A packed house before the van climbs the dale

Houses here suit careful packing. A stone cottage behind High Street has a front door on a one-way street and stairs that turn tightly; a flat over a shop may share a passage with the shop below. In both, a hall stacked with sealed, evenly weighted cartons empties quickly on a trolley, whereas half-filled bags and loose items mean dozens of extra trips while the van waits in a pay car park by the river.

Out in the dale the job spreads across the yard. A farmhouse towards Wath or Heathfield can have a barn, a shed and a loft as well as the house, so walk every building when you ask for a price, and decide beforehand what stays behind. Glass, ceramics and framed pieces from the town's makers are wrapped individually and boxed upright with paper packed round them, marked so they ride on top of the load.

How packing works for a Pateley move

Cartons, wardrobe boxes, packing paper, bubble wrap and tape are brought up from Bradford and included
A two-bedroom cottage is roughly half a day's packing; a three-bedroom house with a loft is closer to a full day
Set aside a bag of keys, documents, chargers and medicines that goes in your own car
Choose a part pack, just the kitchen, glass and pictures, if you would rather do the bedrooms yourself
Sort out anything you are leaving behind first, as the van carries only what goes to the new home

Pateley homes that benefit from packing ahead

Cottages off Church Street and Park Roadone-way approaches and tight stairs, so cartons beat loose bags
Flats over High Street shopsshared passages that must stay clear for the shop
Farmhouses towards Wath and Heathfieldbarns and sheds to empty as well as the house
Houses on Bishop Way and High Crestlofts and garages that fill more boxes than expected

Where a packed Pateley load is driven

Bradford → Pateley Bridge27 miles up the A658 and B6451 the day before, 50 to 65 minutes
Pateley Bridge → Harrogatethe packed load goes down Ripon Road and the A61, 14 miles
Pateley Bridge → Riponover Blazefield Bank on the B6265 with the cartons stacked tight

What packing a Pateley home costs

How many rooms and outbuildings there are, how full they are and whether you want a full or part pack set the hours; materials come within a figure fixed before the packing day. See how we quote for the full breakdown.