Movers: Hire Professionals or Do-It-Yourself?

With only a few belongings, Molly Rankin didn't need movers when she moved into her first Chicago apartment out of college. But the story was different when she relocated to a new apartment last year. Throughout her early 20s, she accumulated more personal belongings, including large furnishings -- like a bed, couch and desk -- and this time around, she thought it was worth the money to hire professional movers.

Many renters face the question of whether to spend the money on moving companies and have a relatively stress-free move or to take on the burden of moving yourself and pocket the change. The answer depends on how far you're moving, the number of moving boxes, the difficulty of moving large pieces of furniture, and, of course, the stress factor.

Our team of experts leads us through the ins and out of hiring a professional mover versus doing it yourself.