Your bespoke packing service

The dominant housing types across RBKC are unlike anywhere else in the RMV service area: stucco-fronted Victorian townhouses of four and five storeys on garden squares and residential streets, mansion flats in the grand Victorian and Edwardian conversion blocks that line the borough's principal roads, and mews houses, the converted former stable rows running behind the main streets, accessed via cobbled lanes with restricted overhead clearance and no standard loading bays.

Each of these property types presents different packing challenges, different access logistics, and a different level of material specification.

RMV has provided professional packing services in Kensington and Chelsea since 2009. We are accredited by the Association of Independent Movers (AIM), whose independent audit process covers materials quality, insurance, staff training and customer conduct standards, the appropriate level of verification for a borough where the contents of any given property may include fine art, inherited antiques, period furniture and high-value personal property.

Every packing quotation is confirmed in writing before work begins. For full details of our accreditation and operating standards, visit our About Us page.

Who We Pack For in Kensington and Chelsea

• Owners of stucco-fronted Victorian townhouses on garden squares. The four and five-storey townhouses on RBKC's garden squares, Paultons Square, Pelham Crescent, Onslow Square, Campden Hill Square and their equivalents throughout the borough, are Grade II or Grade II* listed in many cases, and their interiors typically contain period features including marble fireplaces, gilded cornicework, parquet flooring and original shutters that must be protected during the packing and loading process. These properties also contain the full depth of contents accumulated over decades of high-income owner-occupation: fine art, antiques, designer furniture, specialist collections and substantial library holdings. Our white glove packing service is calibrated specifically for this category of property and content.
• Mansion flat residents across Kensington and Chelsea. The mansion flat blocks on Cromwell Road, Queen's Gate, Onslow Gardens, Sloane Avenue and throughout the borough vary from the very large, ground-floor conversions that span the footprint of the original townhouse, to two-bedroom flats with the high ceilings, corniced plasterwork and generous proportions typical of late Victorian design. Our packing teams are briefed on each building's specific access requirements, including goods lift dimensions, loading dock availability, building management move-in and move-out time windows, and any restrictions on packing materials left in communal areas.
• Mews house owners throughout SW3, SW7 and W8. Kensington and Chelsea's mews houses, set on cobbled lanes behind the main streets, with low overhead clearance, tight turning circles and no loading bay, are some of the most challenging properties to pack and remove from in London. Vehicle access must be planned carefully, crew size determined by the mews's specific restrictions, and load scheduling arranged so that a single vehicle does not need to be left stationary in the lane for extended periods. Our Kensington and Chelsea man and van service is often the correct vehicle configuration for mews moves where a Luton van cannot gain access.
• Art dealers, antiques traders and collectors near Portobello Road. The Portobello Road antiques market and the dealer network across Notting Hill and the surrounding streets represent one of the most concentrated clusters of antique and fine art movement in London. Dealers relocating their stock, collectors moving significant holdings, and gallery operators changing premises all require packing that treats each piece as an individual conservation challenge rather than a generic removal task. Our antique packing specialists and fine art packing service are available for single-item and full-property bookings in W8 and W11.
• Properties in renovation and chain delay storage requirements. RBKC's planning and conservation rules mean that major renovations to listed and unlisted properties in conservation areas are common, and often protracted, events. Residents who need to fully vacate a property during a renovation, or whose purchase completion has been delayed by planning conditions on the seller's onward move, require a packing and storage solution that can hold the full contents of a townhouse or mansion flat securely for weeks or months. Our Kensington and Chelsea storage service provides secure, flexible storage with direct collection from the RBKC property.
• Embassies, diplomatic residences and international household moves. South Kensington and the streets around Holland Park have one of the highest concentrations of foreign embassy buildings and diplomatic residences in London. Diplomatic moves, whether full-property relocations of residence contents or the packing of an ambassador's household for return to their home country, require export-standard packing, itemised inventories with declared values, and familiarity with the documentation requirements of international shipments.

How Our Kensington and Chelsea Packing Service Works

• Step 1, Pre-Move Survey. For any RBKC property with high-value contents, period features, or non-standard access, which describes the majority of properties in the borough, we visit before the packing date to assess the property, confirm access logistics, identify items requiring specialist treatment, and produce an accurate written quotation. For mews houses, we confirm vehicle access and plan the packing and loading sequence around the physical constraints of the lane. For conservation area properties, we confirm the parking suspension requirement for the relevant street and manage that application as part of the booking.
• Step 2, Choose Your Service Level. A white glove full house packing service covers every room, every piece of furniture and every item of content with materials and techniques appropriate to the property's specification. A partial packing service covers specialist items, fine art and fragile contents while the household manages straightforward items independently. A full packing and unpacking service at both addresses means the new property is fully arranged and functional on the day of arrival. For international moves from Kensington and Chelsea properties, export-standard packing with itemised inventory documentation is standard practice.
• Step 3, Materials to Your Door. Materials for a Kensington and Chelsea move can be ordered in advance from our Packing Shop for delivery to your RBKC address. For properties with period furniture, gilt frames, lacquered surfaces or original painted woodwork, we supply acid-free tissue paper as a first-contact layer, standard bubble wrap applied directly to lacquered or gilded surfaces can transfer its pattern under transit pressure. We bring a full material stock on packing day and charge only for what is used.
• Step 4, White Glove Packing Day. We protect all floors, doorways and banisters before beginning, original parquet flooring, period tiling and painted wall surfaces are all covered and protected as a standard first step, not an optional extra. Each item is then packed with the correct material sequence for its category: acid-free tissue paper or conservation foam directly against lacquered, gilded, painted or polished surfaces; padding blankets in sufficient layers for transit vibration absorption; corner guards for frames; cellophane or polyethylene outer wrapping for moisture protection; custom crating for large, high-value or fragile pieces requiring rigid protection. Boxes are labelled by room and content. Furniture is dismantled carefully and original fixings kept with the relevant piece.

Full Packing, Partial Packing, and Unpacking in Kensington and Chelsea

The distinction between full and partial packing is particularly significant in RBKC. A full white glove packing service takes responsibility for every item, from a Meissen figurine to a built-in wardrobe full of clothes, using appropriate materials throughout.

A partial packing service is designed for households with straightforward personal possessions alongside high-value items: we handle the art, antiques, fragile china and period furniture while the household manages their own books, linens and clothes.

The risk of mixing both into a single self-directed pack, using appropriate materials for the items you know are valuable and less careful packing for the items you assume are robust, is that transit damage rarely respects those assumptions.

The packing and unpacking service at both addresses is particularly well-suited to RBKC moves, where the destination property is often of comparable value and specification to the origin, the new home deserves the same care in arrangement as the previous one.

Same-day and last-minute packing is available across SW3, SW7, W8 and surrounding postcodes, call 0208 0900 232 directly for immediate availability. Evening and weekend packing is available for households whose schedules make daytime packing impractical, and for businesses on Kensington High Street, King's Road and Sloane Street.

Fine Art, Antiques and High-Value Item Packing in Kensington and Chelsea

Kensington and Chelsea is home to a higher concentration of fine art, antiques, inherited period furniture and high-value personal property than almost any other comparable residential area in Europe. The packing techniques required for this category of content are fundamentally different from standard household packing:

• Fine art and paintings. Each canvas or panel receives an individual assessment. Unframed works are interleaved with glassine paper and cushioned in padded crates. Framed works receive corner guards, acid-free tissue against the mount, padding blankets to sufficient depth, and custom crating for large or high-value pieces. Our fine art packing service handles Old Masters, contemporary editions, prints and mixed media equally.
• Antiques and period furniture. Our antique packing specialists apply acid-free tissue or conservation foam directly against any lacquered, gilded, marquetry or painted surface, never bubble wrap under direct pressure. Period upholstered pieces receive padded covers appropriate to the fabric. Legs, handles and decorative elements are wrapped separately if the risk of transit contact damage justifies it. Custom crating is available for pieces of unusual dimension or fragility.
• Specialist collections, wine, ceramics, silverware. Wine collections from RBKC properties are common enough to warrant their own packing protocol: individual bottle wrapping in foam sleeves, purpose-made wine case inserts, and load-order planning so that wine is not stacked under other goods. Silver and silverware receives anti-tarnish tissue, and ceramics receive cell-divided box inserts to prevent contact during transit.
• International packing and export-standard crating. For residents of Kensington and Chelsea relocating internationally, our international removals service provides ocean freight and airfreight-rated packing, custom crating, itemised inventory with declared values, and full customs documentation support. Diplomatic moves from RBKC embassy residences are handled under the same standard, with the addition of diplomatic bag separation and formal inventory presentation.

Office and Commercial Packing in Kensington and Chelsea

Kensington and Chelsea's commercial landscape includes boutiques and luxury retail on the King's Road and Kensington High Street, professional services firms, law, finance, architecture, design, in the garden squares and mansion block conversions, private clinics and medical practices in South Kensington and Brompton, and the art and antique dealer network around Portobello and the museum quarter.

Our commercial packing service for RBKC businesses covers IT equipment packing to manufacturer transit standards, secure document packing in sealed and labelled archive boxes, packing of specialist medical and laboratory equipment, artwork and display packing for gallery relocations, and systematic retail stock packing for boutique relocations. All commercial packing in Kensington and Chelsea is scheduled outside trading hours. For a full commercial relocation, combine with our Kensington and Chelsea removals service.

How Long Does Packing Take in Kensington and Chelsea?

Estimated times with two professional packers for RBKC property types:

• 1-2 bedroom mansion flat: 3-5 hours, purpose-built and conversion flats throughout SW3, SW7 and W8
• Mews house (1-3 bedrooms): 3-6 hours, compact footprint but higher-value contents per square metre requiring more individual item attention
• 3-4 bedroom Victorian townhouse: 6-10 hours, multi-storey properties with period features, fine art and accumulated household contents
• 5+ bedroom garden-square townhouse: 10-16 hours, the full-depth RBKC townhouse with basement kitchen, principal floors and upper bedroom floors, plus basement wine cellars and loft storage
• Diplomatic or embassy residence: 8-14 hours, full-property packs with itemised inventory and export-standard documentation

The presence of fine art, antiques or a significant wine collection in any Kensington and Chelsea property adds meaningfully to the packing time, typically 30-50% above the estimate for a property of equivalent bedroom count without these contents. We recommend confirming the quotation via a pre-move visit for any RBKC property with contents in these categories. An accurate written quotation before packing day avoids the disruption of a revised scope mid-job.

Packing Materials for Kensington and Chelsea Moves

A baseline estimate for a four-bedroom Victorian townhouse in SW3 or SW7: 15 small boxes, 20 medium boxes, 12 large boxes, 5 extra-large boxes, 3 wardrobe boxes, archive boxes for documents and books, acid-free tissue paper for lacquered and gilded surfaces, conservation foam sheets for ceramics and fragile finishes, glassine paper for unframed artworks, padding blankets (minimum 20), corner guards for all framed pieces and mirrors, custom crating materials for high-value and oversized pieces, sofa covers, mattress covers, cell-divided ceramic inserts, foam bottle sleeves for wine, anti-tarnish tissue for silverware, stretch film, a tape dispenser, 8 rolls of packing tape, and marker pens.

RBKC properties with wine cellars, significant art holdings or specialist collections require additional materials not captured in a standard estimate, the pre-move survey is the correct mechanism for confirming these precisely. Browse and order from our Packing Shop.

Packing in the Royal Borough: What Makes RBKC Different for a Packing Company

The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea is not merely the most expensive place to move in London, it is the place with the highest per-property concentration of contents that require individual specialist attention. The borough's conservation area coverage is among the most comprehensive of any local authority in England: virtually the entire residential fabric of the borough falls within a designated conservation area, which means that even the most straightforward house move involves working within strict building management rules, parking suspension requirements, and access protocols designed to protect the physical character of the streets.

This creates an operational baseline that does not exist in most of the RMV service area. Before a single item is packed in an SW7 townhouse, the crew must have confirmed the parking suspension, understood the building's access rules, briefed themselves on any conservation restrictions affecting how the property can be loaded from (including limitations on external scaffolding, protective coverings over pavements, or time-of-day restrictions on vehicle access), and established where on the street an empty box can be broken down without blocking a footway.

The South Kensington museum quarter, anchored by the Natural History Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum and Science Museum, brings significant pedestrian and vehicle traffic to the streets around Exhibition Road and Cromwell Road on most days of the week, which affects loading and vehicle positioning in ways that a crew unfamiliar with the area will not anticipate.

RMV's familiarity with Kensington and Chelsea's operational environment, the CPZ permit process, the building management requirements of the borough's mansion block portfolio, the overhead clearance restrictions of the mews lanes, and the insurance and documentation standards appropriate for the contents being handled, is the practical foundation of our white glove packing service in RBKC.

Frequently Asked Questions, Kensington and Chelsea Packing Service

Which postcodes do you cover?

All of SW3 (Chelsea), SW7 (South Kensington), W8 (Kensington), SW10 (West Chelsea, World's End), SW5 (Earls Court), W11 (Notting Hill) and W14 (Holland Park). Adjacent postcodes including SW1, W2 and SW6 are also covered. Contact us at 0208 0900 232 or info@rmvlondon.com to confirm your address.

What is the difference between your white glove service and a standard packing service?

A white glove packing service is defined by three things: materials, technique, and attention at the individual item level. Every item is assessed individually before it is packed, the material choice (acid-free tissue, conservation foam, padding blankets, custom crating) is made for that specific piece rather than applied generically. Floors, doorways and banisters are protected before packing begins. Period features are not used as resting surfaces for boxes. The crew is briefed on the specific contents of the property before arrival. Nothing is left to improvisation on the day.

Can you pack a mews house where a Luton van cannot access the lane?

Yes. Mews access is a routine part of our Kensington and Chelsea operations. We assess the lane width, overhead clearance and turning circle during the pre-move visit and select the appropriate vehicle configuration, typically a Luton-equivalent capacity split across smaller vehicles, or a man and van combination, rather than a single large vehicle. Load scheduling accounts for the restricted access to ensure packing and loading proceed without leaving a vehicle stationary in the lane for extended periods.

Do you handle packing for diplomatic and embassy household moves?

Yes. Diplomatic household moves from RBKC embassy residences require export-standard packing, itemised inventories with individual item descriptions and declared values, and documentation appropriate for customs clearance in the destination country. Our international removals team manages this from the first contact through to delivery confirmation at the destination.

Do you apply acid-free tissue rather than bubble wrap to period furniture surfaces?

Yes, for all lacquered, gilded, painted and polished period surfaces. Bubble wrap applied directly under transit pressure can permanently transfer its pattern to lacquered finishes, a mechanism of damage that is irreversible and particularly costly on period furniture. Acid-free tissue or conservation foam is applied as the first contact layer on all such surfaces before padding blankets are applied over the top.

How far in advance should I book?

For full-property packing of a four-bedroom or larger RBKC townhouse, four weeks is comfortable. The pre-move survey adds lead time but is essential for accuracy. For mansion flat and mews house moves, two to three weeks is typically sufficient. For last-minute requirements, call 0208 0900 232 directly for immediate availability.

Your Complete Kensington and Chelsea Moving Solution

RMV covers the complete move for Kensington and Chelsea households and businesses, white glove packing, specialist transport and secure storage as a single service or individual bookings.

Once your RBKC property is packed, our Kensington and Chelsea removals team manages transport to your new address, within the borough, across London or anywhere in the UK.

For residents and diplomats relocating internationally from Kensington and Chelsea, our international removals service provides export-standard packing and full destination-country delivery.

Need help assembling furniture at your new address? Our Kensington and Chelsea handyman service handles flat pack assembly so everything is ready from day one. Need a flexible option for smaller loads? Our Kensington and Chelsea man and van service is a fast, cost-effective alternative. Moving guides and specialist packing advice for London's premium postcodes are available on our blog. For full details of our AIM accreditation and how we work, see our About Us page. To book your Kensington and Chelsea packing service or arrange a pre-move survey, call 0208 0900 232, WhatsApp, or email info@rmvlondon.com.