you don’t bring many things into your new home. 

But what if you have to pack and move an entire family home? You want all the support that you can get. A few powerful hands to help you get furniture up and down, in and out of lifts, to the truck, while the street is in its natural chaotic state are most definitely needed. 

A big problem with the DIY method comes when you have a lot of furniture and bulky stuff that you have to take with you to your new place. Of course, if you can’t ask your friends to move there’s always the option of hiring someone off a website such as TaskRabbit. It is considerably cheaper than to pay for a moving company to do the whole thing. But is it safe? Not really. Aside from the fact that lifting heavy objects if you don’t know how to do it properly, might result in serious injuries, inexperienced movers could very easily damage your belongings. 

How expensive is it to hire movers?

Well, hiring full service movers is costly. It could be anywhere between $550–$2,000 for local moves to $2000–$7,500 for long distance moves, but prices differ considerately from a company to another and may be influenced by things such as seasonality and distance. Keep in mind, though, that when you employ a full service mover you actually get what you pay for. These costs include the comfort and peace of mind of knowing that experts are taking care of packing and transporting your belongings. 

If you do a little research into moving companies, you will find that they usually offer various moving packages that can better serve your needs and your budget. For example, you can choose an easy kit in which movers simply carry and drive to save a little money and make sure your valuables are treated carefully.

Otherwise, you can get the deluxe treatment by opting for a broader service bundle if you only want to get away from your old home and into your new home completely stress free. 

When you start contacting moving companies, be certain to ask what facilities and moving packages they provide to find the perfect one to handle your items best.

The Hybrid Method

If you want to spare some money and at the same time make sure that all your possessions are well protected, then this is the best method! You’re going to spend some time getting boxes and packing supplies but you can start early and spread the tasks if you know that you are going to move for a couple of weeks or months in advance. For a while, you might literally live between boxes, but you will literally save thousands of dollars for yourself.

Leave the professionals to do the real move, however. Especially if you have a lot of furniture and boxes. They have a lot of experience and can ensure the safety of your loved possessions. Furthermore, the day of movement is exhausting enough and you would be less burdensome if you can avoid physical work.