Is a removals service worth it?

[YesEllis]

Moving 45 mins away, 3 bed house to 4 bed house, we have lots of stuff.. been quoted £440 for removals, option £125 on top for packing service. DH insisting we can do it ourselves for £100 if we hire a van for the day, says that it isn't worth the money we could save and spend on nice new things for the house.

Surely it's worth it? We both work, we have young kids, surely it's just so much easier to pay and have it largely sorted for us?

Last time we moved we had nothing so did it ourselves, but we've got so much now (+ 2 kids we didn't have last time!) I just can't imagine the stress of trying to DIY it.

My Dh is your dh. We’ve moved twice and both times he’s insisted it would be a waste of money. He borrowed a friend’s horse box to move everything and guess who did ALL the packing (as well as look after the dc etc etc)?
Due to muggins doing the lion’s share of the work, he still thinks we did the right thing and removal fees are a waste of money…

Oh god yes, get the removals people in. I’m never doing that again !

I cannot imagine just me and dh moving everything. Carrying your couches and beds and fridge etc out of the house, in to a van and unloading again. I’d imagine in a hire van that would take you all day. Removals have lorries or more than one van. You’ve got to think about timing of completion- you’ll need to have everything out. In a family sized 3 bed house that would be so hard just two of you with kids around!

Oh my god so worth it! I've never had packers but movers are wonderful. They will put all your furniture back together including beds! Then all you have to do is make them, have a takeaway and get in them!

And they are fast! The van was packed one end in an hour and unpacked this end in a hour! Doing it yourself will take all day!

Book it, book it today!
My dh had the amazing idea of hiring a van when we moved. There were only two of us moving from a small terraced house, but Dear God in Heaven it was dire. We went back and forth the whole day and just gave up at midnight and collapsed in a heap. Absolutely never again.
I had previously moved house and the removal guys came in and were like a whirlwind, they even unscrewed things off the walls, and seemed to hardly take any time at all, it was amazing!

That quote is so cheap I'd be concerned

Fine if you were saving thousands, money is really tight or you've got older, helpful kids.

But with young DCs? It will be a complete and utter ball ache and y
That will be £400 well spent

Paying for packing when we last moved house (with a toddler and while pregnant) was literally some of the best money I've ever spent - and it was a lot more than your quote.

We're paying £230 to move from a 2 bed flat to 3 bed house, we're in Manchester. Had the same debate with my partner but we'll have a 2 month old and a 1 year old so no way I was going to attempt it!

We've always just booked a man with a van, packed up well, with labelled rooms, and saved literally thousands.
Good to have a good sort out first, and then you aren't packing rubbish.
We don'teven buy boxes, just ask at supermarket, they have some very sturdy ones, free.
No week off work, just started doing it when we knew we were moving.
To begin with it will be slow as you obviously need most things until close to moving, but some things you can start immediately.
We are moving in a couple of years been put back, but I'd already started packing the unnecessary for now stuff.

If you’re selling and in a chain then you might struggle to get everything out in reasonable time if you do it yourselves and potentially incur penalties. Packing service is the best thing ever, just having the beds put back together at the other end is amazing - last thing you want to have to do at end of long stressful day

10000 x worth it. We didn't have the packing service, just removals plus dismantling and making up all the beds and they plumb/plug in white goods as standard. They made the day go so smoothly, it was great as I could start sorting out the kitchen bits and stuff for the first night while they put all the furniture in the right place in the right rooms. Also because they were so good most of our furniture with items in they said to leave it all in there and not bother packing it, they just wrapped it to stop everything falling out.

Have you seen reviews for the removal company?

Moved ourselves once never again( and it was a smaller house than yours) pay for removals!

It's absolutely worth it. Professional movers are practised and insured. What if you abd hubby accidentally damage the property you're leaving when you move heavy furniture? What if you do damage to your back? I'm all for saving money but think pro movers are necessary

Best money I ever spent was getting packing as well as removals. First time work paid as it was a work related move; what a revelation!. Ever since I budget for the full monty.

So so worth it. It will take weeks of your time and stress to pack around your life and kids. For £125, they come the day before, pack absolutely everything (they will pack a dirty tissue left on the windowsill or pencil shavings left on a desk so make sure to have a good declutter of anything you don't want to take with you) and you don't even have to think about it.

Omg it is the best money ever ever spent. So not also it yourself if you can afford not to!

Moving yourself is something you do when you're child free and broke in your twenties. Once you have kids and an income that can cover it then PAY SOMEONE

Ffs. Do not do it yourself if you can afford not to

Definitely worth every penny, especially if you get the packing service. Especially when you factor in having to get hold of the right boxes (including things like wardrobe boxes, so clothes are moved on their hangers).
Our movers also managed awkward furniture without dismantling it, because they had the right equipment which we wouldn’t have had if we’d done it ourselves. And they dismantled and rebuilt the beds.
Saving your energy for unpacking and settling in can make the difference between being all set up in a few days and living surrounded by boxes for weeks.

@Golden2021

Yes, there are different levels. It's expensive but worth every penny.

In the scheme of moving, especially if you're paying stamp duty, it's not expensive.

@mrstea301

It's worth it 100%!!! Before we moved into our current house, we had moved three times in three years, and always did it ourselves, but we have sworn that any future moves will be done by lovers. It's so much less hassle and they can do it so much faster!

Do you have to pay them, @mrstea301, or do you provide other recompense?

(Sorry, could not resist)

100% worth it, get the packing service.

Thing is if you don’t pay you’re gonna have to use unpaid labour which is fine if your friendship group works like that ( ie you all help each other out with hard physical Labour) but not if you need to beg a favour you can’t repay. Would you actually be able to carry, say, a washing machine, between you? I think it would be super stressful with kids in tow as someone needs to keep an eye on them. Plus it could be pissing with rain etc. We moved recently and it took 3 guys less than 20 mins to empty, dismantle and wrap a loft bed and a 5x5 IKEA Billy unit. They started 8:30 ( full packing required) and we were fully in the new place by 3:30. I like to get them to pick but let me unpack at my leisure.