Should I hire a moving company or ask my friends? This question is common, as moving house or apartment is time and labor-intensive, and can also be expensive.
So if you are thinking of moving, consider whether you can save some money by getting your friends or family to lend a helping hand instead of choosing to hire a moving company.
You will have to be aware of a few different factors, such as how much work will be involved, the type of furniture you have, and whether you need to move in a hurry.
Torturing friends
Easy move within your town
Are you moving a short distance within a town (or city) and only have a few boxes or pieces of furniture? In this case, it might make economic sense to rent a van and ask some strong and willing friends to do you a favor!
What are the real costs of moving by yourself?
If you hire the professional moving teams we have at SMOOVER for a small move within a city it will only cost around €250-350. With the invoice we issue you can also claim back at least 20% tax – click here to find out how. So overall, you are looking at spending somewhere between €220-300. The big advantage here is that everything is done by a professional company, so you don’t have to lift a finger! You can sit back and relax, then invite your friends for what they’re really looking forward to: a housewarming party.
So you decide to get some exercise and take on the labor and organisation of moving yourself. The first unavoidable cost is the rental of a suitable van. For a small move, you’re looking at around €100 for rental (including insurance and fuel). It’s also a good idea to make sure that you’re comfortable driving vans or small trucks, as they are not quite as maneuverable as cars. You certainly want to make sure you have a suitable parking spot, as it can be stressful trying to reverse a van into a tight space using just your mirrors!
Moving takes time!
Another factor to consider is the time you will need to spend. You will need to book the van, pick it up, load and unload, then return the van. This will likely take at least 5-6 hours of your time. For each friend you have helping load and unload, you can factor in 2-3 hours. So in total you might be looking at around 15 man hours on moving day.
Let’s assume the break-even point for your move is around €260 (€300 less tax relief). You have already paid €100 for the van. As long as the effort you and your friends have is less than €160, that would be OK, and you come out on top. But with 10 working hours that would be about the minimum wage of 16 € / h.
It should also be noted that there are some other small costs involved when carrying out the move yourself. If you have just boxes, then no worries, your life should be easy! However, even then you might want to consider renting a handcart of moving dolly to take some of the strain. It’s easier and faster to roll boxes than carry them! If you have furniture, you will want them to arrive in your new place in the same condition. So it is highly recommended to spend a little bit of money on blankets or plastic foil to protect your furniture.
If you have larger furniture items, like beds or wardrobes, you will likely have to disassemble and reassemble these. Depending on how handy you are, this can be quite fun and quick, or a nightmare! If you have heavy bulky items like sofas or cabinets, make sure you are aware of the effort required to get them in and out of your home! There is nothing worse than getting a sofa wedged in a doorway or stairwell!
Another cost to consider – your friends will need some refreshments and snacks to keep them going. You can’t expect them to work on an empty stomach or while dehydrated! Also bear in mind that one day you might be called upon to return the favor. If you take help, then be willing to offer it in the future!
When to call in the pros?
As you might now realize, hiring professionals is not as expensive as it seems, once you factor in fixed costs like van and materials and variable costs like the time it takes for the labor. While we might be a little biased, we would always recommend hiring professionals for your move.
The main reason is that your items will be in safe hands. Movers do this as a job, day in and day out, so there is nothing they can’t handle. Even in the unlikely event something does get damaged, they are fully insured, so you can make claims for replacements. For small moves, it will take only a matter or minutes or an hour or so to load and unload. Moreover, furniture can also be protected appropriately and disassembled/reassembled quickly if required.
Pro movers are specialized
So you certainly save effort and time if you hire a moving company. While it’s possible to move yourself slightly cheaper than a professional team, when the final sums are done, the difference will not be that much. Especially if you factor in man hours required, you will almost certainly take longer than the pros!
Moving is always associated with stress, so if you want to save yourself (and your friends!), it pays off to reach into your wallet and make the stress disappear. SMOOVER is your solution for everything that makes a stress-free move. We carry out all organisation associated with the move, from making sure all your furniture will be properly protected, to delivering boxes if you want to pack yourself, to arranging No Parking Zones. We can also help you to paint your old (or new) apartment, or to make it clean again. If you have any questions, the best thing to do is to write directly to WhatsApp and we will be happy to advise you.
Moving to another city or internationally – hire a moving company or friends?
When thinking about a more complex move it doesn’t really make sense to move yourself. If you are moving to a different city or even a different country, or just have lots of furniture and boxes, it’s time to call in the pros. The reason is simple – you are likely to underestimate the effort! It could be you have more items than you anticipated, and they won’t all fit in the truck. Or perhaps you didn’t realize how heavy your furniture is! Inexperienced muscles certainly tire faster. In the worst case, your furniture and back are broken. 🙁
So save yourself and your friends the work and stress – always ask the experts for difficult moves.
SMOOVER is here to help you move in Germany and beyond
SMOOVER is here to make your move as easy and smooth as possible. But best of all: it doesn’t even cost that much. Did you know, if you are moving for a new job, you even get a lot of money back from the tax? So our affordable moving offer just become seven cheaper!
Our offers are always a fixed price, with no hidden costs. You can book the various services as modules or do certain things yourself beforehand. This means that our offers and services are always as flexible as you need them to be. And we would be happy to advise you on the entire planning phase via WhatsApp. We simply create a group chat and you can send us a question any time. It’s all part of our total dedication to customer service. To see how previous customers value our service, just look for feedback.
So hopefully this has given you a chance to think about whether you should hire a moving company or ask your friends. If you want to save yourself and friends a bit of work, get in touch!
