Packing Services in Manchester
Packing services in Manchester are an optional extra on any move, added only if you want them. Some people want every room boxed before the van arrives, some want only the kitchen and the glassware, and some just want to know how to pack so the move goes quickly. We do all three, and we are honest about the one thing that matters most: who packed a box changes who is responsible if something inside it breaks.
Full Pack, Part Pack or the Fragile Things
Packing adds time to the job rather than a fixed fee, so you choose how much of it you want. A full pack suits anyone short of time or moving a whole house. A part pack covers the rooms that take longest, usually the kitchen, the loft and anywhere with glass. A fragile-only pack leaves the books and clothes to you and puts the breakables in our hands.
- Full pack: every room boxed, wrapped and labelled before loading.
- Part pack: the kitchen, glassware, pictures and mirrors, or whichever rooms you choose.
- Fragile only: plates, glasses, lamps, screens and ornaments wrapped and boxed properly.
Tell us which you want when you ask for a quote, along with roughly how many rooms, so we allow the right time and bring enough materials.
Why Who Packed the Box Matters
This is the part most people only find out after something breaks. The British Association of Removers says that under most removal company insurances, the company can only accept liability for damage to items it packed itself. A box of glasses you packed and taped up is, in most cases, your responsibility even if it travels in our van.
So if there is anything valuable or fragile, it is worth having it packed professionally even when you box everything else yourself. The association's packing tips explain the point in more detail, and what our own cover includes is set out on our insurance and compliance page.
Appliances and Items to Sort Before Packing Day
Some things need dealing with before anyone starts boxing. The British Association of Removers notes that, unless agreed in advance, a removal company will not disconnect gas or electric appliances such as cookers, nor white goods with water hoses such as dishwashers and washing machines. Gas appliances need a Gas Safe registered engineer, and anything with water in it needs draining or defrosting first.
- Book a Gas Safe engineer for a gas cooker well before moving day.
- Defrost the freezer the day before and drain the washing machine.
- Keep gas bottles, fuel, paint and other flammable items out of packed boxes and tell us if you have any.
- Keep passports, keys, medication and chargers in a bag that travels with you, not in the van.
Packing for a Manchester Flat or Terrace
How a house is packed changes how fast it can be carried. A Victorian terrace in Levenshulme or Chorlton often has a narrow staircase, and a city centre apartment has a goods lift with a booked slot and other residents waiting. Both reward small, heavy boxes and large, light ones rather than a few enormous boxes nobody can lift down a stairwell.
- Books and tins go in small boxes, bedding and cushions in large ones.
- Every box is labelled with the room it is going to, not the room it came from.
- Boxes are stacked by the door in the order they will be loaded, so the van fills without a second trip.
In a building with a booked lift, a well packed flat can be the difference between finishing inside the slot and having to book another. Our flat and apartment removals page covers the lift and loading bay side of the job.
Getting Rid of the Cardboard Afterwards
A packed house leaves a lot of cardboard behind. In Manchester the blue bin is for paper and card, and the council asks you to crush down boxes and large pieces of cardboard so as much as possible fits. Recycle for Greater Manchester adds that boxes should be flattened and cleared of bubble wrap, plastic and polystyrene first, and that cardboard can also go to a recycling centre.
If you are taking it to a recycling centre in a van or a hire van yourself, you need a free van permit. You apply two working days before your first visit, the van must be registered to a home address in one of the nine Greater Manchester councils, and the permit covers 18 visits a year, resetting on 1 April. Vans over 5.3 metres or 3.5 tonnes are not allowed, and trade waste is not accepted. The rules are on the van permit page.
Materials and What Packing Costs
Packing adds time to the job, and our rate card charges for time. One mover with a small van starts from £35/hour, one mover with a large van from £45/hour, and two movers with a large van from £50/hour. Boxes, tape and wrapping materials are priced on the quote, depending on how much of the house you want packed.
A part pack of the kitchen and the fragile items is usually the best value, because those are the rooms that take longest to do yourself and the ones most likely to break. The full pricing breakdown is on our prices page.
Related Services
Available Across Manchester
We provide packing services across Manchester and nearby areas, including:
Also see our contact page or get a quote.
Call Now for Packing Services in Manchester
Call 0161 399 8702