‌Do I Need to Pack for Movers? Why & Is It Safe?

No, as long as you hire professional, full-service movers.

Professional moving companies mostly offer packing services, as they know better how to pack and move more carefully than us. But if you insist on packing for your movers to save time and are confident enough, then you can pack for movers.

According to a survey by Move, 21% of respondents reported that they experienced some damage to their belongings during a move, and 44% of respondents packed their own items, while only 9% hired professional packers.

Yet, you are free to pack your own way, but there remain pros and cons on both sides (customer and movers company). On top of that, movers don’t pack hazardous or flammable items. So, in this context, we will disclose everything you need to be sure enough before you start packing yourself or hire a professional mover team.

Let’s jump off!

Table of Contents

What to Expect from Movers While Moving

Experienced and highly professional movers will, of course, do the major tasks from packing and loading to unloading and unpacking.

However, the service may vary depending on the companies. For efficient, hassle-free moving, it’s crucial to understand these differences. Let’s dive into the key aspect.

Moving Process

Well, the half-service mover may not pack items for you. You must pack your things and get them ready to load before the movers arrive at your door. Here, one tip for you is it’s better to keep all the stuff arranged and ready to go, which will save a lot of time.

Contrarily, full-service movers will do all the tasks, from packing to loading and unloading to unpacking. You will just monitor them sitting in a corner, giving them adequate room.

Again, the DIY moving service is best if you’re a DIYer like me. Here, the company will rent you a container or a moving truck for a definite time range. You will pack and load everything within this time range, and they will just transport them to your destination. Isn’t that cool?

Mover Behaviour

Well, professional movers maintain professionalism throughout the process. They answer your questions, keep you informed, and take responsibility for your items’ safety. They will be ready to answer any inquiries from you from the day you hire them to when the moving process is completed.

On a moving day, they inspect your belongings to estimate the required space, time, and costs, ensuring transparency and preventing scams.

Furniture Preparation

If you hire full-service professional movers, of course, they will be preparing for the move. Some furniture might need to be partially or fully disassembled to move. And these can be pretty daunting if you are not skilled enough.

Professional movers can disassemble and reassemble furniture, ensuring its safe transport. They have the necessary tools and expertise to handle this efficiently. Additionally, they provide wrapping for added protection.

Safe Moving

According to a report by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, “In 2018, among different trucks and bus crashes in the US, 112 crashes involved household goods movers, resulting in 4 fatalities and 50 injuries.”

Though specific reasons for crashing are unknown, many other stats show that improper or poorly packed or half-empty boxes lead to damage and slow the moving process, resulting in additional cost and unwanted loss.

So, when you hire professional movers, you can rest assured with such issues. And I can say firmly because I have seen them moving belongings with much diligence and care.

Time Management

When you hire movers, they provide a scheduled arrival time. While unforeseen events like heavy traffic may cause minor delays, a professional moving team estimates delivery times. This planning ensures you’re not left waiting for your belongings.

Why Do Movers Want Everything to Be Packed in Boxes?

If you’re not hiring movers to pack, you’ll need to pack your items yourself.

Most movers prefer items to be packed in boxes to expedite the loading process, which offers added safety and efficiency. You see, packed items are easier to handle, better protected, and can be tracked during the move. This ensures a hassle-free and cost-effective move.

some reasons presented why movers want everything packed in boxes

However, for a clear picture, let’s present all those reasons and the benefits of packing everything into boxes for your ease.

Items Packed into Boxes Are Easy to Handle

When items are packed into boxes, they are easy to handle and move. Usually, movers load more than one item at a time. So when they are well packed into boxes, they can be easily handled in every situation.

Boxed Items Are Well Protected

When you use moving boxes, your items are sealed and well-protected. Moving boxes offer a protective shield where no dirt or dust can enter. Besides, moving boxes allow options for cushioning the stuff, so no shocks or vibrations can damage the stuff inside.

I saw such an accident a few weeks ago. Sadly, all the belongings got messed up and dispersed on the road because they were not well packed.

Easy to Track during the Move

One of the efficient benefits of items packed into boxes is that you can easily track and monitor them for security purposes. As a result, there remains zero chance of things getting lost. Wrapped items can sometimes get missed. But when packed into boxes, you can count them easily and track them during the move.

Offers Hassle-Free move

You see, moving boxes offer a lot of rooms inside to keep stuff. So you need fewer boxes to carry. Then again, the boxes are much more convenient while stacking on the moving truck. They can easily load and unload without the fear of damaging or slipping.

Can Cause You Less Expense

When your things are packed into boxes, they will occupy less space in the moving truck. As a result, you will need fewer trucks or vans for the move, consequently minimizing the expense. Apart from this, it can save you time too.

Can I Trust Packers with Packing and Moving My Stuff?

When plenty of options are available, you can think of hiring someone to pack your house. Then, the concern arises whether it is safe to trust packers.

Though you might have heard about different scams regarding fake packing bills nowadays, trustworthy packers and movers are available. However, you have to do some research before you hire someone to pack your house.

You should go through the following points to ensure trustworthiness before hiring movers to pack for you.

Look for Company Credentials:

Before hiring someone to pack for you, make sure you go through their credentials. For example, the service quality, timelines, transparent and clear-cut communications.

Ensure Insurance Coverage:

Most of the professional movers offer insurance for your stuff. So, hiring someone who does not cover insurance for the stuff might not be reliable. Because, in this way, your staff can be at risk if something goes wrong.

Check Recommendations & Reviews:

Packers and movers with high recommendations and reviews can be trustworthy. It’s always a green signal if the movers or packers team has positive reviews.

So, before heading to hire movers or packers, make sure to check the mentioned points to ensure a reliable team.

Let’s Go Through Some of the Easiest Ways to Pack for Moving

If you are thinking of packing yourself, of course, the choice is yours. But let’s help you with some ideas on what to pack for moving. And yes, this can also help you get ideas if you are hiring movers to pack for you.

Get Organized and Make a Plan

The first thing you have to do is organize and plan for the packing. For example, what to pack, what not to pack, from where to start, and how many boxes or packing materials it might need. You should go through an estimation of these things before you sit for packing.

You might need to keep some essentials with you. Keep them aside before you start packing.

Sort Through Your Belongings

Sorting through things before packing is always a good option. Make sure you go through all your belongings and keep them in order to get them ready to pack. Furniture needs to be emptied; otherwise, it won’t be easy during the move. Oops. I know that pain in the butt when I try to move something inside my home while dusting.

Some furniture needs to be disassembled. Make sure to get these done before the movers arrive.

Pack Room by Room

It’s always a good idea to pack room by room. If you start packing one room and then, in the middle, start another, leaving the previous one incomplete, it will take you more time and hassle to finish.

So it’s better to start packing room by room. Start packing in one room and then go to another for efficient and organized packing.

Wrap Fragile Items Carefully

While packing, make sure to wrap the fragile items carefully. Use enough cushioning and padding for the glass items or any other fragile items so that they do not break or get damaged during the move.

Label Everything Clearly

After packing everything, make sure to label the boxes or the packaging. Labeling with useful information ensures the protection of your belongings as well as saving time during the move. If there is any fragile item in the box, labeling can help movers know this so they can maintain extra safety during the move.

Besides, labeling can save more time during the time of unloading and unpacking. You can easily start with the items you need first, and so on.

Use Proper Packing Supplies

Use proper packing supplies, whether you pack yourself or hire someone to pack for you. Some items might need extra padding and cushioning to keep them safe and sturdy in place during the move.

And don’t forget to tape the boxes or wrap the items to avoid any risk of getting lost or stolen.

Fill Boxes Efficiently

While packing items into boxes or packing in other ways, try to fill the boxes efficiently. A random filling can take more room in the boxes, requiring more boxes and a double budget.

So, filling the boxes with efficacy and tactics can save you some budget. Also, it ensures the safety of your belongings.

Keep Heavy Items Light

Whether you use a crate or a moving dolly, it would be great and easy to move if you could keep heavy items in light boxes. Also, emptying all the furniture during the move is the safest option.

Don’t Overpack Boxes

Oh! Don’t overpack the boxes. You might think of some cost-saving, but trust me, it always gets you more trouble. When you over-pack the boxes, it gets tough to tape and seal, resulting in a risky option while moving.

So, try not to pack. Pack as much as it can occupy only but tactically to keep things arranged and safe.

Disadvantages of Self-Packing

If you want to pack for movers, it’s up to you. But let us warn you of some of the disadvantages of self-packing.

Time-Consuming

Well, self-packing seems cost-saving, but it consumes much more time than professional movers. Where a professional mover might need one day to pack the entire house, you might need more days or, what if, weeks.

Increased Risk

When you go for self-packing, you call for an increased risk. If you pack for your movers, you don’t get any insurance for any damage to your belongings. Besides, if anything happens to your belongings, the movers won’t want to take responsibility.

Improper Packing

A report by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) shows that many recent light-truck and heavy-duty truck clashes happened due to improper packing and shaking of the boxes inside the cargo.

As you can assume, during the move, your belongings can go through a lot of shakes, vibrations, and accelerations. And so, inefficiently packed items can cause serious damage to both the items and the movers.

Hard to Pack Large Items

Before you start packing yourself, think again about the heavy furniture at your home that needs disassembling. It might get tedious while packing large and heavy items all by yourself, or you might hurt yourself.

Can Be Costly

You are thinking about cost efficiency, but self-packing might cost you more. You need to buy all the packing materials while paying someone to pack your house can save these expenses. In that case, you just have to pay for the packing, not the packing materials.

Lack Packing Materials

DIY packing seems so empowering, right? But what if you lack some packing materials, like some tape or one last box in the eleventh hour? Yes, it can happen unless you are professional with packing for the move.

You might not estimate how many boxes or materials you need for the entire packing process like the professional movers do. And this can give you a serious headache in the end.