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Original poster

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

64 replies

ToftheB · 11/06/2019 18:27

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?

OP posts:

EndlessDream · 12/06/2019 07:26

Packing service!

I didn't use a packing service but spent every day for more than a week packing myself. I thought we could do it in plenty of time but totally under-estimated the task. Tried to be too organised in what was going in which box. DP and myself stayed up until 3am on night before the move date packing instead of relaxing. We had no time to clean the house either so had to leave it in a messy state to the new owners.

I will never pack myself again! Professional packers will not be emotive in what they pack so can pack much faster than you can.

WhereDoesThisToiletGo · 12/06/2019 08:22

Three options I recommend -

Pay for the packing service.

2 Pay for the packing service

Pay for the packing service

As long as you've done the pre Pack sorting and you're not paying for packing stuff you don't want. Remember that you have to do all the UNPACKING.

AgeBeforeBeauty · 12/06/2019 16:01

Do they take all the furniture as well? Beds, wardrobes etc? And put them together again?

How about the loft?

olderthanilookapparently · 12/06/2019 16:03

Without a doubt best money we spent when we moved it was amazing. They just get on with it packed an entire house in 5 hours (it was small but we had too much stuff which is why we moved!)

LoafofSellotape · 12/06/2019 16:06

Last move we paid for the service and it was amazing to watch ,the men were so efficient and quick. Nothing got broken and I would always pay if I could afford it. It actually seems very cheap when you see them do it.

BasiliskStare · 12/06/2019 16:13

I would definitely pay for packing - & spend your time throwing things out & getting things into the right places - packers will just chuck things into the nearest box IME

RobertSmithdoesmyhair · 12/06/2019 16:16

Pay for it! I took my 2 toddlers to the park for 3 hours and when I got back everything was boxed up and ready to go! It took 3 men 3 hours...would have taken me weeks!

IwantedtobeEmmaPeel · 12/06/2019 16:16

The only time I've paid for a packing service one of the packers broke a beautiful old crystal jug I'd inherited from my Nana, in the first ten minutes of packing. All the times I'd packed myself before using packers and since using them nothing was ever broken or missing. I'm sticking with doing it myself, plus when I'm packing I'm sorting at the same time and discarding unwanted stuff before it gets packed up and moved to the new house.

Quellium · 12/06/2019 16:18

I've done a move where I had a toddler and husband didn't want to pay for a removal service or packing and to be honest, I nearly walked out on the marriage. It was pretty much impossible with a toddler and no other help! Pay for the packing service, save yourself!

siblingrivals · 12/06/2019 19:01

Packing service. Worth every penny as it was pretty much this time last year and it was so hot.

We had to pay extra for the beds to be assembled (again worth it due to heat) but we did the loft and garage as that would have been an extra 250 and a lot of that was junk. I did a lot of sorting out beforehand and there wasn't much that came with us that we then got rid of. The stuff we did pass on was things we had no home for (a rug, shoe rack etc) and we didn't know we wouldn't before we moved.

A pp made a good point though about packing materials, we had lots of boxes, cling film, bubble wrap and paper. The boxes the majority were collected back from us and the bubble wrap and paper mainly passed on.

DragonTrainer3 · 12/06/2019 21:53

I'd go for the packing service too - after several moves we tried it for the last one, and got them to take down and put together the beds too.

So much less stressful, for once we weren't all sniping at each other and getting grumpy, and the packers were much faster at it and very cheerful if we kept them going with tea and biscuits

Ours was a fair bit more than £275 but worth every penny!

minniemoll · 12/06/2019 22:08

When I moved I had an hourly rate for packing, I did as much as I could but wasn't stressed as I knew they'd do the rest. It was great.

I did take quite a few delicate things to my parents before I moved, just in case, and retrieved them once I was in, but nothing was broken from the vans.

They do pack everything though - I was unpacking a box of stuff from the kitchen cupboards and at the bottom was a long heavy object carefully wrapped in lots of paper. I couldn't think what it could be, which isn't surprising as it was a pair of pliers...!

siblingrivals · 12/06/2019 22:42

Minnie it did feel a bit like Christmas opening all the 'parcels'

LAlady · 12/06/2019 22:49

Definitely get the packing service. It makes a massive difference. They are so quick, careful and thorough. I've done it myself before and now I would always get the packing service.

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