A move that is well-packed is a move that has been thought about. A move that is rush-packed at the door on the morning of pickup is one where the damage shows up when the boxes are opened a week later. The Forge approach is to pack the day before, on a clean table, with materials matched to the items. It is slower. It is better.
The packing services we offer
- Full pack — every item in the property, sequenced by room, materials matched, labels printed to match the new floor plan.
- Fragile-only pack — Forge crews handle ceramics, glassware, art, instruments, lampshades, and anything else that warrants specialist materials, while you pack the items that don't.
- Heirloom & specialist pack — period furniture, antique cabinets, art canvases, instruments, ceramics over standard threshold. Wrapped, crated where needed, condition documented before pickup.
- International pack — pack-for-transit standards for UK to France, Italy, Spain or Portugal moves, where the items will travel road-rail-or-sea and need protection against more than just lifting.
- Pack-and-store — paired with curated storage, where the pack quality has to hold for the duration of the hold rather than just to the destination.
- Unpack at destination — the same crew unpacks at the new place, sequenced by room, with rubbish removed at the end if you want it gone.
What "materials matched to items" actually means
- Acid-free tissue paper for ceramics and pieces that can mark.
- Double-walled crates for art canvases and frames.
- Foam-lined boxes for instruments and electronics.
- Wardrobe boxes with hanging rails for clothing in place.
- Bubble-and-blanket combinations for case furniture.
- Custom crates built where standard sizes don't suit the piece.
The Forge labelling system
Every box and crate is labelled with a numbered code that ties to the floor plan of the new place. Bedroom 2 boxes go to bedroom 2 on arrival — they are not stacked in the hall for you to sort later. This is the difference between a move where the house is liveable on the first evening and a move where it isn't.
What we won't pretend
We will not pretend that pre-packed customer boxes are wrapped properly — they often aren't, and we will say so politely at the survey. We will not pretend that fast packing is good packing — it almost never is. And we will not pretend the packing line item on a Forge quote is the cheapest in the trade. It isn't. It is the line item that quietly decides everything else.