Last updated Sun, 5 February 2023

How much does a house move cost in the UK?

One of the key reasons people recoil at the thought of hiring a removal service is the cost associated with the service.

However, considering the time, effort, planning, organisation and stress involved in a house move, the cost to hire a professional removal is quite economical.

What is the average cost for a removals service?

All home moving jobs are different, so the figures provided below are estimates only. We always recommend you get a quote directly from a removal company through VanHelper to get an accurate quote for the home move based on your situation.

How are removals quotes calculated?

Different companies have different ways of providing quotes for their customers. Within the UK, there are three main ways a removals company will work out how much to charge for a removals service:

Specific quotes removals

A removal company will try to find out as much information as possible about a move and what items you intend to transport, either through a pre-move survey or a call on the phone. The professional removals company will provide a detailed breakdown of the cost when requested, outlining exactly how the quote is broken down and precisely what the customer is paying for. There will always be clear terms and conditions attached to such a quote. Hence, the customer has full disclosure of the service provided.

The quote provided by the professional removal company to the customer is unique. It takes into the situation the customer is in. Therefore, the quote will be sent directly to the customer via email or phone.

These quotes will be the most accurate and usually applies to customers with large properties or who have unique items they would like to transport.

Hourly rate removals

For small to medium-sized removal companies, one of the ways they will calculate the cost of a job is by using an hourly rate. Multiple factors may affect the hourly rate:

1. The vehicle used for transport
2. Number of helpers for the job
3. Your property size
4. How accessible your property is (Stairs)
5. The distance you need to travel
6. Estimated time spent on loading and unloading

This method gives the company more flexibility in pricing, which translates to a more competitive price.

Companies that operate on an hourly rate will usually stipulate a 2-hour minimum charge to make the trip worthwhile. Additionally, extra charges will be applied at the agreed hourly rate if the booking exceeds the initially allocated time.

Fixed price removals

Long-distance bookings are calculated using a fixed rate. This is because the job will take the crew and the vehicle a full day to complete, so the price will depend on the following:

• The vehicle used for transport
• Number of helpers for the job
• The time it takes to return to base from the job

Considering the time it can take for a vehicle to return to base potentially with no load, it is understandable why a removal company will charge a fixed rate for a long-distance booking.

Are there any extra costs to removal quotes?

Other than the quoted cost, there can be further charges for additional services or payment due to the nature of the job. It is always important to ask the removal company whether there will be additional service costs and whether they expect extra costs due to the pickup and drop-off location.

Packing

A packing service is where the removal crew will bring packing materials to safely and securely pack your whole property into boxes and safeguard the furniture for transport. VanHelper recommends getting a packing service together with your quote when you search for a removal service on our website. We consider packing to be the most stressful task for a mover. A professional home moving crew can complete the task of packing a property within a matter of hours.

• Average extra cost for Packing in home removals: £250 for a three bedroom house with 30 large boxes.

Unpacking

A removals company can also offer an unpacking service, whilst the removals company will transport your furniture and boxes to the designated room. If you want the removal company to unpack your item from the boxes, you can request this for an extra fee.

This is not a commonly requested service as most customers prefer to unpack themselves. The unpacking service only includes taking items out of boxes, not placing them in designated places.

• Average extra cost for Unpacking in home removals: £200 for a three bedroom house with 30 large boxes.

Dismantling and assembly

A professional removal company will have the tools to dismantle bulky furniture and reassemble it at the destination if required, so you don’t need to worry about furniture not fitting through your door.

• Average extra costs for dismantling and assembly in home removals: £125 for a three bedroom house

Parking

The customer is expected to arrange the parking for the Vans used by the removals service both at the pickup and the drop-off location. Suppose there are any parking costs involved for the job. In that case, the removal company passes the parking cost directly to the customer as an extra charge.

• Average UK parking off-street parking cost: varies. However, it is cheaper to get a local council day parking permit than off-street parking, which can cost £1 - £8 per hour

Tolls

Aside from ferry and bridge tolls, many large cities within the UK have Congestion Zone charges or Clean Air Zone charges, which are applied to Heavy Good Vehicles (HGV) and Light Good Vehicles (LGV) that travel through the zones, a Luton van falls into the category of an LGV.

A removal company may pass the tolls to the customer during a move.

• The average cost for ferrying a vehicle in the UK: £2 - £20 for short crossings, up to £100 for long crossings
• The average cost for bridge tolls in the UK: £2
• The average cost for Congestion Zone and Clean Air Zone: £100

Cleaning

Some removal companies can also provide cleaning services on top of the removal quote. The cleaning service will be in the form of “move in, move out” cleaning, where a cleaning crew can clean the property you are moving out of after your items have been loaded onto the van and clean the property at your destination before your van arrives.

• Average cleaning cost: £250 for a 3 bedroom house with 1 bathroom