Everyone who has ever moved knows that it is an expensive, stressful, time-consuming process. Hiring a moving company may seem like just one more expense to spend time stressing over, but in reality a quality moving company will take care of all the most difficult parts of moving for a surprisingly reasonable price.

You do not have to rent a moving truck, beg your friends and family to help you, or worry about scuffing the walls on the way out. In short, movers are better at moving than you—it’s their job. If you are still not convinced, here is a list of things that moving companies do better than you:

1. Keeping your belongings safe

Professional movers know which things need to be wrapped and what they need to be wrapped in. Many companies supply their own boxes, packing paper, and bubble wrap. They also know how to stack furniture and boxes in a truck in a way that prevents everything from toppling during the first turn. In fact, the movers would know how to drive as gently as possible because they drive moving trucks regularly—unlike you.

2. Preventing damage to your home

Let me put it this way, when I moved out of my first apartment I did not use a moving company… And I ended up accidentally putting the wooden foot of an armchair into the glass panel of the front door. Moving companies possess the skills to get even your largest piece of furniture safely out of your old home and into your new one without causing any damage.

3. Avoiding injuries

For people who do not normally lift heavy loads for several hours at a time, moving can be downright dangerous. Moving companies train their employees on the proper technique (lift with your legs, not with you back!) and those people have exercised those muscles through regular use. Even if you are in good shape, moving can be rough on your body because it uses muscles that you do not necessarily hit at the gym.

4. Organizing everything

Moving companies will bring their own truck, their own movers, their own labels, their own tarps, and everything else that could possibly be needed for moving. They have multiple employees so they can accomplish many tasks simultaneously. You, on the other hand, cannot be out picking up the rental truck, assembling boxes, and packing at the same time. Some things are just best left to the pros.

5. Packing your boxes

This may seem counter intuitive because, logically, if you pack your own boxes then you will know where everything is when you get to the new place. However, we all know that what usually happens when you do not use a moving company is that you spend a week painstakingly packing the first three boxes, but then throw everything else in random boxes in a panic-fuelled packing frenzy the night before. Movers will methodically pack everything neatly into nicely labelled boxes. Some companies will even unpack it all for you at the new place!

6. Maximizing your time

Nobody will contest the fact that packing is a dreadfully long and tedious process. However, there are many other tasks on moving day that can be surprisingly time-consuming. For instance, waiting for the rental company to figure out which truck to give you can waste a precious hour. You also will not have to spend time rearranging boxes to fit everything in the truck. Do you know how to disassemble all of your furniture? The movers do. Remember, maximizing your moving day means that you can save your vacation days for something better—like an actual vacation.