Once you have had a successful home buying or selling experience with your real estate agent, the next step is to start packing.  But who’s going to do it?  Do you take on the entire moving process yourself or do you hire a moving company to do it for you?  In order to help answer these questions, you must first consider all that goes into actually packing up an entire home and moving it to another.

Most people make the decision to DIY move or hire a moving company based on what they think they will be saving.  The most common reason people decide to move themselves is because they think they are saving money by not hiring the professionals to help.  Another reason is the trust factor.  How do I know I can trust the people from a moving company to pack and move my most valuable and precious items safely?

Take a look at what truly goes into deciding to move yourself, provided by The Move Advocate.

In addition to the potentially complicated logistics of a self-move, there are also the physical, emotional, and affiliated costs to review:

– Do you have people available to help with the packing and loading at both origin and destination?

– Do you have fragile items that will require special handling?  Do you have the knowledge and tools to crate them as needed?  Are you prepared to be responsible for any damage or loss of property?

– Will you need to rent additional equipment/ supplies/ hired-hands to move larger items such as appliances?

–  Did you add applicable costs like packing materials, extra insurance, gas, tolls, lodging, day labor, and meals to get a true cost of the self-move option?

– Are you going to miss work while packing, driving, and unloading?  This should also figure in to the total cost of a self-move as well.

Self-moving can be a great option for people with small households and in good physical condition, or at least have a large pool of friends and family volunteers that will work for pizza (and know how to safely and efficiently pack your worldly possessions).

After all of these considerations are factored in, it may be in the best interest of families and older adults to enlist the help of a moving company.  That’s where The Move Advocate comes in.  They are a move management and referral program designed to identify the best moving companies, obtain multiple estimates, and provide special benefits and discounts.

The Move Advocate selects reputable movers from their quality network; arranges multiple estimates; and ensures the process goes smoothly through pack, load and delivery days.  In addition, because of the volume of moves they manage, they have the clout to ensure aggressive pricing and attentive customer service.

Whether you are moving to a near-by neighborhood, state-to-state, or internationally, The Move Advocate can help make the process as smooth as possible, providing you peace of mind, as well as saving you money in the long run.  You can visit their website or give them a call at 1-800-617-1918.

Do you have a moving story (good or bad) you would like to share with us?  Go ahead and leave a comment!

My name is Barbara Bottitta and I am a Realtor/Partner with Keller Williams Real Estate and team leader for the Bottitta Team of Lehigh Valley Home Experts. Our team of professionals include a listing and closing specialist so that from the starting line to the dotted line you won’t find another agent or team that provides better service, works harder – or cares more – than my team. My husband, Lou, and I have lived in Lower Macungie for over 30 years; our grown children attended Emmaus High School and we feel fortunate that our grandsons are growing up in the Lehigh Valley as well!

Contact me for your Lehigh Valley area questions and real estate needs, and like my Facebook Page for area events, home ownership tips, real estate market updates, tips for home buyers and sellers, and so much more!

There are many great Lehigh Valley area homes for sale. Click here to perform full home search, or if you’re thinking of selling your home, click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today’s market. You may also call me at (610) 398-8408 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.


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