Are removal companies worth it?

gazfocus

Thanks again for all the comments so far. So how do removals work, I mean, do I pack everything, then they just come and collect it then take it to my new house or do they pack it?

Also, do the removals company provide the boxes or is that something I'd need to buy?

9wizard9

All of the above are options - generally with their own associated costs. Packing yourself is cheapest, and you can use free boxes from supermarkets or other people you know who have recently moved. Buy a packing tape gun from Staples or similar - a few quid, but it will save you hours taping boxes up. Most companies will supply you with boxes if you want (at a cost), or will offer a packing service (at a much bigger cost).

I'm tempted to get them to pack next time, but that's really just laziness. The prices I was quoting earlier were just for the move itself, with us doing all the packing and supplying our own boxes (though they supplied a wardrobe box without any charge - ace, you just hang all your hangers in it!).

ginvzt

We have used movers twice - first time when we sold our house and moved 120 miles into rented flat. As I was alone left in the house (OH has already moved with work), I had no time to pack the house, and besides, company was paying for relocation. We had movers to pack up everything, load the van, lock up the house (I had to get to our new destination to the estate agents to get the keys for the new flat before closing hours). They arrived the next day in the new location with the van loaded full. They unloaded it all and were on their way back. It was the best £800 spent.

The second time we moved from that rented flat to the current house. This time we packed everything and disassembled the furniture (they guys did everything last time!). It was only 5 miles or less the distance, and I think we paid £120-150, but it we were in our new house by lunch and had friends visiting us for lunch (we just had BBQ). The guys were done in about 3-4 hours.

Honestly - worth every penny. Oh, and we had boxes supplied both times (first time they were packing themselves, second time delivered few days before the move so we can pack up, we were given some old boxes for free, and new boxes were extremely cheap, 'wardrobe' boxes were lent to us for free)

Doshwaster

The last time I moved I hired a Transit van for the weekend and got a couple of friends to help (for payment in beer and curry). I had pre-moved most of the light stuff myself in several car journeys (I was only moving a couple of miles) so than van was just needed for furniture and white goods.

The other advantage of hiring a van is that you can also use it for a trip to somewhere like Ikea for any new furniture or the local tip (sorry, "household recycling facility") to get rid of any old junk.

poppysarah

Get 2 men and a van. Moving is exhausting.

LandyAndy

I have always used profesional removers. I always do my own packing. We have a lot of stuff. I wouldn't consider moving it myself. Unless you are a. very fit, b. have only a small amount of stuff and c. have nothing bulky or heavy it just isn't worth the trouble.

ab7167

another vote for using a professional moving company - we paid £800 for a large 4 bed house last month, but that was a full pack service - we basically lived in the house until 8am on the morning of the move, I had packed a few valuables (boxes supplied), but they packed everything else for us, took the beds apart, emptied the loft etc. We had the full pack service as I have a 2 year old and was 36 weeks pregnant with no. 2 at the time, and would have had real problems with all the packing, but it is SUCH a good service - I would always use it in the future. I think the additional fee was about £225, so would have been £575 without the packing.

And their full pack fee includes putting all the furniture back together again when they return it all (in storage at the moment waiting for house purchase to go through) :-)

googler

Agreed with previous posters, find someone who will supply hanging boxes a few days in advance.

Get used boxes from all sorts of places, or document storage boxes from stationers. These are designed to hold heavy paperwork, and will cope with most other household items easily. If you get boxes all the same size, it makes it easier to pack the van - a simpler jigsaw.

One other anecdote - a workmate of mine spent a few years in a third-floor flat, and in that time built a LARGE collection of vinyl - LPs, etc. LPs are heavy when you box them up. I would manage one box at a time, and would be out of breath carrying it on the level, never mind up or down stairs. The removal guys were ex-army, built like brick sh*thouses, he tells me, and they carried them ONE BOX ON EACH ARM to the van.....

Treacle44

Having moved ourselves 8 years ago, we are hiring a removal company this time round! Found it so stressful last time.

We had two quotes to move the contents of a 3 bed house a distance of one mile, one was £800 and the other £500 so shop around. We obviously chose the latter and that includes boxes, tape, bubble wrap, paper to wrap and full insurance.

Well worth it imo.

lindos90

When we moved recently we used a removals firm. They charged £45 +vat per hour, with a minimum payment of 4 hours (even if it only took2 or 3 hours) I got a quote from several companies in my area and they all seemed to charge about the same.

We also took out an optional accidental damage insurance which was about £7, as I couldnt get a straight answer out of any of the removals firms or my contents insurance company and didnt want to take any chances.

If yo dont have much, then you might get away with sing a van, but there is SO much to do on the day its exhausting, the added stress of being responsible for all the humping and driving is just not worth it.

However I would not use a packing service, or 'hire' their boxes, I wanted to sort through and pack my things myself (also did want to pay for packing or box hire). Over a period of time before we moved I aquired lots of banana boxes from our local supermarket..

Got five in my car every shop, cut up and cellotaped the inner cardboard sheet to the hole in the top and bottom of the boxes and packed five boxes at a time...simples!

The boxes were then given to a friend who was moving, so very eco and MSE!

If you do this I would also recommend getting the very wide tape and a roll of 'fragile' tape too, and a dispenser like this:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Silverline-427679-Packing-Tape-Dispenser/dp/B000QHIGFI

to save time and teeth! (Wilko do a cheaper one:money:)