One of the biggest decisions you’ll need to make when moving to a new home is whether or not you want to go to the expense of hiring a removal company. Yes, they do cost more and yes, they do all the heavy lifting and much of the packing for you, but can you afford the cost? That is really only one of the considerations you’ll need to make when moving. Here are a few more thoughts on the pros and cons of hiring a van vs hiring a removal company.

Can You Do the Heavy Lifting?

For some people looking to relocate, a huge concern is whether or not they’ll be able to do the heavy lifting safely and so they simply hire a removal company. That might be a good option but did you ever stop to think that perhaps a van would be cheaper to hire and you could find neighbours or older teens to help you do the lifting? It would work out much cheaper in most cases, so this may not be an issue after all. What started out as a con for hiring a van can actually be a pro and a definite con on booking a removal company.

Heavy on the pro side for a removal company if you have no one to lift heavy items, but heavy on the pro side for van hire if you can find hourly help with packing and lifting.

Are You Moving Locally or a Great Distance?

This would weigh heavily as a pro for hiring a removal company, especially if you are moving overseas. However, say for instance you are moving from one Birmingham neighbourhood to another in a better part of town, then a Birmingham van hire would probably be a better choice. Again, it’s less costly and you can get help by the hour helping you pack and load the van.

Heavier on the pro side for a van hire when moving locally, but heavy on the pro side when moving great distances.

Safe and Secure Packing of Delicate Items

One other huge concern among movers is the safety of those delicate items and breakables. Many people have had to file a claim against the removal company’s insurance because of damaged or broken goods. That might be all well and good, but what if those broken items were irreplaceable such as family heirloom china or crystal? If you pack delicate items yourself and lift them personally into your hired van, you can safeguard your valuables every step of the way.

When packing fragile items such as family heirlooms, you have greater control when hiring a van. This is a time when van hire takes the pro.

While it is true that a removal company can do everything from packing your household to removing it to the new location, you tend to find that you have greater control at much less the cost when moving yourself. Although moving abroad may require a removal company, local moves can be safely handled with a van hire and a bit of hourly help.

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