Did you know that moving from your old home to a new home is one of the Top 5 most stressful things a man (or woman) will do during his life?  It's true, which is why moving is something that very few men look forward to doing.

Moving is a necessity in many cases, however, which begs the question; should you tackle the job yourself or hire a professional moving company to do it for you? 

Below we'll take a look at both sides of this question so that you can determine the best choice for yourself. If you’re going to be moving sometime soon, and want to figure out whether you should do it yourself or not, read on. 

The Pros and Cons of Moving Yourself

Many men choose to move themselves in order to save money, and it's not an altogether bad choice. The fact is, in most cases, moving yourself will save you some money (although how much depends on several factors). 

Below are the pros and cons of moving yourself so that you'll have a better idea of what it entails.

PROs of Moving Yourself:

• It Costs Less-  In many cases, doing the move yourself will save you money. That's especially true if you’re moving out of a smaller space like an apartment or small home. It's also true if you’re moving a short distance, like in the same town or less than a hundred miles. 
• You’re in Control-  Moving yourself means staying in complete control of everything, from packing to loading, unloading and unpacking. You know exactly what's going on, where everything is and how it's been packed.
• You Have More Flexibility-  When you move yourself you have the flexibility to set your own schedule, including the day that you load the truck and the day you deliver everything to your new place. With a mover, those days are more or less set and can't be changed, at least without an extra charge.

CONs of Moving Yourself:

• It’s Physically Draining-  There's no denying that moving is one of the most physically draining tasks you will ever undertake. Moving furniture and heavy boxes is something best left for younger, stronger, fitter men. Once you get to a certain age, it might be out of the question, simply because it's too physically taxing.
• It Takes a LOT of Time- Even if you live in a 1-bedroom apartment, it takes a lot of time to move. For example, packing a one bedroom apartment, if that's all you focused on, would likely take at least one day. Loading the truck would take the same, and unloading another half day.  If you live in a three or four bedroom home, you can double or even triple the amount of time you will need to move yourself.
• You Don’t Have the Skill-set of a Pro Mover- No offense to all of the macho guys out there, but you simply don't have the skill set of a professional mover. Knowing how to move large pieces of furniture, sofa bed, refrigerators and other items takes a bit of skill and finesse. Knowing how to load furniture onto a moving truck so that it doesn’t get damaged while traveling is even more of a skill. If you don't have those skills, you might end up damaging your belongings and, in some cases, destroying them.
• There are Often Unseen Extra Costs-  Even though it might cost less to move yourself, the expenses can definitely pile up. Packing supplies, the cost of gasoline, adding insurance to your insurance plan, highway tolls, and other expenses that you might not have thought about can crop up and increase the cost of your move significantly.

The Pros and Cons of Hiring a Moving Company to Move You

If you're not sure which is the better choice, the following info about the pros and cons of hiring a moving company to move you will help.

PROs of Hiring a Moving Company

It’s Much Faster-  When you hire a moving company to move you, you can rest assured that it will be done in a fraction of the time you could do it yourself. A professional moving company can pack up an entire three bedroom house in a single day, load it in a day and deliver it in half a day.

It’s Less Taxing Physically-  With professional movers taking care of the heavy lifting, you can sit back, relax, and not stress your body to its physical maximum. For older men, this can be a godsend.  (For younger guys, it's not bad either.)

You Can Buy Extra Insurance-  It's easy to purchase extra insurance from a professional moving company so that, if something is lost or damaged, you’ll get reimbursed.

Pro Movers have the Skill, Knowledge and Tools- Professional movers have the skill, knowledge and specialized tools necessary to move you from one place to another with minimal, if any, damage.

CONs of Hiring a Moving Company

• It Costs More- The biggest con when hiring a moving company is that it will cost more than  doing it yourself. In some cases, the extra cost might be significant.
• You have Less Control-  With a moving company, they will set the dates for packing, loading and delivery. That takes the control out of your hands which, for some men, can be problematic. 
• The Possibility of Delays- Occasionally, movers will be delayed by unforeseen circumstances. (This might affect you as well.)
• Poor Service-  As with any paid service, there is always the possibility that the moving company you hire will send you incompetent movers or, in extreme cases, immoral movers who steal things.

Some Factors to Consider

If you’re not sure about whether to move yourself or hire a moving company, the key factors below might help you with your decision-making process.

• How far are you moving?- The longer the distance, the more feasible it is to hire a professional moving company. The reasons for this are the costs, logistics, and reliability of a professional mover.
• What’s Your Budget?-  If you’re on a very tight budget, moving yourself might be the best choice. However, if you have fewer financial constraints, hiring a professional moving company is a much less stressful choice.
• How Much Time Do You Have?-  Moving, as we've seen, takes a lot of time. If you have that time, moving yourself is probably a better choice. If you need to move very quickly, however, a professional moving company is likely the better choice.
• Are You Moving High-End or Low-End Stuff?- This  question is rather delicate. What you need to do is set aside your pride and determine if the things you’re moving are on the low end or high end. For example, are you moving beautiful antiques, expensive, high-quality furniture and larger items like pool tables, pianos and large glass table tops? If so, the skills of a professional moving team are likely going to be necessary. If you don't have any of those items, and your furniture is less expensive, moving it yourself might be a better choice.
• Will You Have Help?- This last factor is critical; will you have help? Unless you’re only moving boxes, it's almost impossible to move furniture by yourself, especially sofas, washers, dressers, refrigerators, etc. That means you'll need family and friends to help you. If you have those family and friends, great! If not, hiring a professional moving company might be a necessity.

Last Thoughts about Whether You Should you Move Yourself or Hire Professional Movers to Do the Job Instead

Deciding whether or not to move yourself can be a big decision, no doubt. It means that you’ll need to weigh the convenience, cost, stress, and control of one against the other. 

Choosing to do it yourself is certainly an option, but one best chosen if you're moving a smaller amount of items a shorter distance and you don't have anything extremely large or specialized that you need to move. (And if you’re young, strong and fit.)

On the other hand, if you’re moving a lot of furniture and household goods, moving them a long distance, and you have larger items like pianos, it’s probably best to hire a moving company and let them handle everything for you.

At the end of the day, no matter what you decide, give yourself enough time to make the decision and prepare for the move. It's a stressful situation no matter what you choose but, if you plan it well and use the information we've given today, you can reduce that stress substantially. Best of luck!