Are Home Packing Services Worth the Money?

Is it worth hiring professional packers? Yes, and here is why.

Packing for a home move is arguably one of the worst parts of the whole moving process.

Not only do you have to find the time to purchase packing materials, but then pack each and every box, and then you will spend weeks living amongst piles of boxes.

Not only is packing moving boxes laborious, but it can also be extremely expensive.

Ask anyone who has moved home and they will invariably say that hiring packers was the best money they spent during their relocation.

A little-known fact that you should also be aware of is that not all insurance policies cover your things whilst being moved if you have packed them yourself.

So in this guide, we look at every aspect of hiring professional packers. You probably have lots of questions, so let’s get them answered for you, as quickly and as simply as possible.

What is a Packing Service?

Hire a removal company for a packing service and they will provide the materials and labour to safely pack every item you want moving to your new home.

From your knick-knacks to your framed works of art, to huge pieces of antique furniture, and crystal chandeliers.

The only items they cannot pack are items which are still inside your loft, for health and safety reasons.

So get them down from the loft before you get a quote and that way they can be included in your things to be packed.

Also, they will not pack any items that the removal company has included on its prohibited items list.

This will usually include hazardous materials and anything which could pose a risk to their staff or the other items you wish to move.

Be sure to know exactly what these prohibited items are, and then decide whether the items should be disposed of or moved by yourself.

You may also like to read: Non-Allowable Items. What Removal Companies Will Not Pack and Move. The list of items that a removal company cannot move for health and safety reasons varies from company to company, but the rule of thumb is that they will not move anything that is a potential health and safety risk. This guide explains which are the most common items they will not allow onto the removal van.

The packing team will also ensure that the moving boxes will be properly labelled noting the contents and which room you have designated they be placed within your new home.

If you are hiring a removal company to provide you with a full-service move, this will include transportation, they will dismantle large and bulky furniture, and provide a full packing and sometimes an unpacking service.

When you opt for the unpacking service the removal company will unpack all your items and place them in your new home where you have specified.

The removal company will take away all the packing materials just leaving you with the task of enjoying your new home.

You may also like to read: What is a Full-Service Removal Company? If you have never hired a full-service removal company before this article explains exactly what you can expect, the additional services you may be offered and the average costs involved.

Why Paying Someone to Pack Your Home Makes Sense

• You have access to a van, and driver, or are confident driving a van yourself but want a professional packing service
• You don’t have the time or energy to pack your own things
• You have fragile items that require professional packing
• You have items that require specialist packing materials
• You need to save costs on your home move (the costs of packing yourself can soon spiral out of control)
• You are not confident in your packing skills
• You need to pack to move in a hurry

What are the Pros and Cons of Hiring Professional Packers?

Pros:

• The packing team will do all the hard work for you
• All your items will be packed in the most efficient way, reducing packing time and materials cost
• Maximising space in the packing boxes means less space used in the removal van
• Your goods will be packed in a way to ensure they arrive safely in your new home
• Your goods will be insured by the removal company. Often, if you pack items yourself, an insurance company will not insure you.
• Most homes can be packed by professional packers in one day, so you will not be living for weeks on end surrounded by packing materials and moving boxes.

Cons:

• This is an added cost to your home move

How Much Does it Cost to Hire Packers?

• 1 bedroom home £150+
• 2-3 bedroom home £350-£500
• 3-4 bedroom home £500-£750

These are average prices for a full packing service and will obviously depend on exactly how much, and what, you have to pack.

If you are looking for a professional packing and unpacking service, expect to pay almost double the amounts quoted above.

It costs about the same to unpack, and then take away and dispose of the packing materials, as it does to pack.

For more information on the costs of packing yourself vs hiring a packing service read this essential guide: How much does it Cost to Pack a Home for Moving?

How Long Does it Take to Pack for Moving Home?

The amount of time it will take you to pack will be at least 2-3 times longer than it would take a professional packing team with the added bonus that you are not living amongst piles of moving boxes for weeks on end.

This is how long it on average takes a professional packing team to pack your home.

• 1 bedroom home 2-4 hours

• 2 bedroom home 3-5 hours

• 3 bedroom home 6-10 hours

• 4 bedroom home 8-12 hours

• 5 bedroom home 10-12 hours

Again, these are only approximate timings and will depend upon how much stuff you have to pack and what type of things need packing.

Is a Packing Service Worth the Cost?

Should you hire packers to pack your home when moving? In almost every home moving scenario, the answer is yes.

You will save a huge amount of your precious time, your items will be packed properly in a way that will prevent damage, and fewer packing materials will be used.

Many insurance companies will not cover you if you pack your items yourself, so just one damaged item could wipe out the money you saved by not hiring packers.

And of course, you can save on the cost of hiring packers by decluttering your home of things that you no longer need, want, or will not fit into your new home.

Do not miss this part of the home moving process, it is very important.

Fewer things to pack means less packing materials, less packing time and maybe even a smaller removal lorry, meaning a smaller removal cost overall for you.

You may like to read: The Epic Guide to Decluttering for a Home Move. Decluttering is an essential home-moving task but it is physically and mentally exhausting. Parting with things you have paid good money for is hard, so in this guide, we look at not only how to physically declutter each room of the home, but also how to cope with the emotions of decluttering.

How do I Find the Best Packing Services Near me?

Packing is a vitally important part of the home moving process, so you will want to find the best professional packers near you.

You should get 3-4 quotes from full-service removal companies that can provide you with the type of packing services you need.

Be sure that if you have very specific requirements like artwork that requires custom crates to be made, that the removal company is able to provide that service.

Be sure to carefully read all the reviews you can find about these removal companies, paying particular attention to any mention of the packing service that the reviewer received.

Also, pay attention to the bad reviews as usually negative reviews are left after things have been damaged. Check what response the removal company gave to the review, and ideally what they did, and how quickly, to resolve the situation.

You may like to read: How to Pick a Good Removal Company. Choosing the right removal firm for your move can be tricky and even seem overwhelming. In this guide, we take you step by step through the process of finding a removal company for your home move.

Good packing tip 1: Keep pets and children away from where the packers will be working and especially on moving day. It is safer and less traumatic for all concerned.

Good packing tip 2: Use up all your food stores before the packers arrive, perishable food will probably be on the removal company’s prohibited things to move list anyway. Then just place an online grocery order and get your food delivered directly to your new home. Whilst the packers unpack your things you can be arranging your grocery delivery in your new kitchen.

A final piece of advice: Be sure to pack your moving day essentials box yourself, well in advance of the packer’s arrival. Professional packers are super-efficient and will pack anything in their path!

Your essential moving box should contain, well, essential items, things that are irreplaceable, like passports and important paperwork, jewellery and medication that you need easy access to.

This essential guide to your open-me-first box will give you ideas for the type of things you may want to include in your box.

Then on the day that the packers arrive, make sure that box is securely out of the way, everything else is going to be packed away super quickly and you may not notice your essentials box disappearing into the mountain of other moving boxes.

On moving day make sure that the essentials box travels with you and not in the removal lorry.

So, we have looked in this guide at whether paying for a packing service for moving house is worth it. When the question should really be, can you afford not to have a professional packing service?

The stress, time, inconvenience, upheaval, and sheer hard work a professional packing service will save you is worth every penny.

Just select the best packing company near you, sit back, and relax, whilst all your precious possessions magically move from your cupboards and shelves into perfectly packed and labelled moving boxes.