Do Removal Companies Pack for You?

Picture the Thursday before a Friday move: work has not let up, the kitchen is still full, and the roll of tape has vanished again. This is the point at which most people wonder whether someone else could do the packing. The answer is yes. Most professional removal companies, including Foundations, offer a packing service alongside the move. You can have the crew pack everything, pack only the fragile items, or simply supply the boxes and materials while you do the rest. It is booked as part of the same fixed quote, and it changes what is covered by insurance, which is worth understanding before you decide.

What packing options do removal companies offer?

There are usually three levels. A full pack means the crew boxes every room, from the loft to the cutlery drawer, and labels each box by destination room. A fragile-only or part pack covers the things that break: glassware, china, pictures, lamps and electronics, with the rest left to you. Materials only means you buy strong double-walled boxes, paper, bubble wrap and tape and pack at your own pace.

Unpacking is the option people forget exists. Our packers can unpack at the other end and take the empty boxes away, which turns the first week in a new home from a cardboard obstacle course into somewhere you can cook. Whichever level you choose, it sits inside the same quote as the removal itself, so there is one team and one price rather than two companies pointing at each other.

How much does a packing service cost?

Prices vary with the size of the home and how much of it is fragile. The comparison site Compare My Move lists average packing costs of £325 for a one-bedroom home, £500 for two bedrooms and £750 for three. The HomeOwners Alliance suggests a packing service may cost around £400 to £500 for a three-bedroom house, with more for fragile items. MyJobQuote gives a broader spread of £250 to £600 or more depending on volume and fragility.

Materials alone usually run £100 to £300 for a whole house, according to the same MyJobQuote guide. A fragile-only pack sits somewhere between materials and a full pack. For a fixed figure rather than a range, book a survey: the packing is priced with the move, confirmed in advance, and does not change on the day.

What do professional packers actually do on the day?

Most full packs happen the day before the move, sometimes two days before for a larger house. The packers work room by room, wrapping each item, filling boxes to the top so nothing shifts, and writing the room and a short contents list on the side of every box. Fragile items go in double-walled boxes with paper between every layer, and pictures and mirrors go in flat picture cartons.

Speed is the part that surprises people. A trained two-person team packs a home far faster than the family who lives in it, because they are not stopping to decide whether to keep the fondue set. The HomeOwners Alliance notes that unpacking an average three-bedroom house typically takes a team of professionals half a day, and packing runs at a similar pace per room. You are still in charge of decisions; the crew just does the wrapping.

Is it worth paying someone to pack for you?

For many London moves, yes, and insurance is the reason people rarely think about. Goods packed and wrapped by our crew are covered under our insurance while they are in our care. The contents of boxes you pack yourself are not, because nobody can verify how they were packed or what was inside. A full packing service therefore does two jobs: it saves you days of work and it brings the contents of every box under the policy.

The other reason is breakages. Professional packers use the right box for the weight, never leave a gap for a glass to rattle into, and label so the crew knows which boxes are fragile. If you are short on time, have a lot of glassware, or are moving a family home with a full kitchen, a full or fragile-only pack is usually the calmer choice. If you are moving a small flat with sturdy belongings and a free weekend, packing yourself and buying good materials is a fair saving.

What will packers not pack, and what should you keep with you?

Packers will not take anything hazardous: gas bottles, paint, petrol, aerosols, fireworks and opened bottles of cleaning chemicals stay behind or travel with you. They will also usually leave perishable food, plants and anything living, and they should not be asked to pack cash or important documents. Ask before the day if you are unsure about a specific item.

Then there is the box you pack yourself no matter what. Passports, house documents, keys, medication, chargers, jewellery, the kettle and a change of clothes go in one clearly marked open-first box or bag that travels in your car, not in the van. It is the only box you will want in the first hour, and the one no packing service should ever have to hunt for.

How do you book packing with your move?

Start with the survey. Tell us what you would like packed and what you will do yourself, and the packing is priced into the fixed all-in quote alongside the removal. For the best choice of dates, book two to four weeks ahead, and at least a week before a London move; short-notice moves are often possible subject to crew availability. Then, if you are doing part of it yourself, work out how many boxes you need with our moving boxes calculator and order about ten per cent more.

Plan for the packing to happen the day before the move, so you are left with a labelled house ready to load. Moving day is then just loading, driving and unloading into the rooms you have named on the boxes. If you booked unpacking, the crew empties the boxes and takes the cardboard away, and you get your evening back.