Moving house. Should we pay for the packing service or do it myself.

[ToftheB]

Hello, we’re moving house in a couple of weeks and can’t decide if we should pay extra for the packing service or not.

I’m currently in the process of sorting and getting rid of stuff and deep cleaning everywhere. A bit of a slog with a toddler in tow, but quite cathartic all the same.

My husband thinks we should pack ourselves and save the £275+VAT... but I think it’s going to be a struggle. We meant to sort a load of stuff out at the weekend and start packing, but the toddler was teething and grumpy, and I’m pregnant and exhausted - and we achieved basically nothing!

What do you think? Can we pack everything in one weekend? Or is it going to be an absolute nightmare?

Our last 2 moves we've paid for part-packing, so just breakables, electronics and wardrobes mostly. It meant we could pack and sort over a long period in the run up to moving, which worked for us.

Absolutely pay for packing. Makes the whole move so much less stressful. They don't 'poke about in ' or 'go through' your stuff. They pack it, quickly, efficiently and without comment. They won't empty drawers, just move them full. They don't fold clothes, just use a mobile hanging box so at the other end your clothes are still on hangers.

They are like locusts, will clear a fully cluttered room in 30 mins. It would take you days.

You concentrate on having a clear out, get rid of anything you don't want to take with you in the weeks before the move. Then the day before, they just swoop in and pack everything.

Especially since you wrote ‘should WE pay ... or do it MYSELF’ - hire professional packers.

Pay for the packers, best £400 we ever spent!! It took 3 of them a whole day to pack our house and they did nothing else that day. Would’ve taken me weeks around looking after a toddler and you would have boxes hanging around everywhere.

Pay for the packing service. It’s worth every penny.

Packing service is non-negotiable as far as I'm concerned. Worth every penny.

One thousand percent pay for the packing

Definitely pay! Obviously anyone can pack but professional packers are so much more quick and efficient. Mine also dismantled and reassembled beds etc.
Alternatively offer to pay your husband £275 and he can do the packing, reassembling etc., while you go out with your toddler for the day.

I bloody love packing. Where are you?!

Pay for the service and only un-box what you need, if its still in a box after 6 months then sling it.

I'd never trust anyone else to pack so I'd always do it myself. I've moved a lot so I'm used to it

What wouldn't you trust them with?

We used a packing service last time we moved. Best. Spend. Ever.

They also dismantled the bed and rebuilt when we arrived. It was so fast, so easy, so professional, so perfect.

If we ever move again we will save up just to pay for a packing service.

My god pay them to pack. But spend the time you would have spent packing doing an absolutely ruthless sort out and tip/charity run beforehand - you’d be amazed how much you’ll find that you don’t actually need!! Worst thing is to get to the other end and end up with boxes of stuff you end out chucking after 6 months as PP mentioned!

O e of the best thing I ever did was paying for the packing service

We moved last year. Dp wanted us to pack ourselves. I wanted to pay for packing. I got my way. Definitely worth every penny.

I've done it both ways. Never again would I pack myself. It's so stressful, paying for packing is worth every penny. They're so efficient and know how to pack well.

They also dismantled the bed and rebuilt when we arrived. It was so fast, so easy, so professional, so perfect.

Yes! I’d forgotten about that - it was brilliant. They put furniture where we wanted it in each room. And because we didn’t move far, they moved the freezer last with contents still in it, then plugged it in straight away when we got to the new house. So easy.

Packing service!

Never thought I'd say it, but for various reasons outside anyone's control the run up to our last move did not go to plan. Bloody hell it nearly broke me. Taken me a few months to recover as was so physically and mentally stressful, and I speak as someone who is usually pretty resilient, so I'd definitely say use a packing service. Obviously do the decluttering and charity shop runs beforehand. I'm still doing them now despite doing a fair bit beforehand.

Our next move will be easier as everything not strictly needed has remained boxed!

I've never paid as I've never been able to afford it. If I had the money I would have.

A packing service is great if you can afford it but if you can’t or don’t want to the key to doing it yourselves is to put boxes ready into each room at least 2 weeks before moving day and every time you have a spare minute to pack up some stuff and put it into the boxes - label the boxes each room name in the new house etc. I’ve done quite a few house moves by myself (large houses, 5 bed plus) and it’s always been okay. I do start super early on though!

Packing service is so worth it. Really does remove the stress.

Packing service.

Packing is worth every penny. Just make sure you have cleared out first, unpacked ashtrays and dirty coffee cups as that's what they found (tbf was v ill and 7m pregnant with a 13month old on my own as DH away working).

I would ALWAYS pay for packing again, for both insurance and sanity reasons