For a younger person who is single and doesn’t have a family to worry about, moving locally typically involves borrowing a buddy’s pickup truck and paying a few friends with beer and pizza for a day of hauling boxes and a few heavy pieces of furniture. 

As we get older, accumulate more stuff, and our careers progress, our families start to take precedence over everything else. At this point, we want professionals to help us move–luckily, there are ways to hire a professional Plano moving service and still do some of the legwork yourself to save a bit of cash, as typically, these moves start at around $1,200 to $1,500.

Should I Pack My Things Myself?

Nobody knows your home and your belongings like you do. Packing yourself is a great way to keep your things organized the way you want them. When you arrive at your new home, you’ll know exactly what’s in each box, especially if you’ve written what some of the contents are on the outside of the box. 

Packing yourself also prevents anyone at the moving company from making a mistake and packing something that should not have been packed, or mislabeling a box’s contents. This can be especially true with items of extreme sentimental value–in fact, it’s always best to separate all items of sentimental value and set them aside for individual packing and labeling so you can be sure they arrive safely and in one piece. 

Be careful to choose the right box size for your items, as well. Large boxes should be used only for bulk items that are lighter weight. Don’t pack your entire library into one gigantic box, as the box will surely rip when picked up, or it will be so heavy it will be nearly impossible to lift. The last thing anyone wants to do on moving day is to unpack an entire box and repack it into smaller boxes. 

While packing yourself can definitely save you some money, it certainly isn’t going to save you the labor and time spent doing it. Anyone can put some items in a box and call it a day, but a professional moving company has the experience earned from quite literally doing this every day. 

Movers have packed a thousand fine china tea sets in enough bubble wrap to go around the earth a few times, and they know how to move quickly and efficiently through an entire house. It’s best to try and organize things together that should be packed together, and be ready with any specific instructions for special or sentimental items. You should also think of what questions you need to ask of a long-distance moving company.

What Is the Cost of Moving?

When it comes to actually moving, it’s hard for anyone to quote exact prices without understanding how much needs to be moved, the weight of the items you’ve packed, hours involved, and the distance to be traveled. Typically, prices for long-distance moves start at around $1,200 to $1,500.

The biggest factors influencing price are the size of the home and the number of items to be moved and their weight; the second largest factor is the distance of the move. A local move will most likely be far cheaper than a long-distance or interstate move. There may also be additional charges for multi-story homes because specialized equipment and techniques may be necessary to move large items from or to upper floors. A reliable moving company will give you an up-front moving cost quote without any hidden fees.

Final Thoughts

The ultimate goal of the moving company is to take the stress of moving day off your shoulders so you can deal with anything else that may need to be done, such as finalizing utility shutoffs, making sure your pets are safe and sound, and herding the kids into your car and checking that they haven’t left anything behind. The cost of the moving company is justified to ensure your items are moved professionally and carefully with organized precision–just as it’s done with NDMS–so you can focus on getting your new life in order.

Wondering how to know if a long-distance moving company is a carrier or broker? Take a look at our recent post.

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