Selling your home and moving to a new one you just purchased can be both a rewarding and enervating experience. As a result, it’s easy to become overwhelmed by your mixed feelings and by everything you have to get done in a short period of time. There are many hidden costs of moving home.

It’s gratifying because you’re starting a new life in a new place with new possibilities. It’s also stressful because you might be moving on a budget. The cost of purchasing a home is already expensive enough and you may need to save on as much of your relocation expenses as possible.

Do-it-Yourself or Hire Professional Movers?

Will it be more cost effective to do everything yourself or should you check out what moving companies have to offer? At first blush, it might appear to be cheaper to rely on family and friends, but there are many small expenses, ranging from renting moving equipment to the truck, that will quickly add up. Professional movers will make everything easier and you’ll end up paying less in time, effort, and money once you’ve tallied up all your incidental expenses.

Here are 5 reasons why it’s best to use a moving company:

1. Speed. Professionals move quickly and efficiently. They know what they’re doing – from how to lift heavy appliances to how to load and unload a truck in the best way. Since they’re on the clock, they don’t dawdle around as they work. In contrast, family and friends like to chat, kid around, tell jokes, share the latest gossip, and reminisce about the good times. Helping you move becomes more of a social occasion than an actual job. They mean well, so you can’t exactly exhort them to pick up the pace. It’s difficult to meet moving deadlines when no-one is taking the work seriously. Professional movers are fast; family and friends are not.
2. Teamwork. They work as a team, showing up on time. This means that they work in predictable shifts. Family and friends have to juggle their schedules, so you end up working on multiple shifts with different people. Consequently, you’ll be moving all day long and late into the evening.
3. Truck, tools, and equipment. Professional movers come with a truck that’s the right size for your move. They also bring all the moving and packing equipment you’ll need from hand carts and box cutters to big boxes and blankets. You won’t have to hunt for everything from scratch and make frequent trips to the store to pick up things you forgot, like packing tapes, monkey wrenches, and screwdrivers.
4. Less accidents. Professionals are careful not to break things. They have plenty of experience and they do their best not to break things. With family and friends, you might have some heartbreaking moments when unpacking your boxes.
5. Work oriented. You don’t need to feed, entertain, or spend time with professional movers; with family and friends, you’ll probably end up spending hours being social, as well as paying for multiple meals throughout the week as different groups trickle in to help out. It’s only natural for family and friends to expect you to provide some refreshments or go out for a meal with them to mark the occasion.

Saving on Moving Expenses

Here are some ways to keep your costs down when you move:

1. Compare prices. You will be shopping for a number of things to facilitate your move like boxes, bubble wrap, tape, and so on. Compare prices, look for discounts, and take advantage of special offers.
2. Move in the slow season. There are certain a time in the year when hiring a moving company is cheaper because it’s a slower season.
3. Start early. The earlier you start, the easier it will be to manage your time and budget your money. You’ll also get everything organized much better. Collect your packing materials early, too, much of which you can get free. For instance, your local stores might be willing to give you their boxes after they receive shipments.
4. Declutter. There are probably many things that you don’t need to take, either because they are old or you just don’t like them anymore. Recycle what you can. Give away stuff. Have a garage sale. And dump stuff that nobody wants at all.
5. Buy cheap cleaning supplies. You will probably need to buy a lot of cleaning materials, so shop at your local dollar store for things where quality doesn’t make that much difference.

Fortunately, there are many ways of keeping your costs to a minimum. Make detailed plans. Compare prices. And rethink your options when necessary.