Packers are amazing

[Calmisthemantra]

If you were ever in any doubt about getting packers don't be. They are AMAZING! Only cost us £180 extra and worth every single penny. I do feel a bit like a spare part, but sat down drinking coffee and watching them pack like locusts.

Feel a bit guilty but they are well fed with brioche and hot cross buns with endless tea/coffee being made. Such a difference to the usual packing sweaty hell and resulting domestic with DH. Think they'll be done by lunch so will be off for a nice lunch somewhere

What have you done about things you don't want packing? We'll be having packers when we move next month.

We have packers booked, our things are going into temporary storage, so the stuff we will need and they won't store is being distributed amongst friends.

I packed for us (DH & 2 kids) as if we were going on a 5 day self catering holiday and put everything I didn't want packers to pack in our car.

I taped my underwear drawer shut!

I have a plastic box on the kitchen side with things I need access to (like chargers, handbag, prosecco )but don't want packed with a big DO NOT PACK sign on it. Also labelled the Hoover & broom

Thanks - I'm just going to have bite the bullet and move things and label them. I've got a box of things for our buyers - manuals, door bell chime, some documents it's easier to leave in the house, etc.

We have packers booked too but it is going to be pretty expensive (£800 to pack). However DH is away for work and adamant we are having packers.

How does it actually work? I am really struggling to see how they just come in for a day and pack everything. Do you empty all the cupboards first and leave stuff in one area for them to pack? Or do you leave everything in the cupboards? How does everything find its way to the right place in the next house without a big muddle?

Our move is going to take 3 days with packers. Do the packers clear a room at a time and then you can clean it as they leave that room? Sorry for the all the questions!

The fun with having packers is unpacking and not knowing where anything is. We used packers when we moved. It makes life so much easier. At the time I had a baby who had just learnt to crawl and she was into everything.

The packers do write which room the contents of the boxes have come from. The put boxes labelled kitchen in your new kitchen etc. It's still a big job unpacking.

Golden, you just leave everything where it is, and then tell them where to start (usually your bedroom), then hide in the garden till they are out of there and you can clean.

They label the boxes, and then take them to that room in the new house.

Its amazing - we've been moved twice, and last time it took from absolutely nothing packed apart from overnight bags, to on the lorry in 5 hours

They are amazing.

Golden yup, boxes tend to be labelled by room apart from kitchen stuff, which has more detail. They literally do it all. Mine spent half the time (I''m not exaggerating) doing the small kitchen, then powered through the rest of the house in nothing flat. If you want to make it easier for unpacking, declutter your cupboards and move things into the room you'd want them to be in, in the new house.

I decluttered first and made sure everything was in the correct location. No mugs in the bedroom for example it it would be packed in a box marked 'bedroom'

We have a small 2 bed but 2 attics and big shed They're moving us over 2 days, there's our bed left and a few other random bits as they need another van which they'll bring in the morning. They're arriving at 8am tomorrow to load the rest of it then drive 2hrs to our new house. I will hopefully get there ASAP to get cleaning the spider infested dump we've bought

You can live exactly as normal right up until they arrive. No living around towers of boxes etc. The kids had their breakfast as usual this morning and played with their toys watched CBeebies until they were packed off to the inlaws

We have had packers every time we've moved - lots!! They are amazing and fab.

To whoever is asking how they pack so quickly. They pack quickly because they are used to it. They have a system and all the right paper,boxes, bubble wrap and rape to hand. It's what they do all day every day. In the 2 minutes it takes me to erect a moving box and tape the bottom they are already filling it. They also don't faff. They don't look for the lid, the other half of a set. They just pack as they see. The generally start in one corner of the room and just work their way around. It's a dreamatter to be honest. All I would say is be organised before the packers arrive. Sort and declutter drawers and put thin gs you want packed together (sets of glasses/ornaments etc) together in advance.

As for privacy and stuff I don't want packed - luckily we gave 2 cars so normally I pack a couple of boxes of precious sentimental stuff and take it in the car myself along with the petrol lawn mower and tins if paint and varnish they usually won't move. This time dh was abroad when we moved so I was down to one car so I had to drive 100 odd miles to a kind friends house and to dump the big stuff (mower etc) and my mum's house for the sentimental boxes a week or 2 before the move. I always tape close my undies drawer.
Honestly. 12 plus moves with packers. I would never waste my life packing myself ever again. It's amazing value.

Good luck in your new home Calm

*tape to hand not rape. Sorry.

£180 or £800? Why such huge price differences?

All useful tips - I knew nothing (and was 8 months pregnant so not concentrating), so was quite embarrassed to come into our bedroom to find a South African 20 y.o. packing my underwear... I backed out quietly and consoled myself that I'd never see him again!

And also clear your fruit bowl.
It took us a while to work out where the smell was coming from among the many unpacked boxes a week later!

"£180 or £800? Why such huge price differences?"

Size of house, distance objects transported, amount of help given with unpacking area? Date? We paid £600, but the packers put together the beds.

Depends how you look at the pricing too - the removals firms who we've had quotes from have a basic removal price then it costs more to have the breakables packed and furniture dismantled then for an additional fee they'll pack the lot.

I think the price difference can be on how far you are moving - if you'd be a one day, boxes on lorry, drive, off load job, then packing adds another day. If you are moving far enough that they would need to load the day before, then a few hours extra to pack doesn't add to their costs as much as those guys are already written off for the day

So jealous. We are moving soon and have been surrounded by boxes for ages, they're towering all around us and it STILL feels like we have loads to do. Dreading moving day!