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Property/DIY

One-day move or two-day move?

26 replies

StuntedFrankenNun · 30/10/2013 07:17

We are in the sloooow process of completing our house sale and hope to be able to book our removal company this week. Due to having young children, one of whom has special needs and another is a baby, we are going to have a full packing service.. We have narrowed it down to two companies however one want to do the move in one day and the other wants to pack one day and move the next. The one-day move is correspondingly cheaper but I'm not convinced it's possible to pack a three-bedroom house and move all in one day. We are moving within the street so only 200 yards. I just look at our stacks of books and CDs and kids' toys and wonder whether a one-day move would be feasible. Has anyone using a packing service had it all done in the one day?

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ListWriter · 30/10/2013 07:27

Not used a packing service but does it depend on how many people they each have on the job?

StuntedFrankenNun · 30/10/2013 07:29

It's a three-man packing and removal service.

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ListWriter · 30/10/2013 07:33

For both companies?

mistlethrush · 30/10/2013 07:35

We had a packing service for a 3 bed house moving a few miles and they managed it in a day despite a 2 hr delay in being able to pick up the keys.

StuntedFrankenNun · 30/10/2013 07:38

Sorry it's a three-man team coming to do the packing and the moving. But my DH and I will be there as well so we could help pack so long as we wouldn't get in their way.

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fiorentina · 30/10/2013 07:38

We had a similar move and they packed the day before apart from bits we needed overnight, packed the truck the day of the move and we were out by 12.30. I would suggest packing and moving same day to be out by completion at around lunchtime may be ambitious assuming you are buying? Good luck.

neepsandtatties · 30/10/2013 07:39

Have used a packing service twice and both times have done the move over two days, but both times we were moving >100 miles away. The packing itself took from about 9 am til 3 pm. If you do it all in one day then it's going to be pretty miserable when they start unpacking at the other end at 4 pm (takes about 3-4 hours to unpack, meaning they wouldn't leave until about 8 pm). I woud definitely plan to stay at a hotel that night.

wonkylegs · 30/10/2013 07:39

With that size of house and removal distances it'll probably be ok.
We did a 2 day move but we had a large 5bed full of crap and had a 1.5hr drive between properties and we had 3 vans.
It actually was more like 1.5days but we did the packing.

StuntedFrankenNun · 30/10/2013 07:39

Both companies quoted for three men.

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Shosha1 · 30/10/2013 07:41

We have had packers on all our last few Forces moves, all were done in one day (and I was a CM with all the corresponding equipment)

ajandjjmum · 30/10/2013 07:44

As long as they've quoted for the same job, and their insurances offer the same (ie. they are responsible for any breakages that they packed), I'd use the cheaper one. As it's so close, that must make the job a lot easier all round.

Captainbarnacles1101 · 30/10/2013 07:49

We used packers the last time we moved from a 4 bed house to a 5 bed house approx 2 miles away. They had us packed and moved by 430! I'd recommend the 1 day service. Ps we had 4 kids toys and junk and they still managed it :)

SunnyUpNorth · 30/10/2013 07:52

Yes I think they probably could do it, at the end of the day if it takes them longer that's their problem as they've quoted the price.

We had a two man team to do our 3 bed flat. They were so efficient and just got on with it really quickly. We did have it over two days as we were moving from London to Cheshire. But I think one day for the same area would be ok, especially with a three man team.

I would personally keep Dh and your dad out of the way and let them get on with it.

Just make sure you have a case packed with clothes for each of you, wash things, pyjamas, maybe bed linen Etc. then should they be delayed you have everything for at least a night anyway. Plus it is good to have all that stuff to hand anyway even if they do it in time, saves you rummaging through boxes at 7 at night trying to find the childrens bedtime toys!

Good luck.

CMOTDibbler · 30/10/2013 07:52

For that distance, a one day move will be fine. Our last house was a three bed, jammed to the rafters, and it took them 5 hours to pack and load the lorry, even with everything being shuttled to the lorry by van. Took less than an hour to get everything in the new house

Maryann1975 · 30/10/2013 07:57

We had a two day move the last time with dc. They were so slow at packing. Started around 9 and didn't get finished packing till about 4. There was a lot of hanging around, having breaks, they just weren't rushing as they had no need to, they were being paid for the day. It was only a problem for us as we had a three hour drive after we had packed and the move was emotional enough without all the waiting around.
We also moved on a one day move previously (inc packing) when we only had one dc. By tea time we had unpacked the lounge, bedrooms and started in the kitchen. They were really quick.
We are due to move again in the near future and if we get packers again, they will have to be the quick kind! It has to be done in a day just to make them work at full speed.

mistlethrush · 30/10/2013 08:29

Ours did things like pick up the chests of drawers, fully loaded and carried them downstairs and put them on the lorry without unpacking any drawers - things like this (that you wouldn't dream of doing yourself) make things quite a bit quicker!

I was too ill to do very much - ours arrived at 7.30am and everything was packed up by 11.30 despite all the cupboards being full.

Shosha1 · 30/10/2013 10:00

Make sure you have cleared out anything that you dont want tho, our packers packed EVERYTHING including the miniscule drips in cleaning bottles I had been using, and the quarter toilet roll on the holder .

And dont do what DH did, have your slippers on, they packed all his shoes!

And dont try and help, go and get some lunch, you will only get in their way.

Anything you dont want them to pack, box and put in your car.

We took our own TV, laptops and such.

Shosha1 · 30/10/2013 10:03

And dont stand still, they will pack you :) We used Whites last time, but have had Amishaws as well (we get no choice in the Forces, but both were fairly good)

SolomanDaisy · 30/10/2013 10:05

Ours managed it in one day. There was a bit of a delay getting to the new house and they got in an extra crew, who had finished their job, to help unpack.

SolomanDaisy · 30/10/2013 10:06

Oh and don't bother trying to help, they know what they're doing. I went to work for the morning!

orangepudding · 30/10/2013 10:10

I had three companies over last week and all said they would pack day before. I also have a three bed house and am moving just a few streets away.

StuntedFrankenNun · 30/10/2013 10:11

Thanks for all the useful advice, I'm a bit less worried about the whole thing now. I'm just fed up of waiting for a completion date!

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deepfriedsage · 30/10/2013 21:21

Why would you want them to unpack? As it is local go for the one day service.

icklekid · 31/10/2013 04:54

How long a chain is it?if your at the end 1 day is fine but if there are a few houses all wanting to move and your first then I'm sure everyone below would be amazingly greatful if you were packed the day before...although that's not a reason to do it...if I knew I could get keys early I would do the 2 days so I could start unpacking! The house we bought were packing until 3 so we didn't get keys until 3.30 so person buying ours didn't get them until 5 as we had to do 2 trips. Hence why I would have loved our sellers to pack night before!

StuntedFrankenNun · 31/10/2013 07:38

We're the only ones moving: the house we're moving into is empty and our purchasers are first-time buyers but I think they want to do some work in the house (new kitchen etc.) before they move in.

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