[H & Rick]

We have just been reading a few threads about the moving process and were looking for some advice.

When we eventually sell the house we are planning to use John Mason's as they have had some very good press on this forum.

We were just wondering do we pack our smaller stuff or do they do it all?

Do they pack the larger appliances like washing machines?

Do they supply the special coveralls, and are they included in the price?

Personally I would prefer to start packing the small stuff up now so we can skim out any unwanted items - obviously keeping an inventory along the way. :)

Are there any tips on keeping stuff watertight and unbroken other than the usual silicone gel and loads of bubble wrap?

How did you do it?

[sizzlingbadger]

We let them removal men do everything, it's a lot easier than them having to go back and re pack stuff to check it's all packed really well. Also I don't think it will be covered by the removal insurance if you've packed it yourselves.

We did however go through everything methodically before they came. We moved house 5 months before into rented before then moving to NZ so we had already got rid of a lot of stuff but still ended up with a skip full :exit

Best thing to do is to hire a skip, clear out as much as possible, get the removal men in that way they can do a more accurate quote, then a week before moving have another clear out if need be. On the day I moved all breakables into one area, we dismantled all the flat pack stuff and put all pictures into another area to save them having to keep moving around finding stuff to fill boxes.

[Smiler]

Exactly what sizzling badger said! :nice1

Also we put everything we were taking on the plane for the 1st 6 weeks in a spare room, along with our overnight things and all our documents.

The removal men were banned from there and I stuck a big DO NOT ENTER sign on the door for good measure. It worked and made that part a lot less stressful thatn keep worrying about what they'd packed.

Once they start, they'll go through the house like a plague of locusts and pack anything that moves. :exit

I'd let them do the lot, that way the insurance will be ok too but have a thorough clear out before they come. :D

[gil]

Hi H and Rick
Ditto what Smiler and Sizzlingbadger said! John Masons were very good, everything has arrived safely with no breakages :D We did the thing of setting aside an area for stuff Not To Be Packed, or they would have wrapped and shipped everything! The Moving Company this end were very good too (and no tea breaks!!)

Gil

[nippa&pippa]

Hi H and Rick
Ditto what Smiler and Sizzlingbadger said! John Masons were very good, everything has arrived safely with no breakages :D We did the thing of setting aside an area for stuff Not To Be Packed, or they would have wrapped and shipped everything! The Moving Company this end were very good too (and no tea breaks!!)

Gil

I keep offer them tea but they had just two per day!!! how they do it? My OH need his tea every 10mins!
Agree with all others, just sit back and watch them, or go next door to friends to relax!!

[Trigirl]

we put all our "not to ship" stuff in the car. they were so quick and efficient that if we hadn't done that i'm convinced our passports would have ended up in the container.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/107/303473002_c5e9a082b9_m.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mandysimpson/303473002/)

[Marie P]

We did self pack ,which was good as I could dump stuff as I went along .

GB Liners gave me packing boxes,paper and tape weeks before hand.

I packed books,clothes,toys ,kitchen stuff,more toys ,hubby boxed all his tools ,a few more toys,videos and Cds.

The shippers packed the big stuff like mirrors ,furniture,beds etc,made crates for the piano ,hubbys lathe.

Good luck ,

Marie x

[Ana&Steve]

Marie, what was your insurance like? (sorry if you already went over it in other threads, can't remember!) The way you did it sounds perfect for us, if we can get it insured. :)
Ana

[Marie P]

We just went for total loss insurance ,if the whole lot was lost .That was 1% of the value.

The only thing that was damaged was a photo frame was broken .

But you pay your money and you take your chance.

Marie x

[Jenny & Mark]

We are planning on selling and starting again - the shipping costs would exceed the value of our stuff when it was new. :)

A colleague had a packing crew that packed everything so quickly and effectively(?) that when they were unpacking they found an empty can of pop, which was included on packing list for the box. :confused:

Mark.

[Huttvalleypom]

Our removal company packed the vast majority of stuff, although we volunteered to provide a bit of assistance to move the job along. We had a 20 foot container which took a whole day to complete - there was precious little room to spare once it was all complete.

We would thoroughly recommend our removal company, Johnsons, who we had also used for a domestic move 6 months previously. (Tel: FREEPHONE 0500 843668 E mail: moves@johnsons-ho.co.uk). They were professional, reliable, fitted us in at very short notice and were honest about the time the container would take to reach Wellington.

The packing was done on 29 August, the container left Liverpool docks on 14 September and was safely delivered to us on 20 November after two changes of ship in Singapore and Sydney. One small item arrived damaged. Once Johnsons were advised they sorted out an insurance payment without fuss or the need for evidence. Their NZ agents were the Moving Company who were also very good and kept us in touch with progress along the way.

Russell and Claire

[Ana&Steve]

We just went for total loss insurance ,if the whole lot was lost .That was 1% of the value. The only thing that was damaged was a photo frame was broken .But you pay your money and you take your chance. Marie xThanks, Marie, I'd like to find a company in the States like that, and I happy to pay just for total loss, as we haven't moved once without something breaking, we kinda expect it. :D
Ana

[H & Rick]

Thanks for all the reply's they are a great help.

One thing I am still unsure of is do the removal company supply all the packing materials...even the mattress and sofa covers?

[benandclare]

[QUOTE=Marie P]We did self pack ,which was good as I could dump stuff as I went along .

GB Liners gave me packing boxes,paper and tape weeks before hand.

Now there's a blast from the past, knew the son of GB liners when I was in Herefordshire young farmers :laugh :laugh
Ben

[Smiler]

Thanks for all the reply's they are a great help.

One thing I am still unsure of is do the removal company supply all the packing materials...even the mattress and sofa covers?

Yes they will. If you want to get a head start and pack some things yourself, they'll also bring boxes and packing materials for you. :raebanana

[nippa&pippa]

Believe it or not, they wrapped everything for you, yes everything from big to small!!! even a plastic cup!! even tiny little nail scissor!!!! My big table was wrapped in funny way that you still can tell it is table by the time they finish!
My advice is, when you unpacking in NZ, check every single paper just in case something like little scissor in there!! We had few things that nearly threw away after went through all the papers afterward as i didn't feel anything in it.