Can someone reassure me that removals people doing the packing for you works out smoothly please

[NoahAndTheWhale]

We are moving next Monday and the packers are packing on Saturday. I keep throwing things out so that all our "stuff" doesn't travel with us but will the packers mind if things are haphazardly in cupboards? DH is working away where we are moving and will be there from tomorrow v early until Thursday v late.

I am going to be working from Wednesday until Sunday (great timing there) and am panicking about how everything is going to happen.

I think I just need patting on the head and someone saying "it will all be fine". Doesn't help that DH seems to be doing nothing and just telling me I'm doing really well .

We did this this time after reading similar on MN and guess what? it was AMAZING.

my tips
-like Olivia, try to get them to label specifics, with ours - one packer did, one didn't.

• DON't do any packing beforehand. We had done load of sorting that we'd put in the spare room... but then ended up with loads of boxes in the new spare room that should have been elsewhere

-so make sure everything is in the right room/area of room to be labelled for new rooms.

But seriously, was fab. We used Coles and highly recommend. Packing took 2.5hrs! (large 3 bed flat). They had common sense too and left kettle etc, and space for sofa so we could sit on the day! All packed well too.

They came and collected boxes a month or so later.

Honestly, I would never pack again. Cost approx £100-200 more I think (can't remember). WEll worth it, especially with kids.

Wow! I'm marking this thread for convincing DH later reference. I wouldn't have predicted that everyone thought this was well worth it - I was expecting to see loads of posts saying 'Disaster - they chucked everything into tea chests and broke grandma's tea service'.

I think I could be tempted ... it's not much money when you think in terms of what a house move costs overall.

We had several quotes and all had a similar amount for packing of between £200 and £300.

this is good to know!! think i will def get someone into pack as well and move us. sounds like a dream and saves alot of time and effort.

We used these guys and they were great.

Have always had this with the milatary moves we have done and even when they packed up things for 2ys storage and we unpacked them in a new house it worked really well. I quite enjoy the sitting around, directing operations and making tea routine! Was so relaxed about it that when we moved when i was pregnant I even went to work for the day and left DH in charge! To be honest after seeing my parents struggle over THE MOVE for weeks beforehand and after I would always have the packers in

I am going to be at work when the packing happens and leaving DH in charge . Am feeling a little nervous about that aspect of it

ok this is a VERY encouraging thread for me as we are about to do a long-distance move and this would make it so much easier!
Sorry to be a bit dense but do you literally leave everything in cupboards and drawer (clothes, food etc) and they pack all that up too??

We have used this service for every move and its fab!
They pack so quickly and pack as they see it!
They wont care less if your cupboards are a mess but if for some bizarre reason you leave your slippers in the kitchen they will be packed along side your pans etc and in a box labelled Kitchen - not the first place you may think to look the other end! Because of this I do tend to atleast make sure everything is in the most logical room - so it is easier to locate the other end.

Relax and enjoy the service. Pack anything you NEED for the day or overnight in your car (perhaps duvet/pillows overnight bag, vacume) so it does not get packed with everything else.
Keep the removal men sweet with lots of cuppas and you'll be fine.

Good luck with the move. Hope it goes OK.

I am going to pack things into the car on Friday that we need for the rest of the weekend (moving on Monday so being packed on Saturday) and take them to work with me, so they don't get packed

The packers are coming tomorrow - and I'm getting rather nervous.

Do they really pack everything in a room - apart from stuff you have specified to leave alone?

Yes, and it's great - quick, and pack better than we've ever done. Plus you're better insured if they pack for you.

Yup, I repeat what I said earlier, they're brilliant.

But hide the rubbish.

They do pack all your junk - someone needs to combine packing and de-cluttering in one. There's a fortune to be made in saying "No, you are not taking all the crap in this drawer to a new house for a third time. No, you will never use these ramekins." And then putting them in a skip.

We had a packing service the last time we moved and it was fab, so quick. They packed us in the morning (3 bed Victorian terrace) and had finished by lunchtime. They didn't unpack boxes but did put all the boxes in the right rooms and reassembled beds etc. They started at 9am and it was all finished at about 3.30pm, including a 90 min drive between properties.

We moved most of our furniture with us and for things like bedside cabinets and chests of drawers they just did a quick check to make sure there was nothing breakable in it and then used a strap around the whole thing to keep the drawers shut and moved it as it was.

Because I'm shallow I will mention that it was a hot day and the removal/packing team were all young antipodean men in shorts and tight t-shirts. I don't think I had to pay extra for that.

We are moving again in 5 weeks and having a packing service. This company do a fragile unpack onto a flat surface (eg the dining table) to make sure that nothing has been broken. They do offer a complete unpacking service, but I would rather do my own unpacking tbh.

Mine were good except that one of them was a bit dozy and packed his lunch by mistake. My stuff went into store and when I unpacked it a year later his sandwich was still coherent but very furry.

It was absolutely bloody brilliant and I tell everyone to do it. Ours packed but didn't unpack which was great as I didn't quite know where I wanted stuff to go in the new house and wanted to sort that, par tic kitchen, myself.

We had to empty loft and we did our own undies as I didn't want them rummaging through my bras! But otherwise they just took everything from where it was.

Two tips - get them to label what's in the box rather than just what room it's from, as others have said. And keep a section of kitchen free from packing where you put kettle, teabags,mugs,cleaning products and other stuff you'll need and keep reminding them not to pack it!

Packers are BRILLIANT and CHEAP - cannot believe anyone would not pay for this if they could possibly stretch to it!

Top tips 1. establish where to put things you need eg over night bags / childrens favourite toys / kettle / contact lenses - on the beds or on the kitchen table usually, so they don't take them. 2. TIDY UP - they really will just pack it all - damp towels in the laundry basket - in the box it goes - rubbish in the bin - in it goes.

I would happily let DH supervise the packing as it runs on rails - its the unpacking you need to be there for unless you want all your furniture to be in the wrong place!

Definitely paying for packing was the best money spent. I say that as someone who is currently packing to move from a rental house to another rental house. But when we manage to buy a house again, and move again, I will be paying the extra to have someone else pack.

This is a bit of a tangent but does anyone know if removal people will also collect (and pack if necessary although it's mostly boxed already) stuff at a storage place as well as the house itself. I really can't face getting everything out of storage again - it will make me cry

I don't know LadyBiscuit but I do know that they will deliver to a storage unit as well as the new house (we thought we might need this and moving firms were happy to do it, just cost a little more) - so I'd imagine they'd do the reverse as well.

It worked brilliantly for me, but they muddled up the 'lunch' food box and the 'pack this' food box (both in the fridge), so we had to go without tea and sandwiches and chocolate biscuits until a wonderful new neighbour came to the rescue!

Thanks minipie - that's good to know. We may have to rent at the other end too so it might mean we move stuff straight from one storage place to the next!

We got packers (through our removal company) when we last moved - the best money we spent! They were great, everything was meticulously wrapped, packed and labelled and the relevant boxes and furniture put in the correct room with no fuss.

Everything will be fine!

The last two times we moved we had packers, the first time was a bit of a disaster, lots of (fortunately non-precious) items got broken and some big bits of (expensive) furniture damaged. However, the company did pay up for replacement/repairs of everything. It was just a hassle organising it all.
Basicallly the issue was that they were busy and had sub-contracted to a man with a van. He was fine and clearly knew what he was doing, but had obviously picked up two very inexperienced lads to do the packing. They turned up in a haze of alcohol fumes and tried to do the packing and the moving in one day (which to be fair they managed), in the rush a lot of things were very carelessly done and the packing was finished later on at the storage depot.

The last time we were moved however, it was brilliant, they were very professional and fast, everything got packed and put in storage as we were moving overseas and didn't have a house to go to. They didn't unpack for us but did put together cupboards etc and brought in a special electric ramp for DH's piano (which had been damaged in the previous debacle).

So do go for it, but beware that sometimes these things can go wrong...