Moving 101: The Self-Move/Mover Conundrum

Posted on July 21, 2007
Filed Under Student Doctor Network

By Sean Parrish 

Believe it or not, the average American moves once every 7 years. Considering the multitude of tasks accompanying a move–finding the new place to live, signing the lease or mortgage, setting up utilities, contracting movers or renting trucks, packing and unpacking boxes, and plenty more–the statistic is very revealing.

Anyone who has ever tried to sell an old futon or recruit friends to move furniture knows the nomadic experience of life at a residential school. While most people gradually learn over time how to plan a successful move, very few come by the knowledge instinctively. The internet is often as much a hindrance as a help—the simple volume of information available can overload the reader.

One of the first questions faced by the 43 million people who move each year is, “how do I want to move?” Options include hiring movers, self-moving, or any of several compromises in between.

Clearly, due to costs involved and available budget, many students face no such dilemma—the cheapest option is the best. However, economy is not always what it may seem, especially in a decision as complex as moving. Each choice has its own set of costs and benefits, and each individual’s decision will be influenced by the relationship between their needs and their resources.

Self-Moves

According to the US Census Bureau, people spend more money during the 3 months surrounding a move than a non-mover will spend over the course of 5 years. To avoid being a part of that grim statistic, many people choose to self-move.

At its simplest, a self-move involves renting a truck, packing your belongings yourself, and loading and unloading on your own. The only time limitations are your own personal availability and the bodies needed to load everything. Rental truck companies (U-Haul, Ryder, Penske, Budget, etc.) are ubiquitous, so you can work at your own pace.

Rather than hiring someone to perform these services at a premium, such costs can be put toward fuel, hotel stays, or the expenses of setting up your new home. And by choosing a truck that is the right size based upon the number of furnished rooms at hand, you only pay for the space you use.

When balanced against the total cost and research required of contracting a moving company, self-moving is the budget-conscious student’s best friend. For useful advice and calculators to help estimate the cost of a potential move, visit the American Moving Storage Association website at www.moving.org.

However, self-moves demand careful consideration. First, does it make economic sense? While distance often dictates the answer to this question, it can be easy to overlook the many costs involved: gas, tolls, meals, lodging, not to mention the cost of renting a truck spacious enough to contain your belongings (a good rule of thumb: a 10′ truck for 1 to 2 furnished rooms, a 14-15′ truck for 2 to 3 rooms, 18′ to 20′ truck for 4 to 5 rooms, and a 22′ to 24′ truck for 6 to 8 rooms).

Additionally, some expenses can remain hidden: insuring valuable property, hiring extra help, or even the cost of food at a pre- or post-move party. Never forget that truck rentals involve special precautions. Most rental agencies require drivers to be insured. If your own auto insurance policy does not cover a truck rental, most companies will insist that you purchase their additional coverage (often at a per day rate).

Finally, many states require that rental trucks above a certain size stop at weigh stations to be sure that they meet tonnage standards for roadways. When factored together, self-moves can often create as many costs as any professional moving option.

Hiring Movers

A common option for long distance travel, contracting a moving company offers many advantages. First, professionals can save you a lot of time, particularly if you are unable or unwilling to load and unload everything yourself. For the practitioner whose schedule simply doesn’t allow for substantial time off, moving companies can be attractive.

Bringing both special equipment and experienced personnel, they often know how to load in the fastest and most space-conscious way possible. At the same time, movers provide the added benefit of sparing damage to both you and your belongings through the use of their furniture pads, dollies, and tie-downs. This is especially useful when large pieces of furniture or heavy appliances need to be moved.

Further, professional movers relieve the stress of driving long distances on congested roads with a bulky truck. If you have children or pets, sparing both them and yourself such anxiety can make a lot of sense. As an added bonus, many companies offer the service of packing everything you own and unpacking it upon arrival at your new home.

For movers with more money than time at their disposal, contracting a moving company can be a very attractive possibility. Once again, www.moving.org provides an easy-to-use mover referral service to local companies who can assist you with price quotes.

Moving companies, however, are not without drawbacks. Many people are uncomfortable letting strangers handle their belongings, and while moving companies can save you time, you are often at the whim of their availability when scheduling pick-up and delivery. For example, since summer is the most popular time of year to schedule moves, scheduling moving times (and making payouts) months in advance often becomes a necessity.

But the most common tradeoff is cost. Hiring movers can be an extremely pricey proposition. Since most reputable moving companies charge by weight, the size of your household can be as important as distance in determining your final costs.

Additionally, many companies charge valuation fees to insure your property against damage, as well as extra fees for everything from packing services to the cost of boxes and tape. Ultimately, the decision to hire a moving company should only come after careful research and planning.

The Hybrid Move

While hired movers and truck rentals are common to both the new student and the seasoned professional, a new trend has recently emerged: the “you pack, we drive” hybrid (PODS, U-Pack, Mobile Mini, etc). Combining the convenience of the full-service mover with the economy of a truck rental, these hybrid moves typically consist of either a trailer or a storage container delivered to your home.

Generally, once a trailer is delivered, the mover has two days to load and secure their belongings. At that time, a professional driver picks up the trailer and delivers it to the new home, and two more days are allowed for unloading.

Designed with the long-distance move in mind, the advantages of this system are evident: with someone else doing the driving, gone is the fatigue of steering a large truck for extended periods. By packing everything themselves, movers maintain direct control over their property throughout the move. More importantly, customers only pay for the space they use, keeping costs closer to that of a conventional self-move.

Just as with the other options, however, this blended approach has its downside. Most notably, the nature of the “you pack, we drive” alternative requires that a trailer or container be delivered to the home. However, for movers living in apartment buildings, there is rarely a place where such items can be parked for extended periods.

Additionally, many municipalities do not allow such containers to be parked on public roads, necessitating a driveway or yard in which to place them. Other potential obstacles lurk as well: many companies offer of variety of premium services, such as packing supplies, dollies, or even help with loading heavy items, that can quickly erode the economy of the hybrid option. Also, since this approach again relies on a professional driver for transportation, it is subject to the whims of drivers and their availability.

Finally, an important note about insurance: depending upon value of the items being shipped, cargo insurance for these kinds of do-it-yourself moves is limited to $25,000 and covers only damage caused by crashes or fires. While this may not be an issue for most students, antique items or expensive electronics can sometimes make this an unappealing alternative.

No matter which route is taken, moving can obviously be stressful and complicated. But by doing the proper homework, the knowledge gained can minimize those complications and their impact.

Whether seeking professional expertise, using a rental truck, or choosing instead some combination of the two, the strategy remains the same: ask questions and stay organized. Planning and patience can go a long way toward disarming the notion that moving should be hated, feared, or even simply endured. Like so many things in school and life, success is achieved by paying attention and doing your homework.

Sources: American Moving & Storage Association, AARP, US Census Bureau

The discussion thread for this article may be found here:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?p=5401744#post5401744

Comments

One Response to “Moving 101: The Self-Move/Mover Conundrum”

  1. Anonymous on July 21st, 2007 11:06 pm

    www.movingscam.com

    read, learn, don’t become another statistic

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