Photo by THOR

Moving your belongings from one place to another has never been easy. But as with everything, there are always some tips & tricks proven by years of practice that can help you to accomplish this difficult task successfully. So we have prepared a series of articles dealing with all the different aspects of moving, including the cost, the insurance, how to choose among the professionals and other issues.

The first article will help you to decide whether to hire a professional company or do it yourself. Among the most important issues are the amount of money, time and labor you have available from your own resources.

Ultimately the best thing to start with before deciding which approach you choose, is to write down and estimate the amount of things you will be moving and then asking yourself the following questions.

• How long will it take you to pack everything?
• Can you handle the furniture?
• Have you any special, valuable or heavy items that require special assistance, such as pianos or the collection of art?
• Have you got friends or family members living nearby that wouldn't mind spending their weekend helping you?
• Do you trust yourself to drive a vehicle big enough to move your belongings?
• Will you be able to accomplish your move during the weekend or will you have to take some time off work?

All these questions have to be asked and depending on the answers, you will know which option is the best for you.

Generally you have three alternatives:

1. Full-service movers

There are plenty of companies out there that will be willing to help you with the entire operation, including packing your belongings, loading them onto the vehicle, driving it down to your new location, unloading and unpacking it. Costly as it is, this is the number one option for those with no friends or family available to help with moving or simply with no time getting involved yourself. You can expect the company to provide all the packaging material, straps and all the necessary equipment needed. All you have to do is to let them do the work.

2. Self-service movers

Photo by Marco Varisco

This option involves some level of activity on your side. Depending on the company, the level of service can differ. On the one hand, there are companies that basically rent you the vehicle with a driver, while packing, loading & unloading is entirely up to you. On the other hand, the service may include assistance with loading & unloading, which you will appreciate especially in regard to the heavy furniture. This option is mostly chosen by those who enjoy having more control over the whole process and it is of course considerably cheaper when compared tothe full-service.

3. Do-It-Yourself

Should you feel that you can handle moving your stuff yourself, you could save a bundle. Before choosing this option, there are many things to be considered, like the amount of your possessions, the distance, the number of friends and family available to help you and other things. This alternative is the best for those moving from a flat or a very small house. It is almost always better to take advantage of professional help when moving from a 5 bedroom house across the country.

Whatever way you choose, it's never too soon to start budgeting. Therefore the next article will deal with the cost that's involved with moving.