Packing service for moving

[ineedaholidayandwine]

Hi,
I have the packing service booked but it's a few days before the move, they will leave a box of things we'd need (plates/cutlery/mugs etc)
I'm packing a suitcase or 2 for us to take in the car with things like school uniform, enough undies, toothbrushes and toothpaste, laptops, ipads, jewellery, weekend clothes, pj's, deo, soap, some shoes.
What else do i need to ask them not to pack to see us through the last days at the house? So far i have:
Wine
beer
cat food and bowls
cat litter tray
medicines such as anti histamine/paracetamol
the toilet rolls on the holders
box of cereal
tv's (we're taking)

I can do without tea and coffee until after the move, we're mostly going to live on ready meals/sandwich's/takeaways after they pack.

I would recommend you put a very clear marker (coloured masking tape is a good option) on anything you don’t want packed. Don’t rely on telling them or giving them a list. They go through the rooms like locusts and pack everything and may not check back to a list.

Other things you may want for the few days:
bedlinen
towels
milk
kitchen roll
couple of binbags
shampoo
phone/tablet chargers
TV remotes (believe me there is a chance they would pack these even if not packing tvs, unless you mark them not to be packed!)
keys to garden
something to wash up with/wipe surfaces/clean up spills (eg dustpan & brush, few cloths)

I was going to say pack as though you are going on holiday for those 2 days and put it in the car. (Along with your personal papers, hoover, dustpan and brush, bin bags - and other cleaning bits you need at old and new house - marker pens etc) Pet stuff.

Let them pack TV's etc - do without them for a day or two - because trying to move themyourself on the day is a hassle.

Where are you sleeping after they pack? Or will they take beds on moving day?

Paying for packers is the best stress relief there is when moving. Worth every penny.

Yes phone chargers will go in the case, hadn't thought about cleaning products, thank you!
I'll put aside towels in the car for packing day, same with the bedding.
We're letting them take the beds i think, will sleep on the mattresses on the floor.
I think we'll let them take the old tv's but the living room one is brand new and we still have the box and packaging so i think we'll still do that one, plus they don't take it off the wall anyway so we have time to do that the weekend prior to the move.
Personal papers is a good shout too, hadn't thought of that

Microwave
Cleaning stuff

We always put the donor touch stuff in another room (like a bathroom)

When we moved I put on clean linen the day before the move. Following morning the bed linens went in boxes associated with that bed. Beds could be made up immediately on day one.

Agree about overnight bags/essentials, plus cleaning stuff and hoover/broom going in the car along with paperwork.

Just in case you haven't had this done before - they move through the house like locusts packing everything in sight.....drawers are wrapped up as is, a bin will be packed with the rubbish in it.....there is no sorting and delicately arranging items like you would. Of course they do bubble wrap the kitchen....but anything precious and delicate in a drawer you should get to now and wrap up.
And the speed with which they work is phenomenal. Our house was done in a day - started at 9 and finished by 3. I asked what we should do and they said they preferred that we went out and left them too it......(which I was happy to do.....as I would have fretted and fussed over what was going where and actually it did't really matter).

Good luck.

Our packers took great care and were very kind and gentlemanly - not least because I broke my ankle five days before we moved!

Vis a vis the packing of precious items, they are covered by the removal firms insurance so imo their care is painstaking.

They packed over from 8am to about 4.30pm - team of five and loaded the packing and furniture we didn't need onto van one. They returned on moving morning with van 2 for the final furniture: our beds, sofa, chairs, kitchen table, etc. and were away by 10.30am.

There was a problem with the money transfer and we only squeaked completion just before 4pm but they had everything unloaded by 8.30pm. Never was I so glad to have booked an hotel for that night.

Thank you everyone, really helpful. We're going to have to be in when they pack as we're working, but we'll keep out of their way