The Cost of Moving Yourself Over Three Weekends

In a suburb where most households have a vehicle and a garage, there is a tempting middle path: move yourself, a bit at a time, over several weekends. No crew, no big day, no invoice.

It is a real option and it is worth costing honestly, because it usually is not the saving it appears to be.

Just-In-Time Moving is locally owned and handles residential moves throughout West Valley City and Salt Lake County.

What a staged move actually costs

Double handling. Things get carried to a garage, stacked, restacked to fit the next load, then carried again. Nearly everything gets moved twice and some of it three times.

Overlap on both properties. A move stretched across three weekends means paying for two places for a month, whether that is rent, a mortgage or both. That number alone frequently exceeds what a crew would have cost.

Living in neither house. For that month, the kitchen is half packed, the beds are wherever, and everything takes longer than usual. It is a real cost even though nobody invoices it.

The furniture, still. The staged approach handles boxes well and does nothing about the sofa, the bed frame, the appliances or the safe in the garage. Those are still waiting at the end, and they are the difficult part.

Where staging genuinely works

As a supplement rather than a substitute. Move the boxes yourself over the preceding week or two, then bring a crew in for one day to do the furniture and appliances.

That is often the cheapest sensible arrangement available, because it puts paid help precisely on the heavy, awkward part while you absorb the part that is time rather than skill.

It also shortens the paid day considerably, which is the point.

The saving that does work

Getting rid of things first. Anything unwanted costs three times if you move it: packing, transport and disposal from the new house. The garage is where that volume hides, and clearing it weeks ahead is worth more than any other decision you will make.

The estimate is free, comes in writing, and follows questions about stairs, parking, access and heavy items. Tell us what you plan to move yourself and we will quote the rest.

Call (435) 862-3080 or email office@movingjustintime.com.