FAQ About Packing for a Home Move

Packing for a home move is a huge task, and most people underestimate the time and effort needed to pack for moving.

It will take you far longer, cause more inconvenience and stress, and cost you far more than you think.

Because most people rarely pack for a home move, they have a whole host of questions, which we will answer in this guide.

Be sure to visit the pages we have linked to for comprehensive answers to those questions.

You may also like to read: Is Moving Home Cheaply a False Economy? Many people choose to pack their own things when moving home to save money. There are various ways to save money on your relocation costs, but in this guide, we ask whether cutting corners to save money is a false economy.

How Long Does it Take to Pack and Move Home?

These days we are so used to instant answers via the internet, but some questions have no easy answer.

How long does it take to pack and move home is such a question.

Nearly every home move is unique, many variables can add or subtract to the time and materials it will take to pack and move home.

Just take a look at these things that can affect the time taken to move home:

• The number of people helping with the move
• How many items are being moved
• The size and weight of the items being moved
• How many tight spaces have to be negotiated to get your furniture out
• The number of fragile, uniquely shaped, or antique items that require specialist packing
• How much furniture requires dismantling
• The carrying distance between your home and the removal vehicle
• Waiting time for lifts, especially if you are on the 14^th floor
• The number of trips required to go up and down in a lift
• Number of flights of stairs to be navigated
• Even the weather can affect the loading time

Then you have to factor in whether you intend to pack yourself or hire professional packers.

You will see from the answers below that packing yourself takes considerably longer than hiring professional packers.

There is no doubt that packing your home for a move is no easy task and is extremely time-consuming.

So let’s dive right in and take a look at how long on average it takes to pack and move home.

How Long Does It Take to Move an Apartment?

Based on a removal company crew of 2 people

• Studio or 1-bedroom moves take 3-4 hours.
• With packing, add another 2 hours.
• Allow 1-2 days to pack if packing yourself

How Long Does it Take to Move a 1-Bedroom Home?

• Based on a removal crew of 2 people
• Loading takes between 3-4 hours
• With a packing service, add another 1-2 hours
• Allow 1-2 days to pack if packing yourself

You may also like to read: What is the Average Cost of Moving a 1 or 2-bedroom Home? In this guide, we compare the average cost of moving home yourself versus what it would cost to hire a full-service removal company.

How Long Does it Take to Move a 2-Bedroom Home?

• Based on a removal crew of 2 people
• Loading takes between 6-7 hours
• With packing, add another 1-2 hours
• It takes 2-3 days to pack a 2-bedroom home yourself

How Long Does it Take to Move a 3-Bedroom Home?

• Based on a removal crew of 3 people
• Loading takes about 8-9 hours
• Packing will add another 2 hours
• It takes about 3-5 days to pack a 3-bedroom home by yourself

You may also like to read: What is the Average Cost of Moving a 3-bedroom Home? In this guide, we compare the cost of hiring a removal company versus what it would cost to move a 3-bedroom home yourself.

How Long Does it Take to Move a 4-Bedroom Home?

• Based on a removal crew of 3 people
• Allow 2 full days to pack and move
• Allow 4-6 days to pack if doing it yourself

So those are the average times taken as recommended by several top removal firms.

And no doubt you now have a list of questions about packing and moving home.

We have taken the most frequently asked questions about packing and moving home, and we will try to answer as many of those questions as we can below.

How Much Does it Cost to Pack for a Home Move?

• How much do professional packers charge to pack an apartment? £175
• Professional packers charge about £275 to pack a 1-bedroom home
• Professional packers cost around £475 to pack a 2-bedroom home
• Professional packers will charge about £450 to pack a 3-bedroom home
• Professional packers will cost you about £900 to pack a 4-bedroom home

We saw above how much professional packers cost on average.

How much it will cost you to pack your things yourself is another unique question, as some people will pack more efficiently than others.

You may also like to read: How Much Does It Cost to Pack for a Home Move? In this guide, we compare the costs of packing for a home move yourself versus what it would cost to hire professional packers.

How Many Boxes Do I Need to Move Home?

Well, yet another ‘how long is a piece of string’ question.

The figures below are based on the average number of people with the average number of possessions using removal industry standard-sized boxes.

And of course, the size of the box, how many things you need to pack, and how fragile or irregularly shaped some of your possessions are will all affect those figures.

• 1 bedroom home: 10 small, 5 Medium, 3 large boxes
• 2-3 bedroom home: 10 small, 10 medium, 5 large boxes
• 3-4 bedroom home: 15 small, 10 medium, 10 large boxes

You may also like to read: How Many Boxes Do I Need for Packing? In this guide, we share how many cardboard boxes or plastic totes you will need for each size of a home move.

How to Save Money on Packing Costs

#1 Declutter your home

Decluttering your home is the one thing you can do that is guaranteed to reduce your removal costs.

The fewer items you need to move, the cheaper every aspect of your home move from packing materials to the size of the removal van you need will be.

You may also like to read: The Epic Guide on How to Declutter for a Home Move. In this guide, we offer comprehensive tips on how to declutter each room in your home and also how to let go of items emotionally, which is often the hardest part of decluttering.

#2 Limit the number of boxes you use

This is a great way to make you declutter and also save on packing costs.

Allocate a fixed number of boxes to a room.

This ensures that you pack only the things you really really love and need, and at the same time ensures you do not have to go out to buy more packing materials.

You may also like to read: 10 Sneaky Ways to Save Money Moving Home. In this guide, we suggest 10 slightly unusual ways to save on your relocation costs.

#3 Hire plastic tote boxes

Hiring plastic tote boxes has many benefits over buying cardboard boxes.

• You will use fewer packing materials as you do not need packing tape to construct and seal them.
• They are waterproof, so you don’t have to worry about them getting damp or damaged
• It is convenient to hire them. The hire company will drop them off at your front door and collect them when you have unpacked.
• If you purchase your own plastic boxes, then things like seasonal clothing can be left in them and put straight into the loft.
• If you need to store things long-term then plastic boxes do not degrade like cardboard does.
• There is no dilemma of what to do with the boxes after the move. They will be collected from you, saving you time and inconvenience.

You may also like to read: Plastic tote boxes vs cardboard boxes. In this guide, we share all you need to know about the benefits of hiring plastic crates for your move and also look at the items that are commonly found in your home and can be used as packing materials to save some money.

#4 Use Alternative Packing Materials

There are many items around your home that can be used to protect your items during a home move and at the same time reduce your packing costs.

You will find examples of those things in the article above.

You may also like to read: 12 Space-Saving Packing Tips for a Cheaper Home Move. In this guide, we share 12 ways to make your packing more efficient and save some money in the process.

#5 Vacuum Bags

Pack your clothes and linen in bags that can be vacuum-sealed.

It is incredible how much space this saves, and also, they can just be put in the loft after the move, saving you unpacking time.

You may also like to read: How to Avoid the 5 Things That Will Blow Your Home Moving Budget. In this guide, we reveal 5 things that are commonly overlooked or forgotten when moving home, which will soon blow your home moving budget.

How Do You Pack and Move Fast?

The fastest way to move home is to hire a full-service removal company. They have the skills and equipment to pack and move your home far quicker than you could yourself.

However, if that is not an option for you, being organised is the one thing that will make your home move more efficient.

A home moving checklist will ensure that you do everything in a logical sequence and do not miss any vital tasks.

You may also like to read: The Ultimate Home Moving Checklist and Calendar. In this guide, we list all the home-moving tasks in chronological order so that you do not miss any important home-moving tasks.

And although just throwing everything in boxes seems like a good idea, it will actually make moving home slower.

So as we said, decluttering is an absolute must-do when moving home.

Having a floor plan for your new home will help you make vital decisions about what to keep and what to get rid of when moving home.

You may also like to read: How to Create a Floor Plan. In this guide, we explain how to measure furniture and rooms to ensure that your furniture fits through and into the available space in your new home.

Once you have completed your decluttering, your packing and moving schedule will be quicker and cheaper.

Many hands make light work, and the more helpers you have, as long as they are well organised, the quicker all aspects of your home move will be.

It is not just help with the physical packing and moving that will make your home move quicker.

When moving home, you still have your usual day-to-day tasks to get on with, and often the help that friends and family can offer is more beneficial when directed in other ways.

You may also like to read: 22 Really Useful Ways to Help a Friend Move Home. In this guide, we suggest 22 ways that friends and family can help you pack and move home without having to pack or lift a single box.

How Far in Advance Should You Pack When Moving Home?

• 6-8 weeks before moving day, start decluttering, then you know exactly what you need to pack
• 4-6 weeks before moving day, pack the rooms you least use. Sheds, attics, and spare rooms.
• 4 weeks before the move, you can be packing ornaments and non-essential things
• 1 week to g,o and only the day-to-day essentials should be left to pack
• Be sure to pack a moving day essentials box that will contain anything and everything you need easy access to on moving day, such as medicines and important paperwork.
• Moving day minus 1 and everything should be packed and ready to go.

You may also like to read: What to Pack First When Moving Home. In this guide, we suggest the order in which it is easiest to pack your home for moving.

What Are The 5 Most Common Packing Mistakes?

#1 Failing to declutter your home first

We have already mentioned decluttering. But it is vitally important, so no apologies for bringing the subject up again.

You may also like to read: How to Declutter Your Loft for Moving. The loft is often a dumping ground, but also where you keep sentimental items that you do not use or even see, but would hate to get rid of. In this guide, we share some tips to make decluttering your loft easier, physically and emotionally.

#2 Not allowing enough time to get the packing done

Same with the amount of time you think it will take to pack your things. This is no 5-minute job, so be sure not to leave it to the last minute

#3 Underestimating the number of packing materials you will need

Everybody always underestimates how much packing material they need.

Hiring plastic tote boxes is a more accurate way of working out how many boxes you will need, and of course, there will be no running out of packing tape every 5 minutes, as you won’t need it.

#4 Not labelling the moving boxes correctly

Labelling boxes is really important.

It will help your movers to know exactly where each box should go in the new home, and you will be able to locate things more easily when you need them.

It also helps identify if a box goes missing between your old and new homes.

You may also like to read: How to Label Moving Boxes – A Simple and Foolproof Method. In this guide, we suggest a simple way to label your boxes so that you know which room to place them in your new home and in which order to unpack them.

#5 Using the wrong boxes

Using the wrong boxes to pack your things can be dangerous for the team moving them.

Put heavy objects in small boxes that are clearly labelled as being heavy, and use larger boxes for lighter things.

Boxes should never be heavier than 20kgs.

If using cardboard boxes, be sure that they are robust enough to carry and protect the items you place inside them.

You may also like to read: The Top 10 Packing Mistakes and How to Avoid Them. In this guide, we reveal the top 10 packing mistakes that people make and how you can avoid making the same mistakes.

Is Hiring Packers Worth the Cost?

Packing for a home move is never going to be cheap, and value for money is a better yardstick.

Whilst you may believe that packing yourself is the cheapest option there are many considerations to be made.

For instance, did you know that many insurance companies will not insure items during a home move that you have packed yourself?

Take into consideration the time and inconvenience, let alone the sheer hard work, that packing involves.

Ask the vast majority of people who have moved recently, or just browse through the reviews, and you will see that hiring packers is by far the best money that people spend when moving.

Just not having to live amongst piles of boxes for weeks on end justifies the cost alone.

You may also like to read: Are Packing Services Worth the Cost? In this guide, we look at what professional packers do, how much they cost on average, and whether they will make your home move faster and easier.

Good luck with your home move, and don’t forget to visit our home moving blog which is packed with useful tips and guides to make your home move cheaper, easier, and safer.