Packing service?

[Powerless]

Morning 😴 I woke up at 11pm and have been up worrying about my impending house move (primarily packing) ever since.

For context, I'm disabled (not quite wheelchair bound...yet!), have a 3yr old daughter who I'm a full time lone parent of and I live in a 3 story house! I don't have family who can or are willing to help.
Sooooo.... Should I look into a packing service?

What I'm asking is, those of you who've used a packing service:

Is it expensive?
How much do they actually pack?
How much do they unpack?
How long does it take for a small-ish un-cluttered house?
How much roughly do you think will be the ball park figure I'll be quoted for a very small 3 bed townhouse (with minimal furniture, one room has none, only toys) and no garage? I know it will vary a lot - I'm up in North Yorkshire, not London or South East! - but are we talking like £500/£600??? I'm dreading getting the quotes!
Am I being daft?!

Thanks 

NoUnicorns We had three companies round to quote and they were all happy to do the loft too.

Ours was happy to do the loft but it would have cost an additional £180 which is why we did it ourselves especially as I knew there was a lot of stuff up there that could be chucked.

Slightly off topic but Crown Removals in Ilkley is very good.

We moved in July. From a 4 bed to a 4 bed. (with garage) In Cambridgeshire.
The removals were £1000. The packing service was £500. The best £500 ever spent.

Is it expensive? yes. but worth it. It depends on how much needs moving.

How much do they actually pack? Absolutely everything. Everything.
So you really want it all in the right locations before they start!

How much do they unpack? They don't 'unpack' as such. Ours labelled it all, so it (mostly) went to the right rooms. They also put the furniture in the correct rooms. I unpacked everything myself, and they came back and collected all the boxes when I was ready.

How long does it take for a small-ish un-cluttered house? We we had a large cluttered house. They sent a team of about 5 youngish blokes. It took them about 3 hours to pack up everything apart from beds and the telly.
They came back the next morning to load up the vans. They dismantled the beds for us. Then they moved us in the afternoon. It was all done by 3pm (including reassembling beds)

How much roughly do you think will be the ball park figure I'll be quoted for a very small 3 bed townhouse. No idea.

Am I being daft?! God no. I recommend packing to EVERYONE who is moving.

We always get the removals to pack and have been very impressed. It’s not too expensive either.

Just pack any valuables yourself.

I've just moved, from a two bed flat. Lone parent with very limited family support only and a non-mobile and relatively placid 7mo (plus a school aged child), no disabilities. I bloody wish I'd paid for packers, packing took ages with the baby constantly in tow and was shit. Given I still paid a couple of men with a van to move it all, and bought boxes and tape and wrapping paper etc, I don't feel like the amount I saved was really worth it. Next time I move I am 100% getting packers in.

*'and only', not 'only and'. (I went back and added stuff in the wrong place. 🙄)

My elderly DM moved earlier this year. We used the packing service, they also did the loft (some firms don't). To repeat what everyone else has said, they pack everything. They are like locusts. One thing you may find is that they use more packing materials than you might, but that does mean everything should be packed well.

You need to tell them if there is anything you need to leave (they might end up packing your bins!) Also, it might be an idea if you ask them to leave a chair as the one of the last things to pack, so you have something to sit on. DH and I ended up sitting on the floor and my DM on a small footstool as they finished packing her flat.

They didn't unpack for my DM, so I don't know if that is a service they offer. We didn't need it as DM was moving near to us, so we could help her unpack.

We did this for my Mum and Dad and would recommend it. They even keep clothes on the coat hanger. It means moving literally takes the day and not you having to live surrounded by boxes. It included all the packing material. We priced that up separately and the actual cost of the 'packing' was next to nothing. We knew we'd struggle to get free stuff. We were advised not to bother with unpacking as all they do is take out and put into a flat surface so not away. As others have said just make sure you have a few basic essentials like the kettle.

Can I tell you my very best packing story EVER?

So, we were living at the seaside outside Rome and transferring to the Midlands. The deal was an Italian Co. would pack up and our stuff would be picked up by a B'ham co. at Calais to put into storage in Birmingham.

I chose a local to us Italian company cos I'd seen them grow over the years from two brothers with a little van driving round our village to...gasp!...a badged International Company !!

They came, they packed, and away they went.

This happened just before Easter. When we unpacked our boxes we found some extras....a large yellow Peter Rabbit clutching an Easter Egg for kiddo, and 2 bottles of wine,one red and one white, for us!

How fucking fantastic was that?

£200 on top of just removals and I frequently tell people its the up there with the best money I’ve ever spent. I’d pay double that for the same service if we ever move again. Absolutely essential if you have kids IMO.

One tip I’d give is to really organise your stuff before hand though. Have a sort out and get rid of stuff you don’t need any more. Make sure everything is in the right room to correspond with where it should end up at the other end. Might as well with all the time you save by not having to pack and it saves so much time when unpacking.

Also an idea to pack the essentials and valuables into a couple of boxes to take in your car with you. I took kettle and mugs etc, all our important paperwork and the laptop. Oh and the salt and vinegar for the fish and chips we ate out of the paper on the first night in the new place

Just jumping in here to say I packed myself and probably spent £300 on boxes and wrapping stuff without thinking of my time spent