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4-Risks-of-DIY-Local-Move-Clock

Roughly 35.5 million Americans move each year. Some spend frustrating hours purging, packing, labeling, and hauling while others hire movers so they can concentrate on other important matters.  There’s so much that goes along with moving all your belongings and family members to a completely new living space. Two reasons individuals may choose a DIY move are: wanting to save on moving costs and the preconceived notion vetting a moving company is difficult and time consuming.  Even though more people opt for the do-it-yourself method than employ professional movers, hidden costs can add up to big problems that could have easily been solved by moving professionals.

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DIY moving risk #1: Lost time

It can take a considerable amount of time to organize, pack, load, and move your possessions safely. Researching and pricing suitable trucks can take days, if not weeks. If you choose a moving truck with too much space you could be paying for more space than you need.  Alternatively, if you choose a vehicle that isn’t big enough for all your possessions, you’ll have to scramble to figure out how to fix the situation. Loading, transporting, and unloading will also take time and usually cannot be done alone. How much convincing will it take for friends and family members to lend a hand? You might get a crew together with pizza and beer when you’re in your twenties and have few possessions. However, as we know, older adults usually have more belongings, including antiques and collectibles, yard and garden equipment, and an entirely filled garage and attic. Pizza may not convince your loved ones to move an entire house worth of furniture. If you take unpaid leave during your move you could be losing a fair amount of income. Even if you’re not, how much is your time worth to you on an hourly basis when trained movers can work much faster? Run the numbers. They might not add up.

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DIY moving risk #2: Property damage

You’ll have to obtain your own boxes and packing materials and make sure they are suitable to properly protect your items. Buying new packing materials will be the safest way to protect fragile items but will cost more. If you get boxes from the liquor store and use newspapers as wrapping you might initially save money, but also run the risk of breaking items that will have to be replaced at potentially great cost. Then you must rent auxiliary moving equipment (dollies, furniture pads, moving straps, tools, etc.) to facilitate your move and protect these items in transit. Otherwise you risk damaging items with significant financial or sentimental value. You may even want to purchase extra insurance at a cost of a few hundred dollars or risk having to replace expensive home goods. In addition, inexperienced friends and family may damage floors, dent walls, rip carpet, break tiles or otherwise damage areas of the home you are moving into or out of, lessening the amount you get back on your deposit or requiring costly repairs.

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DIY moving risk #3: Additional hidden costs

In addition to the costs associated with time and potential property damage there could be other unexpected expenses. If you are making a move outside your local area, gas, meals, and lodging while on the road will add up quickly. You’ll also have to pay road tolls, parking fees, and additional vehicle insurance – costs usually forgotten when creating a DIY-moving budget. Plus, you have to plan where to stay, where to eat, and when to stop for a break. Even if you have expert scheduling skills, things can easily go awry.

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DIY moving risk #4: Personal injury

Nothing is more important than your health. Reputable and vetted moving companies hire trained professionals who know the risks and how to mitigate them. Consider how your DIY move could put you at risk for strained muscles, a back injury, or something worse. You can’t put a price on wellbeing, although you can on a medical bill!   Don’t take any chances. All Service Moving can assist with local moves within Oregon and Washington or long distance moves throughout the United States. Contact us for a quote today! ODOT#: 119893