Packing service for moving house

llh189

Not quite house buying, renting and selling!

I am moving house - one rented to another I have no holiday time left and I am single.

I don't want to burden my friends and whilst I only live in a one bed place I have a lot of stuff. I also have stuff like beds that need to be taken a part and reassembled. Washing machines etc to be moved - a shed full of stuff - moving on my own just freaks me out and the thought of packing and unpacking, doing all the dump runs myself on top of a proper stressful job and long hours freaks me out. I know I sound pathetic :-)

So I have three removal companies coming, who are quoting for removal without and without packing!

Has anyone experience of a packing service? Costs involved etc.

Is it weird having someone do it for you? Do you literally leave everything as is?

What about curtains, lampshades, pictures etc?

Is it worth the extra money? I don't have much spare cash and the move is not by choice, as I have issues with a new neighbour, so I'd really like the move to go smoothly.

Thanks

caeler

I've always preferred to pack myself and I did this over the proceeding week during the evenings, however the last firm I used took my bed apart and reassembled and they also unplumbed and plumbed my washing machine and dishwasher. That was a huge help on the day.

llh189

Thanks bluefuzzybug!

By the way I really like your tagline!

Slinky

Packing service - worth every penny IMO. I think we paid something like an extra £200 to pack up a very full 3 bed house when we moved from the West Country to Bucks 6 years ago. Would never move again without a packing service, they come in and do in 1 day what it would have taken me weeks to do.

llh189

Thank you Slinky - can I ask about curtains and lampshades etc!

I am thinking so seriously about it - just worried about the cost!

Welsh_Totster

We paid an extra £250 for the packing service to pack up an oversized 4 bed house when we recently moved, worth every penny and more! I'd never move again without the packers, they packed everything in a day, wonderous! We had to take any large furniture apart ourselves and curtains and lampshades had to be taken down by us too but everything else including the garden and shed contents was done by them. They also provided an unpacking and house arrangement service for more cash (not sure how much more) but basically you just turned up in the new house and everything was in place set up you just walked in and drunk the champers they left you!

Yorkie1

I paid about £45 per hour (I think it was) for 2 men to pack my contents up. It took so much stress out of my move. They packed the day before, and then loaded the lorry and moved me the following day. They were so much quicker and efficient than I would have been. It meant I wasn't living in boxes for weeks beforehand and just had to concentrate on the essentials.

I took down curtains and lampshades before they arrived, but left pictures for them to wrap. Just ask the companies how they prefer you to approach these particular items if you're not sure.

I would recommend you get a fixed price for the packing, not an hourly rate if possible. It always seems to take longer than their original estimate and of course you're stuck with it then.

If you can afford the extra, then go for it.

caeler

llh189 wrote: »

By the way I really like your tagline!

Just little things I've learnt along the way!

prettypennies

It is worth paying extra for packing your delicate items. Most removal insurance only covers items packed by the movers. Householders who pack their own goods have a tendancy to overload boxes which can sometimes result in breakages.
You could always pack the general items such as books and bedding yourself to keep down the cost.
I would suggest that you have a good declutter before moving and donate, recycle or bin anything you don't want to keep in your new home. There is no point paying for things to be packed that your are going to dispose of at a later date.

QTPie

Yes, we used the packing service last time we moved and will use the packing and unpacking service this time (have baby, need all the help that I can get!). The unpacking will probably make a mess, but we will be booked into a hotel for two/three nights when we move: one problem I foiund with the packing service is they tend to be liberal with their packing (and you can have a LOT of boaxes and packing materials to store until you can get them collected...).

If you use a packing service, make sure you pack the essentials and move them yourself.

QT

clutton_2

i also would recommend packers... mine just walked in packed Everything one day, and we moved the next... ... and i just swanned around - as i do - feeling excited... at the other end i just pointed to where i wanted furniture putting.. then changed my mind and they moved it again.. they reassembled my bed and computer (phew) - would never pack myself again - ever