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 Self-Moving Services
When you're starting to
plan your move, it can feel like you have only two
options: either pay a professional mover to box up your
home and hope they don't tack on hidden fees before
returning your belongings or rent a truck yourself, do
all the heavy lifting and then get behind the wheel for
a long, long drive.
If neither sounds appealing, you're in luck. A new form
of moving, self-service, has been growing in popularity
thanks to its common sense approach. With self-service
movers, you pack your belongings and they do the hard
driving.
Tips on Self-Service Moving
 The concept behind self-service moving couldn't be
simpler. After you've made arrangements with a company,
they drop off a large, weather-resistant crate (or two,
or three, depending on your needs) in front of your
home. You pack your things inside, lock the crate up and
the company's truck comes to whisk it away. Once you've
arrived at your new place, the company drops off your
crate and you start unpacking.
Because self-service movers leave you to take care of
the packing and unpacking, you save on the hourly costs
of having a moving crew wrap and stack your furniture
(though for an extra charge, some self-service companies
will help you box up your stuff). The price of a
self-service move is assessed by the number of crates
you use and how far you need them to go. Though crate
sizes vary by companies, average ones can hold about
3000 lbs. Generally, making your move with a
self-service company will be less expensive than hiring
a full-service mover and slightly more expensive than
doing it with a U-Haul. However, depending on how much
you spend on gas, tolls and other expenses, going with
self-service could be the cheapest of your three
options. Some amount of insurance coverage is factored
into the price of your self-service move as well, though
more is often available if you're moving valuables.
In the end, you can't put a price on peace of mind. If
you go with self-service, you won't have to worry about
your rental truck breaking down in the middle of
nowhere, and because all your belongings are in a single
box, they're much less likely to be mixed up with other
shipments, lost or damaged.
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