Packing Services
While most of our clients start off thinking they’ll pack everything themselves, packing can be a much bigger job than most people realise. It’s easy to underestimate how long you need to set aside to get ready for your move. For example, if you’ve got a three bedroom property, you’re likely to need around 40 packing boxes. If it takes you on average 20 minutes to pack a box, you could spend at least 14 hours packing.
Owner Pack
If you’d prefer to pack everything yourselves, we’ll provide you specially designed removal cartons once you have accepted our quotation. Then, on your moving day, our crew will bring wardrobe cartons and covers for mattresses and sofas to protect them during your move.
Full Professional Packing Service
Pressed for time? Leave it to our packing experts. With most full packing services we start the day before the removal is scheduled to commence. The crew will work through the day packing items from your home, but they will, of course, leave items for you to use overnight.
In the days before the crew advise to pack your belongings, we suggest you move the items you plan to move together in one location. We always recommend, where possible, customers take important documents and valuables in the car with them on the day of the move.
Fragile Pack
Our specially trained staff will carefully wrap all your fragile items in white paper and pack them securely in strong cartons using. For silverware, we use acid-free tissue to prevent tarnishing.
Safe Packing Guidelines
If it can be shipped, we can pack it. What if you pack items yourself? How do you know that your items are packaged safely? Well, shipping insurance and declared value requirements can at times be complex and if you don’t follow them, you may not be covered if you need to file a claim.
Here’s some items that may help you out:
Your shipment should be able to withstand a 4 foot drop. The sorting belts in the carriers facilities are typically 4 feet high. If your package falls off the belt, it needs to be safe.
The package should not crush. Press on the top of your box after it is packed. Does the box bend inward? Does it not feel tight? If so, you do not have adequate cushoning inside. Your shipment must be able to handle having other (and heavier) packages stacked on top of it.
Contents should rattle when you shake the box. When you shake your box, do the contents inside shift or make noise. If they do, they may not be secure enough inside.
Don’t put breakable items in bubble mailers or padded envelopes. The purpose of your shipping container (box, envelope, tube, ect) is to make your shipment able to stack. Therefore, other packages/shipments will be stored on top of yours. When you put an item in an envelope, you should feel comfortable with heavier items stacked on top of it.
It is important to understand that when a package is in transit, it will be moving and will be stacked with other shipments. It is your job to make sure that your shipment is packed in a way that will allow it to travel safely in this environment. These are just general rule-of-thumb guidelines to help you keep your shipment safe. We recommend that you always check the insurance or declared value guidelines associated with the items you are shipping. These requirements can change based on the type and value of the item(s) you are sending.
Professional Packing Services
We can wrap, pack and ship just about any size item. Furniture, artwork, and large items are everyday items for us. If you are moving, we can pack items for your move. If you are shipping, we can obviously pack for that also. We guarantee the items we pack are always packed to meet carrier and insurance guidelines. To learn more about this, see our pack and ship guarantee.
Pack & Ship Guarantee
With our professional packing services, you are always in good hands. If an item that is packed by one of our associates and shipped with insured/declared value coverage, you’ll be reimbursed for the value of the item (subject to the lesser of actual value, replacement or repair cost), and the full cost of packing materials (excluding insurance/declared value charges). Restrictions apply.
Tips For Hiring Packing Companies For Moving
What if you could take all of the stress out of moving? For a truly stress-free experience, you need to hire a professional packing company. Unfortunately, it can be challenging to find the right packing companies for moving. And, if you make the wrong choice, you’re right back at square one!
Packing Power
What should you be on the lookout for when it comes to packing companies? Let’s start with the basics: make sure they actually handle packing! A surprising number of companies only focus on moving. While this is an excellent solution for moving your things from “Point A” to “Point B,” it means that you need to handle all of the packing on your own.
And, let’s be honest: much of the stress of moving comes from trying to pack everything on your own. It’s easy to mix different rooms in the same boxes or pack fragile items in a way that practically guarantees your things will break. When you get a company that handles the packing, everything gets a lot easier. You’ll enjoy the peace of mind that comes from real pros handling every step of the operation.
Local-Friendly
Ever hear the phrase, “they can’t see the forest for the trees?” That’s a pretty good description of most moving companies. That’s because most of these companies focus only on long-distance moving. And that’s great if you need to make a significant move from one place to another. But it can be a bad thing if you just need to move your stuff into a new home in the same town.
Long Distance? No Problem
Sometimes, an entire philosophy can be boiled down to a simple meme. For example, look at that meme with the little girl asking, “Why not both?” The meaning of that meme is clear: you shouldn’t settle for one thing when you can have both of the things you want. That same philosophy applies to the packing companies in your area as well. For the moment, you only need a short-distance or long-distance move. But why not hire a company that can handle both?
How to pack basics & guides
Six things to consider for safe and secure package delivery:
Dropping. Packages must have cushion for their contents that passes shock-test impact.
Vibration. Conveyor belts, trucks, and aircraft vibrate packages — often with surprising results. Jars can open, screws loosen, components unplug, edges come apart, and soft material can rub to dust.
Compression. Packages must be able to stand pressure from the top and sides as loads shift.
Temperature changes. Season, geography, mode of transport, and destination can mean dramatic temperature fluctuations. This can change the chemistry, bonds, contents, and more.
Humidity. Humidity can weaken boxes as they absorb moisture and may cause condensation during environmental changes.
Air pressure. Packages that move through elevation changes (by air shipment or through ground transit from low to high elevation) undergo pressure changes with unusual results. For example, a sealed bag of potato chips may inflate and pop at high elevations.
Consult early to save money
The most important rule of thumb: Get your shipping provider involved early. Reach out to your account executive or request a packaging design consultation from a packaging engineer before investing in packaging materials, settling shipping rates, determining price points, and making other decisions that affect your profit margin.
Money-saving packaging tips:
Plan ahead — far ahead. Weight, dimensional weight, oversize charges, and special handling affect the cost of shipping your product. Dimensional weight and oversize charges relate to the size of the package itself. If you are developing a product now, it’s not too early to consult with a shipping engineer to consider minor changes that could reduce your shipping charges. Some products can be redesigned for easy shipping and partial assembly by the consumer, for example.
Don’t assume the original package suffices. Many businesses buy products for redistribution. These may be mass-produced and shipped safely enough to the distributor on pallets, but once off the pallet, single boxes may not withstand the rigors of transport.
Cushioning is king. Understand and protect the most fragile part of your product. If you ship multiple goods in a single box, explore the use of compartments, box-in-a-box packaging, the organization of products in the box, and split shipments. These may reduce costs and damage.
Don’t “ship air.” Minimize the empty space in the container. For example, if you ship gift baskets, choose a basket without a handle; it will take up less space.
Use quality packing materials. The quality of the box, cushioning, and packing tape matter. It’s acceptable to reuse boxes, but inspect them and be sure to re-tape the box.
Pack like a pro. Cutting corners can result in damaged goods and unhappy customers.
Label clearly. Follow your carrier’s instructions. Usually, the label goes on the largest surface of the container. Avoid the edges of the box, since they can cause misreading during scanning. Put special instructions on the box (fragile, this end up, etc.) but never assume that these instructions will protect the contents. Most boxes receive mechanical transport at some point, and most boxes will rest on their largest surface regardless of written instructions.
Understand the regulatory environment for your product. A host of regulations shape shipping processes.
Monitor and adjust. Track shipping costs and damage rates, and then revisit all of your processes to find out how you can improve. If you build monitoring into your product cycle, you can improve your outcomes while keeping costs low.
How much do packing services cost?
The national average cost for packing services is $60 – $80. A packing professional can help with packing in both home and commercial spaces. Whether you need help packing or unpacking a few things, or have multiple floors filled with items to pack or unpack, a packing professional can be a huge help.
Professionals can provide boxes (for a fee) or use the boxes that you provide. Most of the time, these packing professionals can also help with furniture assembly, loading and unloading items, furniture moving and heavy lifting. If you’re looking for some help packing and unpacking, take a load off and let’s chat.
What Affects the Cost of Packing Services?
Hiring a packing service can make your move faster and smoother. These people are professionals and have experience in packing and moving many different types of items, from the most delicate glassware to the heaviest pianos. Various factors affect the cost of packing services, including whether the moving boxes are provided or not, hourly rates, size of home or office, and if there are specialty items that need to be treated differently.
How Much are Moving Boxes?
If the packing service provides the boxes, the overall cost of the job will increase. Many companies have tiered pricing for boxes based on their size. Some companies include the cost of packing labor in their box prices, while other companies charge separately for boxes and labor.
Average Cost of Boxes by Size
Cost for a small moving box, labor not included: $3
Cost for a medium moving box, labor not included: $4
Cost for a large moving box, labor not included: $5
Cost for a dish-pack moving box, labor not included: $8
Packing Services Costs (Materials Included)
Cost per book box, including labor: $5
Cost per linen box, including labor: $10
Cost per fine china/glassware box, including labor: $18