Moving home can be very exciting, but it’s also a stressful time. Hiring a moving company packing service can help mitigate much of that stress, but for a lot of first-time customers, it creates something new to worry about: “Will movers pack everything for me, or will I need to prepare some items myself?” Many are too afraid to ask this question for fear of sounding silly, but it’s actually very reasonable to ask.
Rather than spending time packing things you don’t have to, you can read the answer here. This article explains exactly how packing services help you move, so you’ll know what to prepare and what to leave to the pros.
Full Packing Services: What’s Usually Included
Most professional movers offer two types of packing services: full and partial. The names, as you might guess, correspond to how many of your items they’ll take care of. But how full is a full packing service for relocation, really? The answer is that it covers the packing and moving of almost everything you own, but there are a few exceptions which may affect some customers.
But for legal and insurance reasons, there are no movers who pack everything, no questions asked. They will not touch anything that is unsafe or illegal. Highly valuable and very large items may not be included at normal rates. If you have any items like these in your home that you’re not sure about, it’s best to ask before moving day so that you can make alternative arrangements.
Partial Packing Services: Typical Inclusions
Partial packing services tend to work in one of two ways. Either the movers pack up specific rooms for you, or they pack certain types of items. Fragile items are one example of the latter, and you might choose this if you are happy to pack most things by yourself to save money, but you want some professional expertise to ensure nothing valuable gets broken during transit.
Generally, partial house packing and moving help is cheaper and gives you more control over how most of your items are packed and transported. But this comes at the cost of the time you have to spend packing your items, and the materials and transport you’ll need to move them. You’ll also have to insure any goods you’re moving yourself if you’re worried about something happening to them.
Items Movers Won’t Move
We’ve touched on how movers packing up your home won’t handle illegal and unsafe items. Now, let’s look at some examples. You’ll probably know if you’ve got something illegal in your home already, so here are some unsafe items that movers often refuse to pack. Chemical products are commonly refused, and these include flammable liquids, aerosols, cleaning chemicals, paints and fuel. Perishable food items are often excluded, too.
Another exclusion that often surprises people is plants. Many movers won’t take these because they don’t want to risk inadvertently violating agricultural regulations if they are crossing borders between states or countries. They also cannot ensure the plants will get enough sunlight, water and air while on the move, and they don’t want to run the risk of attracting pests. So, when you’re preparing to move house, remember to make arrangements for these things.
Furniture and Large Items
Ordinary household furniture is usually included in home packing before moving. It’s not packed in the sense of being boxed up, but movers may disassemble certain pieces and wrap others in protective materials. You don’t generally need to do anything other than ensure these items are free from your personal goods. Empty your drawers and wardrobe, for example.
If there is furniture that you want to be left a certain way, you should discuss this with your packing and unpacking services in advance. But in most cases, furniture removals will be fully handled by the packing team.
Insurance
One of the biggest advantages of professional packing is that all your items are typically insured under the moving company’s policy. And if you agree to a full packing service, you actually should leave all the packing to them because the insurance coverage may only extend to items actually packed by their staff. If you pack or move any items yourself, these may not be covered unless you’ve taken out your own policy.
Your movers should let you know if they come across any items you have that won’t be covered by their insurance. Some may extend cover to these items, provided you pay an additional premium, or you may need to find your own cover for the items.
Conclusion
Professional packing for moving house is a helpful service that can save you a lot of hassle. Rather than spending lots of time packing all your own goods, you can focus on what you need to do before moving in. As you’ve learned here, packing services really do include most items. There are just a few common-sense exclusions for a few risky items.
