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Original poster

Packing service from removal company... what do I do?

49 replies

Buglife · 28/03/2018 19:42

It looks like I’m going to be heavily pregnant (HEAVILY!) when we completenon our new home. I’m assuming it will take another 2-3 months at least. We have decided when we move to pay for a full packing as well as removal service to make life easy as possible. Question is, is it really as simple as leaving everything as is and they come and do it? I am assuming that I’ll empty food cupboards etc and box up what we want to go food wise. I was also thinking of doing the fancy glassware so that’s not done in a hurry. Also I am guessing that while they’ll empty cupboards etc, would be good idea in the meantime to empty and sort the cupboards (like the one under the stairs!) and have it packing ready rather than just a jumble. I don’t want to do too much out of politeness but I also can’t imagine you just leave your house as it is and they pack it all!

Also, is it a usual request to get the house packed up and stored on a van overnight to move in the morning? With full packing I was thinking it would take a while and as our buyers are first time buyers they will be raring to go first thing after money transfer I think. We can stay nearby overnight so it seems sensible to empty the house so the next day DH can just scoot around cleaning for an hour. Has anyone done that?

OP posts:
EveningShadows · 28/03/2018 19:45

You can literally walk out and pack nothing - it’s awesone!

And yes they pack the day before Smile

JellyBabiesSaveLives · 28/03/2018 19:47

Get everything tidy and in the right places so when you come to unpack the boxes, you can find stuff. And put labels on post-it’s on the room doors so they can label the boxes right. Also they will pack everything, so empty your bins before they start! And have an area of “stuff or you’ll find your phone and kettle have been packed. Honestly, it’s like locusts have arrived.
Some removal firms will have a storage facility where they can securely leave the packed van overnight. We used this when moving a long distance away

JellyBabiesSaveLives · 28/03/2018 19:48

Oh, they do pack into boxes the day before, but if you’re not moving far they’ll come and load the van on moving day

AmazingGrace16 · 28/03/2018 19:48

They pack everything...so if there's a bin full of rubbish or a tissue on the side it'll get packed!
We put stuff on the sofa and the bed we wanted to keep with us and the rest got packed up in about 5 hours the day before.

JellyBabiesSaveLives · 28/03/2018 19:49

Sorry, that should be ‘an area of “stuff not to pack” ‘

xyzandabc · 28/03/2018 19:57

Don't do the glassware, they'll do it better than you would. Have a clear out, get rid of stuff you don't want to take, charity shop, tip, Facebook, eBay, get it gone before you move. We had to empty our loft as they weren't insured to go up there, we just dumped it all in a bedroom and left them to pack it though.
Why do you want to box up food cupboards? They will do it, it's what your paying for. Maybe have a sort out and chuck any out of date stuff but no more than that. All you need to pack is anything you don't want them to pack, so a change of clothes, small selection of cleaning stuff, hoover, kettle, a few mugs etc. Be warned though,, they will pack everything, rubbish and all, if you don't want to take it with you, it needs to be out of your house before they arrive.

Best money we ever spent, they really are brilliant and make moving so much easier. Talk to them about overnight storage, our came and packed the day before, packed everything, put some boxes in a small lorry but left the rest boxed up in our house to put in the bigger lorry on move day.

sdaisy26 · 28/03/2018 19:59

They really will do all of it, and well, so you don't need to lift a finger. They did our pack over 2 days so most stuff boxed up the day before (but boxes left in house) & then the last bits in the morning.

It feels v weird & beforehand I was panicking about what a mess everything was but the packing was amazing. They were v logical & did a far better job than I ever could have.

SocksRock · 28/03/2018 20:00

We had to empty the loft. That was it. But they do pack EVERYTHING, so empty your bins and the fridge or it will all go with you. And if it ends up in storage for 4 months because of a cock up, there will be some interesting discoveries come unpacking!

I was pregnant as well and it was honestly the best money we spent.

HundredMilesAnHour · 28/03/2018 20:03

Have a clear-out of stuff you want to get rid of rather than move but don't pack anything (such as glassware!). Most packers insist on packing everything (rather than you doing some) as it invalidates the insurance if they don't do all the packing. The insurance covers any damage in transit etc so it's important not to invalidate it just in case!

Original poster
Buglife · 28/03/2018 20:05

Wow thanks for the replies! I suppose I can’t quite let go of the idea I should do something and they’ll think I’m a messy cow 😂 I will have a suitcase for stuff me, DH and DS and my hospital bag in case I go into labour. I was thinking we’d go the night before to stay with in laws and then DH could come back and be around for the loading up and getting to the new house and I can go back in to a new home. I really might be about 38 weeks pregnant. I didn’t think they would pack up on one day and load up the next, obviously that’s ideal. I will declutter and the garden shed needs to be emptied. I’ll ask about the loft.

Really need to realise that not everyone can do physical stuff and you can pay for things to be done, a hangover from moving not so many years ago with a hire van and friends to help and most the heavy lifting done by us!

OP posts:
ineedaholidaynow · 28/03/2018 20:21

I was thinking about something like this for my DM. She is moving closer to us after my DF died. She lives too far away at the moment for us to be able to pop up and help her sort/declutter and pack her house. She will be moving to a smaller flat so will need to declutter quite abit (mainly DF's stuff). Was thinking it would be easier to get it all packed up and then some ot it being put into storage near us, so we can then sort it out.
DM is in 80s so can't expect her to do too much. Obviously we would go up on moving day, but if someone else could actually do the packing that would be great.
By the comments above we would need to clear the loft, which DF appears to have hoarded quite a bit up there Shock
Can anyone recommend a national firm?

mojito55 · 28/03/2018 20:26

I had no idea this was a thing! Can anyone tell me roughly how much it costs for a regular family house?

ApplesTheHare · 28/03/2018 20:29

We got a 3-bed family house entirely packed up for 300 quid two years ago. It was the BEST part of moving. I didn't even have a good excuse but they did a way better job than we ever would have, plus took away all the stress. Priceless, do it!

Watto1 · 28/03/2018 20:30

Like posters above said, they will pack the lot. I think it was a mumsnetter who was unpacking a kitchen box a week or so after moving and discovered her fruit bowl along with its by now very rotten contents!

eternalopt · 28/03/2018 20:30

Pickfords are national and were brilliant for us. Packed up everything really well. Did most the day before and left us the essentials for overnight (bed, tv, one sofa) and did the rest on moving day.

The other advantage to doing it yourself is that once they've packed a box, it goes on the van. There's no trying to find spaces for the packed boxes or squeezing around them!

I had the best of intentions re tidying, but it didn't happen. Apologised for the mess and left them to it.

Don't pack your own glassware. They bring their own packing material and use more than you ever would as they havent paid for it!! Also, think it's only insured if they pack it.

Best money we spent.

FinallyHere · 28/03/2018 20:34

Think about how to keep things you dont want them to pack? Perhaps have something like the downstairs loo out of bounds to them (empty any cupboards and put the contents somewhere in bounds so it gets packed. Or use the boot of your car....

Have a set of clothes for the moving day, any medicines, toothbrushes etc all ring fenced from them.

We also kept the bedding (rolled in the bottom sheet, so ready to unroll at the other end. Also kettle, teabags, biscuits. Everything else, see you on the other side.

Oh, we have lots and lots of bookcases. I left a label on each shelf , to be put on the outside of the box with the contents of that shelf (think about how the boxes will be stacked to decide whether to have the label put). If we needed to find anything, just look over the labelled boxes and you know which to empty first.

FinallyHere · 28/03/2018 20:37

We learned the hard way, to have a way to ring fence things from the packers. Our first move was abroad, where the furniture was in storage for six months. Imagine the joy, of unpacking the tea pot, together with the leaves of the last brew, topped with a screw of paper. Everything, they pack everything...

PrincessScarlett · 28/03/2018 20:41

Getting packers in was the best thing we ever did. They pack absolutely everything and anything you don't want packed they will allocate a place to put that.

Do not pack your glassware. They pack it much better and anything you pack will not be covered under their insurance.

AprilShowers16 · 28/03/2018 20:42

You do nothing! That’s the whole point. It’s wonderful. Would recommend decluttering and making sure things are tidy so it’s easy to find things when you unpack at the other end. Enjoy!

Leyani · 28/03/2018 20:46

It was about £500 for packing moving and putting up wardrobes and unpacking clothes. This was an overly full and somewhat untidy 4 bedroom house with lots of plants and musical instruments

Timeforabiscuit · 28/03/2018 20:51

Echoing that it was the best money ive ever spent EVER. Our Pickfords packers were the most chilled guys ever, even when the chain was falling apart on moving day they were perfectly fine unpacking late in the evening and nothing was a problem. I get pangs for them when the world seems to adulty.

I would spend time de cluttering and binning - other than that, put your feet up.

EggysMom · 28/03/2018 20:52

We asked ours not to touch things left on our double bed. They packed our box of rubbish ...

mummyhaschangedhername · 28/03/2018 21:17

Yep, just stick some things and paper work of stuff you need in a suitcase and they will come and pack everything.

Easilyflattered · 28/03/2018 21:22

They Pack everything, an odd jam jar lid, the overseas yellow pages from the town you've moved from, everything.....

planetclom · 28/03/2018 22:41

Yup I have used this moving abroad 7 years later finally unpacked the last of the boxes that hadn't been touched before one packed stacker box with lid was opened to reveal flood water and very wet and rotten glittery wrapping paper within 😳 but over all excellent.