House selling/moving kleek- removal firm or DIY?

Well, with fingers so tightly crossed they are going blue, we might, hopefully be exchanging contracts today or at least some time this week. It's been 21 months so I daren't even think about things going wrong [:'(] If we exchange, we should have a moving date of 17th April.

Sooo, I've started looking at removal options. We live in a 2 double bed semi and are hoping to move to a 3 bed semi. H doesn't think we need a removal company, maybe just hire a bedford van and do it ourselves. "I moved in here using my car and a friends van"...Erm yes, but do you remember when we first started going out, how we had to sit on cushions on the floor 'cos you had no furniture?!

Now, after 8 years we have a "normal" house full of furniture and nick-nacks. I think we need to hire a removal company because of the amount of stuff we have aquired and also, H's dad who normally works like a trojan at times like this has just (3 days ago) had a hernia op which means definately no lifting and shifting. H's best friend can't get the day off and my family live 150 miles away so I can't really call them to help.

But, it's pricey. We can afford it but the money could easily be put towards other moving costs. It just seems so convenient having someone come and pick it all up and deliver it the other end.

Have you used removal companies? Was it much much better than DIY? Oh, and also, is it worth paying the extra for them to do the packing?

TIA, X

Removal company without a doubt because you can't move backwards and forwards like you can when you move into your 1st home and also because it is surprising how much stuff you have!

I would pack although friends who have had the whole lot done swear it is worth every penny!

How far apart are the two properties? Could you do the move over a couple of days if that made it less stressful?  Is it just the two of you or do you have children as well which might make it more complicated?

We've relocated twice where our package included removal costs (although we always packed ourselves - I don't like thought of people going through my stuff and surely nobody could pack as carefully as me! ) and one DIY job where we moved about 8 miles and did it all in the back of my car over the course of a week and one hired van at the end.  It's not impossible to move yourself and if common sense means you'd rather use the money for something else then I'd choose that option.  But it depends on your own individual circumstances IMO.

Having done both, I would NEVER DIY move again.

The last time we did, we expected to be ale to move everything within 3 days with a budget van with 3 mates. It did not happen even though we were only moving a mile away. They were moving faster than I could pack, DH kept insisting "he was packed" but of course that didnt include anything from the bedroom, bathroom or kitchen. We were movign little boxes for several days afterwards.

When we next moved, I told DH he either paid up for a removal form or he could move it on all his own / with mates. He agreed and paid up - they even packed for us. It took them a day to pack up everything from a 2 bedroom flat, and move it for us.

The 2 properties are approx 30 miles apart. I'm not sure we could spread the move over more than one day because we won't have access to the property until the day itself and our buyer will need to move in same day as well. It is just the 2 of us so less complicated, but as Spinster Chick says, it's amazing how much crap stuff you collect over the years!

Having done both, several times, I'd definitely have a removal firm if I could afford it. My last move, which was at the end of Feb, was a DIY affair (partly due to cost, partly due to the fact that my stuff was coming from about three different directions). I used my car for two days and did all the big stuff in a van for one day.

DIY moving is absolutely exhausting. I looked like cr*p for several weeks after as I was just so tired from all the physical exertion, and I'm only really getting over it now. Whereas, the times I've just a removal service to move everything I've packed, it's been so quick, simple and relatively effortless that the two aren't even comparable.

flailing wildly:

DIY moving is absolutely exhausting. I looked like cr*p for several weeks after as I was just so tired from all the physical exertion, and I'm only really getting over it now. Whereas, the times I've just a removal service to move everything I've packed, it's been so quick, simple and relatively effortless that the two aren't even comparable.

FW, I think you've just sold it to me! I am not very fit and am useless at lifting so I think I'm going to ring around and get some quotes. I think we'll pack ourselves, having them pack for us would be spending money which could go towards building the downstairs loo we want!

We "DIY" last year and never, ever again.  And we were only moving less than a mile up the road the only reason we really did it was because we were chucking out a lot of our furniture and buying new (most of our stuff had been on its last legs for ages but we hadn't wnated to replace it till we moved) and we were leaving behind our kitchen applicances.  I was pregnant so couldn't do much lifting so it all fell to Mr R and my poor old dad.  I hated it, it was just awful and next time I will definitely be using a removal co and also paying someone to pack and unpack all our stuff!

I would only use a removal firm if they were also going to pack as IMO that's the worst bit.

Having said that, when we moved 2 years ago we did it ourselves, also a member of H's family bought our house so we moved her 1st then moved ourselves. On one hand it was easier as we didn't have to get out of ours so quickly but we still did both moves in a day.

If you do decide to DIY, my suggestion would be as soon as you exchange buy lots of boxes and start packing immediately like a demon room by room only keeping out only essentials so that you are fully packed by completion day. Hire a big van (we had a  beford or similar) or hire a man/men with a van so they can help you load. There are lots of people like that about at the min owing to credit crung.

Having moved 6 times in 11 years  and having done both self-move and removal I'd go with removal everytime.  The last time we moved I also paid extra to have them pack for us and it was soooo worth the extra money.  They came the day before and packed the house up which meant we weren't living around boxes for weeks beforehand it was so much less stressful.  My husband went to work on the day of the move and the kdis went to school, I supervised on my own however i was 80% unpacked by the time my husband came home from work.

Thanks everybody, seems like the overall consensus is pay out and hire a removal firm. I'm going to start looking asap.

I'm glad I'm off work most of this week. It's driving me mad, all this will we/won't we exchange. I've been completely cynical about our buyer all along so if it happens it will be a small miracle!

We plan on getting a removals firm in when we move, just the two of us from a 4 bed to a 3 bed about 40ish miles apart.

Do not rule out having them pack for you either, we have budgeted for this and IMO its worth the extra. We were quoted £750 to move us and £1050 to come in, pack everything up the day before then move us on the day. The £300 extra will be well worth it I think.

Good luck with the move, hope it all goes smoothly