Removals company vs doing it yourself

[Boyandgirlanddone]

We're hoping to complete at the beginning of January. Moving from our 3 bed terrace to a 3 bed semi 20 minutes away. We're considering not stumping up for a removals company and doing it ourselves, which is what we've always done in the past (somehow with only a Fiat Punto!) Are we crazy? I'm planning to rent a Luton van or two which will be about £300 and buy the boxes. Here's the kicker: if we complete any time in January, my husband will be away with work, so it'll be me, two small children, family and any willing friends. Am I crazy? I just don't feel like we can justify the (£1500+) cost of the movers. Any stories of people who have succesfully DIY moved? Good or bad.

I much prefer having movers that pack as well but it's so expensive. In your case, I would pack myself but get movers to do the actual move for you.

We always moved ourselves when we moved between rented homes, as we always had an overlap of tenancy dates.

I would never do it ourselves when you are on a time deadline all in one day. Our last move was only 5 miles away, but just packing up our 3 bed home was almost too much stress. Having professionals who can move all of your belongings quickly and efficiently is really worth the money.

Depends on how heavy your stuff is and how collapsable it is.

What is the route to the van from your house, lots of steps or straight runs.

Are you planning to leave behind stuff like washing machines which are really heavy or take them with you.

If you get a luton van the big issue is probably lifiting the heavy stuff off ground level into the back. If the van has a tail lift this is going to be easier.

If everything can be broken down into easily liftable chunks then you can probably do it. It's just energy walking backwards and forwards.

What I would do is look at the items that are going to cause real problems to shift and identify a plan for moving them. If you can then fine. If you can't then maybe not.

Also bear in mind the consequences for the people doing the lifing if one of them drops the item on stairs. Dropping a heavy item on stairs can cause serious issues for the person below it.

It all boils down to how much stuff do you have and how much help can you rope in? Me and DH hired a van and did it ourselves, just us. From a 2 bed semi to a 3 bed. It was really difficult but managed it. Couldn't do it now though because our kids are so young.

If you can put most of your stuff into storage before hand it would make it easier, takes the time pressure off and much cheaper than removals company.

We got movers for a move 2 roads away. Didn't regret forking out. There was no way we could have done it ourselves.

If its the cost, shop around and pack yourselves.

Is there stuff you could get into storage before your DH goes away, and then bring out more gradually once he's back? Admittedly the cost of that might be similar to the cost of a removals firm.

I think you’re utterly insane.

I’d sell possessions to get the money for packers and movers. Moving is hard enough.

We always did it ourselves before we had kids. Then we moved with a 1 year old and the movers were worth every bloody penny. I packed and labelled (control freak) but they lifted and carried every box and item of furniture we owned into a lorry, drove it to the new house and carted it all back in. Up loads of stairs as the house is tall and narrow.

Family had dd for the day. We got the house looking half decent and beds built ready for dd to come back at 5pm for her dinner.

If you can scrape together the money, do it! Do it! Do it!

I honestly think that beyond around 35 years of age, you just need to get the professionals to do it.

By 35, most people have accumulated enough stuff and general life baggage aka kids and pets to make a house move a top tier pain in the arse. You are beyond the age of asking friends and family to help in exchange for some beers and a pizza. Although they might agree to help, I guarantee they secretly resent spending their weekend that way.

Hire a removal company.

I think you're barmy, but you know your capabilities better than me.

We moved from parents into current house. Most things were in storage due to us breaking the chain and so 80% was brought by the removals firm who had stored the boxes and furniture for us. We had no children and we vowed never again and declared we would be using packers next time too.

But we are able to value our time over money often because we have low outgoings compared to our incomes (we bought our house when we earned 1/2 what we do now) and so are comfortably able to outsource what we don't want to do ourselves.
We haven't moved again, so never had quotes for packing as well, so that may change our minds depending on the figure.

I have a friend who did this. Her DH and his 3 brothers moved their house within the same town. All was fine until DH herniated a disc and then it left 2 brothers moving the house and the other one driving the DH to A&E. Fun times.

If you can load up the van in the day or 2 before and park it securely, then, yes, it's do-able, but IME people who do their own removals very often hold everyone up on moving day as it always takes longer than they realised.

I wouldn’t do it myself at all, let alone with small children. Packing up is enough of a job in itself. Family and friends may be willing to help, but movers do this day in, day out so they’ll be quick and efficient. They lifted and easily manoeuvred furniture me and several friends would’ve struggled with. They don’t hang about and they also know how to cover and strap things in the van so they don’t move around. They are very expensive but worth it

I also vote bonkers.

Can you not find a cheaper quote than £1500? I recently moved 150 miles and paid £800- had to shop around. They were v no frills man and van, but absolutely I'd take that for a 20 min journey.

Also I'd be so annoyed past the age of about 30 if a friend asked me to help them move. I'd say yes because I'd feel I had to, but I'd be furious 😂

Here's the kicker: if we complete any time in January, my husband will be away with work, so it'll be me, two small children, family and any willing friends. Am I crazy?

If your DH was around - you hired van and packed everything before hand - and have kids old enough to stay out the way or childcare for them - then a lot of work easier with more bodies but doable - DSis managed it mostly cause man with van pitched in a lot ( ex was absent ) when others let her down or came very late and she had teen to deal with young kid.

Otherwise - no - you are crazy - kids get underfoot upset and need attention - people let you down - things are heavier to lift than you think.

You'd probably be best off getting quotes and doing packing yourselves and getting removals to put boxes in right room other end - because unpacking a task by itself - or very least having your DH be around on the day - and hope you can find childcare for the young kids or take then to park and leave DH to deal with removals ( did that once).

Worst case it it takes way longer than you think - and you end up incurring costs as you are not vacant or your stuff gets dumped none too carefully outside as buyer are also stressed and on time crunches.

Similarly, we moved just last month (4 bed with 18 years of possessions to shift) 20 minutes away and paid £800 (up north). I'd definitely have a shop around, the stress it relieved was immeasurable.

I consider money spent on professional removers well spent. They are physically strong and they know all about lifting heavy things safely. They know how to get things down stairs and round tight corners without damage. They pack super-fast and well. They already have all the packaging materials. They are insured for any accidental damage. There's enough to do when you move in without being physically exhausted from doing the move yourself.

You’re mad. Last time we moved house I was so utterly exhausted I thought I might be terminally ill. And we had people move us and do some of the packing.

You do know that you’ll be expected to be out pretty early in the day? Unless you’re going to pack the van the day before (and leave it somewhere very safe) the window to get out if you’re in a chain is quite small. Plus then ideally you need someone to go and get the keys for the new place as early as possible whilst someone else follows with the van/ kids/ pets. And the person driving the van needs to be super competent unless you want to knock a chunk out if your new front wall or risk losing your deposit on the van.

On the day we moved in it was a godsend having removals people as I was able to just direct where stuff went and put beds together etc. Plus it absolutely pissed it down with rain all day- I am pretty sure family and friends would have been very unenthusiastic very quickly…

If you have a really big helpful family who are really helpful and fit I guess it might work but honestly house moving is just so stressful I’d try and outsource this. Do get a few quotes though. And definitely try to get the kids looked after on the day.

The main question is... how much time do you have? If you have to be out of one house by 12, and not get the keys to the next until a few hours later... it will be a long, very exhausting day. Plus don't underestimate how much stuff you actually have.

Over a few days? Doable.

1500? Get another quote.
Packing yourself is one thing, and whilst I'd encourage people to get someone else to pack, it's doable.
Completely emptying a house into vans is HARD work. It needs to be done in one - you actually go through a patch of owning zero houses, you never have 2. I would seriously advise anyone with furniture to pay for movers to shift stuff about

You wont get the keys for the new place until you have given up yours if you are in a chain so unless you can fit all your stuff into a single Luton van or are breaking a chain it won't work.
I guess you could send most to storage for a while and then bring it to the new house but that will mean moving it twice and will cost loads for storage.

We moved 300 miles in August, from a 3 bed (plus garage, loft and storage unit) to a 4 bed (+ garage+loft). We were quoted over £4k for removals, which we couldn't afford. DH is a lorry driver, so we hired a 12.5 tonne truck, moved everything from the storage unit, garage (including 2 motorbikes) and loft plus whatever else would fit and he and DS2 took that up the week before. Then we hired a 7.5 tonne for the move on the day (beds, boxes, white goods, furniture etc).
It still cost us just under £1.5k but that's for hiring 2 vans over 3 days each (day to load, day to drive up and I paid, day to drive back) and the fuel for 1200 miles (which was a LOT).
To do a 20 minute journey with less stuff than we have, you could do it for a LOT less, even making a few trips.

We had 3 able bodied teenagers as well as ourselves doing it. It wasn't fun, but I don't regret it. We bought a sack barrow (brilliant) and moving straps (crap) to help with the moving and handling as we had a lot of stairs.

ETA: we are renting so we had an overlap, but because of the distance I couldn't go back and forth so I was still manically cleaning around us on the morning if the move. But most packing had been done in the weeks before. If we didn't have all the motorbikes, camping and garage stuff, we could have done it in one day but it was nice having a truck go up the week before to take a lot of bulky things as it meant we had more room to clean and move what was still there.

Having done both without kids

I would pay for movers every single time.

They stored stuff overnight so we had an afternoon and morning to deep clean and were sat in our living room watching tv with a cup of tea by 6pm.
totally worth it

For the hassle and what it is worth, I’d just take the hit and get removal company. It’ll be easier and one less thing you’ll have to worry about on moving day as it is stressful!

Get quotes from different removal companies. Check they have the relevant insurances.

also. You have two small children to factor into the situation? You’ll probably have to supervise them if not got childcare.