The Pros and Cons of Moving House Yourself
Moving house is always an exciting moment. As sad as it can be to leave an old home behind, we usually feel spurred on by the prospect of a new neighbourhood and decorating a fresh, blank canvas.
However, there’s no denying that the process of moving is stressful. Between the initial browsing and bidding and organising solicitors’ checks and fees, it can be a long drawn-out journey to getting the keys in your hand!
The final hurdle of the process is transferring your possessions from A to B. If you’re approaching this stage and wondering how best to handle it, read this blog post to explore the pros and cons of moving house yourself and how this compares to using a professional company.
Pros
It’s cost-effective
The main reason that people choose to hire a van and transport their belongings themselves is that it’s much more cost-effective than using movers. All you need to pay for is the rental and fuel.
You can make this even cheaper by borrowing a van from a friend, but remember to take out a one-day insurance policy so you’re properly covered while you’re driving.
Greater flexibility
When you use a moving company, you have to choose a set date and time for them to pack up your possessions, often well in advance. Doing everything yourself gives you greater flexibility with when you move, which can be useful if you’re unsure of your completion date.
Personal involvement
Many of our belongings are precious to us, whether they’re considered to be valuable or not. Moving house yourself means you have personal involvement with all of the packing so you can ensure everything is handled with care.
It also gives you the chance to group your belongings in a way that’s logical to you and will help you to unpack quickly.
Cons
A lack of expertise
It’s not as easy as you think to consolidate the things in each room and protect them from damage during a drive. A lack of expertise could hamper your efforts, leading to more journeys than necessary, breakages and even missing boxes.
It will take longer
Going it alone means it will take longer. When you’ve been at it for hours and you’re only two rooms in, you might be wishing that you’d paid for some extra pairs of strong hands!
It’s a stressful process
Especially when you’re trying to tick off all the other things on a moving home checklist, packing up your house is a stressful process that’s an unnecessary burden on your time and mental health. Using a professional company to collate your belongings and unload them on the other end will be a breath of fresh air amongst everything else you’re busy trying to organise.
The insurance hassle
Another downside of moving house yourself is arranging suitable insurance for the move. If you’re hiring or borrowing a van, you’ll need to make sure you’re properly covered for the time you’re on the road. This often means looking into hourly car insurance coverage, which adds another task to an already long to-do list. While temporary cover can offer peace of mind during transport, researching policies, comparing costs and ensuring the right level of protection can easily become yet another source of stress during an already demanding process.
This is a collaborative post.
