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Original poster

Removals company or family and a van?

62 replies

SomeLikeItChilliHot · 21/04/2014 02:22

Argghh! DH changes his mind every 5 minutes and is driving me insane!

Had x2 quotes for removals, both about £750 including VAT (and, according to one quote, includes "4 experienced and strong men" Grin). The packing service was £350 for one quote, £500 for the other. I enquired about that as I work nights over the weekend and can't get time off for the move, have 3 DC and DH works long hours during the week. DH is insisting that we will be able to pack our 4 bed house and garage in a day. I have argued against this for 2 weeks!

Now DH has also decided that 3 of his male relatives could come and help us move if we paid them a £100 each and hired a van. I see his logic, I really do, but I remember how it took 3 hours one Sunday afternoon for the same relatives to help us get 2 wardrobes upstairs. I just think removals companies are quicker and more experienced.

So just wondering if anyone else has done all the packing and moving themselves, how it went and would you do it again?

TIA Thanks

OP posts:
stardusty5 · 21/04/2014 10:11

After using removals, i will never ask family again!

We packed ourselves and then the men just went through the house like Tazmanian devilsstacking it all nicely in their big van, then put it all in the right rooms at the other end.

It was all over so quickly, no breakages, no crossed words. Brilliant.

MarianForrester · 21/04/2014 10:18

You can also book people to move specific big or valuable items- fish tank?

We got someone to move a giant fridge freezer in one move after it had nearly finished off dh and his helpers in previous move Grin

MarianForrester · 21/04/2014 10:20

To add, my dh is like yours and moving is a fecking nightmare, but even he was persuaded to this.

If you do move yourselves a van with a tail lift is good for heavy things, like piano, and book as big a van as you can; makes a big difference.

OwlCapone · 21/04/2014 10:21

Professional movers and packers with a doubt.

mysteryfairy · 21/04/2014 10:27

Just moved in similar circumstances and I absolutely concur with getting a full packing and removal service. Only thing I am annoyed with myself about is that we didn't sort stuff more thoroughly at the old house as am now charity shopping/skipping things I paid to move!

Without our removal men I think we would have majorly fallen out with our buyers as they were very keen to get in and I just don't think we would have got out of the place in a timely enough fashion.

CaptWingoBings · 21/04/2014 10:27

We always moved ourselves including our last move which was our first with DC. Never again. I just had to get as far as your post & see that you have 3 DC to say get the packers in!

SchnitzelVonKrumm · 21/04/2014 10:39

Absolutely get a removals company and pay for the packing - it's shouldn't be that much extra. They usually pack the bulk of things the day before but we moved on the Tuesday after a bank holiday so we started the day with literally nothing packed. The packers arrived at 8 and we were drinking tea in our new house at 2 while they reassembled the furniture. It was seriously the best money I've ever spent.

500smiles · 21/04/2014 10:39

Pre kids we did it ourselves but never again. Even with an army of strong friends the stress is not worth it.

Professionals go through the house like a plague of locusts. Unbelievably fast. DH proclaims to be tight but even he says it's worth every penny.

SchnitzelVonKrumm · 21/04/2014 10:43

When we moved the packing was about 150 quid extra (in London), which is a tiny drop in the ocean compared with the overall costs of moving.

WhoNickedMyName · 21/04/2014 10:45

Removal company every time. We did it once ourselves with the 'help' of family members. Our marriage wouldn't survive doing that again.

HandbagsandSnotrags · 21/04/2014 11:17

My neighbour recently moved using man and van. Ended up taking far longer than expected and new owners arrived before she was out. Cue slanging match between removal men and new and old owners complete with legal threats etc etc.

I would get packing now if you aren't paying for packers and move in two weeks (but I would pay if I could afford it). If you decide to do it yourselves I would allow for 1 van journey per room (unless you have access to a larger than standard hired van) and think very carefully about how many journeys that will mean.

But seriously if you can afford professionals why would you want to give yourself all that stress and hassle?

Original poster
SomeLikeItChilliHot · 21/04/2014 14:13

Thank you for all your replies. I'm going to show the thread to DH later to read through. I was sold on the packing and removal service long ago but its DH that needs convincing.

So I went up into our little loft today and took down all the kids clothes. 4 sacks taken to charity already, 2 sacks to hand out to relatives, 10 sacks to keep for DS 3, now all boxed up. It's taken 4 hours and I'm bored, the kids are bored and acting up..... and we have to do the entire house still.... eek!

OP posts:
whattoWHO · 21/04/2014 14:29

Id always use professionals for the moving and would probably pay for packing next time.
You're covered by insurance. Don't need to worry about hiring a van. It will take half the time (or less).
The risk of back injury.
The risk of damage yo your stuff.
And if you add up to the costs of doing it yourself, money well spent (van hire for 1 it 2 days, $300 cash to the mates, lunch for the mates while you wait for the solicitors to do their stuff, dinner/pizza and beer got the mates after a hard days work etc etc).

HauntedNoddyCar · 21/04/2014 14:34

You'retotally right to want packing and removals done by insured professionals. It took 3 packers a day and a half to pack up our 4 bed house. Admittedly I am the queen of finding hidey holes for tons of stuff so we had an awful lot of stuff.

What other jobs does your DH refuse to pay professionals for?

Will he be doing all the packing or does he expect you to do the bulk? Even with all the correct materials to hand it's a long job

Flossiechops · 21/04/2014 18:16

Op we are in West Midlands - going from 4 bed semi to 3 bed semi. I had 3 quotes all came out around the same. Highest was £1350, I think you could get it cheaper but the ones we are using were highly recommended by a friend who moved last yr. Only moving around a mile away.

lotsofcheese · 21/04/2014 19:26

We're moving this week (I hope!!) have a baby & pre-schooler. I work p/t & DP works long hours, including working away 2 days a week.

I wouldn't even contemplate packing. The most I can hope to do is clear out stuff for recycling, charity or bin.

Why make life difficult for yourself?

HolidayCriminal · 21/04/2014 19:34

We have only moved ourselves, although we did get some movers to drive 180 miles to collect & deliver some stuff that we had in storage (we had a 6 week old baby & 2 other preschoolers at the time).

I'd move again myself with good friends to help, but have to do most the packing well in advance. There's no way to do it, otherwise with a family quantity of stuff. We have a heavy piano that must be moved professionally, though, so really must have proper movers do that job, we've lost the choice about not having some prof. help.

Sunnydaysablazeinhope · 21/04/2014 19:36

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BackforGood · 21/04/2014 19:45

With quotes that cheap, you wouldn't even be saving a lot (if anything) over paying out for a van and giving friends £100 each.
Even before I read the bit about paying them, and I assumed they would be helping for free, I was still going to say pay the removers. We've done both (had 7 men helping us for the DIY move, and were without pressure of having to do it all in a day) and it was really, really hard work. The removal men are professionals - they have the right things for lifting / carrying / rolling things, but most importantly they have the skill and experience.
Never had a packer myself, but I certainly would if I move again.

and

Yes, you should definitely have started packing by now if you aren't having a packer - empty your loft, your shed, your garage, all your wardrobes, under the beds, etc., etc. No way in a million years can you just start packing on the day and expect to get it done!!! Shock

ThistledownAndCobweb · 21/04/2014 19:52

Professionals every time.
Ours were amazing and did everything they could to make a difficult day less stressful.

We recently helped friends to do a DIY move and it was terribly stressful and non efficient.

Original poster
SomeLikeItChilliHot · 21/04/2014 22:39

Thanks everyone.

Sunnydays Shock that's not a nice thing to say, he's definitely not!

OP posts:
KeatsiePie · 22/04/2014 00:55

SomeLikeIt hahaha yes those moves were all ages ago and I still cringe at the memories! The only times DH and I have come close to divorce were during moves.

One thing I tried, to save money on packers, and this worked well -- packed all the books, clothes, linens, files etc. myself and just had packers come in and do all the lamps, fragile things, and the whole kitchen. That was cheaper but made the whole thing so much easier for me as I find the breakables and the kitchen the worst parts.

Original poster
SomeLikeItChilliHot · 24/04/2014 12:45

Really appreciated all your comments, thank you. I spoke to one removals company again and if we pack ourselves, dismantle beds/wardrobes/trampoline ourselves and pay in cash, they'd do it for £625. I think that's a good compromise for DH!

OP posts:
ContentedSidewinder · 24/04/2014 14:07

Never underestimate how long it will take you to pack, I bet you are literally throwing stuff into boxes on the morning of the move Grin

I pack our house every time but I am a SAHM and incredibly organised (our packing labels were colour coded and I had a comprehensive list of what was in what box)

Allocate a room, we used our dining room, and use that to store packed boxes. Stack them high! Start packing all the stuff you are not going to need before the move and don't forget the loft!

I had two colours for kitchen boxes (ie 6 inch square of coloured paper with the number on) green was kitchen stuff I wouldn't need within first month of the move like cake tins etc, yellow was stuff we would need like plates, cutlery.

Each room had its own colour that matched the box labels, so the movers knew which room to put a box in without me telling them, I just told them furniture. I sat on a dining chair on the drive watching 3 men load it all into the house. I think that sentence alone should encourage you!

We also had our stuff go into storage for a few weeks so it was even more important that everything was labelled as I couldn't remember what I had packed in which box.

ContentedSidewinder · 24/04/2014 14:08

Also each box had a coloured square taped on each side and the top, meaning we could find stuff really quickly after the move.