Why do I want the removers to do the packing?

[biser]

Not me, I need advice to give to DC.
What is the benefit in getting the removers to do the packing? If all they do is wrap drawers, complete with contents, in clingfilm then what are you paying for? What else do they do?

Why are you so bothered? Just let whoever is moving do as they wish. Why does anyone on here need to invest effort in convincing you? Its a non-issue. Although not as dull as the thread about how many dogs a colleague really has, I'll give you that!

For the movers there’s no emotion attached to what there packing they just pack it. For us it’s like ooo look at this stop have a chat about item etc. Also they will just pack whereas we can be distracted do other things before going back to the packing eventually.

We had removals who were ment to help pack, they shoved anything and everything into boxes including breaking up Lego sets that I had specifically put out of the way for us to carry individually, didn’t label anything and the boxes all went on the wrong rooms. Oh and also took the rubbish(including a bag of dirty hutch waste that I had just cleaned out) which they carefully put safely inside nice and dry while leaving tools, files of paperwork etc out in the garden in the rain.
Does that help 🤣
It happened in November and they also broke multiple things and I’m still peeved over it-still struggling to get things in order.

They are covered for damage if anything is broken

you still haven't told us if you think the 5 adults will be packing everything on the day itself
Sorry I haven't posted today. Guess where we were today and what we were doing!

I gave them MN's advice but they are unswayed and still think that they can do it themselves.
Thanks all, anyway.

@biser they are not doing it themselves if you were helping!

They are adults, let them make their own mistakes. I’d be inclined to be busy if they needed any more help.

Took me 5 weeks to pack a 6 bed house up lol. Did declutter and sort as I went though. Also we didn’t have anywhere to actually move to so packed it all in a shipping container. Sent lots of furniture that I wasn’t keen on to auction and sold other bits. Repeated exercise with the outside stuff into another container. Lifted containers and stored them at friends farm until new property purchased. Downside was that sale took longer than buyers were hoping for so spent the following five weeks sitting on plastic chairs and sleeping on mattresses on the floor! Saved a fortune I would assume but then took about a year to unpack😱 ( bought the two containers so that was a big expense but subsequently sold them so evened out again)
it was quite enjoyable, but we weren’t in the traditional exchange/complete chain which must be super stressful.
Repeated same exercise when DP left their lifetime farm to move into a bungalow, never again!
Have never used movers, didn’t even know they did such things as pack, thought it was just turn up with lorry to transport your stuff, I learn much daily from MN!

I prefer to get movers to do the moving but pack myself, it's a good opportunity to sort and declutter so you're not taking anything with you you don't need.

I’m sure its nice, but expensive so i’ll be packing myself, and probably hire a van, like i’ve done previous moves.

This was a decade ago, but we had to relocate 200 miles for work. The conveyancing took so long that we had to move in with relatives for a few weeks so we could start our new jobs and DC (very young at the time) started school. We also only had one car, which we needed to get to school and work as relative's house was not that close to either.

Obviously we had already decluttered very ruthlessly before even putting our house on the market. And also, we had taken a car-load of daily essentials to our relative's house (clothes etc). But otherwise, we basically left the old house completely untouched, everything in place like it was still being lived in.

So the morning before completion on our house sale, I took the train down to old city with an overnight backpack. Let the packers in. They swarmed around the whole house, loft and shed, packing, disassembling furniture, pictures off the walls, curtains down, clothes into hanging boxes, and loading everything like Tetris into their moving lorry.

Except one bed + bedding, kettle + tea + biscuits, and my overnight bag (basically a bunch of stuff labelled with Post-Its saying "Do Not Pack").

I went and sat in a cafe and mooched around the local shops to stay out of their way for those few hours. Then they drove off back to depot with the lorry, I went back to the empty house to spend a slightly weird night.

Next morning they came back, packed the final items, and drove off. I hopped on the train with my little backpack.

TLDR: Worth Every Penny.

Love that, Happened to a friend of mine, also moving internationally. They took her vacuum (which needed emptying).

To look at that another way, this means the packers just pack everything regardlesss. Whereas if you did the packing you might think ‘what on earth am I keeping that for’ and chuck it in the bin.

I’d never move without paying for the packing service. Think it was all done in a couple of hours!
Declutter first though.
DC were at school, cat was in the cattery and dh and I went for brunch!

Why are you assuming it’s a mistake? People have their own preferences on how to do things. Packing yourself can work very well if you are organised and that’s what you want to do. Just because ‘Mumsnet says’ they should pay for packing, doesn’t mean it’s the right choice for them.

I had this service when moving while pregnant, it was a godsend.

Why are you there then?

The op is the one saying it’s a mistake and trying to persuade them otherwise.

To look at that another way, this means the packers just pack everything regardlesss. Whereas if you did the packing you might think ‘what on earth am I keeping that for’ and chuck it in the bin.

That's why it's quicker. They don't keep stopping to think about whether to chuck it in the bin.

Not read many responses. My take:
Because you can live like normal until the day before you move.
Because there aren't piles of boxes in the corners for weeks before hand
Because then fragile items are insured
Because the guys are machines and can pivot furniture like you cant believe.
Because when the volume has been under estimated they have significantly more chance of securing another van on 5 mins notice
Because they have inhumane strength, and will shift tons of stuff upstairs, down stairs, round corners for hours.
Because they have an endless supply of boxes and wrapping material and will take it all away for reuse afterwards

Basically, its a bloody knackering day anyway, but adding in shifting tons of stuff too just makes a stressy, tough day even stresssier and tougher.

If you have time before the move, I would say spend the time de-cluttering. Get stuff onto Vinted/ebay and sold and you will more than pay for the packing service. Then you get to live in normality for weeks up to the move. Then on the day of the move, focus on cleaning the rooms as the packers move out and have some one posted at the new house ready to clean that before the removal team get there with your stuff. Then have them direct which room each box goes in. Then you can focus your energy on unpacking and getting your new place straight rather than using all your energy on packing up the old place. Once you’ve used the packing service it’s hard to go back.

It's mainly the time & the mess. If you pack yourself, in the weeks leading up to it you start to accumulate boxes and packing stuff, then you start packing the non essential stuff (reminiscing & faffing as you go) and the house gradually starts becoming a total mess and it all takes far longer than u think it will. Then you realise someone packed 'that thing' you now really need. If you use packers, you live totally as normal, let them in, go do something nice & a few hours later everything is very well packed & labelled & u are ready to move!

And why you end up taking loads of rubbish with you that you don’t really want.

Speed! Do it yourself you'll ponder over everything and put things together etc. They don't care and are careful professionals. They will be much faster!

For those that have used packers, how much extra does it cost on top of the moving fees to have them pack it for you?