Two services that tend to be needed together. Packing, because a move booked for Friday and a flat still unpacked on Thursday evening is a familiar situation. And storage runs, because a great many Central London moves have a gap in the middle where the furniture has to go somewhere.
Part packing is usually the right answer
Most people who book packing only need the kitchen and the fragile items done, and that is genuinely the sensible choice. Glassware, crockery and the contents of a well stocked kitchen will take an evening on their own and are what breaks when packed badly.
Clothes, books and soft furnishings are quick and there is little value in paying someone else to do them. We will tell you that rather than quote for a full pack you do not need, which is not a universal habit in this trade.
Packing happens the day before, not the morning of
If we are packing, we do it the day before the move. Packing and loading on the same day is realistic for a studio and unrealistic for anything larger, and attempting it is how a move ends after dark with the last boxes thrown in loose.
That means two visits, which is priced into the job rather than charged as two jobs. For a large flat or a house it is the difference between a calm Friday and a chaotic one.
How things are labelled, and why it matters at the other end
Boxes are labelled by destination room, not by contents, because at the other end you care where a box goes rather than what is in it. Fragile boxes are marked and loaded last so they come off first.
If your new place has different room names to your old one, tell us the new ones. Labelling a box "spare room" when the new flat has no spare room helps nobody.
Storage runs, in both directions
A lot of Central London moves have a gap: a sale completing before a purchase, a renovation, six months abroad. Furniture goes into storage and comes back out later, and both legs are the same job as far as planning goes.
If you know roughly when you want the return leg, book both at once so the price covers the whole thing. We do not run our own storage, so you choose the facility. Ask and we will suggest ones near you, and we will confirm their access hours and trolley rules before the day since most have both.
What goes into storage needs wrapping, not just loading
A sofa that sits in a unit for six months unwrapped comes out looking like it has sat in a unit for six months. Everything going into storage is wrapped and covered rather than simply carried in.
Mattresses go into bags, upholstery into covers, wooden furniture gets corner protection. It takes longer at the loading end and it is the entire difference between furniture that survives storage and furniture that does not.
Who this is for
Anyone short of time before a move, and anyone whose move has a gap in the middle: a chain that does not line up, a renovation, or a spell abroad.
What is included
- Full packing, or part packing of just the kitchen and fragile items
- Boxes, tape, paper and bubble wrap supplied
- Room by room labelling so unpacking is not a treasure hunt
- Packing carried out the day before the move rather than on the morning
- Moves into and out of self storage facilities
- Full wrapping for anything going into long term storage
- Fixed price for the whole job including both legs where booked together
What is not included
Stated plainly so nobody books the wrong thing.
- Storage on our own premises, so the facility is yours to choose
- Unpacking and putting away at the other end, unless booked specifically
- Packing hazardous items such as paint, chemicals and gas bottles
- Storage facility fees, which you pay the facility directly
Access and what to plan for
For packing, access barely matters: what matters is that we can reach the things being packed, so a flat that is already half boxed with the boxes blocking the kitchen slows us down. For storage runs, the facility end has its own constraints. Most have set access hours, a lift, a trolley policy and sometimes a loading bay booking. We confirm all of that with them before the day.
Van and crew
Storage runs use the same vehicles as any other move, sized to the volume. The facility end is often the constraint rather than the street: many self storage sites have a height limited entrance to their loading area, so we check the stated clearance and bring a vehicle that fits rather than parking on the road and trolleying twice as far.
What we bring
- Boxes in multiple sizes
- Wardrobe boxes
- Packing paper and bubble wrap
- Tape and labels
- Mattress bags and sofa covers
- Corner protection for wooden pieces
What it costs
Where in that band you land is set by these.
- Full pack or part pack
- Size of the property
- How much glassware and fragile material there is
- Whether both storage legs are booked together
- Access at the facility end
- How long things are going into storage for
How much notice we need
A week or two for packing, since it needs its own visit the day before the move and those slots are finite. Storage runs follow the same lead time as an equivalent move. If you want the return leg booked at the same time, we can hold an approximate date and firm it up later rather than you having to decide everything at once.
How to book
- Tell us the property size and whether you want a full or part pack
- Say which rooms you would like done if it is a part pack
- We drop materials off beforehand if you are packing the rest yourself
- We pack the day before and move the following day
- For storage, give us the facility and we confirm their access rules
What tends to go wrong
Three things we see repeatedly on this kind of job, all of them avoidable with a bit of notice.
Booking packing for the morning of the move
It works for a studio and nothing larger. Packing needs its own day, and compressing it is how the last hour of a move becomes boxes thrown in loose.
Not wrapping for long term storage
Six months in a unit is hard on unprotected upholstery and wood. The wrapping is not an upsell, it is the reason the furniture is usable when it comes out.
Forgetting the facility has access hours
Plenty of self storage sites close earlier than you would expect and some have no weekend access to the loading bay. We check, but tell us the facility early so there are no surprises.
We hold goods in transit and public liability insurance, and we are a registered waste carrier for the clearance work. Certificates go to your building management directly where they ask for them. Full detail is on the about page.
Packing and Storage Runs: common questions
Should I book full packing or just the kitchen?
For most people the kitchen and fragile items is the right answer. It is the slow part, the breakable part, and the part that takes an evening you were not expecting. Clothes, books and bedding are quick and there is little value in paying someone else to do them.
Do you supply the boxes?
Yes, included in a booked packing job. If you are packing yourself we can drop materials off beforehand so you are not starting on the Thursday with nothing to put anything in.
Can you move me into storage and back out later?
Yes, and if you know roughly when you want the return leg it is worth booking both at once so the price covers the whole thing. We do not run our own storage, so you choose the facility, or ask us and we will suggest ones near you.
When do you do the packing?
The day before the move, as a separate visit. Packing and loading on the same day is realistic for a studio and not for anything bigger. Both visits are priced as one job rather than charged twice.
How are the boxes labelled?
By destination room rather than by contents, because at the other end you care where a box goes. Fragile boxes are marked and loaded last so they come off first. If the new place has different room names, tell us and we will label to those.
Will you unpack at the other end?
Only if you book it specifically. Most people would rather unpack at their own pace, so it is not included by default, but we will do it if you want it.
Related services
- House Removals in Central LondonWhole house moves with the wrapping, the parking and the access planned in advance.
- Flat and Apartment Removals in Central LondonWalk-ups, mansion blocks and concierge buildings, including the lift booking.
- Student Moves in Central LondonHalls changeovers and shared house moves, booked around the accommodation office.
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Packing and storage across Central London
We cover all 37 Central London areas. Each area page has the parking and access detail specific to it.
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