Etiquette question - moving when injured: asking friends vs. hiring movers

In My Humble Opinion
1

So I’m moving in a week and I have a bit of a busted ankle. I’m able to walk on it, but if I overuse it, it flares up. Stairs are also a real problem, and I’m moving out of a 2nd floor apartment with no elevator access.

Lately, I feel the ankle’s been regressing and the joint feels unstable. I’m thinking it’s best if I don’t push myself. So I need to ask for help. Should I ask friends or movers?

Normally, I would ask a couple close friends to help me move, but since I’m not going to be able to carry much myself, I feel a bit awkward asking them to lug my couch while I carry the pillowcases, so to speak.

I don’t have too many things. An average sized one bedroom aparatment. I can afford to hire movers, but I’d rather not spend the money.

Of course, I know my friends will willingly help me, and I’d want to help them in a similar situation. But I also know a slight part of them will feel a bit put off. That’s not to say they don’t want to help. It’s just naturally kind of annoying to do someone else’s work for them.

What makes it slightly awkward (to me) is that on the surface I don’t look very injured. On flat ground, I can walk pretty much limp free.

The thing is most likely no matter who I ask to help, knowing myself I’ll end up doing a fair bit because I can’t stand watching other people work without doing something myself. And I don’t like to put people out.

So control my destiny:
Should I ask movers or friends?
Also, bonus question: should I push my ankle and help out or take it easy on the ankle? (not really asking for medical advice; just wondering what you yourself would do in a similar situation).

PS Despite my username, this is not just some ploy to get other people to move my stuff for me :wink:

2

I also wanted to add that if I ask friends, I’ll buy beer and pizza or something like that for everyone who comes out.

3

Get movers, even if they’re of the “Two Guys and a Truck” variety. IMO, once you hit age 25, go pro. With a wonky ankle, definitely go pro. You can pack a lot while sitting down.

4

If you can swing the cost, hire movers.

5

Stay off the ankle. I injured my foot, thought it was mostly better, and reinjured it by overdoing it helping a friend move.

Maybe compromise - pay your friends but less than you would pro movers.

6

Generally, I recommend movers. Your friends will hate moving you (because moving sucks), but if they’re true friends they won’t give you (too much) crap about it. Buy them several drinks or host a part afterwards (when you feel moved in) and get a half keg. From experience: make sure you are completely packed when they come; they are there to move your stuff not put it in boxes.

7

Using friends is acceptable when you’re moving out of parents home and have three possessions to your name. After that, you pay to get your own shit moved.

Hire movers.

8

I also say go for the movers if you can afford it. The first time I hired some, they moved so fast we were done in under two hours. It was amazing. Plus not being worn out by dragging boxes around means you’re ready to start unpacking that day.

I also find hiring other people to do it forces you to pack a lot better in advance than if friends are around, when it seem like packing gets left to the last minute.

Take it easy on the ankle. You don’t want to bust it when you’re carrying a box of delicate things down the stairs.

9

Hire the movers, perhaps even to the extent of having them pack your stuff. Remember that the movers have hand trucks, furniture dollies, moving blankets, plastic wrap and the expertise to use it all. Friends generally don’t have all that stuff.

10

Movers! Adults who ask other adults to help them move are obnoxious. “Because I don’t want to pay” is not the same as “I can’t pay”. I never help anyone move and I never ask for help.

11

Exactly this. No one wants to help anyone move. It is an imposition and people do it because they feel “obligated” by friendship. Pizza and beer doesn’t make it a more social occasion.

Hire movers.

12

I’m going to break with the crowd and say… hire movers.

The two times I’ve done it took about six hours, cost around a hundred bucks an hour, and were absolutely the best value for the money that I’ve ever spent.

13

How old are you? Once you are above the age of twenty, it’s time to stop asking your friends to help you move. Everyone hates doing it, even with pizza and beer. Have a housewarming party instead and your friends will be much more appreciative.

Hire movers. You can find them cheap.

14

I know this puts me in a minority here, but if I can save a friend a hundred bucks or so by giving a few hours work, of course I’ll do it. That’s what friends are for.

That said, if your friends are like everyone else in this thread who think that helping out a friend with manual labor is something that only children do, then I recommend hiring movers.

15

Since you’re asking for opinions, I’ll move this to IMHO.

twickster, MPSIMS moderator

16

If you can hire movers without too much hardship, I think that is the way to go. Remember, with friends, you have to buy them beer, but professionals show up drunk.

17

Evidently we’re weird. My friends always move each other, and we’re all WELL over twenty. No one resents it, because they know that they’ll have help for whatever project they need it for at some future date (or already had help for an earlier project). Maybe it’s a regional thing - I know it took my Brit friend a while to get used to the concept.

You definitely DO need to have everything packed up, labeled and ready to go. It’s one thing to spend a couple of hours moving boxes and furniture. It’s something else entirely to spend a half-day packing boxes and then still have to move them because the movee couldn’t be bothered to get ready.

Don’t push the ankle - you’ll end up regretting it. Wrap it for stabilization and don’t try to do too much. Warn your friends in advance so they’re not taken by surprise. My friends would undoubtedly give me shit for not carrying things, but it would be good-natured and not serious. It is uncomfortable letting other people do for you, but a little mental discomfort is better than a serious physical injury.

Definitely yes on the pizza and beer (or whatever) - but only after you’ve finished! Otherwise it’ll take all day instead of a few hours. And I’d probably also invite them all over for a nice dinner after I got settled in.
That said, if your friends would actually resent helping, then hire movers. It seems odd to me, but a few hundred bucks isn’t worth losing friends over.

18

Hire movers.

Then ask a friend or two over to prevent you from attempting to help the pros and re-injuring yourself.

Self-reliance and independence is only good up until the point it starts to injure you, then it’s bad.

19

Unless your 20, hire movers.

Saying ‘I don’t want to spend the $$’ is lame - nobody WANTS to spend money to hire movers - they do it because it’s the non-douchy thing to do. Also, I assume with a busted ankle that’s chronic you’re not going to be able to return the favour if one of your buddies wants to move which makes it extra lame.

If you want your friends to enjoy your new pad, have a house warming party.

20

I think a good metric is to ask friends what they have asked of you in the past. Do you have friends who have asked you to help them move, or paint their apartment or pickup a new TV? Then ask those guys, they might be happy to trade favors. For other friends, yeah, if you want to play it safe then hire movers if you have the money. It’s one thing if you really don’t have the money but it sounds like you do. Some people don’t want to trade these kinds of favors with friends, they’d rather hire people who will do the job exactly to their liking.