B. Hire movers
Go for full-serve.
They pack it, they load it, they drive it there and unload it into your new home. All you have to do is stand by with a check or credit card ready.
Pros
- It’s EASY. Someone else does all the work for you and saves you serious time, hassle and muscle strain.
- If anything gets damaged, the movers’ insurance will take care of it.
Cons
- Full-service moving is by far the most expensive option.
- Having someone pack your stuff can feel invasive.
- You don’t get a chance to purge your stuff. When we pack, we naturally throw away things we don’t want, like old clothes, chipped dishes, those books we’ve been meaning to give away. If someone packs for you, all of that stuff comes with you to your new home. “After our move,” recalls one homeowner with a laugh, “we unpacked half a loaf of bread and a wastebasket that still had garbage in it.”
You pack, they load and move.
Pack up all your stuff in the weeks leading up to your move, then sit back and relax (or supervise)on moving day as large, capable men haul your boxes and maneuver your sofa out the door.
Pros
- No heavy lifting. Capable, experienced people take all the furniture and boxes out of your home, load it into their truck and deliver it to your new place.
- If anything gets broken, most reputable movers are insured.
Cons
- Still a more expensive option than doing it yourself.
You pack and load, they deliver.
The moving company drops off a container in your driveway/front yard/parking lot, and you load it at your leisure. Then they take it away, drop it at your new place, where you unload it yourself.
Pros
- You have the comfort of knowing you’re packing and unpacking your own belongings.
- You don’t have to worry about driving a big truck.
- You can take a few days to load or unload your container – you don’t have to rush to fill a truck that’s only been rented for the day.
- Don’t worry about tripping over boxes as you pack. Just load them into the container as soon as you pack each one. (This is a great option for people living in small spaces.
Cons
- It’s almost as much work as a do-it-yourself move.
- You have a container on your lawn or in your parking spot for a period of time, which may annoy you or your neighbors.