Professional Packing & Protective Services

What professional packing costs

Packing is priced on three things, and knowing them up front means no surprises on moving day.

How much there is to pack. The single biggest factor. A studio might take one packer half a day; a four-bedroom house with a full kitchen, a garage and a loft can take a two-person crew two full days. We count rooms, not square footage — a compact three-bed with a heavily stocked kitchen takes longer than a sprawling three-bed with minimal contents.

How fragile it is. Standard household goods pack quickly. China, stemware, framed art, mirrors, marble, musical instruments and electronics need custom cartons, double-boxing or purpose-built crates, and that takes materials and time.

How much you want us to do. Full pack, partial pack and fragile-only are three genuinely different jobs, and most people over-buy. The breakdown below is there so you can choose accurately.

Your packing quote is included in the binding written estimate for your move — the same estimate that cannot change on moving day. Nothing about packing is quoted separately or added later.

Choosing between full, partial and fragile-only

Full pack

We pack everything, from the wardrobes down to the contents of the junk drawer. You handle personal documents, medication, jewellery and anything you would rather keep with you. This is the right choice when you are short on time, moving a large household, relocating for work on a fixed date, or physically unable to do the lifting. It is also the option that most reliably protects a claim, because everything in the truck was packed by the crew that loaded it.

Partial pack

We take the rooms that eat time and carry risk — usually the kitchen, the garage, the loft and anything breakable — and you handle clothing, books, linens and the straightforward boxes. For most households this is the sweet spot: the difficult 30% of the job handled professionally, at meaningfully less than a full pack.

Fragile-only

We pack and crate the items that would be expensive or impossible to replace, and you do everything else. Sensible if you have time and are comfortable packing, but own a handful of things you would not want to box yourself.

How long packing takes

Packing happens the day before loading on most long-distance moves, so the truck can be loaded and away without a rush.

Heavily stocked kitchens, collections, workshops and home offices add time. We account for that when we quote, so the schedule you are given is the schedule that happens.

What we supply

Everything. Double-walled cartons in four sizes, dish barrels and cell dividers for glassware, wardrobe cartons with hanging rails, mattress and sofa covers, mirror and picture cartons, acid-free paper for anything that can stain, bubble wrap, stretch wrap, corner protection and custom wooden crating where an item warrants it.

You do not need to buy or collect a single box. If you have already bought materials, we will use them — but nothing is charged for that you do not need. If you are packing some of it yourself, our box estimating guide works out how many you will need.

What we cannot pack or transport

Federal regulations and basic safety rule some things out, and it is better to know now than on the morning of the move:

• Flammables and pressurised containers — petrol, propane, lighter fluid, aerosols, paint, paint thinner, charcoal, fireworks
• Corrosives and pesticides — pool chemicals, weedkiller, car batteries, acids
• Ammunition and explosives
• Perishable food, open food containers and anything refrigerated or frozen
• Plants, for interstate moves — several states prohibit them at the border

Keep with you rather than load: passports, birth certificates, deeds, medication, prescriptions, jewellery, cash, laptops, phones, keys and anything you would need on day one.

We will flag anything in this category during the video survey so you can use it up, give it away or dispose of it before the move, rather than discovering the problem when the crew arrives.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to be there while you pack?

Someone should be, at least at the start and the end. You will want to point out what is staying, what is fragile, and what you are keeping with you. After that, most people get on with their day while the crew works.

Can I pack some boxes myself and have you do the rest?

Yes — that is partial packing, and it is what most of our customers choose. Just tell us which rooms you are handling when we do the survey so the estimate reflects it.

Are my own boxes covered the same way?

Boxes packed by the owner are treated differently from boxes packed by the carrier if a claim arises, because we cannot verify how the contents were wrapped. It does not mean they are not carried carefully — it means the protection is stronger on cartons our crew packed. If something is genuinely irreplaceable, let us pack it.

How far ahead do I need to book packing?

Same as the move itself — the earlier the better, and at minimum a couple of weeks in peak season. Packing is scheduled around the load date, so booking the move books the packing.

Do you unpack at the other end?

Yes. We will unpack as much or as little as you want, place items where you tell us, and take all the used cartons and packing material away with us so you are not left with a hallway full of cardboard.

What happens to all the boxes afterwards?

We remove them on the unpack. If you are unpacking yourself, flatten them and we will collect them on a return visit where the route allows.