Skip to content
MoverCompass

The move itself

Should I pack myself or pay the movers to do it?

The short answer

Packing yourself saves a meaningful amount and it also weakens your claim position: owner-packed cartons are a standard exclusion in carrier liability, commonly limited to cases where there is visible external damage to the box. A common middle path is to pack the robust things yourself and have the movers pack the fragile and the valuable.

The liability trade-off, stated plainly

If the mover packs it, damage inside a carton is on them. If you packed it, the usual position is that they are not liable for internal damage unless the carton itself is visibly damaged. That is not a trick; it is the only workable rule when nobody watched the box being filled. But it is the thing people do not know until they claim.

What to have them pack, if anything

  • Glassware, china, mirrors and artwork.
  • Televisions and monitors, which need the right carton more than the right tape.
  • Anything you would be genuinely upset to lose.
  • Lamps and awkward shapes, which are where amateur packing fails.

If you are packing yourself

  1. Use proper cartons, not supermarket boxes. Uniform sizes stack, and stacking is what prevents crushing.
  2. Label every box with the destination room and a short list of contents.
  3. Put heavy items in small boxes and light items in big ones, not the reverse.
  4. Photograph the contents of anything valuable before sealing it.
  5. Pack a first-night box and carry it yourself.

Start earlier than you think. Almost everybody underestimates packing by a factor, and the panic packing in the last two days is where things get broken and lost.

Also asked

Do movers provide boxes?

Usually, as a purchase or as part of a packing service. Ask whether materials are included in a packing quote or billed separately, because it is a common gap between two quotes that otherwise look the same.

General information about moving and about hiring, not advice about your move. Interstate household-goods moving within the United States is federally regulated; local, intrastate and Canadian moving is regulated by each state or province, and the rules differ. The authority for your move is the one to check.