But it's also pretty common here to think that if you can do something yourself, you probably should, and save the money. So most people think "I'll move my stuff myself" before either doing that, or looking at their stuff and deciding it's worth paying someone instead.
A few years ago, a friend of mine asked me to help move. My wife and I helped him, but afterwards she said that she was never doing that again and that next time we'd just offer them some money towards the movers.
I didn't argue at the time, but I enjoy helping people move. It's a lot of work, which means it's good exercise, and you spend time with your friend on something that matters to them.
Also, I'm not sure how I'd offer that money without feeling like I'm looking down on them. It feels like a hand-out, not help. So I'll probably never do this, unless they straight up ask for money for a move.
I didn't understand why a friend with a good job wanted his friends to drag all his furniture across town and up 4 flights of stairs.
I'm invited to "help move" someone's stuff in September. He has booked movers, and says we'll drink beer while watching them unload, then have a party. That sounds like a good non-student version.
In other countries it is pretty common to hire people to do your move. Even Japan does that. Or, don't bother with stuff and rent furnished places.
> all your worldly possessions to some unseen third party
You mean like those storage facilities where people lock (and abandon) their stuff frequently? Yes, I wouldn't ship valuable stuff with them, for the most part, your furniture and posessions are valuable (in practice) only to yourself.
And while help from friends is cool, they're not "free work" per se you know. And there's a limit. I'm not helping you take a 3-seater sofa down a flight of stairs, sorry.