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?”
![To pack or not to pack?](https://www.mymovingreviews.com/move/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Hamlet.jpg)
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)
![When packing your items yourself, you will be able to pack at your own pace and take proper care of your items.](https://www.mymovingreviews.com/move/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/family-packing.jpg)
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:
![Packing mistakes may ruin your moving experience.](https://www.mymovingreviews.com/move/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/packing-problems.jpg)
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.
I liked how you talked about how professionals can help you get things packed really quickly. My husband and I have been worried that we won’t be able to get everything in our house packed in time to move. It seems like we could solve that problem by hiring a professional service which is something that we’ll try to look into.
Want to hire 2packers for 2 hours, live in Novato. Gary Mills
I like what you said about getting a professional packing service if you have a busy schedule. My wife and I are incredibly busy all the time. We’ll be sure to look further into our options for professional packing services that can help us with this.
Packing your things at the right time is good and thanks for sharing this information with us.
It’s interesting to learn that there are professional packers who can easily prepare your items for you if you plan to move. My brother is thinking of moving out of my parents’ home so he could pursue his studies. I’ll recommend that he contact a mover who can assist him on his big day. This way, he’ll have a seamless and stress-free move.
Jessica, it’s great that you said that hiring a professional packer means you wouldn’t have to lift a finger because they would take care of everything for you. I have always hated packing whenever I travel, which is why I am overwhelmed about packing our entire house in three months when we move to another state. It’s probably best to hire a professional packing service so I wouldn’t spend days or weeks packing moving boxes. Thanks!
I like how you stated that professional packers work with speed and efficiency. My brother and his wife are moving next week. I’ll suggest that they hire a professional packing service so it is done more quickly.
If you are searching for a trusted moving company for your move, then you can hire one from this website. I hired one from here for my shifting and it was a satisfying experience for me and my family. Thanks once again.
Oh, I’m so happy you specified that expert packers are able to provide faster and more efficient results which benefits us as well. There are several parcels that my daughter has to send to her friends throughout Los Angeles next week but she has no time to attend to such a matter yet. I’ll suggest this alternative to her so the process can be completed easily.