Should we pack or let them

[Ron & Chel]

Hi Guys can anyone tel us is it just as easy for us to pack than getting the shipping company you see my wife is very organised and would like to pack herself is it worth it
many thanks

[ali]

It took the shippers 2 days to pack our things - they use a very thick paper (lots of it) and even made a special box for my daughters dolls house. I personally, would say if you're taking alot of things then get them to do it - it would be a very consuming task. I have heard that if you pack yourself, then your belongings are scrutinised a little bit more closely at the other end - don't know if that's true or not.

Ali

[hazel and dave]

I have to say, when it comes to being organised I verge on the psychotic!! and bearing that in mind, I found it much less stressful to pay the extra few quid for packing (when you consider you pay more for insurance if you pack in yourself the difference isn't that great - or it wasn't for us). Every item, be it a box or a bike, has to be individually wrapped and itemised on a customs form - for an organisation nut like myself that felt like trying to dig a tunnel under Mt Everest with a teaspoon!

It depends on the quotations you have, but I would strongly recommend paying for the packing. They turned up, we sat in the kitchen and playde cards, and they packed all day. You have enough to organise without packing. The sorting out of what you will/won't take and the scrubbing of anything that has even seem fresh air with Jeyes fluid is enough to organise.

It also depends on how close your container and you are leaving the country. If your container in going only a few days / weeks before you, wouldn't you rather spend the time with loved ones???? There are a load of personal factors to consider, but I would recommend sitting back, sticking the kettle on and letting the experts do the work!

[donovan]

Ali is right, customs may go through your things a little more if they know you have done the packing yourself, when the packers pack they write things down on an itinery as they do it, I must say our packers were very efficient, can not believe how quick they packed the whole house up, they were very organized and everything was done room by room, so easy to unpack at the other end.

Sarah x

[Ron & Chel]

thanks guys for your help

[ajfinlay]

Any good sugestions on companies to use and rough prices on shipping??

[jam jar]

i would say pack it yourself, much cheaper, and customs dont go through all your stuff, they check off the itinery list (just the same as any container load) and any box that may be questionable they then open that one, (we had our xmas dec box opened, but they didnt even go through it).
i hated the thought of someone else going through all my stuff, and packing it anywhere, at least i knew where everything was, so i knew which boxes of stuff i didnt need to open straight away when it got to the other end, (still got stuff boxed up now, 2 years later!)
and we found it much easier and quicker as everything was sat ready and waiting for the shippers when they arrived and they loaded it for us and was gone in less than 1 hour!!
we used UPAKWESHIP, its actually an american company and very good, we didnt even insure our stuff and nothing was damaged.

joanna

[littlesarah]

Thanks everyone for your contributions - we hope to move over in May, & I'm pretty sure I ought to be thinking about getting some quotes for shipping! But I keep thinking that if we sell the house, we'll have a different address & a lot less stuff!

Sarah