To pack or not to pack? Using a Packing Service

Posted on May 14, 2023 by Thomas Firbank Removals

To pack or not to pack? When you are contemplating a home move, there are many daunting aspects lined up on the horizon. While leaving behind a loved residence is difficult, confronting all our accumulated stuff is also very challenging. Packing is the process in which all the objects which had just faded into the familiar scenery of home suddenly all start to take up space and volume again. Plus, there is all the sentimental associations that get stirred up by moving these things from their designated spaces. Luckily, at Thomas Firbank, we have a packing service that can be built into your removals and storage package. However, the question remains, would you like to delegate the packing over to the professionals or take it on yourself? This article explores your options in detail, so you can make an informed decision.

Benefits of a packing service

We briefly touched on the sentimental aspect of the packing experience. When it comes to letting go of the past, some are better than others. It can be quite a paralyzing process, sifting through memories and deciding which ones come with you and which ones will have to be left behind. However, on the other side, when you are a little lighter, you will barely notice the difference. Having a team to pack items for you means they will not have any sentimental relationship with your objects and so it is easy for them to make inventories and assign items to boxes. In the end, you will have a clear inventory which means easy unpacking, or storage, on the other side. Sentiments aside, these boxes can be heavy, so assigning the lifting and carrying to a trained team is going to mean the move impacts less on you and your family. With this part of the process taken care of, you can focus on the logistics of the move, and make sure you have utilities set up and that your routine can run seamlessly through the transition.

Costs of a packing service

Research into various removals and storage firms should give you an idea of who is offering a packing service, if it is built into the overall package, and what companies are the most reasonable. If you gather some quotes, then you can assess whether it would be worth saving the money and doing the packing yourself. Calculate if you would need to take time off work to do it, and how that will affect your life overall. Sourcing packing materials also takes time and costs money. Thomas Firbank can supply you in advance of the day so you are fully equipped to take on your packing, if you decide to do it yourself. Sourcing bubble wrap, scissors, labels and various types of boxes can all take up valuable time in the process. Relying on cardboard boxes from the supermarket and the help of friends is a nice idea, but often fails to cover the scope of what is required. All too often, our customers underestimate the dimensions of their move, but that is where we come in to assist with our experience.

Split the packing

You can of course do a preliminary pack yourself, by having a thorough declutter and organizing your valuables into boxes. This way you have a sense of control over part of the process and can leave the rest of the process for a professional removal and storage team to handle. For example, you may want to initiate the process with packing your essential valuables and documents in a certain set of boxes. Similarly, as you get closer to the day, you will need to pack a moving house survival box to see you through to the other side. A survival box is a box that will travel with you in your vehicle to the new address and will contain everything crucial for the set up on the other side and to keep life’s rhythm going over the next few days. A few examples of what you will want in your survival box are:

Phone chargers
Toilet Paper
Medications
Coffee, Tea, snacks
Kettle, toaster
Cups and Cutlery for the family
Cleaning products
Speakers/Radio
Bedlinen for each family member
Washbags for each family member
Essential children’s toys
Champagne, celebratory drinks for the other side

Tips for packing

The golden rule of packing is not to leave it to the last minute. What can be a fairly meditative and gentle process of preparing for a life in a new place becomes very tense if there is a deadline. Here are some of our guidelines for a smooth packing and unpacking procedure.

Pack room by room
Pack a Survival Box
Label each box by contents and room
Make a moving folder of all relevant paperwork and keep it with you
Put heavier items at the bottom of each box
Fill spaces in boxes with soft fabrics like towels and clothes
Tape up your boxes
Wrap up plants with protection for the move
Roll clothing to maximise packing space
Don’t overpack your boxes
Colour code the packing labels for each room
Make sure the vehicles you use have a loading ramp

For professionals, an inventory and packing procedure is essential. You will want to unpack room by room on the other side and won’t want to waste time opening boxes looking for various items. Keeping the chaos to a minimum is important when you are migrating from one home to another. While unpacking is a personal experience as you are settling into a new home, you may appreciate the professional help in getting you to that point. Hopefully, you packed the champagne in your survival box and the time will come when you can have a mini housewarming moment of rejoicing. It is our job to help you to get to that point without any major stress factors.

Thomas Firbank- Removals and storage in Bath

If you are contemplating a move within, around, or to Bath look no further than Thomas Firbank for quality removals and storage service. We cover domestic moves of all sizes, office moves, international moves, and if you need a swift maneuver about town we have a great small moves service. With both container storage and self-storage options we can help you store an access your items in a way that suits you and your budget best. Our five star reviews show that we really are worth the investment, particularly when you planning a relocation. As members of the Master Removers Group and with British Association of Removals approval, we know we are ahead of the game. If it comes to it, and you know that the packing would be best in our hands you can be sure that you will be pleased with our service. Plus, we can advise you along the route of the moving procedure, assist you with a moving plan and strategy and make sure everything is going smoothly throughout the process. Contact us for a free quote today, or talk over your moving plans with our friendly team.