Removal company vs friends helping

[RealSwan]

We are moving in hopefully a months time (literally 3 minutes drive)
been quoted £2500 to move using companies with packing or £1900 to move without packing.
Around £180 to hire a Luton van for 48hrs the use of a family friends van also and lots of friends family volunteered to help.
DH parents gifted us some money to help with moving now angry we want to do it ourselves.
We have plenty other expenses this could help towards. AIBU? Seems like a waste of money to me…they wouldn’t offer to help us anyway. We do have two small children but one probably at nursery that day anyway and my parents around to help

Remember the movers rebuild all your beds etc too which makes a real difference

Best money I ever spent, getting in a company to do it all for us. I’ll never do it without again.

I’d never move myself again. Packers for sure. Worth it 100%. (They will pack everything - even dead flowers in a vase - so be warned).

A friend offered her husband to help move me once. I was desperate so accepted his - her! - offer. Some of my family members also willingly volunteered. As soon as friend's H arrived I could tell he was there under sufferance but he certainly worked hard. However, he injured his back and is still suffering from it. I see them every so often and am made to feel guilty every time. Believe me, I do feel guilty!
Another thing to consider is that you will have to do a uberclean of the empty house before settlement deadline. Having professional help could give you much more time to do this.
Having called upon the help of family/friends in the past, I used professionals for my last move and I would definitely do it that way again. Not that there will be a next time.

I would absolutely pay for the professionals.
Years ago when it was just me emptying a flat we hired a van which my dad drove. My partner had an estate car and I had a normal sized car. A two bedroom flat of only one person filled the lot. I clearly collected a lot of stuff.

I always say I would never move now as with two adults and two children I cannot imagine how we would fit it all into a van plus I can't imagine the stress of packing everything. Every now and then I daydream looking at houses on right move but the thought of actually moving puts me right off.

We also hired a Luton van for 48 hours. We started packing it up the afternoon/evening before and headed over on the first run once we had the keys. I had underestimated how much time it would take to pack up the last bits for the second run so we didn't leave our house until early evening which I think was a bit annoying for our buyers. But at that distance it's very doable as long as you have everything ready and packed the day before. And saves hundreds of pounds. It was more stressful on the day but worth it.

They probably gave you the money because they don't want to help with moving your stuff. To put it bluntly, moving house (if you have an average amount if stuff or more) is a bloody awful slog, especially when under time pressure, and I wouldn't want to do it for myself let alone help anyone else to do it....

It took a full day, two trips and 6 strong removal men to move us. Similar quote to what you received. We packed for ourselves but they put everything where we wanted it, dismantled and reassembled wardrobes, beds etc. Worth every penny.

4 years ago we paid £1500 (no packing included) to move 3 miles. It was worth every penny and I wouldn’t hesitate to do it again. The time before we moved ourselves using a van and DH had a terrible rheumatoid arthritis flare up and my back never recovered so… 🤷‍♀️

There's no way a Luton van and I assume a transit(?) would fit my house contents in. You're aware you have to have everything out and packed to do in a single trip?

Absolutely this. It's much harder work and a bigger job than you think. Professional movers who pack for you would be my choice every time. It's worth every penny to reduce the stress.

Use professionals. Get some other quotes maybe but don't try and do it yourself - takes far longer than you think and as pointed out, you have to get out of your house promptly.

It's not about distance, you are paying for expertise and experience (and insurance) - removal men are fantastic, they know how to get things in and out of tight corners and can estimate space, and they will dismantle and put together beds, tables etc in no time. I did a DIY move once, never again.

If in-laws have given you the money, use it!

This, most definitely. We last moved in 2007, but the removals guys were very efficient and made it look easy. I would never do it any other way.

Professional movers have insurance and you don't have to see them again.

I'd get professionals for the big stuff. This is what we did. They have blankets etc in their truck to prevent it getting damaged and are also pros at getting things round corners and up stairs without damaging the walls etc. They are also faster which is great if it rains on the day.

It will be the least stressful way of doing it. Your friends can help you with the small stuff that fits in your cars and do a few loads each.

I would also say pay for a professional removals company. We moved from a flat just a few streets away, but as I had 3 young children decided it was worth the cost. I never regretted it. Moving is so stressful anyway. Once you move all the furniture out, then there’s all the cleaning to do.

We were all ready and out of our empty, clean flat by midday. Everything stored in the removals van (and insured). Removals firm wait in the van. I waited at a friends house with the kids.

Unfortunately the sellers of the house we were moving into had decided to hire a Luton and a couple of blokes, obviously underestimated how long it would take, and were still at it moving random half packed boxes by 7pm in the evening, whilst we had three tired children and were wondering when on earth we would be able to get them to bed. I was so annoyed and stressed.

Our movers were great, fortunately we had insurance in case of delays, so they were able to wait around. They quickly set the beds up so I could get the kids settled whilst they brought in the rest of our stuff.

Are you really sure you want family and friends moving fridges, freezers, sofas?

We moved in the middle of a heatwave a couple of weeks ago, and can honestly say the removals crew earned every penny of their £1400 fee. Everything was moved, on time and arrived in perfect condition.

Moving house is stressful enough, without giving yourself extra work to do.

A few years back we did hire a van and move ourselves with help from family. Unfortunately, if a well meaning friend or relative accidentally damages something, then you have no choice but to suck it up and say “oh well, don’t worry” through slightly gritted teeth. If the professional removers broke something, you’d be fully covered

Your parents are too old to help you move. Truthfully, if you are old enough to have children, you really are past the diy move stage, but that is up to you.

Letting your parents help and possibly get hurt is a very bad idea.

The absolute only way I would let grandparents help is with watching the children and keeping them far away from the actual moving. Children underfoot is a very bad idea as well.

I wouldn’t consider moving without professional movers, we moved fairly recently and they were amazing.

I think you can’t really muck about moving house. Removals companies are really fast and experienced and ii find paying professionals sometimes contains all the stress. Friends may add to your stress.

Yes in the south east!! More swaying towards movers after reading all the comments but the cost is extortionate

It's a shorter drive but still the same amount of work involved in packing, loading and unloading. It also massively depends on how much you have to move and what size van / lorry you might need.

Without know you can't make that comparison.

Its the loading and unloading which is the expensive bit, not the actual drive.

For context, our three bed terrace (2 adults 2 childrn) completely filled a shopping container. Furniture takes up a lot of space, boxes take up a lot of space...

Plus with a baby too?

Moved ourselves several times when much younger ,such hard work really stressful.Then as our belongings increased we paid professional movers to move .Oh my goodness the difference worth every penny .They know how to pack stuff into the van so no wasted space and watching them unpacking and putting it immediately into the right room right position was brilliant. They didn't even stop for my unpacked kettle to boil to make them a cuppa .

I messaged you their details - agree, those prices are crazy! x