The alternative to hiring a professional moving is handling the move on your own. Although working with an experienced moving company may help ease the burdens of relocation, perhaps you don't want to deal with the contracts and schedules, the game of phone-tag, or the costs.

Depending on how many items you need to pack and move, it may be more cost-effective to do the move yourself.

A small move consisting of 12 boxes and no large furniture may require only a mini-van or a small rental truck and can be accomplished in a matter of hours with a few people. In these cases, it would be needless to hire a moving company and pay the workers by the hour.

The most successful moves are the ones that are manageable within your time schedule and your manpower, in terms of the distance you'll need to drive and the items you'll need to move.

If the move is considerably larger and the process takes longer to complete than anticipated, especially in long-distance moves, consider the trade-off of missing work and a sizable portion of your paycheck. Add to this the extra expenses of a self-move, such as fuel, food, lodging, and tolls. How much money will you really be saving?

 Factors to consider
 Pros & Cons
 Options to consider