How much packing do we need to do if we hire packers?

[EarSlaps]

We've sold our house and had an offer accepted, things are steaming ahead and it looks like contracts will be exchanged soon with completion by the end of the month!

I've spent time getting rid of as much rubbish as possible but haven't started packing. We're planning to get a removal company to do all the packing (we have two small DCs and no family help), but presumably we need to do some packing? The packers won't be able to do it all on the day or we'll never get out of here.

If you've used a packing service, how much did you do yourselves? Presumably the company provide boxes etc.

Also considering getting a move out/move in clean. Anyone done that?

We had unpackers as well and I had to tell them to stop in the end as I was getting a bit overwhelmed. I was trying to find stuff for weeks as I didn't know where it all was. Subsequently, we've just had packers and then just furniture put together the other end.

IME packers do a much better job than you'll do. They should be fine with fragile stuff.

They work at an amazing rate as they strip your house of it's belongings.

Maybe empty your knicker drawer if there's anything too saucy in it... (Although I'm sure they'll have seen it all before!!)

Definitely let them pack the fragile stuff. They will do it much better than you. In fact, for one move (pre kids) we had a kitchen plus fragile items pack done for us, that's a good option too.

I agree about keeping especially precious items with you.

We also created a "no pack" zone for anything that was coming with us in the car. That worked well.

Last 2 moves we packed ourselves EXCEPT for the fragile stuff which I got the movers to do - they are SO much more experienced! I would have loved them to do everything, but it was a lot in central London and we couldn't afford it

Does anyone know what things the removals people won't take? They've said they won't do paint, and presumably also not other flammable things like white spirit and creosote. Anything else? I'm sending DH and DC off in the car ahead of the move so won't be able to chuck anything they reject in the car once the packers arrive.

I don’t know if it’s true for all removal companies but the one we used recently, didn’t insure anything that we’d packed ourselves. I popped my jewellery box in my handbag and let them to do the rest.

Best money you’ll ever spend and if you get Pickfords’ to do an initial quote, they will give you a complete survey of your belonging which you can use to get cheaper quotes from smaller, cheaper companies. I think that the charge for the packing aspect was about 10% of the cost of the removal.

All but personal stuff , paperwork and things you will need last and first (kettle tea/coffee, Flash, mop and bucket, wipes, dustpan and brush, phone etc). Set aside a kitchen drawer for things you are leaving such as Instructions and spare keys.

Another vote for money well spent. Just me & a2 teens for my last move.
Sent the dogs off to a friends for the day, isolated the 2 cats into one almost empty room for the day with one kid to sit & comfort ( Felaway spray comes highly recommended for calming them)
I packed some boxes over preceding months to keep costs down & to enable decluttering as we were downsizing massively. Rest was left for packers who were brilliant.
All beds & larger pieces of furniture were collapsed & reassembled far better & quicker than I could have done it.

Only other advice is
a)keep a box seperate in the car with kettle tea, coffee, biscuits squash etc for the other end. Also corkscrew & a couple of glasses for that first drink when you collapse!
Get a takeaway lunch like pizza for you all & movers at some point in the day they work bloody hard. Arrange another for your supper fish & chips is good

Oh & on day before Big move make all beds up with clean linen& PJ's then just fold up the lot with duvet & pillows when you get up & put in a box just for that. Make it a priority when beds are unpacked & movers gone to make up the beds so at least you have something to fall into when you've had enough!!

Good luck!

I always think that people who can have all their stuff packed in 6 hours can't possibly have even half as much stuff as we do.

I just looked in my wardrobe and thought I'd definitely want to pack all the crap there myself. Nothing embarrassing in itself just lots of general clutter that I like too much to throw .

What they all say.

Have anything you want to keep with you very clearly labelled - if possible in a separate room with the door shut.

We left drawers on the understanding that they'd move them as is, turned out they emptied every single clothes drawer into boxes - except the one with my underwear in! I thought that was very funny.

Packers are worth every penny IMO. Just totally de clutter so they only pack stuff you want to take.

They don't usually do the loft, and won't pack and move some garage items such as flammable fluids.

They do have wardrobe things that they hang your clothes in.
We literally only packed anything that we didn't want anyone else handling. Contents of bed side table for example
They should be able to tell you what they won't pack. Our packers wouldn't pack keys.
But if you can find the money it is very much worth it. Our quoting chap did originally say half a day for our house but I got jittery a few days before as I knew how good we'd been at hiding stuff away. They then said that they'd do a day but in fact turned up early. And they were going full tilt for the whole day and a half. Didn't charge us any more though!

Absolutely worth every penny, especially with kids as it allows you to just live as normal until moving day.

For us they sent one guy the day before and he packed my entire house in 4 hours (minus loft and shed which were done on the day) He did say I was the most organised person he has ever packed though.

In the weeks leading up to the move I got rid of loads of crap and tried as best I could to get everything into the right room so that it would be packed with the stuff it needed to be. for example if you have loads of nail varnishes that are usually dotted around the house or even bedroom, maybe get a carrier bag and chuck them all in. So much easier to unpack and put away at the other end. We also put all chargers/spare cables etc that are usual dotted about in one cupboard so they all went in the same box.

The Packers will just go round and put stuff in boxes as they come across it. They won't think 'I'm sure that can of deodorant isn't supposed to be in the kitchen, let me just pop upstairs and put it in the bathroom'. It will just go in a box with the saucepans.

Organise but don't pack is my advice.

A full professional pack/unpack was the promise I made myself during a difficult sale and purchase. (We were both selling and buying from property investors and both decided to negotiate for more, every step of the way. Horrid.) I wanted to feel that there was no more stress. It was really worth it.

They do pack everything, even loo rolls. One good piece of advice was to have toddlers well out of the way. They can get very upset seeing everything packed up. Then get their stuff unpacked first with toys etc and ours did not realise it was a different house.

Pack seperately enough for a cup or tea and a first meal. Even if you don't do anything it is all really exhausting. So have basic kitchen equipment in the car, pick up a pint of milk and at least you can sit amongst the boxes and have a cup of tea.

Worth getting quotes early. Some firms book up quickly.

I packed our paperwork.
Apart from that they packed everything. Contents of shed, pictured, curtain rails, carpets the lot. They don't pack loft contents you have to get it out the loft for them.

You are not insured for anything you pack yourself so let them do the valuables.

They don't unpack and put stuff away. They will unpack to surface I.e unpack everything and leave it on the table, worktop or floor. I personally wouldn't want that.

Yes they provide all packaging and boxes and then will come and
Ick it up after you are unpacked and finished with it.

Thank you so much for the feedback. DH is still being all smug and "we'll see" about it (he just helped his parents move and they packed themselves) but I've spoken to a couple of companies now so feeling more relaxed. I've been busy selling/donating/chucking anything we don't want now and trying to put things in roughly the right place (though my children seem determined to move everything again).

No, you don't lift a finger, it's brilliant

We moved 3 hours away and the move was £1,400 and only £200 of that was the packing. (8 years ago)

Is it totally unrealistic to think I can go to work as normal on moving day? I will have no annual leave left by the time moving day comes.

In theory I guess you could go to work on moving day, but someone will need to be there to direct the movers and drop off old and pick up new keys.

I'd say it was unrealistic.

I have one day left which I was saving for emergencies but might just have to use it or try to schedule completion for a Wednesday when I have a short day at work as if I have any control over the wayward and disorderly links in the chain of conveyances.