Going It Alone
"Going it alone" entails packing your items, renting a truck (such as a Uhaul™), packing the truck, driving the truck to your new destination, unloading the truck and then returning the truck to the rental agency. Sounds like a lot of work, however, single people rarely have so many possessions that throwing it in a rental truck is an ordeal. But the minute you add a second person and children this process can easily become more time consuming and difficult.

If age is on your side and you have a lot of strapping, healthy friends to pitch in on moving day, going the route of renting, packing and driving a rental truck may be a viable option. Once bad backs, weak knees and tennis elbows come into play, however, professional movers may begin to look more appealing.

Going it alone also requires you secure the correct size of truck (and ensuring you do not need a special license to drive it) and obtaining any permits for parking when packing and unpacking.

Full Service Pro
A full service moving company will come to your home, pack your items, pack the moving van, drive your possessions to the new location and unload the van. This option can greatly reduce your stress, but the cost will be increased significantly. A full service pro will figure out where to park the moving truck and secure potential permits they will need - a feature city dwellers will appreciate.

When using a full-service moving company, the time of year will impact your cost. If you're moving during June, July or August, it may be difficult to find a mover because of demand and movers are less likely to negotiate on costs.

Somewhere in the Middle
Believe it or not, but there in an option smack in the middle between complete go it alone and full service pro: it's known as self-service moving. The concept is you pack your own items, the self service mover brings the van to your house, you pack the van and the self service mover drives the van to the new location. You unpack your items and the self service mover comes back to pick up the van. You save money with this option and you also limit the amount of stress you encounter.

The beauty about a self service mover is they will also take care of the parking and permit issue as outlined with the full service pro option.

Bottom line is you need to weigh all the pros and cons of each moving type and determine which one is best for you, your family and your possessions.