“Should I hire professional movers or contact a truck rental service and do it all myself?” – that is a question that we’ve been hearing quite often lately. In this article we will take a closer look at both full-service movers and truck rental services, and see if the latter can really help save money without sacrificing the benefits of professional moving. Let’s focus on the most important aspects of any move, so you can make the final decision based on solid facts. So here are a few things to consider when choosing between full-service movers and truck rental services.

Cost

At a first glance renting a moving truck may seems less expensive than the cost of hiring a professional moving company. However, this image is very deceptive. Consider the fact that truck rental quotes are only for the rental and do not include such things as fuel costs, tolls, insurance, cargo insurance plans, possible fines and penalties, packing materials etc. Suddenly, the final cost of your move is significantly more than what you had expected. Conversely, a quote from a moving company is usually exactly what the move will cost you from start to finish. To get a complete picture of the market, we suggest you call a few companies of each type to get their quotes. And then compare the costs factoring in additional expenses for the truck rental services. This will give you different options when planning your budget.

Distance

How far are you moving? If you’re moving across town, you might be able to move most of your possessions without any problems at all. In these cases, it may seem somewhat pointless to hire a professional team of movers. On the other hand, if you’re moving across the country or abroad, it is definitely worth paying the extra money just to save yourself the hassle of driving a rental truck that far, packing up all your belongings securely, getting the insurance and paperwork right.

Time Constraints

Do you have any time restrictions? When you need to move in a hurry, professionals can help move you out of your old place and into your new home in the shortest amount of time possible. Also, if you work 10-hour days, and then pick up your kids, grab dinner and barely have time to relax before going to sleep, you’re certainly not going to have the time or energy to pack your stuff into boxes and load it into a rental truck. Then again, some people have plenty of free time, which they may be willing to spend packing and unpacking boxes, assembling and disassembling their furniture, slowly moving in their new residence.

Loading

If you’re moving just across town your friends and relatives might be able to help you during your move. They might help you load and unload all of your possessions. However, if you’re moving to a new city or even a new country, you will be in trouble if you don’t have anyone to help you. On the other hand, professional movers will take care of your stuff during both loading and unloading. Also, to handle large and heavy objects one must be physically fit for such job. If you or your friends are not fit to carry heavy items, you should work with professional movers. Saving a few bucks is never worth risking serious accidents that may also incur liabilities on you.

Content Safety

While many people feel better packing their own fragile property, professional movers have proper packaging and equipment, and they know exactly what they’re doing. They will almost always be able to pack your things in a safer manner than you can. More importantly, most full-service moving companies will insure your property against damage, so if something does go wrong, they’ll foot the bill to replace it. On the other hand, if you move yourself and break something, there’s not much you can do except throw it away.

Specialty Items Moving 

Are you planning to move anything that is particularly heavy, fragile, or represents an artistic value? Specialty items can be anything that requires special treatment. When transporting such items specific equipment and packing materials are often used, which is not available to regular people. Also such items may be fairly expensive, which may put you at stress if you try to move it yourself. To handle such items, you’d better hire some pros.

Accessibility

Does your home present any significant accessibility challenges? Whether you’re moving into an apartment on the top floor of a 10-story building with a broken elevator, working with any awkward angles through doorways or hallways, or trying to deal with furniture that’s too large for any of the main entrances, you will probably need to work with professional movers.

Discounts

The moving industry is highly competitive and both full-service movers and truck rental services will offer special deals from time to time. Keep an eye out and ask for discounts. At some point you might get lucky and save some money on your move. Déménagement Économique is one of the companies who has plenty of special deals. In fact, we can find a discount for practically any situation and budget. Visit our special offers page to find a discount that fits your need! Also click the button below to fill out our online quote form.