Should You Hire Professional Packers for Your Next Move?

Moving is a lot of work. It can be especially difficult if you have to juggle it with your other responsibilities like your job or child care. For that reason, a lot of people turn to the pros to help them, including opting to hire packers.

Professional moving companies offer a wide range of services. These include the basic ones like helping you transport your items on moving day, but also other full-service options that can help ease your moving workload, such as packing and unpacking your belongings.

Whether you choose to hire packers for your next move depends on a number of factors. Below, we’ll go over what you can expect when you hire professional packers, as well as how to determine whether your situation might warrant booking the extra help.

What are professional packers?

Professional packers generally work for moving companies. They are responsible for expertly wrapping and boxing up the items in a household. Packing isn’t a once-in-a-blue-moon activity for them — it’s their job. As such, they can pack more efficiently and effectively than most of us.

What services can you expect from professional packers?

What you can expect

The exact services that packers provide depend on the company and tasks outlined in your contract. But there are some basics that you can usually expect:

They’ll bring along all of the packing materials your move will require: boxes, packing paper, packing tape and air-filled plastic cushioning.
The packers will go room by room packing up your items, including wrapping up items for protection when warranted.
The professional packers will label each box based on the room that its items originated.

What you should not expect

Of course, there are limits to the services that professional packers can provide. While you may be able to pay an extra fee for additional services, there are some things you should not expect when you hire packers:

They will not help you take inventory of your belongings and decide what you want to keep, toss or donate.
They will not provide detailed labels regarding what’s in each box — just the room that it came from.

Pre-move purge

Note that it will still be your job to take on the task of your pre-move purge. If you plan to hire packers, get rid of everything that you don’t intend to take with you. Otherwise, if they see it, they’re going to pack it.

After you do sort through your belongings, you can call a junk removal service to get rid of your unwanted items. A junk removal company can haul away individual items, such as old mattresses and appliances, or clean out an entire area, like the garage or attic. Like packers, they won’t help you decide what you want to get rid of or help you inventory what you want to keep.

Reasons to hire packers for your next move

While hiring packers is certainly a very convenient way to get your stuff boxed up, it’s not cheap. In addition to paying a per-hour fee, you will also need to cover the cost of supplies. The cost to pack a home ranges from $270 to $2,200, with an average of $1,000. This total includes materials and labor to pack boxes and furniture. Hiring a pro to pack and unpack runs $370 to $3,600, according to HomeAdvisor. Plan to spend about $400 to have a one-bedroom home packed up. It will be about $725 for a two-bedroom home and about $1,500 for a three-bedroom home.

If you’re going to spend the money, it should definitely be worth it. Ultimately, it’s up to you whether the cost has sufficient value. In general, the following situations are good examples of when it’s a smart idea to bring in professional packers:

If you’re moving out of state and have to make the move yourself before your stuff comes along. Many people relocate with plans to get their things after they’re already settled in. If that’s the case for you, it may be more cost-effective to have your items packed professionally and then shipped to you, instead of traveling back and taking care of it on your own.
If you’re disabled. Packing is intensely physical work. If you have a disability such as joint problems, chronic pain, or any other ailment that makes standing and bending over for long periods of time untenable, then you’re probably better off hiring professional packers.
If you have to move in a hurry. It’s generally not impossible to pack your home in a week or less, but it is an ambitious undertaking. In some scenarios, moving in a hurry may necessitate bringing in a couple of extra sets of hands.
If you simply don’t have time to pack yourself. Work, school, kids, other commitments — there are plenty of reasons that you might not have enough time to devote to packing. Do keep in mind that you will have to be present when the packers are at your home.

The biggest benefits of hiring packers

If you’re facing one of the situations above (or even if you’re not), the benefits of hiring professional packers are hard to discount. Simply put, professional packers save you a ton of time and stress. You also won’t have to worry that your items are going to break or be otherwise damaged during transport. Professional packers have a lot of training and experience, so you’ll have peace of mind.

Packers also get the job done fast. What might take you a whole afternoon could be done in just an hour or two. They’re going to tackle the to-do list without any of the sentimental ties that tend to slow down the rest of us. So whereas you might take five or 10 minutes to look through a photo album, a professional packer is just going to place the album right in a box.

Additionally, packers bring the moving supplies. You don’t have to guess about how much you need or overbuying or underbuying supplies.

How to save on packing services

While packers aren’t cheap, you can reduce the cost of using them. One way to do this is by doing some of the work yourself. Start by packing easier areas like the linen closet, kids’ bedrooms, or books. If you have the time, continue with other areas in the house. Leave fragile items like glasses, dishes and other breakables for the packers. You’ll also want to let them handle more difficult items like artwork, antiques, furniture, TVs and other electronics.

You may also be able to save money by providing boxes and packing supplies for the packers. However, due to liability issues, some companies may require you to use their boxes and supplies. If you’re interested in saving money by providing your own supplies, discuss this option when you request an estimate.

Specialty packers

Packers excel at boxing up typical household items. However, if you have extremely valuable items or a rare collection, you may want to hire specialty packers. For example, wine bottles can be damaged if not packed correctly, but the wine itself can be ruined if not properly transported. Companies such as The Wine Mover, Wine by Air International and Domaine can get your wine to your new home in perfect condition.

Companies that move valuable art, like Black Tie Moving, train their rigorously background-checked employees on how to handle rare pieces. They pack and unpack your artwork and are fully licensed, insured and bonded.

Full-service moving company vs. packers

Packers are included with most full-service moves. However, you can hire packers even if you plan to rent a truck and drive your belongings yourself. Some junk removal companies like College HUNKS Hauling Junk have experienced packing teams. They can help you pack your items on an hourly basis. You may also find some moving companies that offer packing-only services.

When looking for packers, be sure they are licensed and insured. You may be able to hire hourly labor, but if they don’t specialize in packing boxes for a move, they may take longer to complete the job. Also, their inexperience could result in some of your items being damaged in transit.

What about professional unpackers?

You can also hire unpackers to unpack your boxes at your new home. In addition to unpacking your boxes, they’ll unwrap everything, make a list of any damaged items, put your items away, organize your home, assemble all furniture, and remove all boxes and packing materials. Since many unpacking companies are also professional organizers, they’re experts at finding a place for everything. And, since you’re usually there as they unpack, they can always ask you if they have any questions.

Reasons to hire professional unpackers

While it can be just as costly to hire unpackers as packers, you may want to hire them for many of the same reasons you hire packers, including:

If you don’t have time. It takes a lot of time to unpack. If you need to get back to work or have other obligations, you may find it difficult to find the time to unpack your boxes and find places for everything in your new home.
If you don’t have the energy. Whether you’ve exhausted yourself packing everything or spend your day taking care of young children, you may not have the energy to unpack everything. Unpackers can get the job done quickly and easily.
If you have a hard deadline. When you need to have your house unpacked for the holidays, overnight guests, or even your own housewarming party, it makes sense to hire unpackers so you can focus on preparing for your upcoming plans.
If you are disabled. Unpacking is just as physically difficult work as packing. If you have joint problems, find it hard to stand or bend for long periods of time, you may want to hire unpackers to do the work for you.
If you don’t have help. Even if you have the time and energy, unpacking is a lot of work for one person. What might take you weeks to accomplish unpackers can get done in a day.
If it’s part of the package. Some full-service moving companies will include unpacking services. While they may be more expensive than companies that don’t offer to unpack your boxes at your new home, knowing someone else will take care of the work can give you peace of mind.

How to find professional packers

If you’re sold on the idea of hiring packers (or unpackers) for your next move, then you’ll be happy to know we make it easy to find them. Use Moving.com to quickly find reputable full-service movers in your area. From there, you’ll be able to see whether they provide packing services in addition to other services that they offer. Find a few companies that you like, and give them a call. It’s always a good idea to get multiple quotes.