Moving - packing service?

[Dreamingofthishouse]

Just wondering what thoughts were on using a full packing service? Have a very busy time ahead work wise and we are still
unsure of completion date so looks like myself or partner could be away with work around the moving period making hard to pack a house it’s small children and no help!. Considering getting some quotes for a packing service, not sure what to expect to pay for this in addition to removals, any advice?

Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. I can't even remember what we paid but my god, I would never move without it now. 4 bed house, all packed up in a few hours. Worth every single penny. Boxes were packed and labelled well, nothing broke. Just fantastic. Do it, you won't regret it.

We did it twice. Great service.

Ours are packing, I think it was only an extra £500 or so to have them do it all. It's piece of mind, that makes it worth it.

Wouldn't move any other way now!

It depends on the size of property really but you're looking at another full days work if it's a full pack. I work in removals in the midlands and you'd be looking anything from £350-£700 on top here.

It will be the best money you've ever spent!

Absolutely do this. Would never move without this. Essentially you are just paying the hourly rate for some people on top of the moving fees. Few hundred pounds. Unbelievably worth it.

They will pack everything not nailed down. And they will pack it well. They won’t get sentimental and they are like Ninjas. Empty your bins or they’ll pack your rubbish. It would take you so so much more time than they can do it in.

Ok brilliant thanks everyone this is very encouraging, my husband thinks it’s unnecessary but let’s face it I’ll be the one doing most of the packing if not. The Cost are encouraging too- I was expecting more, maybe about £1000.
Obviously all companies are different but What about things like the shed, attic etc trampoline etc. and dismantling furniture? For those that used packers did they do that too or just pack the house contents etc?
going to try to get some quotes on Monday as the stress of thinking about getting the million boxes ,tape and then the painstaking process of actually packing is stressing me out. If was £500-700 I’d happily pay that tbh!

great, I think I could do a very big clear out first of each cupboard etc so know it’s only the things needed that are packed!

It's totally worth it! We paid an extra £500 (south west) and when we factored in that we would have had to buy all the packing materials and take time off work to do it it wasn't really that much more expensive. They were so efficient and it made that aspect of moving entirely stress free (in what was otherwise a very stressful process!)

@Moonkittens thank you exacting what I want to hear. I am not long “ recovered “ from a severe injury also that I don’t want to risk a set back. Will get a few quotes and chat about the process with some companies

Absolutely worth it. Just declutter everything before you go though. Twice, because you won't be brutal enough. We paid a few hundred extra to our removal company - it was worth twice that!

Couple of issues we had - they missed some bits hanging on the back of the kitchen door which was always propped open, and they'll pack the bin with contents! I'll never pack myself again though, it was so much easier.

Simple dismantling will normally be included. IKEA style furniture you will be charged for a handyman - this sort of furniture isn't really made to be reassembled and dismantled numerous times though so if the items can be carried out the house in one piece then leave them as they are. Crew will normally go into the loft as long as it is lit and boarded, if not you'll probably have to bring it all down. They'll go in the shed as well.

I can't recommend it highly enough!

Absolutely - 1000x YES!!!

I packed up my kitchen, dining room and lounge last year for a refurb and it took 3 of us 2 days!

My friend decided not to (against my advice) and ended up having to shell out about £400 on osteopath treatment when she knackered her back trying to do it all herself....

You have all made me so happy this Friday night! My partner was costing storage units today and considering starting the packing soon to try and offload some stuff but I think a packing service is the way to go. Fully take on board comments about the furniture, partner is handy so there’s no problem with him dismantling what’s needed and the attic is an actual room with stairs so I guess that’ll just be treated as an extra room. There’s eaves storage in that room so we could lift this all out into the main room.
so say your completion day is a Friday, would they come to the house on the Thursday and you’d stay in the house Thursday night with the bare minimum furniture which would be loaded the next day or just better to stay elsewhere the Thursday night then be around to clean and get last min things in the Friday morning? Sorry for all the practical questions I’ve not known anyone to ever use a packing service before to ask !

The packers dismantled beds, things like drawers were taken with the contents in. We didn't have a trampoline, but we did have one of those wooden towers with a slide and they took that as it was. Start with your removals company for a quote, I'd be amazed if they didn't offer it as a service.

Yes, they'll come a day or two before completion to pack. They'll normally dismantle the beds so you'll just sleep on a mattress the final night in your home. Put anything you don't want them to pack in your car.

Last time we moved it was a 4 bed house and huge garage. Two or three guys packed nearly everything on (for us) the Monday, finished off Tuesday morning and then loaded everything to be away by lunchtime. I think we only paid about £300 to include all materials but it was 5 or 6 yrs ago now.

Label each room so that packers can label the boxes, and then label the rooms in the new house so that boxes can go in the right place.

And yes to putting things that you don’t want packed into your car (Hoover and cleaning stuff if you’re going to have a last clean around the house). And to emptying the bin.

They’ll generally collect the boxes once you’ve had time to unpack.

I did it and it was so worth it. What would have taken me weeks and huge amounts of stress took them 1.5 days.

Don't think twice - do it. So worth the extra money,
But the will pack EVERYTHING - rubbish, your half dead plant, your glasses if you leave them lying about. So pack a suitcase of bits you'll need for first night and a box of things like kettle, bed linen etc and store it in your car.

Definitely - I wouldn’t move without a packing service again. Ours was £600 for packing for a very, very full 3 bed house in London last year.

@Dreamingofthishouse another vote for packers. Ours were more expensive than most of the quotes on here (£2,000) for a 2 bed house but we would pay that again in a heart beat. We moved with two small children and it honestly took so much stress out. They were incredibly efficient (we went for a coffee on completion day while they loaded the lorry) and dismantled and rebuilt furniture for us at the other end. Worth every penny.

They left us with beds and essentials overnight and then I cleaned after them as the loaded the lorry and finished rooms on completion day.

Absolutely the best £500 I've ever spent!

Yes !!! It's a drop in the ocean compared to the overall moving cost and so worthwhile.