GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KKCO) - The battered economy has affected many businesses. But the moving industry has suffered a double whammy between high gas prices and the housing market crash. New home sales have dropped to the lowest rate in 50 years. With the unemployment line stretching, less people are buying and moving.

"Business was great until September of '08. It was like somebody shut off the valve. People stopped moving because of the housing crisis," says Mike Hetland, owner of Total Move in Grand Junction.

Mike and Gay Hetland bought Total Move four years ago, after Mike was laid off. The new movers weren't expecting the housing market to plummet. "We've tightened our belts, and cut our crews down," says Gay Hetland.

Brenda and Kevin Jones served as their own crew, moving the majority of their home in Fruita to a new house in Grand Junction, with muscle and a loaner truck.

"We were just looking to save a little bit more and do some ourselves. We borrowed a trailer from a friend and shuffled things over," says Kevin Jones.

But Saturday, the couple split the work, using Total Move to haul their heaviest items and some other furniture into a U-Haul, that Kevin will deliver to his parent's house.

"They're great. This is the second time we've used them. If we moved again, we'd definitely use them," says Kevin.

These day, more people seem to be renting a truck and loading up themselves, which local movers say is a risk. "A lot of people don't understand that there is a technique when packing truck. If the truck's not packed right, things get broken. And if you don't wrap the items right, damage can happen to house," says Gay.

"Somebody may get hurt. Your own insurance will have to cover that," says Mike.

But a do–it–yourself move may not always save you dollars. "With smaller moves, a lot of times you'll save money with us because we'll bring the truck, labor, everything. It'll cost you a couple hundred dollars which is comparable to them (rental trucks)," says Mike.

But saving on stress is still most important for some customers. "It's a much smoother process. We probably save marriages," says Gay.

Movers say that while they wait out the bad economy, they aren't able to use their specialized trucks for much else, since other types of cargo will ruin the trailer for furniture. But small moving companies say they'll keep on truckin' until the economy gets a lift.