Although it can be tempting if you think it could save you money, there are plenty of reasons why your moving team should not include friends and family. One reason that might top the list is that usually your friends and family do not really want to help you move. They might agree to do it out of a feeling of obligation, but most would likely rather celebrate you with a home warming party than spend a day moving dozens of heavy boxes and furniture for you.

In reality, you probably do not really want them moving you either. Yes, it would keep you from having to pay a moving company, but there are still other costs to consider. What will happen if a friend drops your box of priceless baseball cards and they land scattered all over the street on a rainy day? What will you do if a person injures themselves and then has to miss a week or more of work to recover? What will you lose if a confrontation over moving ends up costing you a relationship?

These are important considerations to keep in mind as to why your moving team should not include friends and family, especially when a professional moving company is trained, experienced, and efficient. Let the movers take care of moving you and let your friends and family help you celebrate in your new home afterwards.

Reasons Why Your Moving Team Should Not Include Friends and Family

Inviting over some buddies and co-workers to help you move and then paying them in pizza and sodas may initially sound like a great idea, but there are reasons why your moving team should not include friends and family…or pizza and drinks for that matter, unless it is after the moving is done. Pizza can be greasy, which makes hands slippery, and drinks can spill, which makes the floor slippery. Neither is a good combination with moving.

Here is a list of additional issues that can be avoided by using a professional team instead:

• Scheduling. You have had your move on the calendar for weeks with friends and family, but on moving day it is still possible for scheduling problems to occur. If you have a friend who came down with something or someone in the family who cannot make it due to an emergency, you will be out some members of your moving crew with no backup replacements. When working with a moving company, they should have enough personnel to shift around so that if one or more crew members is sick, replacements can still be provided so your move takes place on time.
• Weather. No one knows for sure what the weather will be like on moving day until moving day arrives. The problem is that amateur movers are generally not as prepared to battle the elements all day for a friend. However, professional moving companies endure crazy weather all year long and are generally better equipped to move a person’s belongings, rain or shine.
• Hidden Costs. Even if you think you are saving by letting people you know move you, there may be more hidden costs than you think. For example, if all of your items cannot fit in your car, you may need to rent a truck or a dolly to transport all your belongings. And do not forget the price of extra fuel that may be needed for the truck. It is also customary to provide a meal for those moving you if they are there during mealtime. These costs can quickly add up and will require more coordination than if you simply outsourced the job to a moving company.
• Equipment. Professional moving companies have access to dollies, moving straps, rope, bungee cords, and furniture sliders to name just a few. The problem is that friends and family generally do not have these items readily available for use. Such items are recommended for moves to limit the possibility of damage, but it will be an extra expense if you have to search them out yourself.
• Experience. Professional movers are trained to know how to tape up boxes, how to pack balanced boxes, how to stack boxes in a moving van, and even how to lift with their knees instead of their back. They also know how to get furniture down a stairwell or how to rotate pieces of furniture to get them out the front door without causing damage. These are not things that the average friend or family member is familiar with, and this can open the door to moving day catastrophes that you simply do not have time for. Rely on the experience of the professionals for more peace of mind about the moving process from start to finish.
• Large Items. Particularly large items such as big appliances, desks, cabinets, and even pianos can be hard to move for even experienced movers who have all the standard and specialized equipment. With this being the case, do you really want your friends or family moving and possibly damaging these items?
• Injury. Moving involves lots of bending, stretching, and heavy lifting. Each of these moves can be particularly taxing for unusually large items or boxes that are not packed in a balanced manner. Even for the fittest of friends and family, many are not used to these types of repetitive movements in the way that professional movers are. This means that they could be more susceptible to injury. Not only will injury to an amateur volunteer mover potentially delay your timeline for moving, but it could also severely impact that friend or family member’s daily activities for the near future if they tear a ligament or break a bone.
• Damaged Items. With any move, there is at least some risk of damage occurring. This may happen due to unbalanced boxes, improperly stacked boxes, or plain old accidents. Professional movers are trained to pack boxes in a way that evenly distributes the weight load, making the box’s placement sturdier, even when stacked. Most friends and family lack this knowledge and it might put your items at an increased risk of being damaged during the move.
• Damaged Home. Most people are surprised at the number of items in their home that do not slide seamlessly through the doorways on their way to the moving truck. This can range from pieces of furniture to large boxes. Sometimes turning boxes at a certain angle or forcing them through can yield success, but much of the time it results in damaged items and damage to the home. The last thing you want to have to deal with as you are moving out is a giant gash in the entryway drywall or a broken pane of glass in the front door. Professional movers are trained to package and protect belongings, and have the skill needed to avoid damage.
• Responsibility. When working with an insured moving company, your items should be covered to at least some extent for damage that occurs. And most reputable moving companies offer additional insurance that can be purchased, adding valuable peace of mind. In other words, if the movers break a tv during the course of a move, you should be reimbursed to some degree for that loss. This does not necessarily hold true for a friend that drops a tv. They are not insured, so all you may get is a, “Gee, I’m really sorry,” and you could still be out a tv with no reimbursement.
• Friendships. At the end of the day, you have to ask yourself if a friend who helped you move would still be a friend if they dropped your box of glass figurines or put a hole in the front hall of the home you are moving out of. It could happen, and it might cost you a friend. It is better to preserve friendships and relationships with family members by delegating the work of moving to a professional moving company.
• Favors. If you drafted a friend or person in your family to help you move for free and they sacrifice a day or two of their time to help you lift heavy boxes and load up the car, the odds are that they will need to call in that same favor from you at some point. If for some reason you cannot make that reciprocal favor happen, it could potentially lead to frustration and arguments that can put a serious strain on that relationship. If you spend the money you would have spent for food for your volunteer movers on professional movers instead, it can be well worth the investment.

Ways Friends and Family Can Help

If you have a few friends who still claim they really do want to help with the move, think about giving them an alternate job that will make a move go smoother.

For example, if you have young children or pets in the home at the time of the move, ask a friend to babysit for the day. This helps ensure that the kids and/or pets are out of harm’s way, and it also keeps the movers safe from tripping over them. Having a friend provide this service on moving day is invaluable.

Another job for friends and family could be providing you with take out the week of the move as you are packing up all your cookware and appliances, or maybe even bringing lunch by for the moving crew on the day of. While this is a simple task, it would be greatly appreciated.

Although there are plenty of reasons why your moving team should not include friends and family, it does not mean there is nothing for them to do. Having people help with the little things can be a really big advantage when it comes to moving.

Now that you know why your moving team should not include friends and family, take that information to heart. No friendship or relationship with a family member is worth sacrificing to save a few dollars on a move. Reach out to a local and professional moving company today and set a date for your new adventure!