tinaj

For anyone that has already left, how long did it take to pack up a 20ft conatiner and load it all in?
I noticed that 1 company have quoted 3 days and the others 2 days.

I am hoping to reserve a date this week- hopefully!

Dinky

Hi Tinaj,
We've got one arriving next Wednesday and they expect to be away by Thursday late afternoon (Robinsons). So 2 days max I hope as we're moving out on Friday!

Dinky

Leave 1st November arrive 19th November - via California

tinaj

Thanks for that. I am hoping it is only 2 days as I will have to take a moving day off of work as it is. Getting exciting now thinking about actually booking a date !

Good luck with your move hope it goes smoothly

HiddenPaw

It will also depend on how many packers they send round. Some companies prefer to send only 1 or 2 packers - even if it is a big house so that you don't feel like there is a stranger in every room and you can't keep up with what's going on. By using less packers you can keep a track of what is happening.

Also, some companies will pack and load as they go, and some will just pack, leaving all the goods in the house, and then the container comes on the last day to collect it all.

Good luck both of you - it's a very exciting time.

downunderpom

We did 90% of the packing ourselves, so just had two movers in for a morning to pack the furniture and load it all. We did most of it ourselves for two reasons - I've moved often, so know what the buggers get up to, and the shoddy job they'll do if you're not on top of them, and secondly to save money.
You appear to be having them in to do it all, so if I can give you one word of advice - if you don't think they're doing a good job, say so, there and then, and make them do it to your standards. After all, you are paying them, not the other way around.

dmf

The packers arrived on Monday morning early and the container left Thursday. They packed the house up in just over two days (4 bed house) and the container was booked to arrive on the Wed 2pm. It turned up on time but stank! I mean really bad so we refused the container and they arranged for another one to turn up the next day. There were either 3 or 4 guys packing. They did a good job - we used GB Liners - and the container arrived on time as they had estimated. Be prepared though - they work fast!!

Dawn

Tina Baker

How much do these containers cost - ball park figures??

What do people think is the best way of doing things.......container and take stuff with you or sell everything and start again? I suppose it would be nice to have your own stuff around you in a new home.........make it feel a little bit more familiar....

HiddenPaw

We bought about half a house with us to keep the cost down (shared container rather than sole use). When clearing out the house in the UK, I kept saying, "oh, don't take that, we'll buy one when we get there". When we got here, it was a real pain not having brought simple things like a linen basket or ironing board, or bedside tables. We spent months and months using the empty packing boxes as furniture. If I did it all again, I would have paid for the full container and filled it with everything that I owned. Saying that, we've had the perfect excuse to get some furniture made for us - and have it all done in native timbers - it hasn't cost any more than what we have paid for stuff in the UK.

Where are you headed?

pabloako

We had PSS come yesterday and although we only had 200 cubic feet (Don't know what that is as I am metric!), it still took two people from 10:30 - 15:00, to pack it.

Seems strange people packing your stuff, I ended up walking around the house feeling useless.

mr mover

You obviously hav,nt been moving with the right companys . Our guys do not need to be LOOKED, after. Most average 15 -20yrs experience, and they dont go near o/s jobs untill they have had at least, 2yrs in domestic removals,ship wrapping is an art in its own form, if you cant trust your self to hire a company to do the job to your standards, then Whos at fault.????...........prehaps saving MONEY ??............. MM

mr mover

Used containers in oz ,can sell for $1500 in resonable condition, but to buy your own container for O/seas use you would have to buy new, about $8000 for a20ft hi-cube , ships will not load any container that is not ISO certified, companys only get rid of old containers ,when they become ,uncertifiable........... MM

downunderpom

Yours might not - I used Robinsons Int'l. The stuff that we packed ourselves arrived in perfect condition. The stuff that they packed... Let me give you a couple of examples: We had two beige suede sofas, and a matching footstool. Cost us about 4000 quid. We told both the sales rep and the packers how valuable these items were, and how important they were to us. The sofas were wrapped in this 'impervious' paper they recommended. Then they stood the sofas on their ends, and wiggled them around, inside the container, after they'd left us, until the paper wore through. Black greasy marks on the ends of the sofas. Still haven't got them out. The footstool? Try this: brown packing tape stuck directly to the suede. Professional? I don't think so.

You people may be professional, and they may take care of people's belongings, but I'd never heard of you and your company before joining this forum.

And as far as accusing me being more interested in saving money than taking care of my property is concerned, why would I spend over 4000 quid on furniture, and then entrust that furniture AND my most precious belongings to some cowboys just to save a buck? Kindly don't be so bloody patronising!

yafm

Everybody CALM DOWN

To answer the question most of the companies said two days if you explain that completion of the house sale is 1pm on a day they offer the two days before which we have got (we hope) They advised they would send 5 people the first day and 6/7 the second.

All sounds very professional to me PSS

mr mover

[- I've moved often, so know what the buggers get up to, and the shoddy job they'll do if you're not on top of them, and secondly to save money.
. After all, you are paying them, not the other way around. [/QUOTE]
And i,m patronising am i read the above,........you have just summed the intire Moving industry, on the results of one move..I warned people before about Craft paper, wrapping, and to make sure they ask companies if they are using the latest plastic[bubbled] wrapping materials, you,ll be glad ot hear that Robinsons do now use this material, now if we could only get the American industry to adopt it.......... MM

mr mover

speaking for OZ ,2 guys pack and commence wrap the first day, the second day complete wrap, and inventory. depending on access to goods............. MM