At some point during every local move, the same question comes up: is it worth paying to hire movers, or should I just do it myself? It's a real trade-off — and the answer isn't always obvious until you look at the actual numbers. Hiring professional movers costs more upfront, but a DIY move has costs too: a moving truck or trailer, moving equipment, your time, and the physical labor of packing and loading everything yourself.
This breakdown is focused on local moves in the Chicago suburbs and southeast Wisconsin — the kind where you're relocating across town or to a neighboring suburb, not across the country. For local moves, the math looks different than most people expect.
What Does It Actually Cost to Hire Movers?
Full-service moving companies charge by the hour for local moves, typically with a two- or three-hour minimum. In the Chicago area, expect to pay somewhere in the range of $120–$180 per hour for a two-person crew and a truck. A three-bedroom home that takes four to six hours to load and unload can run $600–$1,100 before tips — and that doesn't include packing services if you want movers to box everything up too.
Moving companies may also tack on extra fees you don't see until the invoice: fuel surcharges, stair fees, long-carry charges if they can't park close to your door, and charges for moving heavy items like pianos, safes, or large appliances. Reputable movers will walk you through these upfront. If a mover quotes you an unusually low hourly rate, ask specifically about add-on fees before you sign anything — that's where costs often jump.
The appeal of hiring professional movers is real: trained professionals handle the physical labor, they know proper lifting techniques, and you get some liability coverage if something breaks. For large households, older adults, or anyone with physical limitations, the extra cost of hiring a full-service moving company can be well worth it for the quality service and peace of mind it provides.
National van lines and large regional moving and storage companies often quote local moves higher than smaller independent movers, but may include more coverage and more experienced crews. It's worth getting quotes from a few types of moving companies before you decide.
What Does the DIY Route With Rented Totes Cost?
A DIY move typically means renting a moving truck and supplying the packing and loading yourself. You handle the entire moving process — packing, loading, driving the rental truck, unloading, and unpacking — usually with help from friends or family.
Moving truck rentals vary by truck size and rental day, but for a local move you're typically looking at $50–$130 for the rental truck itself, plus mileage fees and fuel. A 16- to 20-foot truck usually fits a two- or three-bedroom home comfortably. A larger moving truck or trailer may be needed for a four-bedroom house or a home with a lot of large furniture. Add one or two days of your time (and the time of your helpers), and the real cost of your move gets higher once you account for what that time is worth to you.
Renting plastic moving bins from Nice Totes is a straightforward add-on to the DIY route. Our packages are priced by home size and include free delivery and free pickup, plus a dolly — no mileage charges, no fuel surcharges, no stair fees. The plastic moving bins are sturdier than cardboard boxes, stack cleanly in the rental truck, and protect your belongings better in transit. That matters when you're loading without professional help.
Total cost for a typical DIY move using a rental truck and Nice Totes plastic moving bins: often in the range of $200–$400, depending on home size and truck costs. That's a real savings compared to hiring movers — if you have the time, the help, and the physical ability to handle packing and loading yourself.
Is It Cheaper to Rent a U-Haul or Hire Movers?
For most local moves, renting a moving truck is cheaper than hiring full-service moving companies — sometimes by $500 or more. But the cheaper upfront option isn't always the cheapest when you account for everything. Factor in your time, the time of friends or family helping you, the risk of injury from improper lifting technique, and the cost of anything damaged in transit, and the gap narrows.
For a small one-bedroom apartment, the DIY route almost always wins on cost. For a large four- or five-bedroom home with heavy furniture, lots of stairs, or tight corners and narrow doorways, many people find that hiring movers is worth the extra cost for the peace of mind and the reduced risk of damage. A professional moving company carries its own moving equipment — dollies, furniture pads, straps — so you don't have to source or rent those separately either.
Why Would Someone Rent Totes Instead of Just Using Cardboard Boxes?
Whether you hire movers or go the DIY route, your packing containers matter. Cardboard boxes are convenient to buy but they collapse under weight, don't stack cleanly in a moving truck, and fall apart when they get wet — a real problem when you're loading and unloading across a driveway on a rainy moving day.
Renting eco-friendly plastic moving bins solves those problems without the waste. The bins are rigid, waterproof, and designed to stack flat on top of each other — which means a more efficient truck load, fewer multiple trips, and less rearranging on moving day. At the end of the move, Nice Totes picks them up, so you're not left breaking down and recycling a mountain of cardboard.
Some professional moving companies will use rental plastic moving bins if you supply them alongside their own moving equipment — just confirm with your movers ahead of time. Most have no issue with it, and the sturdier bins can actually make the movers' job easier.
If you're on the fence about a storage container versus rental totes as a way to manage the moving process, see our comparison of moving tote rental vs. storage pod rental for a deeper look at that trade-off.
What Are the Red Flags When Hiring Movers?
A few things to watch for when evaluating moving companies:
- No written estimate. Any reputable moving company or mover should give you a written quote before the move — not just a verbal number over the phone.
- Rates significantly below market. Unusually low rates often mean hidden extra fees, slow crews, or a company with a history of problems. Check reviews and verify licensing before you book.
- Large upfront deposits. Movers typically collect payment at delivery. A company that demands a large deposit days before your move is a warning sign.
- No licensing or insurance. Ask directly whether the company is licensed and what liability coverage it carries. Companies offering quality service will answer this without hesitation.
- Last-minute rescheduling. Moving day is already stressful — a mover who reschedules without notice or pressures you to change your date is not a company you want handling your belongings.
See Nice Totes packages by home size — free delivery and pickup included on every rental in the Chicago suburbs and southeast Wisconsin.
View Residential PricingWhat's the Cheapest Way to Move?
The cheapest way to move locally is almost always a full DIY move: recruit friends or family, rent a moving truck, and handle everything yourselves. Adding rental totes is a small incremental cost that makes the packing and loading easier and protects your belongings better — it won't significantly change the total cost of your move, but it does reduce the chaos on the day itself.
Hiring a moving service sits at the other end — it's the most expensive option, but also the least physically demanding and often the fastest. For people on a tight budget who are able-bodied and have help available, the DIY route wins. For people who prioritize time and ease over affordability, hiring professionals is worth a serious look.
Most people end up somewhere in the middle: they handle the packing themselves (often with rental totes instead of cardboard boxes), then hire movers to load and unload the rental truck. This hybrid approach can cut the moving company's billable hours significantly — which cuts the total bill — while still getting the heavy lifting done by people who do it every day.
For more on how the moving process fits together, visit our FAQ page, read our room-by-room guide on how to pack moving totes efficiently, or check out our comparison of moving totes vs. cardboard boxes. Questions? Email us at info@nicetotesrental.com.