NO, they can’t, and this is why:
Very seldom do you have the time and energy to unpack everything after a long day spent moving house, just to find your child’s chronic medicine or a pair of scissors to cut the cable-ties securing a suitcase. Breakages can cost you too, especially if it’s a jar of beetroot, not to mention that beautiful little antique ornament that was so precious to you…
FALSE PERCEPTION # 1:
But the glassware is wrapped inside the box:
Does your household assistant understand how paper can and can’t protect the handles on mugs, or the edges of crockery all in a box together? That the box needs to be full but not over-full to prevent crushing or boxes on top falling over? That wine and other glasses are best packed upright? You can buy the fanciest strongest and most modern packing aids, but can you live with the consequences of them not being used correctly? Do you know how to tape a box so that the tape doesn’t come loose overnight? Do you really want to read old news on your plate when it’s no longer fresh or topical? You don’t have to wash everything if you use unprinted newssheet, as long as the right technique is used so that you don’t touch surfaces that need to be kept germ-free. And yes, we have assisted clients who have literally put glassware into huge boxes (too heavy to lift) without paper …
FALSE PERCEPTION # 2:
My helper can pack for me:
Your helper doesn’t necessarily know what to do with your vibrator, your contact lens holder or your secret stash… Only you know when you’ll need something next, which is why you should pack your own personal items…
Some people pack ornaments inside linen boxes, protected by towels (on the top, anyway). Some believe that it’s sufficient to just tip the desk drawer contents into a box, to sort out later - passports, keys, spare lighters, emergency candles, security access cards, the baby’s spare dummy and all… Then they mark it ‘miscellaneous’ or ‘junk’ or ‘stuff’, together with a whole lot of other boxes marked the same (like the bedside pedestal drawer contents), but then some don’t mark boxes at all (I’ll unpack it all during next week, no-one needs this stuff anyway).
You could find a box of biscuits with the kids’ old soft toys, only because you have an insect infestation in the cupboard where the box was left and forgotten. I’ve even encountered fridge contents in open plastic cleaning buckets covered with dish-cloths outside the back door, forgotten and waiting in the sun at the end of a long move day, knowing that the fridge was on the first early-morning load. Communication is everything, which is why we offer a full packing service and we’ll work with your staff and train them as we go for next time…
FALSE PERCEPTION # 3:
The bigger the boxes, the cheaper my move:
A client filled a fridge box with clothing and managed to drag it outside the front door (with the help of her daughters and husband), where it burst open as we arrived, clothing all over the driveway… Thankfully, we happened to have boxes and tape for the next move in the management vehicle, we used 12 and it took just over an hour, costing the client a lot more than it would have if she had used suitable boxes in the first place. We are consistently faced with the challenge of boxes that are too large for their purpose (and half empty), or too heavy to be lifted by two people. We quote on cubic feet, so whether you have 20 manageable boxes or 5 ‘giants’, the transport cost is the same, as long as it can be safely transported, that is. Half-empty boxes get ‘squished’ by the ones above, and you’re paying to transport the air inside the box for all your trouble too.
We encountered a client who had packed all of her crockery (beautiful sets of plates and matching bowls) in the box her new washing machine had been delivered in, with no wrapping whatsoever. She just didn’t understand that even if we were able to lift the box onto the back of the truck, everything would have smashed anyway at the first corner. Fun fact: a cubic metre of glassware is heavier than a washing machine of the same size. Let’s not discuss books under this heading…
FALSE PERCEPTION # 4:
I don’t need to pack it if it can be carried:
Many of our clients don’t see the need to pack kettles, toasters, bread-boards, lamps, ornaments or other loose items, which is fine as long as there is no expectation for these items to be transported in a truck. The general rule is to load only sealed boxes and furniture, so that damage and soiling can be avoided. The exception to this rule relates to those clients who use heavy-duty vacuum bags or thick plastic ‘parcels’ for transporting bedding, cushions and linen, as long as they are sealed, they’re great.
Packing a truck correctly is a science and an art – it’s like playing Tetris or building a puzzle, and open baskets or ‘tubs’ of groceries can’t be manoeuvred to fit a space, or balanced on top of furniture, without the contents falling out. We calculate the additional space needed to accommodate items that can have nothing packed on top of them, such as exercise bicycles and pot-plants, which is why it is generally more expensive to transport these items.
FALSE PERCEPTION # 5:
I can pack on the day; they’ll help me if they’re in a hurry
Packing takes time, moving crews can’t wait for you to quickly fill boxes for transport, they’re on a schedule and can’t be late for the next booking. As for helping, in some cases they might, but you’d have to pay for that service at the full going rate before they’ll load their vehicle, and they have the right to cancel or leave when their time is up. The same goes for the family moving in at noon, with their truck and crew – chaos is the only result of not being ready in time, and chaos can be expensive. Having to leave things behind or paying delay penalties is one thing, but imagine not being able to move into your new home in time and having all your furniture and belongings offloaded on the pavement outside on a Friday evening – it happens.
As a hands-on family business, we are better able to accommodate unforeseen emergencies, we are prepared to work late and even provide overnight storage where necessary, we’ve helped many clients to overcome situations outside of their control.