A Guide To Do-It-Yourself Moves

A Guide To Do-It-Yourself Moves

A lot goes into moving, which usually leads to people seeking out all the extra help they can get or afford. It s nice having an extra hand, especially when it comes to the act of physically packing and moving your belongings, but you don t always have to look to the professionals. In fact, it s completely possible to handle most, or all, aspects of a move on your own. We re going through a Do-It-Yourself renaissance. People are starting to realize that instead of buying everything or paying professionals to do certain tasks it s possible, fulfilling even, to roll up their sleeves and get the job done on their own. As far as moving is concerned, the best part of doing it yourself is all the money you ll save. Moving is normally expensive enough on its own, if you re able to shed the cost of hiring movers and a van line, you ll likely save a ton. Still, it s crucial that, should you decide to go the DIY route, you don t underestimate the task at hand. Lucky for you, we know everything that has to go into moving, and we re going to provide you with a comprehensive guide, explaining what goes into a Do-It-Yourself move! Planning and Scheduling What You ll Need Materials Vehicles Pick and Choose What is a Do-It- Yourself Move? It s pretty much what it sounds like. In a DIY move, you handle the heavy lifting, literally. You re packing everything, moving it onto a truck that you re going to drive yourself, and then unpacking when you arrive. No hired help whatsoever, though getting a few friends to help is probably a good idea, as long as you make it worth their while (think pizza). The point is, you re not enlisting professional help in a DIY move, so understanding the task ahead is crucial to your success. Now that that s out of the way, let s start planning your Do-It-Yourself move!

Planning and Scheduling Setting a schedule (and doing your best to adhere to it) is crucial to having a successful move day. The best way to do this is to start with a rougher outline, and refine it as the details begin to materialize. For example, you probably know when you have to vacate your current home, but you might not know when you ll have access to a rental truck. Make a potential itinerary, starting with move out and move in dates. Important Dates Lease End Date Lease Start Date Move Day This is when you have to be out of your current home. You absolutely cannot schedule your move after this date. If you are unable to move into your new place by this date, you ll have to consider storage options for your belongings. This is the most ideal day to schedule your move, though you ll likely be able to move in after the date your lease begins. If you re moving into an apartment building or a condo, make sure management is aware of your plans. Sometimes you have to schedule elevator time. This is the date of your move. It might be the same as your lease start or end date, but it might not. This is the day you re moving your belongings to your destination city, and into your new home. Have everything packed in advance of this date. Scheduling Tips Try to make your move-in date as close to your move-out date as possible. The entire process is easier if you don t have to put things in storage, even for a short period. The hardest part of scheduling is making sure you have enough friends or family members to help. Getting everyone s schedules to match up with your own is very tricky, so contact more people than you think you ll need, with as much advance notice as possible. Don t forget to let your current and future property owners know about your move-in and move-out plans. You might need to schedule elevator time, as well as time to load and unload belongings in front of the property. Figure out the relevant dates so you ll have a better idea of what you ll need in terms of transporting your items, and getting help from friends.

What You ll Need Materials Being equipped for your move isn t hard if you know what you re going to need, as well as where to get it all. The earlier you can begin packing the better, so pick up materials as soon as you can! Boxes of all sizes You can buy boxes if you want, but there are plenty of inexpensive or free ways to get them. Once you know you re moving, start saving every box you get your hands on. Some grocery and liquor stores will even give you some for free if you ask. Bubble wrap, newspaper, packing peanuts You re going to want to keep fragile items and valuables protected, so make sure you have enough of this stuff to cover them all. Tape and a box cutter For sealing and opening boxes. Make sure you have enough. Tape guns are a lifesaver, and if you have a couple of them, friends can help speed along packing. Padding and covers Protecting your furniture is important, as things can shift around or get dirty during a move. Plastic sheeting or tarps are great to prevent dust and dirt from getting on your things. Padding helps with some of the finer items. Dolly No, not a country singer or a children s toy, this is the kind of dolly used to lift and move heavy things. Trust us, you ll want to get one, and many rental moving trucks have one included.

What You ll Need Vehicles This one is important. The vehicle or vehicles you use to transport your goods will absolutely make or break your move. This decision should be based off of your personal needs, as well as what you have available to you. Friend System If you have a really great friend with a larger vehicle (or a couple of great friends with regular sized cars) you might be able to pull this off. Asking friends to help you lift boxes into a truck is one thing, asking them to help drive your belongings to a new location is something else entirely. It could end up saving you a lot of money, but before you spend anything, be sure to compare the cost of gas for multiple vehicles to the cost of a truck rental. Best For: Those with great friends in possession of vehicles with cargo space, those who aren t moving too far. Rental Truck It wouldn t be a true Do-It-Yourself move without one of these bad boys. Renting a truck to drive all of your stuff to your new location is the ultimate solution for those who want to go the extra DIY mile. There are a number of good rental providers for this, just make sure you re getting the right size. You ll likely have to pay for insurance, and you ll definitely have to pay for gas, but this option is still normally less expensive than hiring movers and a van line. Containerized Move If you want to get technical, this stretches the definition of a Do- It-Yourself move, but it s such a great option, especially if your move-out and move-in dates don t match up, that we felt the need to address it. With this option, your service provider will drop off a container, normally the same size as a smaller moving truck, and you can fill it on your own schedule. Once you re done packing the container, the provider picks it up and takes it to your new location for you to unpack. This is particularly useful for those considering storage, as many providers will allow the container to be stored for a period of time before they drop it off. If you can get your movein and move-out dates lined up, this is a much less expensive method of storage than most. Best for: Those comfortable driving a moving truck, those who can move into their new home within the truck rental period. Best For: Those who wish to take their time loading their belongings, those who require storage before their move-in date.

Pick and Choose Now that you re familiar with your options, it s time to decide which ones are right for you. Are you confident in your truck driving skills, and ready to rent a truck? Do you need storage for a few days and want to go with a containerized move? Are you moving out on your current lease end date, or moving in on your new lease start date? Figure out which options you re using, and your plan is finally coming together! Make a move-day schedule and do your best to adhere to it. Pros and Cons Still not sure if a Do-It-Yourself move is right for you? Listing off the pros and cons might be all it takes to make a decision. Pros Saves money in most cases Full control over belongings Schedule on your own time Cons Requires more time and work for you No insurance on belongings Experts are likely better at moving your things Now that you know all about Do-It-Yourself moves, you can decide for yourself if you think it s the right direction for your relocation. Remember, saving money is great, but relocating for work is stressful business. It might be better in the long run if you hire professionals, especially if your employer is giving you money to put towards your relocation. That said, if you re confident you can handle it, or saving money is that important to you, you can get the job done. We have confidence in you!