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Comment by _pmf_ | Hacker News Reader

The decision to hire a (non-Japanese) moving company for moving our 4 person household has been the best service investment I ever did. Included tearing down and rebuilding every piece of large furniture and the kitchen including appliances and plumbing. I would have been busy for at least two weeks. 2000 EUR. Unbelievable to watch.

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My wife and I recently moved to the next block in our neighborhood and reluctantly decided to hire a moving company, even though we could walk the distance in 5 minutes.

It was more expensive and time-consuming that we initially expected, but in the end we were very glad we did it. Even packing 90% of it ourselves, the movers still packed a ton and did a great job moving it... Especially up the interior stairs at the new location.

I don't think I'll ever even consider moving my stuff myself again.

Like the people in this video, there were some things we moved ourselves, such as the TV and computer. I doubt I'll ever change that.

I agree. Never again will I move myself. What most people don't realize (and I include myself at the time) is that they really are pros at getting stuff in and out of places. They know how to rotate couches around tight corners and are very good at assembling furniture, because they do it so much. They also have the right tools to lift things which the average person does not. It's completely worth the investment.

If the move is not long distance, it may be possible to mix do it yourself and using a moving company, which can save a lot of money but spare you dealing with the hard things.

When I moved from an apartment to a house, the house was between my apartment and my office and I had a couple weeks where I owned the house but was still living in the apartment.

Each night after work, I'd pack 2 or 3 small boxes and load them into my car. Then on the way to work the next day I'd stop by the house and unload the boxes.

By the time the moving company came, all that was left for them to move was furniture and a 61" DLP TV. The cost, which had been estimated at $1500 when it included moving all my stuff, ended up being $150.

That's a good call. When I moved the last time which was years ago, we didn't have a whole lot of stuff. It was pretty much, "this is the minimum and you don't have enough stuff to meet it." So we paid them to move everything. It did help that they were really really efficient which is why we paid the smallest amount.

Did the same, 100% worth it. For about one month we had the new home while on the last month of our lease. The money we saved in movers probably more than paid for the last month of rent. We moved everything one car load at a time each evening over the course of a week except for all the large pieces of furniture. We hired movers for what ended up being a pretty small job of about 6 large pieces of furniture and a few odds and ends left over.

I'm in a conundrum where I don't drive, so can't drive a U-Haul and it would be tedious and take days to move even boxes full of small things to the new place. So I have to rely on moving services entirely in order to move. Usually, though, I pack as much stuff as I can beforehand so all they have to do is put it in the truck.

I saved a bit of money this way, but not much.

huh... I've done a fair amount of home buying and selling, and I've never heard of taking the appliances with you. By plumbing, do you mean toilet? Does the buyer just expect to bring their own toilet from the last house? What a lot of effort.

I'd guess dishwasher and washing machine, appliances which have to be disconnected from and connected back to water inlets and outlets.

I know that, in Germany at least, it's common to take appliances with you when you move. Not sure where in Europe GP is reporting in from precisely.

Yes, this is one of the great German mysteries. Flats are often rented with a completely empty kitchen. The expectation is that you bring not just your own appliances but also your own furniture and take them with you when you move out. This is exactly as inconvenient as it sounds.

Not mention that stuff might not fit their new house, both physically and visually. Its certainly not a common practice where I live in the US.

At one point in the video they are getting an air-conditioner/heat-pump installed...

> the kitchen including ... plumbing

Plumbing? Doesn't that usually stay with the house?

Appliances and plumbing - usually that means dishwasher, remove and reinstall, etc

Even appliances usually stay with the house, IME.

That's not a universal expectation. In Germany for example, it's typical to furnish your own appliances and to take them when you move.

Built ins are expected to stay- freestanding things like refrigerators and washer/dryers are usually negotiable. We just replaced our built in oven/burners with a slide out one and not sure what the expectation will be with that one...

Pretty sure he means connecting the appliances to the water and sewage lines. I've never heard of anyone taking their toilet or shower with them ;)

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