We Know You Can Do It For Yourself, But Should You?

In the age of DIY, when it comes to putting your home on the market, we know you can do it for yourself, but should you?

Your time is valuable. The first question to ask when considering packing, moving, and unpacking yourself in these busy times, is, “How much is my time worth? Like, really. How much am I worth hourly? Is it $500/hour, $1,000/hr?” Well, your time IS worth $1,000 an hour - in fact, it’s priceless.

Just like you wouldn’t represent yourself as an attorney if you’re not an attorney, you probably shouldn’t list your own house and be your own real estate agent. Along with getting your house ready to sell, you need to declutter before you move. This can be daunting, stressful and extremely time consuming.

If you are not working with a professional, you’re losing money by trying to do all of these things on your own. Instead, you could be making more memories with your loved ones, saying good bye to your old home and planning your future. Now that the whole family doesn’t have to go through all the things in their closets themselves, wouldn’t they prefer to have family game night?

Up until this point, you have not been able to find the time to go through your home and garage and get rid of the things that you and your family have grown out of (or that new technology has made obsolete). So, why is it that now, in the midst of your house being put on the market, this is the right time for you to do all of those tasks?

OFab has worked with many clients over the years, and we have just about heard it all. The three things we encounter most often are:

1. The “I work best under pressure” person.

The first thing I want to say when people tell me this is, No, you don’t. If you’ve procrastinated all your life and somehow things turn out ok, then yes, that does work for you.

But, with everything else that you have to do in order for you to be able to move, it’s possible that handing these tasks off to a professional makes more sense. That way, all of the necessary things get done quickly and efficiently (and without back pain!), thereby alleviating the mental stress of making even more difficult decisions.

2. The “I’ve moved a million times before, when I was in college, and I know how to do this” person.

You may have moved a million times in college, but did you have crystal and china and all of the things that you have now? If you want to do this yourself, absolutely do the easy stuff, but hire a professional to help you with packing precious things, like artwork, breakables, and family heirlooms.

3. The “I can’t afford it. I have to do it myself because of budget reasons” person.

This makes sense, but is it possible that you could have an hour long conversation with a professional organizer to give you guidance and make your efforts take less time?

Your time is worth more than the cost of you trying to do what a professional could do much more quickly. It’s an investment in you and your family’s well being. After death and divorce, the most stressful thing that affects people is moving. So if you and your family are going through this stressful time, do you really want to do this yourself?

If you’re not going to spend money on packers and decluttering, save yourself some money and hire movers to spare your mental, emotional and physical health. Because remember, you’re wasting money if you’re spending too much of your time doing things that you could get professionals to help you with, whether it’s advice or actually doing the job.

If you want a reliable, honest and reasonably priced mover, we highly recommend using Roadway Moving. Roadway Moving

If you want help decluttering as prep for move, packing, move management or unpacking, please consider OFab as your resource - and save thousands of dollars an hour (LOL).