Did you get your things packed for you when you moved house?

[eleanorsimon]

It's only a few hundred pounds more to get everything packed for you but how does it all actually work? Do you get a team of people throwing stuff in random boxes.

DH doesn't like the idea of people going through our things but I think moving house is going to be stressful enough with two little ones.

Did you have your things packed and would you recommend it? Anything break or get lost?

We did, and I'd highly recommend it. Rather than anything getting lost, we arrived with more than we expected - because they even packed the rubbish that I'd left on a windowsill! Nothing broken at all. No embarrassment felt at what they had to pack, no judgement, they were very professional.

We opted for the packing service to minimise stress for ourselves and our disabled son. They came whilst he was at school one day, packed the majority of stuff by 3pm - leaving us with furniture and essentials - and took the boxes away to their compound overnight. The next day they delivered the boxes to the new house, then came for the furniture etc during school hours and moved that.

Yes best money I spent during my move. I had an 11mo and a 3 yo at the time so the service was worth it's weight in gold. So so easy. Though they did underestimate DH shed
Also I'm fairly sure your stuff isn't insured to the same level if you pack it yourself.

It was great having someone to pack for me - however it's a bit disconcerting not knowing exactly where everything is! I'm still not sure on a couple of things five years later.

We moved a lot in the last ten years and I could never manage without packers. You can keep a box separate for personal items and they label each box with the room on it.

Yes and it was absolutely brilliant.

They were really careful with everything and packed it in a more organised way than I would have. They definitely don’t just chuck stuff in. Everything was brilliantly labelled & they really understood what we’d need the day we moved eg the box with the plug in landing night light had that labelled as part of the contents as of course you will definitely want that with young dc first night in a new house (whereas I know I would have just chucked it in a box & not thought to specifically label where it was).

I would have paid them triple, they made the move so much easier!

It is worth every single penny and more on top! Especially with children.

Absolutely amazing. Can do in a morning what would take you a week. They move to fast to be prying through your stuff - they are amazing!

Not a single breakage, everything exactly where it should be. And I found it easier to declutter when unpacking (‘can I be arsed to find a place for this? No? Off it goes.’) than when I’m packing.

Yes! Several times. It's brilliant. All insured, everything is wrapped individually (plates, cups etc..) and they even reassembled my bed frame last time! Clothes went on a mobile hanging unit and it took seconds for my bedroom, at least, to be usable.

Yes and would definitely recommend. You just need to make sure you're very clear if there's anything you don't want them to pack, even if it seems obvious.

Yes. Best money ever spent. Packed everything up as is and then unpacked where I asked. Amazing!

I would also say it’s very well worth it too.

Yes twice. It was absolutely amazing, took them a bout three hours and they did an amazing job. Check if you are fully insured for breakages if you don't use a full packing service.
We moved last time without a full packing service. The new house is now completely de cluttered and I know where everything is. We chucked so much stuff. But I spent at least a hour a day packing and throwing stuff for a month. It was terrible! It was a year ago and i am still not emotionally recovered 😂

Yes. Moved lots and always had packers to pack.
So much less stress and much less time consuming
but also if anything is broken then the packers insurance the packers insurance replaces it.

Yes, numerous times. It's worth every single penny. It also means that everything is covered under their insurance.

We used them and I would never pack myself now. They are total packing ninjas, the most ridiculously efficient service ever.
Moveable units (chest of drawers etc) are literally wrapped/taped up and moved ‘whole’ - they aren’t faffing about opening drawers etc and poking about your stuff - they don’t have time for that.
It’s like a military operation. Amazing people.

No, I didn’t find it to bad to pack myself, and it gave me the opportunity to have a clear out as well.

Yes, absolutely brilliant.

They pack much quicker, much more organised and more efficiently than I ever could. If it suits you, number the rooms in your old house and the rooms in your new house with post-it notes. Then everything from Room 1 will end up in Room 1 at the new place. That may not be it's final destination but at least you'll know where to find everything.

Get them to include putting bed frames back together at the destination and make sure they all have fresh-ish linens on the day before you move. Then at the other end, all you will need to do is throw the bed clothes on the bed and you have somewhere ready to sleep - the most important thing!

I had a couple of suitcases full of stuff I knew I would need immediately (toothbrushes, spare clothes etc) and all my underwear so they didn't have to pack that.

Last time I moved I went out for the day while the reovers packed my house up. I checked in at the end of the day to make sure everything was clear and then met them at the new house the following morning.

Definitely worth it. They're fast because they're thinking about how packing works and not getting distracted by all of the thoughts about do I want this? What category does it really go in? Etc. They just pack. And they pack well. Everything secure, everything wrapped, which box is for which room, it's all just done. They're insured for breakages, they'll put your beds up for you, you can literally get in your car, drive there and have all your stuff pre organised plus somewhere to sleep and somewhere to sit. I echo a pp that when moved without packers it took me around a month of sorting and packing every night after work, whereas they did it in half a day. What's a month of your life worth? £300? Then book them.

It's amazing and so worth the money. I would never move without getting packers in again.

Yes. When I was single and moved from a two bed flat to a little house I packed myself. Never, ever again. I finished at 5am on moving day.

The other bonus of having packers is that if they pack and something gets broken the insurance is watertight. If you pack it and something breaks no so much so.

Last move was a big one including a piano and walls of books. Packers arrived at 7.30am on day one, team of 4, and packed until about 5pm. Took lorry one away leaving us with largely empty furniture. Lorry two and team arrived at 8am on moving day and had everything that was left on the lorry by about 11.00am. Then the cleaners came.

Money and keys were delayed and we couldn't start unloading until 4.30pm. The men were incredibly helpful and quick and had everything unloaded and in the correct rooms - all the boxes were colour coded by about 8pm.

I am very glad that I had booked an hotel for moving in night. I knew that we would want comfortable beds and a cooked meal in comfort before going back the next morning to start unpacking and letting in Sky and Talk Talk, etc.,

The only other bit of advice I have for you OP, is if you can avoid it, don't break your ankle the week before!

We packed the sensitive stuff in advance and then the Packers came in and packed everything. Worth every penny.

DH said we should pack ourselves. I put my foot down and insisted on packers. Just as well, on the week up to and including moving day he had a hideous week at work. I would have had to pack the whole lot myself with a toddler in tow. Instead, the packers turned up, i pointed them to the cokes and biscuits and went out. Came back a few hours later and it was all done, just had to run the hoover round. I swear it saved our marriage

And they put all the beds, sofas and drawers set up properly in the right rooms as well as all the labelled boxes, which made unpacking easier too.

No. Packed just the breakables myself and stored them at DP's. Took forever. If we ever move again I'll most definitely cough for packing.

I wish. Can't afford a few extra £100s to move

What they all said. Best money ever spent. Spend your time decluttering instead of packing. They will pack everything, including rubbish if you've left it around.

They pack so much better and quicker than I ever would. And they don't empty drawers etc (unless they are built in and therefore staying in the house). They just move the whole chest of drawers with drawers still full.

They come the day before and super efficiently whiz through every room like a plague of locusts. Our loaded mist in to their lorry just leaving us with a bed, sofa, TV and basic crockery overnight. Came back the next day, loaded big items then we went

Do it, you won't regret it