A Real-World Example

If you’re moving from a two bedroom flat of under 600 sq feet the following scenario might match how we’d quote your job. Joe and Kerry are moving from Kennedy Town to Discovery Bay. Their present flat is in a building serviced by a lift, but the parking for the removal truck is only at street level, outside their block, on the road. The couple have two young kids making them a family of four.

The master bedroom has a large double bed, a medium sized sliding door IKEA cupboard and a set of drawers. The kids’ bedroom has two sets of drawers and a bunk bed. The lounge and dining room has a four seater dining table, L-shaped sofa bed, TV cabinet, floor to ceiling display cabinet and 2 other sets of drawers for storage. From the kitchen there is a medium sized 2 door fridge and a washing machine to be removed. They will require 25–30 medium sized boxes to pack up their possessions.

The average price for labour and transport on a move like this is HK$7,500

Packing It Yourself

Many clients wish to pack their own possessions before a move. This is perfectly acceptable and besides saving money on the removal company to do this, it ensures that clients have peace of mind that a high level of protection has been applied to important personal belongings. NLT can support clients who pack by themselves with provision of packing boxes and other materials such as tape, bubble wrap and paper tissue for breakables. For larger items that won’t fit in a box, NLT will do the preparation on the item.

When clients choose to pack by themselves, they should take care to wrap the breakables carefully. Boxes should be insulated with bubble wrap or any suitable materials that will provide protection against the inevitable movements of the box throughout the moving process. As a rule, boxes should be able to stack at least four on top of each other, which is not possible if they are overpacked or underpacked. Boxes should be filled to the level of the box, secured with tape, and be of a manageable weight for one person to lift.

If a significant number of items are left out of boxes or not packed, NLT will advise that it is not recommended to move them as they are. Then, additional packing requirements and unexpected application of wrapping materials by our team could lead to additional costs.

As a rule, if it fits in a box, it should be placed in one. Exceptions to this are bedding, clothes and other soft furnishings that could be placed in bags. Such items should be in sturdy zip canvas bags that will not split when picked up and loaded on and off the removal vehicle. If inappropriate packing is made by clients, it can lead to things falling out of bags and boxes and unnecessary damage or spoiling to occur. Please contact us in advance of your move if you have queries on this matter.