Moving with the military? Learn about household goods moves, personally procured moves (PPMs), and partial PPMs to find the option that's right for you.
Article: 4 minutes
Updated: August 17, 2026 Published: September 6, 2022
By: USAA Reviewed by: Editorial contributors
Permanent Change of Station (PCS) moves are a regular part of military life, and service members typically have a choice in how they relocate: a household goods move that is managed by the government or a personally procured move, often called a DITY move. Each option comes with different responsibilities, costs, risks, and potential financial benefits. Understanding the advantages and trade-offs of each approach can help military families choose the moving strategy that best fits their circumstances and make their next PCS as smooth as possible.
Most service members move every two to four years. Each time, they have a choice to make: Should they let the military move them, a household goods move, or should they do it themselves, a personally procured move, affectionately known as a DITY move?
Understanding the differences between a household goods move or a DITY move can help you make the decision when your next permanent change of station, or PCS, comes around.
Video Duration: 3 minutes 20 seconds
In the military a few things are certain, early mornings and moving. Most military members move every two to three years, but how does that actually work? You have two options for how your belongings are moved, a full military move or a personally procured move.
In a full military move, the military's transportation management office takes care of your move. They schedule a company to pack your belongings, move them to your next duty station, and then unpack in your new home.
In a personally procured move, also known as a do-it-yourself move, you move yourself to your next duty station. You are responsible for loading, transporting and unloading all of your household items.
Which one should you choose? Let's look at a few factors that might help you decide.
The good news is the military will cover the cost of your move from one duty station to the next. However, if you select a personally procured move, they will only reimburse at most what would have cost them if they coordinated it through a moving company.
If your personally procured move costs less than what the military would have paid you, you get to keep the extra. However, if it costs more, then you pay the difference out of pocket. For example, if the military will pay you $5,000 to move and you do it for $3,000, you get to keep the $2,000 that is left over.
However, if your personally procured move costs $6,000, you will pay $1,000 out of pocket. Also, keep in mind that you will pay for the personally procured move up front. And the military will reimburse you after the move is complete.
A full military move is less work for you and your family because someone else does all the heavy lifting. However, it does require you to ensure that all your household items are accounted for on the moving company's manifest, a comprehensive list of all your belongings. In a personally procured move, you are responsible for loading, transporting and unloading all your items, which can be significantly more effort.
In a full military move, the military insures all household items transported by the moving company. And any insurance claims for damaged items go through the military. Remember to make sure all your items are accounted for on the manifest as the military won't reimburse you for items not listed on the manifest.
In a personally procured move, you are responsible for the safety of your items. Make sure you have adequate insurance coverage for any potential theft or damage. Some military members opt to combine a full military move and a personally procured move. This is called a partial personally procured move or partial do-it-yourself move.
In this case, you let the military move the majority of your household items, but you personally move a few things that are either irreplaceable or needed before the movers arrive.
You are probably carrying baby books, your safe, and sheets, and towels for temporary lodging anyway. So why not get paid to move these items? Also, you'll have peace of mind from knowing your most precious items are taken care of.
For more information about making your next PCS as smooth as possible, please visit usaa.com/militarymoving.
Description of visual information: [This material is for informational purposes. Consider your own financial circumstances carefully before making a decision and consult with your tax, legal or estate planning professional.
USAA means United Services Automobile Association and its affiliates.
No Department of Defense or government agency endorsement.
Information last reviewed as of January 2023 and is subject to change.] End of description.
A household goods move is pretty straightforward. The military’s transportation office schedules a company to come and pack your belongings, move them to your next duty station and generally set the house back up.
You will still have some work such as putting pictures on the wall, setting up your child’s playroom and organizing your office, for example. However, the movers will reassemble the beds, put boxes in the correct rooms and place furniture exactly where you want it. This may be the biggest benefit: They will take all the packing materials away, leaving you with a clean and relatively clutter-free home.
During a household goods move, your main responsibility is to ensure each box is labeled with a manifest sticker and the contents of the box is listed accurately on the manifest. Valuable items should get their own manifest sticker. Making sure every item or box that goes into the moving truck is labeled is how you’ll track your items and will make it easier to file a claim if something comes up missing.
This is the exact opposite of a household goods move. You move yourself, which means you are responsible for packing, loading, transportation and unloading.
But you don’t have to do all the heavy lifting yourself. You can hire someone to help you, especially when it comes to moving the larger items — though it’s worth noting that the military is full of friends who might be willing to help you move for the cheap price of pizza and their favorite beverage.
During a DITY move, you will probably need to rent a truck, trailer or equipment to help you move your items, like a furniture dolly. Make sure to account for these costs when making your moving budget. You can find discounts on these items at USAA Perks®.
As you decide between a household goods move and a personally procured move, there are a few things to consider. Ask yourself these questions to help guide this decision.
The good news is that the military will cover the cost of your move from one duty station to the next. Each person, based on the size of their family and rank, receives PCS entitlements. You’ll be given a weight limit, and as long as your goods are at or below this weight, the full cost of the move is covered. If your goods weigh more than the limit, you’ll have to pay the overage.
If you choose to do a DITY move, the military will pay you what it would have cost them to move you. If you can move yourself for less, you get to keep the difference. However, if it costs you more, you pay the difference out of your own pocket.
With a DITY move, most branches authorize you to receive advance payment of up to 60% of the cost of the move. If you spend more than this amount, you will need to pay the rests of the costs upfront and get reimbursed at the end of your move.
This is one reason we believe in having a PCS fund worth $2,000 plus whatever is required to move items the military won’t move like an RV or a boat.
Keep this PCS fund in a dedicated savings account. If you know your DITY move will cost more, have a plan to save for it before your next PCS comes around. This is a better option than racking up potential interest charges on a credit card.
Having someone come pack up your home is easier than doing it yourself. If you have small children, it can be stressful to find time to pack while taking care of them. It’s often easier to let someone else do the work.
At the other end of the move, the military member often must hit the ground running at the new duty station, leaving the responsibility of setting up the home to the spouse. Having movers unpack things and get you settled can make things easier for your spouse, as well.
In a household goods move, any damage is covered by the military through the moving company’s insurance. It’s their responsibility. If they break your 80-inch flat screen TV, they replace it.
But in a personally procured move, you’re responsible for the safety of your items. Both auto and homeowner’s insurance may cover personal items damaged by covered perils like theft or fire (after deductibles) but they often won't cover if you simply drop and break something. If you hire a company to move your stuff, a renter’s policy might provide coverage if you are under a bill of lading. This is where the fine print of your policy comes into play. The best course of action is to ask your insurance provider and know when you are or aren’t covered.
For example: If your 80-inch flat screen is damaged in a wreck, it could be covered under your auto insurance policy. But if you drop your flat screen while loading it on the truck, it probably won’t be covered, even by a renters policy.
So yes, you could be taking on more risk by moving yourself than with a household goods move. But then again, the movers might not take as much care with your stuff as you will, so it could be a toss-up.
Want help with your move, but also want to manage a few things yourself? Consider a partial personally procured move, or partial DITY. In this case, you let the military move the majority of your household items, but you move a few things that are either irreplaceable or that you’ll need before the movers arrive with everything else.
This is a common approach. The military pays the military member to move the items they want to handle themselves, like their safe, family photo albums, and sensitive electronics. Plus, the military family often needs to clean their new home before the movers arrive so part of that partial DITY can include a vacuum and mop.
It could be a little bit more work, but these items might we coming with you anyway, so you might as well get paid to do what you were going to do all along.
Check out our PCS checklist and tailored advice.