Journal · Unpacking
What is an unpacking service?
What it costs, how long it takes and what is included.
If you have found yourself searching for an unpacking service near you, you are almost certainly standing in a hallway full of boxes. Here is exactly how it works.
By Helen & Ruth
An unpacking service is a small team of professional organisers who arrive after the removals van has gone and turn a house full of cardboard into a home you can live in. We open every box, put your belongings away in places that make sense, make the beds, hang and style the wardrobes, set up the kitchen so you can cook that evening, and take all the empty boxes and paper away with us.
It is often called a home unpacking service, a moving day unpacking service or simply professional unpacking. Whatever you call it, the outcome is the same: you walk in at the end of the day and the move is over.
What is included in a professional unpack?
- Every box opened, emptied and the contents put away in a logical, findable home rather than shoved into the nearest cupboard.
- Kitchen set up around how you actually cook: cooking zone by the hob, tea and coffee by the kettle, children's plates within reach.
- Wardrobes hung and organised by type and colour, drawers folded, shoes paired and stored.
- Bathrooms, linen cupboards and utility rooms stocked and labelled where it helps.
- Beds made, children's rooms made familiar with their own things around them, candles lit.
- All packing materials flattened and removed, so there is no cardboard mountain in the garage.
You can see the full scope and the packages we offer on our moving day unpacking service page.
How long does it take to unpack a house?
A family unpacking alone, around work and school, usually takes three to six weeks, and the last few boxes often sit in a spare room for a year. A professional team working together completes most three to five bedroom homes in around seven hours on moving day itself. Larger houses, or homes with a lot of storage to plan, may take a second day.
What does an unpacking service cost?
Unpacking is priced by the size of the team and the length of the day rather than by the box, because no two homes hold the same amount. The honest way to price it is a short conversation about the property, how much is coming with you and what you want finished by bedtime. Our current packages and what each one includes are listed on the pricing page.
Is unpacking not already included with my removals company?
Removals firms are brilliant at what they do: protecting, transporting and placing furniture and boxes in the right rooms. Emptying those boxes and deciding where four hundred items should live is a different job. Most removals teams will unpack boxes onto surfaces if asked, which leaves you with every worktop covered. An unpacking service takes over exactly where they finish.
Who uses an unpacking service?
- Busy families who cannot lose three weekends to cardboard.
- People moving back in after building work, which is its own particular chaos.
- Employees and families arriving for a new job, often before their belongings do.
- Anyone downsizing, where unpacking and editing happen in the same day.
If a builder is involved, read about our renovation support service. If the move is being arranged by an employer or relocation agent, the corporate relocation and expat home set-up page explains how we set a home up before anyone lands.
Unpack faster by owning less
The single biggest thing that shortens an unpacking day is editing before you pack. Every box you do not bring is a box nobody has to find a home for. Our pre-move decluttering service exists for exactly that, and it is worth reading what actually happens to your belongings if a renovation is part of your plans.
Where we unpack
We work across London, Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Surrey, including Tring, Berkhamsted, St Albans, Ascot, Windsor, Virginia Water and Windlesham. You can check your town on our areas page, and see real moves on our work.
Get in touch
Check your moving date
Tell us where you're moving from and to, and when. We'll come back to you to arrange a discovery call and recommend the right package for your home.