To Pack or Not to Pack: Self-Packing vs. Professional Packing

If you’re planning a house move, then you probably have good reasons to relocate and dreams to follow – and you have the will to overcome any difficulties and challenges along your chosen path. The question is not “To move or not to move?” but “How to move successfully?”

There are many crucial factors that will affect your relocation success – your organizational skills, your financial prudence, your chosen movers, etc. – but proper packing is arguably the most significant one – it means the difference between receiving your items intact and having them arrive at your new home in pieces.  

So, even before you set your moving budget and start shopping around for movers, you should focus on the fundamental question – “Will you pack yourself or hire packers?”

You need to come up with an answer as early as possible, as many important things depend on it:

• Whether you’ll need to get packing supplies or not;
• Whether you’ll be looking for full-service movers or not;
• What kind of extra services you will need;
• What your final moving cost will be;
• How much time you will have for other moving preparations; etc.

Using professional packing services will save you a lot of time and effort but will cost you extra money. Self-packing, on the other hand, can help you lower your moving expenses but may increase the risk of damage to your possessions during the move (and will take plenty of time and hard work).

So, in order to proceed with your moving plans, first you need to make an informed decision about the packing method that will best suit your preferences and requirements – packing yourself or hiring professional packers.

Pros and Cons of Packing Yourself

Packing your personal possessions yourself seems to be the logical choice, as you will be able to sort out your belongings and will have control over what to pack when and which items to pack together. Besides, the mere idea of strangers meddling with your personal belongings may make you feel anxious and uneasy. Not to mention, that using professional packing services will cost you a pretty penny.

So, to ensure your peace of mind, pack your belongings in a meaningful way, and save money on your move, you may opt for self-packing.

Advantages of DIY Packing

Doing your own packing comes with many benefits:

Lower moving costs

Without a doubt, self-packing is your cheapest option, as you will not have to pay for the experienced services of professional packers. You will not charge yourself (and your family members and friends who may help you pack up your stuff) for the labor, so your only expenses will be for packing materials. You can even find packing boxes for free or use household items that you already own and will move anyway as substitute packing materials (suitcases, bags, baskets, buckets, etc. as packing containers; old clothes, towels and linen as wrapping and cushioning materials, etc.) – so, packing doesn’t cost you anything at all. (See also: Alternative packing materials)

Keep in mind though that being so thrifty hides its risks:

• The used moving boxes you get for free may not be very strong (so they may easily break during the move and cause damage to the items inside them) or may not be very clean (so the items packed in them may get stained or moldy) See also: Risks of using free moving boxes;
• Improvised padding and wrapping won’t be as safe and efficient as Styrofoam peanuts, bubble wrap, and other professional packing materials;
• Newsprint may leave ink marks on surfaces.

So, even if you prefer to pack your own belongings yourself, you’re advised to get hold of quality packing supplies, especially for your more valuable and delicate items. You can purchase packing materials online, from your hired movers, from any local moving company in your area, from home improvement stores or office supply stores, etc.

Must-read: Packing supplies for moving you can’t do without

Flexibility and convenience

When packing yourself, you can pack whenever and however you want to – you can start packing the items you won’t need prior to your move well ahead of time, you can pack at your own pace, you can pack for half an hour a day or for eight hours straight, you can pack during the day or during the night…

Packing at a convenient pace in a convenient time will reduce your moving stress and will result in greater efficiency and safety (you won’t be pressed for time, so you will be able to carefully sort your belongings, get rid of unneeded items before your move, group your things in a way that makes sense to you, and pack each item with utmost care and attention).

Meaningful organization

When doing your own packing, you can organize them in a way that is meaningful for you. This will make unpacking much faster and easier. Besides, you will know which boxes hold your essentials and will unpack them first, so you have everything you need at hand, right from the start. And you will be able to store away the boxes that contain items you won’t use any time soon for later when you will have the time and energy to deal with them.

Needless to say, the biggest advantage of packing your own belongings yourself is that you will spare no time and effort to ensure their safety during the move.  

Disadvantages of Self-Packing

The cons of DIY packing fall into three main categories:

1) Lots of lost time

Packing is extremely time-consuming, no two ways about it. You should never underestimate the time required for packing an entire household – if you make this mistake, you will end up frantically throwing your possessions in boxes at the last minute and the results will be catastrophic.

You will need a lot of time to pack your items properly. And even though you will have the liberty to choose how much time a day to spend packing, you will lose a lot of precious time that you can spend doing other moving tasks or enjoying pleasurable activities.

Related: How to save time when moving

2) Greater risk of damage to your possessions

You will certainly be very careful when packing your own possessions but the chances are you lack the experience required for safe and efficient packing.

You are not a professional, so you don’t know the best techniques for packing different kinds of items and aren’t familiar with the various risks that the moving process may pose to your possessions.

If you pack your items yourself, but don’t use quality packing supplies and don’t use appropriate packing methods, you can easily end up with a shipment of shattered breakables and ruined valuables.

Good to know: If your movers notice improperly packed items prior to loading them on the moving truck, they will require the items to be properly repacked at your expense.

Related: The golden rules of packing

3) No liability

Your movers won’t accept liability for damage to items that you packed yourself.

Last but not least, remember that some household items are just too difficult to pack and to move – large furniture pieces that need disassembly, delicate pieces that need extra care, specialty items that have special packing requirements, etc. Such items are better left to the professionals.

Pros and Cons of Professional Packing

Professional packers have the rich experience and technical know-how required to provide the best possible protection to your items during a move. Yet, their services come at a price and you don’t have any control over the packing process.

Benefits of Using Professional Packing Services

Hiring professional packers will take the stress and hassle of packing off your shoulders. The pros will do all the hard work for you and will assume responsibility for your belongings.

Moving companies that pack for you can guarantee:

• Quality packing materials – It’s only natural that professionals will use brand new moving boxes, quality packing paper and packing tape, plenty of bubble wrap and Styrofoam peanuts, and other professional packing supplies to pack your items for moving. The quality of the packing materials is in direct proportion to the safety level of your belongings during a move;
• Enviable speed and efficiency – The experts use effective packing strategies that allow them to complete the job in the fastest and most efficient way possible – they know how to optimize the available space in the packing boxes and can pack up an entire home within several hours;
• Utmost safety – Professional moving packers are well aware of the common problems and potential risks during a house move, so they can easily avoid them. The pros will use safe and efficient packing techniques to provide maximum protection to your items and will take precautionary measures to prevent property damage and personal injuries during the relocation process;
• Moving insurance – Movers that pack are liable for any personal possessions that get damaged or lost while in their custody;
• Extra services – Professional packers provide a wide variety of specialized services – they can not only box up your items, but also disassemble larger furniture, disconnect appliances, build custom crates to guarantee the safety of fragile and oddly-shaped valuables, protect the delicate mechanisms of sensitive items, such as electronics, pianos, grandfather clocks, etc. Unpacking services are also available upon request – the pros will not only unpack your household items and take them to their rightful places in your new home, but will also collect the packing materials and dispose of them;
• No efforts on your part – When you hire professional packers to prepare your items for shipment, you won’t need to lift a finger – you won’t have to go looking for adequate packing supplies, won’t spend endless hours wrapping your items and packing moving boxes, and won’t risk damaging your cherished belongings or injuring yourself during the packing process. Instead, you will have the time to take care of other moving preparations, say goodbye to your friends and your favorite places in town, and get ready for your new life;

Depending on your needs and preferences you can hire a full packing service, request specialized packing services (like crating), or have only some of your items professionally packed. Most moving companies provide both full and partial packing services, so you can choose the option that works best for you.

Bonus tip: Take advantage of our free cost estimator to get a better idea of what the costs will be for different kinds of packing services, so you can make an informed decision about your move.

Disadvantages of Hiring Professional Packers

Despite all the above benefits, however, hiring a packing service is not without its cons:

Increased moving cost

The full packing service cost can range from several hundred to several thousand dollars – depending on the number of items to be packed and the complexity of the job (some companies charge by the hour while others have set rates and extra always services come at an extra cost).

Of course, hiring experienced packing help will be more expensive than packing yourself but the extra cost is usually worth it. Besides, if you request partial packing services, the price may not be as high you think – you’re strongly advised to find out exactly how much it will cost you to hire packers before making your final decision.

Must-read: How much does it cost to hire packers?

Lack of proper organization and control

Professional packing is synonymous with competent packing and decreased risk of damages and problems. However, it may also be a synonym for disorganization as the movers who come to pack your household will have no clue about how you want to organize your belongings. Their only concern will be the safety of your items and the speed of the process, so they will not spend time sorting and grouping your possessions.

The professionals will use safe and efficient packing methods, but your items will be packed on a random basis, so when you start unpacking after the move, you may be quite surprised or even frustrated to find your kids’ toys in the same box with your vintage figurines or something like that. Packers may mix things together in a way that will confuse you – they have neither the information, nor the time required for organizing your belongings properly – and it may take you a lot of time to find a specific item that you need.

What’s more, you may not feel comfortable with strangers handling your personal items and sentimental belongings.

So, if you want to have full control over the packing process, professional packing services may not work for you.

Untrustworthy packers and movers

Even though most packers and movers are trustworthy and ethical professionals, there is always a chance that a dishonest worker may pocket an expensive item. If you pack your belongings yourself, you’re less likely to be a victim of theft – potential thieves will have to read the labels to find out which boxes hold costlier items, then pry open a securely taped carton, and rummage through its contents until they find something worth stealing.  

Whether you use professional packing services or not, you’re advised to set aside your prized possessions before the movers arrive – and, if possible, take your valuables with you. If you need to entrust some expensive items to the movers, declare them in advance and provide appropriate insurance.

Whether you fear that packers might break or steal something, or just feel that your privacy will be invaded, if you have a hard time trusting people, you’d better do your own packing and just hire reliable movers to load your items on the moving truck and transport them to your final destination.

The Sum and Substance of the Packing Dilemma

There is no foolproof solution to the dilemma self-packing vs professional packing – the right choice depends on the specific circumstances in your case and your personal preferences:

When to pack your items yourself

Self-packing is a good option if:

• You’re on a tight moving budget and can’t afford professional packing services;
• You have plenty of time before moving day – and you can dedicate a lot of that time to packing;
• You have friends who are willing to help you pack;
• You prefer to have things done your way;
• You have some previous experience packing for moving;
• You’re not moving any specialty items;
• You’re moving short distance.

If you have good reasons to pack your things yourself and decide that you’re up to the challenge, make sure you get adequate packing materials, find out the safest ways to pack different kinds of items, and be careful to avoid rookie packing mistakes.

Don’t forget to request a list of the non-allowable items your movers won’t move for you (so you don’t waste time packing them – or so you can find another way to transport them to your new home if you decide to take them along) and ask for any special requirements your movers may have concerning pre-packed items.

When to hire professional packers

Professional packing is your better choice when:

• You have many items to relocate and don’t have the time to take proper care of each and every one of them;
• You’re moving on a short notice and need to have your items packed as quickly as possible;
• You’re moving difficult-to-pack items – large furniture, oddly-shaped items, extremely delicate items such as musical instruments, antiques, electronics, artwork, chinaware and glassware, etc.;
• You’re moving long distance;
• You don’t want to risk the safety of your items;
• You don’t want to deal with the laborious and time-consuming packing process;
• Money is not an issue.

There are indeed many good reasons to hire professional packers – you will avoid unnecessary risks, will save yourself plenty of time and effort, and will ensure your peace of mind.

If you decide to use professional packing services, you have several options – you can hire full-service movers who will take care of your move from start to finish (packing, loading, transportation, unloading, and unpacking), request additional packing services (full or partial) from your chosen movers, or hire a separate packing service.

Whatever option you choose, be sure to carefully research the packing and moving companies you consider working with, read reviews, check references, and verify credential so you hire experienced and trustworthy professionals for your move.

So, should you hire packers for your next move? If you’re looking to increase your chances of a smooth and successful relocation to maximum, then yes, you should. If you trust yourself – and yourself only – with the task of packing your cherished possessions for moving, then packing is in your hands. Either way, good luck and happy moving!