Insights
Why professional packing services are worth the money
The real cost of packing yourself vs. paying a crew to do it — and when DIY is fine.
Packing is the worst part of moving. It's also where most breakages happen. For a typical 3-bed move, packing takes a solo person 25–40 hours over a week. A professional crew does it in half a day.
The time maths
If your hourly rate at work is £30 and packing takes you 30 hours, you've spent £900 of time on packing. A packing service for a 3-bed is typically £280–£400.
Even if you don't count your time, you still count your weekend.
The breakage maths
Professional packers break fewer things. It's their full-time job. They have the right paper, the right boxes, the right dunnage, and they wrap in the order that protects items best.
For a typical 3-bed move, the likely breakage difference is 2–3 items — usually kitchenware. That alone can cover the cost of the service if any of your items are valuable.
When DIY is fine
Small homes. Few fragile items. You enjoy it. You have the time. Your stuff is already in crates from a previous move.
Hybrid: part-packing
Most of our customers pick part-packing. We do the kitchen (fragile, time-consuming), you do clothes and books (easy, personal).
It's usually £150–£200 for part-packing a 3-bed — the best ratio of money to stress saved we offer.
What's included when you book
Crates or boxes delivered a day or two before.
Packing paper (recycled), bubble wrap for the expensive bits, tape.
Crew on the day.
Unpacking available as an add-on.
Book packing alongside your move
We'll quote it on the same line as the removal. Single price, single crew, single point of contact.
More from the blog
Keep reading
Moving house checklist UK: an 8-week countdown from Connor at Marley Moves
The 8-week UK moving house checklist Connor walks customers through on the phone — week-by-week, ticked off, no panic.
Read →When moves change at the last minute: what we can flex
Delayed completions, pushed-forward dates, route changes. What we can do and what we can't.
Read →A day in the life: what a Marley Moves crew actually does
Behind the scenes of a typical move day — 5am start, long lift, settle-in.
Read →Free fixed quote
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We send most quotes back within two working hours, fixed in writing before move day, with the insurance certificate in the same email. Pick whichever bit fits your pace.