About Us
Family Movers Ethio is Ethiopia’s trusted moving and packing company. From single apartments in Addis Ababa corporate relocations across Bishoftu and Sululta- we handle every move with care.
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Most moving complaints in Addis Ababa start with packing. Items wrapped in newspaper instead of packing paper, glassware boxed without partitions, electronics packed loose with no padding, and fragile items mixed with heavy ones in the same box. Family Movers Ethio runs packing differently — it’s not an afterthought to the move, it’s a planned operation handled by trained packers with premium-grade materials.
We handle packing for studio apartments, family villas, office relocations, and international shipping. Packing is included free with every full-service move — no separate charge, no upgrade tier. We also offer standalone packing for clients managing their own transport (often international shipping or self-drive moves).
When Packing is Included vs. When It's a Separate Service
Most clients don’t pay extra for packing because it’s already included. But there are scenarios where packing is offered as a standalone service.
Included free with every full-service move:
- Apartment moves (Studio, 1, 2, 3-bedroom)
- House and villa moves (Small, Standard, Large, Compound)
- Office relocations (Small, Medium, Large, Enterprise)
- All long-distance moves to Bishoftu and Sululta
When you book any move with us, packing is part of the service. Materials are delivered 1–3 days before moving day. Packers arrive ahead of moving day for villa and office moves; for apartment moves, packing usually happens on moving day itself unless you’ve requested earlier.
What Premium Packing Actually Means
Packing quality varies enormously between moving companies. The cheap end uses recycled boxes and newspaper; the premium end uses purpose-built materials and trained handling. Here’s what we use as standard:
- Heavy-duty moving boxes: Multiple sizes appropriate to contents — small boxes for books and dense items, medium boxes for dishware and kitchen items, large boxes for linens and lightweight items, dish-pack inserts for glassware
- Cellulose packing paper: Acid-free, non-printing paper for wrapping. Newspaper transfers ink and is reserved for non-display items only.
- Bubble wrap: Multiple grades — small-bubble for fragile electronics and ceramics, large-bubble for furniture corners and frames
- Mattress and sofa covers: Reusable fabric covers (not plastic bags), sized for different mattress and sofa dimensions
- Computer equipment boxes: Fitted boxes with foam inserts for monitors, desktops, and printers
- Custom crating: Available for art, antiques, large mirrors, glass tabletops, and items above ETB 50,000 declared value
- Cable bags and labels: Each device’s cables are bagged and labeled with the device name so reconnection is fast at the destination
- Heavy-duty packing tape: Branded with our company name (so you know it’s our packing — not a previous mover’s leftover boxes)
Trained packers means staff who do this every day — not someone the moving company hired for the morning. Our packers are full-time employees, trained on materials, sequencing, and careful handling. They know which items need bubble wrap and which just need paper. They label every box at the time of packing — destination, contents summary, fragility level — so the unloading crew knows where each box belongs.
Specialty Packing for Sensitive Items
Most household items pack to a standard level of care. But certain items require specialized attention. We handle these regularly:
Fine art and paintings. Custom-built wooden crates with foam padding. Glass-fronted artwork gets glassine paper before bubble wrap. Large pieces are crated individually; smaller pieces are grouped in shared crates with internal partitions. Recommended for items above ETB 50,000 in declared value.
Antiques and family heirlooms. Soft cloth wrap before any plastic — antiques react badly to plastic against original finish. Fragile decorative pieces get individual padding. Items with original boxes (estate antiques, gifts) are packed in their boxes for storage continuity.
Electronics and AV equipment. Computers, monitors, sound systems, and home theaters get fitted boxes wherever possible. For TVs above 55″, we use specialty TV-shipping boxes with foam corners. Cables are bagged separately and labeled to the device.
Glassware and ceramics. Dish-pack inserts (corrugated dividers inside the box) so individual pieces don’t touch. Each piece wrapped in packing paper. Plates packed vertically (on edge), never flat. Fragile items packed only in clearly-labeled small boxes — never combined with heavier items.
Books and document collections. Small boxes only — books are heavier than they look. Documents in proper file boxes with lids; archived materials in banker boxes. For sensitive documents (HR, finance, legal), see our office moving service for chain-of-custody handling.
Wine and spirits. Individual bottle protection in custom inserts where the collection is significant. Smaller collections get bubble-wrap and dish-pack box treatment.
Wardrobes and clothing. Wardrobe boxes (boxes with internal hanging bars) so clothing transports on hangers rather than being folded. Designer items, formal wear, and heirloom clothing get individual cloth bags.
Musical instruments. Guitars, keyboards, and string instruments in fitted cases. Pianos handled separately as part of villa moves with specialized crew.
Packing for International Shipping
Many of our standalone packing jobs are for international relocations — diplomats, expats, or returning Ethiopians moving abroad. International packing has different standards from domestic packing because the items will travel in a sea container or air freight, and they’ll be handled multiple times by different crews along the journey.
International packing standards we follow:
- All items individually wrapped (no exceptions)
- Boxes filled to capacity with no empty space (loose items shift in transit)
- Heavy items packed at the bottom of every box, lighter items above
- Fragile items in small, clearly labeled boxes — never combined with heavy items
- Custom crating for furniture, art, and oversized items going by sea container
- Inventory documentation: every box gets a numbered inventory tag, and we provide a master inventory list for customs declarations
- Container loading: where the client is shipping a full or shared container, we coordinate directly with the freight forwarder for loading day
Coordination with international shipping companies: We’ve worked with most of the major international relocation companies serving Addis Ababa. Tell us your shipping company during the site survey and we coordinate timing, container loading, and inventory handoff directly with them.
Add Packingto a Self-Drive or Self-Transport Move
Some clients prefer to handle their own transport but want professional packing — typically because they’re using a friend’s vehicle, renting a truck, or shipping items via a courier they’ve already arranged. We accommodate this.
Standalone packing for a self-transport move is quoted based on:
- Scope (number of rooms, item complexity)
- Materials required (boxes, wrap, specialty crating)
- Schedule (one-day pack vs. multi-day pack)
- Whether we’re loading the vehicle for you, or just packing items for you to load
Packing-only quotes are typically 30–50% of an equivalent full-service move price, depending on scope. Contact us for a project-specific quote.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Get YourFree Packing Quote
Ready to plan your move? If you’re booking a full-service move with us, packing is already included — request a quote and we’ll cover the full scope. If you need standalone packing for international shipping or a self-drive move, we’ll quote that separately based on your specific project.
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Ayat, Lomyad Building,
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia