With the down economy most Americans are choosing to stay in their current homes instead of moving.  The Census Bureau finds that only 11% of Americans moved last year down from the normal 20%, According to the San Francisco Chronicle.

With almost a 50% drop in the number of people moving the moving industry is an a major slump.  Also there are so many more ways to move than there have been in the past.  Now instead of just the two options of having someone do everything for you you have the options of having someone pack everything for you and you drive it yourself or you pack everything into a portable storage unit and have the company move it for you.

There are a few things to remember in each of these scenarios:

Do-It-Yourself – remember the day of the week, time of the month and other various factors influence the cost of truck rentals.  So make sure you check multiple dates that you can be flexible on.

Paying Someone Else – If you are having someone pack, move, or do it all for you make sure you get a binding estimate of the costs.  A simple estimate will not hold up if they jack up the price on you at the last minute. Also, buy replacement value insurance (not from the moving company) so that if anything breaks it will be replaced.   The levels of liability to the company were set back in the 1930’s and have not been updated for inflation.  Finally, videotape all your possessions before you start packing so that there are no disputes in case something goes missing.

You may want to check out Moving.org, the website for the American Moving and Storage Association, to get estimates from reputable sources.

If you are moving I hope your move goes well and with as little headache as possible.