Would I be mad to try and pack up our house myself?

[plipplops]

We're moving in 2 weeks (just exchanged contracts), completing on a Thursday. Previously we've always had the removal people pack everything up for us and it's pretty effortless.

For complicated reasons, the removal co will now need to pack up our stuff maybe on the Monday/Tuesday into boxes, then we'll move on the Thursday.

If it's going to be a 3/4 days of disruption, rather than them sweep in Wednesday and pack us up to move Thursday, should I just take a couple of days (Tue/Wed) and do it myself? Would save maybe £550 which we can afford but money is a bit tight.

4 bed semi, 2 teenagers, reasonable amount of stuff but not bonkers? Autistic DD who is going to struggle with the move in any case, so I'm half wondering whether us doing it rather than having strangers in the house might be better.

Would really appreciate any thoughts....Thanks!

Yes, I've not used them myself yet but next time I move I'm using that service.
My neighbours moved and they used packers. Three packers, done and in the new place same day. Some breakage, but if its special to you, you should sort that out yourself. I'd rather my sentimental items were left to me anyway.
Looks brilliant to me. Also if I wasnt terribly uncoordinated it's a job I'd love to do.

We’ve moved 9 times, including to 3 different countries, and have always packed ourselves. To be honest I thought they was just standard.

Two years ago when my neighbours moved, it was a one bed bungalow and cost £550 for the packing element. All done in same day.

I was dead jealous. It was the first time I'd heard of the service.
Btw they were elderly, a bit doddery and the house was rammed with stuff. It was money well spent for them.

I think the only tiny downside would be the decluttering that comes with packing yourself. Not enough of a downside for me.

I've always done it myself as I like to declutter each room before packing. I don't like moving stuff I don't need from old house to new house. DH does the loft and shed very early on. Last time we did it with 3 children and I was pregnant, we had a lot of help from friends and family that time though as I couldn't lift anything heavy.

We've moved a lot in the last 10 years (mostly as a result of being unfortunate in renting, landlords selling etc) but have also relocated twice and now own a home. We packed ourselves on each occasion and also hired a van and did the moving ourselves (+ a couple of DP's friends to help with any heavy lifting).

It's obviously some hard graft but it's always been fine, all I'd say is just start far earlier than you think you need to so you don't put yourself in a position where time isn't on your side and stress enters the equation and label absolutely everything by room/where it came from and where it will go.

If/when we move next time we will have to use a removal company for the heavy lifting etc but that's only because we now live too far away from home for anyone we know well to reasonably help or for it to be feasible to go back and forth in a smallish van ferrying loads. Will still pack ourselves because we're just used to it.

It all depends though doesn't it, if you are well off and the expense of paying others makes no difference then you may as well, equally it depends how much stuff you have at home and how feasible it is in your time frame. We've always been fairly minimalist so it wasn't hugely overwhelming. Now we own we've invested in some additional furniture so there will be more to move and more we'd need help with.

I've moved twice relatively recently. Did packing myself with last minute help from movers.

If you factor in cost of packing cases, tape etc, it is not a huge amount extra for packing service. They will also remove packaging which is a big bonus. No mountains of newspaper/bubble wrap and boxes ...

Twice I've had packets when moving with the army and never again. They lost my entire wardrobe of clothes (was pregnant at the time so didn't realise as I left the boxes of clothes in the basement that I didn't need till ex-h got back from deployment. They also packed the rubbish bag. As in took the bag out the bin, tied it up and put it in a box. That was nice the following week when we got it all back after travelling across Europe

@UserNameSameGame · Yesterday 17:19

So if you have packers do you literally just leave them to it?

Yes

Surely there must be a bunch of stuff you have to do yourself?

I pack cats, dogs, an a laundry basket with supplies for hot drinks; and a box of confidential papers. They do the rest; i

Or can you literally just make sure the dishwasher and washing machine are empty, walk away, and find everything all boxed up and ready to unpack at your new house?

Boxed up? No way. At the other end they unpack everything to its equivalent spot (kitchen cupboards, clothes in drawers and wardrobes,books in book cases) reassemble the beds and remake them with the bedding that was on each bed when they came to pack. Then they take away all the packing materials when they leave. No mess, all is serene and comfortable.

The speed they work at is phenomenal; a team of packers can do in one day what would take me weeks.

I have only had one move with packers, and that was when I separated from my XH and the army paid.

I have moved lots of times by myself since, but if I had the money, I’d absolutely use a packing service again.

As you have an autistic DD who has never moved house before, if you can reduce the stress on you all it’d definitely be worth it. (My DS is autistic and his room is his haven too)

All the best with your move!

Just to add, you could use the extra time to concentrate on just packing your DDs room/ helping her pack her room, it might be less stressful and more organised than strangers touching her things.

I would have thought it’s quite normal to move without professional packers, we did last year. 4 bed house, 2 kids and dog. We just paid for removal van for everything to go in

So, I work in self storage so can see it both sides
Yeah it's cheaper to pack it yourself, but the number of people I see who are so stressed out because they haven't given themselves enough time and wish they'd got help
Ok the other side, I have seen people who have used packers but hate the excess packaging they use.
When I last moved 6 years ago we did out ourselves, and have decided never again!

OMG they unpack for you too???!!!!!!!!

So I could just take the family for a short break, shutting the door on one house with all our stuff in it, and opening the door on the new house a couple of days later with everything ready for us? 😃❤🎉

If I had known this then we would have moved YEARS ago!

Yep. Get them to do the lot. Go out for lunch and leave them to it.

I used the removals packing service when I moved and I wouldn't ever move again unless I had someone else pack. It was brilliant. They turned up at 9am I went out and left them to it and when I came home everything was packed.

Because I was moving into storage it had to be done on the Friday and the van came on the Monday so I just stuck postit notes on stuff not to.pack and they left my bed assembled until the Monday.