4 Reasons to Avoid a Moving Service

A moving service can save you time and hassle when moving, but it’s not for everyone. There are some situations where hiring a moving service is not a good idea. Here are 4 reasons to avoid a moving service:

1. Costs too Much

When the economy is in a recession, it’s not smart to hire a moving service because of the high costs. The company you hire has to make a profit, and rising fuel and transportation costs will pass on to you the consumer. Perhaps that doesn’t impact your budget too much when the economy is booming, and you have more wiggle room in your finances. That’s not the case when you have to pinch pennies, or if you’re in between jobs. It’s better to sell some of your belongings, use the United States Postal mail to ship things or drive your belongings to your new destination.

2. Insurance Purchase

In addition to transportation costs, you’ll also need to purchase insurance for the move. The basic insurance that moving service companies are required to offer according to federal law is not sufficient. You would have to purchase extra insurance to ensure that the full replacement value of your belongings is available to you in case of loss or damage. However, that means  more money out of your pocket. Even if the moving service charges seem affordable, you should include the insurance costs as well to make a final determination.

3. No Set Arrival Date

If you’re moving within the same city, then you’re often guaranteed to receive your items at your new apartment the same day. A moving service cannot guarantee a set arrival date when you’re moving long distance. They protect themselves against liability by giving you a window of time, such as five to seven days, for when you can expect the moving truck to arrive. This may not work for you if you need to arrive at the same time or prior to the moving truck arrival, especially if they’re moving your car as well. You could be stuck on the other end waiting for your things to show up, and that might end up costing you money in addition to time.

4. Banned Moving Items

Moving services refuse to move certain household items in order to guard against lawsuits resulting from damaged goods. Some materials are also considered hazard materials and are not allowed to be shipped by the moving service under federal laws. However, you might own some of these “banned” items that are too precious to leave behind. For example, most moving services won’t move house plants. If you’ve cared for a plant that’s hard to find where you’re going, of you’ve invested a lot in it and don’t want to get rid of it, then you’ll have to find other ways to get it to your new apartment. You might be in a situation where a good amount of your belongings are  “banned”. It would be better to avoid a moving service altogether and find other ways to move your items.

Hiring a moving service is not your best option if one or more of these reasons apply to you. However, it may come in handy for a future move, when your circumstances or the state of the economy changes.