Fix it yourself
Mover repairs you can do yourself
4 mover problems a careful person can handle at home — and the point where each one becomes a job for a pro.
- You can do
- 4
- Pro-only
- 0
- Typical time
- 30 min – 16 h
- 01Open
Appliance won't fit through doorway
Measure the appliance without its doors and hinges, and the doorway without its door and stop — a fridge loses 5–8 cm with the doors off.
moderate 30–60 min· $0 with a borrowed dolly
- 02Open
Downsizing for a move
Measure the new rooms and mark which large pieces fit on the floor plan; anything that does not is decided before packing starts.
easy 4–16 h· $20–60 for boxes and labels
- 03Open
Furniture won't fit through doorway or staircase
Measure the doorway height and width and the diagonal; then measure the item's three dimensions — sofas often fit on their end or tilted diagonally when they do not fit upright.
moderate 30–90 min· $0–30 for sliders and blankets
- 04Open
Junk piling up in home or garage
Work one zone at a time — a corner of the garage, not the garage — with four labelled areas: keep, donate, recycle, dispose.
easy 2–8 h· $0–80 for bags, a tip run or a bulky-waste slot
What it costs
Typical rates by country, so you can compare DIY parts against a pro's invoice.
Cost guideDo this for a living
These are the calls a mover takes every week. Licensing, training and where the work is short of people.
How to become a mover