Moving can be an exciting time—finding the perfect new space, negotiating the best possible deal, the thrill that comes when a new set of keys are placed in your hand. It can also be stressful—searching for the best moving service, budgeting for the expense, deciding what services to pay for and what to tackle yourself.
The majority of people planning a move assume they will pack up their belongings themselves…but not so fast. Many removalist companies offer pre packing along with moving and transportation services.
But, is it worth the expense?
Let’s take a look at some of the pros—and a few of the cons—when deciding whether to hire professional prepackers.
Pros
1. Frees Up Your Time
Look, you’re going to have a lot—and I mean a lot—on your plate in the weeks leading up to your move. Transferring utilities to the new location, setting up internet and garbage services at the new address, changing your address on EVERY SINGLE online shopping or subscription service you use are all tasks that will require your attention prior to moving. If you are moving across town or to another city you may have to deal with transferring medical records and getting children registered at a new day care/school.
Whew! I’m exhausted just thinking about it.
Why not take one BIG task off of your plate and hire professional packers to take care of boxing up your belongings? It will give you additional time to take care of everything else on your to-do list.
2. Efficient
Let’s be honest, there’s a reason we call them professional packers. Packing up your house is not their first rodeo. They know exactly what they are doing and, based on the size of your home, can give you an estimate of approximately how long it will take them to pack up your home.
Most homeowners begin the packing process weeks (even months) in advance and have to live with the inconvenience of navigating rooms full of boxes until moving day arrives.
Meanwhile, that professional packing team you’re reluctant to hire? They can accomplish the same job in a few hours. This means you can have them come in a day or two before your move and get everything packed, limiting the amount of time you have to live in an upended, cluttered home.
3. Insured
Imagine taking on packing yourself and unpacking boxes at your new location only to discover the crystal bowl Aunt Janet purchased for your wedding has been obliterated because of your sub-par packing job. Oh, humanity!
Save yourself the hassle of explaining this tragedy to Aunt Janet (who, we all know, will likely never forgive you) and let the professionals take care of your packing. Your moving team carries insurance for this very purpose (side note—if you haven’t confirmed your moving company of choice is fully insured, do that ASAP) and will pay to replace any items broken or damaged in the move.
4. Professional
A team of experienced packers knows exactly how to pack your belongings to ensure everything arrives at your destination safely.
You may be thinking, Come on now—how hard can it be to throw a few things in a box?
If this question is in your head, then it is clear you’ve never had to move before in your life and live in the upper echelon of society and have no business reading this article. Anyone who has moved knows there are countless ways to screw it up—overpacking boxes, under padding the contents, placing heaving boxes on top of light ones. The possibilities are endless.
Then you have the furniture and electronics that must be disassembled while keeping the screws and/or cords organised so things can be reassembled in your new home.
What about that heirloom chandelier Aunt Janet gave you for Christmas? (If there’s one thing you can say about Aunt Janet, that woman is a giver). How in the world do you pack that up securely?
Whether it’s fine china, large pieces of art, light fixtures, or electronics, professional packers have seen it all and have the experience needed to pack any unusual items in a safe and secure manner.
Cons
Let’s be honest—if there were zero drawbacks to hiring prepackers, everyone would do it and there would be no need for this article. Before pulling the trigger and hiring professional packers, here a two things to consider:
1. Cost
There’s no getting around it, you’re going to have to pay the team for packing up your home and it will increase your overall moving budget. However, I do believe a strong case can be made that the hourly rate charged by the moving company is likely no more than what will be charged during the move, meaning you’re only paying for a few additional hours of work. And, if you’re going to have to take multiple days off from your job in order to pack, hiring a professional team who can accomplish the same task in a few hours might actually save you money.
2. Control
You are going to have to be ok with relinquishing some control regarding the packing of your belongings, and that is not always easy. Your team will use a method of packing that, while efficient, may be quite different from the way you would tackle the task. If giving up control is difficult for you, consider keeping busy with another task while your team is packing.
Packing is one of the most challenging tasks when planning a move. If you can work the cost of hiring prepackers into your budget, you’ll be happier in the long run.
And, if you’re looking for a reliable and professional moving team, we hope you’ll reach out to us at Holloway Removalists. We’re happy to build you a custom quote for everything you’ll need leading up to your move and nothing you don’t.
After all, it’s your move. We look forward to working with you.
