Caution: Move Yourself, or Hire a Professional? Read This Before Making a Decision

If you live in Seattle and know that you’re going to need to move soon, you’ve almost certainly considered doing it yourself. It’s ok. Our feelings aren’t hurt (alright, maybe a little).

“But there’s so much to be gained,” you think to yourself. Money really will grow on trees! Liquid gold will flow from faucets! Gold doubloons will rise from every crevice within the earth, and golden fields will soon fill our vistas! Or … not. Ok, but you’re definitely going to save some coin, and it’ll be super easy. So why not, huh?

Well, let’s take a real-world look at your options…

Why Self-Move?

What you think is going to happen: You’ll have everything completely packed and ready to go, well in advance of your moving day. Boxes will be labeled and neatly stacked by the door, and your furniture will be padded and wrapped. Except for some minor touchups the house is clean, and you fully expect to be out of the house less than an hour after your moving van arrives.

Moving will go effortlessly; an hour to load, 20 minutes to drive to your new destination, and an hour to unload. I mean, you might be done in time for lunch! And think of how much money you’ll save renting your own truck!

What actually happens: Someone (names have been omitted to protect the innocent) is on their way back to the rental store to pick up the 48 moving blankets that someone else forgot (Bob)—and oh yeah, you need to pick up 20 more boxes. Who knew you had so much stuff?

You’re a realist though. You fully recognize that you’re going to pay through the nose for these boxes, but you’re so far behind schedule at this point that you’ll pay whatever is necessary in order to save 30 minutes looking for cheaper boxes elsewhere.

The van you rented has no functioning air conditioner, so you’ve lost half your body weight in water, and it’s only 11am. Which might be good, because you’re definitely going to still be moving well into the evening, but at least it’ll be cooler then. Silver lining? The van is also too small, so you’re going to need at least two trips to move everything. Maybe three. Four tops.

By the time the day is over, everyone’s exhausted, hungry, and zombie-like. Your new neighbors already don’t like you since you woke their dog at 11pm as you screeched (who forgot the dolly?) your refrigerator, washer, and dryer into the house. At this point the only thing you want to do is lie down and go to sleep, but you can’t find your mattress in the clutter. To heck with it—tonight you sleep on the floor.

Why Hire Movable?

What you’re expecting: A couple of really shady guys who are going to be no less than an hour late, and who will take no more than 30 breaks throughout the process. Your belongings are going to be semi-salvageable after everything is said and done, but at least they didn’t damage grandma’s china. Oh, wait. Never mind.

Also, you’ll pay double what you were originally quoted—but at least it won’t be triple, right?

What you’ll get: Professional, courteous moving personnel who thrive on getting you moved as quickly—and as carefully—as possible. Our business is built on customer satisfaction, and we’re a little old fashioned in that we believe our word is our bond (plus we’re licensed and insured!). This means that what we quote you in writing is what you’ll pay. Period.

Don’t believe us? That’s cool—but check out what a few of our past customers are saying here!

Hey Seattle: What’s the True Cost of Moving Yourself?

Time is money, right? So why not save both by choosing Movable as your Seattle moving company?

When you add up all the extra supplies, gas, rental fees, and probably the most precious resource of all—your time—you may end up saving a little money by moving yourself, but you’ll also be losing an immense amount of value in the process.

The truth is that if you’re thinking of self-moving, it’s likely that this is your first time. There’s nothing wrong with experiencing it first hand, so go right ahead and knock your socks off. But if you’ve self-moved before, you know full well how really—really—wrong everything can go.

Don’t let what happened last time happen again. Instead, fill out a Movable estimate request today!