Moving is a lot of work. And a do it yourself or DITY move is even more work. But the rewards of a DITY move are financial savings and flexibility that you won't get when you hire someone else to handle everything. So how do you know you are ready to take on a move yourself?
The first thing to look at is the calendar. It takes more coordination and planning to successfully carry out a DITY move than hiring a company to do everything. And if you do not have enough time to do everything, trying to move yourself can be disastrous. Make sure you have adequate time or it will end up costing you time, money and stress in the end when you have to call up last minute movers or help. The second thing to do is look at your budget. Know what you can and are willing to spend on your DITY move. That alone can dictate what you have to do and your motivation to do it. The next thing is to realistically map out what needs to be accomplished. After that, decide what you can physically do yourself and what you will need to have others do (and what you can afford to have others do). Lastly, make sure you have support. Your family needs to be on board when you are doing a DITY move, because they will being doing the work too. Enlist the help of friends and family who cannot only offer physical help, but moral support (babysitting, pet sitting, food, a place to stay, etc.)
A DITY move is a big commitment. But if you do it right, you will be rewarded with a much more cost effective move and the ability to do things your own way.