Removal firms that pack?

kettlefish

We've just moved with a packing service and it was amazing. Our move got delayed by a week so it was great to not have to live our of boxes, they simply came the day before and packed everything. It was £800 all in but the packing service only made Up £200 of that figure. The rest was the cost of lorries etc. We went out for breakfast while they packed!

pinkteapot

We moved out of a 4-bed house. The packing service added £300 to the removals bill. Out of the £22k we spent on stamp duty, solicitor fees, EA fees, mortgage fees and removals, that £300 was the best money spent by a country mile.

We lived in normality until the day before we moved. Three guys came round the day before and packed everything in about about 6 hours. They're so fast because they do it all the time! It would have taken me weeks to pack the china. :rotfl:

We did have to empty the loft ourselves, so the night before they came we got everything down from the loft and put it in the garage and a spare bedroom.

We had a few essentials that we wanted to take ourselves in the car, so we labelled those with post-its saying DO NOT PACK (same for some things we were leaving for the buyers).

Aside from that, I sat back watching DVDs on my laptop (sat on the bed, out of the way) and let them crack on. I did make them a few teas though.

They clearly wrote on each box what was in it, so unpacking was still easy for us.

Re boxes, removal companies should come back and collect them, but ask when you get quotes. We unpacked and flattened the boxes (cut the tape so we could fold them back to flat) and stacked them in the garage. We did have to phone a couple of times before they came and got them - they tend to do it when they're in the same area on a job so it's variable how long it takes to get the boxes taken back.

I would never, ever, do my own packing again. I've done it myself before and lived in chaos with boxes everywhere for weeks before moving date, along with spending every evening and weekend packing. Not worth it for the saving involved!

marjrie_2

Francesanne wrote: »

We chose a well established local (to old home) family firm when we moved 270 miles. Obtained 3 quotes but eventually decided to go on recommendation of friend that had previously used company. We hadn't moved in 38 years and was traumatized at the thought of upheaval but the firm we used made it so much easier. We'd been preparing for a couple of months before the move & had good clear out of unwanted belongings. Thankfully, our loft was completely empty & no garden shed to clear out. Our move was spread out over 3 days due to distance. Team of 3 guys did ALL the packing for us & came supplied with vast amounts of paper and flat packed boxes. We supplied endless cups of tea & biscuits and kept out of their way. Our two dogs were shipped off to kennels for 2 days. The whole move from start to finish went like clockwork and apart from hard work it was a painless experience despite all my worries. The guys did a great job and really impressed with company. We were left to dispose of wrapping paper and boxes but that was to be expected due to our location of new house. Thankfully we had empty garage to store all boxes before we could recycle. So glad we had them do all the packing despite the cost. It was worth every penny.

Can it ask if this move was quite recent please? How much was the cost of it all?
I know I need to get some quotes, but someone here put it was £3600, others say half of that. I wonder if I should get quotes for with and without the packing service.

marjrie_2

pinkteapot wrote: »

We moved out of a 4-bed house. The packing service added £300 to the removals bill. Out of the £22k we spent on stamp duty, solicitor fees, EA fees, mortgage fees and removals, that £300 was the best money spent by a country mile.

We lived in normality until the day before we moved. Three guys came round the day before and packed everything in about about 6 hours. They're so fast because they do it all the time! It would have taken me weeks to pack the china. :rotfl:

We did have to empty the loft ourselves, so the night before they came we got everything down from the loft and put it in the garage and a spare bedroom.

We had a few essentials that we wanted to take ourselves in the car, so we labelled those with post-its saying DO NOT PACK (same for some things we were leaving for the buyers).

Aside from that, I sat back watching DVDs on my laptop (sat on the bed, out of the way) and let them crack on. I did make them a few teas though.

They clearly wrote on each box what was in it, so unpacking was still easy for us.

Re boxes, removal companies should come back and collect them, but ask when you get quotes. We unpacked and flattened the boxes (cut the tape so we could fold them back to flat) and stacked them in the garage. We did have to phone a couple of times before they came and got them - they tend to do it when they're in the same area on a job so it's variable how long it takes to get the boxes taken back.

I would never, ever, do my own packing again. I've done it myself before and lived in chaos with boxes everywhere for weeks before moving date, along with spending every evening and weekend packing. Not worth it for the saving involved!

Thanks for this, I had no idea of cost an extra £300 seems very good, what part of the country is that, we are in the South East and have a feeling it may be a lot more !

pinkteapot

We're in north Essex, so not quite the Kent heartland but fairly south-east.

We moved a year ago (a year go tomorrow now I think about it!) and our total removal cost was about £1,200 including VAT. That was packing one day and moving the next, but we were only moving two miles.

I will check the invoice again tonight as now I'm wondering if the packing was a bit more than I remember!

EDIT: Just found it in my emails. Sorry - the packing was £325 plus VAT, so £390 in total. Still well worth it!

kettlefish

We moved 0.5 miles in East Midlands from a 3 bed detached. We have 2 kids so lots of stuff. It would've been £700 plus £200 to pack (inc all materials and a dismantle/reassemble service) but I negotiated £800 all in with a local firm called Easy Move. All Star Moves were similarly priced (I think they are a small chain) but Pickfords were half as much again (c.£1200 iirc)

throwa

We moved 30 miles, from London to the Chilterns. I had a 6 week old baby - there was no way I was packing our 3 bed house plus shed up! The removal quotes came in about the £800 mark, and packing was another £300 on top of that. We used a firm local to where we were moving to, on the principle that London prices were more expensive (they were). Bear in mind that you may not be insured for breakages in transit if you have done your own packing - they have to pack 'properly' for their own insurance to pay out.

Plus they manouvered all of the furniture down the stairs and round fiddly right angle corners with much more patience than we would have.

A very nice man called Martin turned up the day before and fuelled by tea and chocolate biscuits packed the entire house and shed up in 6 hours - we carried on normal life around him. We laid out stuff we didn't want packing on the beds (clothes for the next day, toys etc) but he did everything else. He didn't pack cleaning stuff / hoover either. We packed valuables (to go in the car) and undies etc.

On the day, the cat and older child were shipped off to my brothers, I sat on the sofa feeding said baby whilst beds were dismantled and my husband ran around cleaning rooms as they were cleared. At the new house everything ended up in the right room, and they even built our beds for us. They came by to pick up boxes a few weeks later when they were next in the area.

Highly recommended and I'd use them (specifically, and also a packing service generally) again if / when we move again.

Emmylou_2

Friend has just moved house in Bristol (3 bed 3 storey house to 3 bed 2 storey house). Packing and moving was a total cost of £1116. They thought it'd take 2 days but only took 1 in the end.

marjrie_2

We now have to find the perfect house, the one we wanted was removed from sale, I wonder how long our buyer will wait

Alter_ego

marjrie wrote: »

When they do the packing, do they really do everything?

Yes, well anyway Pickfords do, they packed a full ashtray including ash, and the kitchen bin complete with rubbish, for us a few years back.
However they wouldn't take, anything containing petrol etc, cans of paint, gas bottles.