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Man and van

Packing and boxes

Professional packing costs £250 to £500 in labour for most homes, plus £50 to £150 or more for materials (Fantastic Services, September 2026). Konnect You puts the average at £373 and a three-bed at £750 (September 2026). Items the firm packs are usually covered by its goods in transit insurance; boxes you pack yourself often are not.

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Illustration: a box and a roll of packing tape

What it costs and what it covers

For prices, see the flat moves cost guide.

Typical jobs

  • Packing a kitchen's glassware, china and pans the day before a man and van move
  • A fragile-only pack of pictures, mirrors and a television while the household packs clothes and books
  • Supplying 40 boxes, tape and two wardrobe cartons for a two-bed flat
  • Wrapping a glass-topped table and a large mirror in blankets and corner protectors for the van
  • Packing a home office's books and files into small labelled boxes, room by room

What is involved

Packing by the hour. Fantastic Services charges £43 an hour for packing in London during the day and £55.50 after 7pm, priced on time rather than the number of boxes (October 2026). Fixed prices by home size vary more between sources: Fantastic Services puts a two-bed at £250 to £400 in labour and a three-bed at £400 to £500 (September 2026), while Konnect You's figures are £500 for a two-bed and £750 for a three-bed (September 2026). Which? found that adding packing to a 12-mile London move raised the price by £359 for a one-bed flat and £441 for a two-bed house (May 2026).

How many boxes. Fantastic Services' supplies guide suggests 15 to 25 boxes for a one-bed home, 25 to 40 for a two-bed, 40 to 60 for a three-bed and 60 to 90 for a four-bed, with homes full of books or kitchenware at the higher end (September 2026). Its unit prices are £1 to £3 for a standard box, £2 to £4 for a large double-walled box, £8 to £15 for a wardrobe carton, £2 to £4 for a roll of tape and £10 to £25 for a roll of bubble wrap.

Fragile items. A fragile-only pack covers glass, china, mirrors, pictures and electronics while you pack everything else. Fantastic Services prices it at £120 to £220 for a two-bed home, against £250 to £400 for a full pack (September 2026). Books go in small boxes so they stay liftable, plates stand on edge between sheets of paper, and televisions travel upright in their own box or a padded carton.

What the firm is liable for. Which? warns that a removal firm's insurance will not cover items you packed yourself, and that some firms limit liability per item or per box unless you declare the value (June 2026). Fantastic Services says its insurance applies only to items its own packers packed on site. The usual split follows from that: you pack clothes, linen and books, and the firm packs whatever would cost most to replace if it broke.

Choosing a firm

Ask whether the quote is for labour only or includes materials, and whether the boxes are new or reused. Ask for a box count by room, how many packers will come and for how long, and whether unpacking at the new home is included or extra.

Ask the firm to confirm in writing which items its cover includes when its own staff pack them, the limit per item, and the time limit for making a claim. If you are packing some rooms yourself, ask whether breakage in those boxes is covered at all and on what terms.

Book the packers for the day before the move rather than the morning of it. Konnect You describes the packing team arriving the day before with all the materials (September 2026), which leaves moving day for loading alone.

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Common questions

How much does a packing service cost?

Most homes cost £250 to £500 in labour, with materials £50 to £150 or more charged as well (Fantastic Services, September 2026). Konnect You puts the average at £373 and lists £500 for a two-bed and £750 for a three-bed (September 2026).

How many boxes do I need to move house?

Fantastic Services suggests 15 to 25 boxes for a one-bed home, 25 to 40 for a two-bed, 40 to 60 for a three-bed and 60 to 90 for a four-bed (September 2026). Homes with lots of books or kitchenware need more.

Is a packing service worth it?

It saves days of work and moves fragile items under the firm's insurance, which home-packed boxes often lack. Which? found packing added £359 to a one-bed London move and £441 to a two-bed (May 2026). A fragile-only pack costs less and still protects the items most likely to break.

Does removal insurance cover items I pack myself?

Often not. Which? says a removal firm's insurance will not cover items you have packed, and some firms limit cover per box unless you declare the value. Fantastic Services covers only items its own packers packed.

Firms offering packing

2,123 firms on the site offer it. The busiest towns:

A few to start with

A spread of firms from the biggest towns, one from each.