UK Removal Costs: How Much Do Removals Cost When Moving Home 2022

Discover the Average Cost of Removals in the UK

House Removal Costs UK

Moving house can be quite costly – you’ve got conveyancing fees, estate agent costs and maybe even new furniture. But one of the most overlooked home-moving costs that homeowners forget to budget for is removal costs.

So, how much do removals cost? What’s included in these removal costs? What can make these costs go up? Do you need removals insurance? And can you just do it yourself? Here’s how much you can expect to be paying for a removal company to pack and unpack your belongings in 2022.

How Much Do Removal Companies Cost?

According to Sirelo, a removal company comparison site, the average price you can expect to pay for a 3-bedroom house ranges from £900 to £1,000 for a local move and from £1,200 to £1,500 for longer distance moves.

However, the price you pay for a removal company to help you move depends on a whole range of factors, including the distance being travelled, the volume of stuff to be moved and whether you require any additional services.

How are Removal Costs Calculated?

How much removals cost in the UK depends on three elements:

Packing and loading
Travelling to your new home
Unloading

The time each element takes, along with the number of removal people needed, materials and size of the van, will determine the overall cost of your house removal.

Removal Cost Calculator

When calculating removal costs, the most important factors to consider are the size of your current home and how many belongings you need to move.

Another significant factor is whether you’ll be doing your own packing or having the removal company do so for you. Packing is charged at an extra cost, so if you want to keep removal costs as low as possible, you might want to grab some boxes and parcel tape.

With so many factors to consider when calculating removal costs, it can seem almost impossible to get an accurate estimate. But, according to Checkatrade.com, the rough prices you can expect to pay for different sized houses are as follows:

What Factors Affect the Cost of a Moving Company?

How much removals cost can be influenced by a number of different factors, such as:

Volume – the overall volume of your belongings to be moved determines the size of the vehicle required, how long it will take the crew to pack and unpack, and the packing materials needed for the job.
Access – the ease of access at both your origin and destination properties will determine what size van can be used. For example, how close the van can park to your front door.
Distance – the distance travelled between your origin and destination property will determine the cost for transport.
Extras – any additional services e.g. full or part packing, handyman services, temporary storage, or dismantling of items, will cost you more.
Special care items – any delicate items that might need some extra protection e.g. antiques, mirrors or pictures, will cost more.
Special handling items – any items that require special handling, such as overweight items requiring special lifting equipment, will cost more.
Moving day – the day you move will also affect how much your removals cost. For example, moving on the first or last day of the month will cost more because these are busier days for removal companies.

What Extras Do Removals Companies Charge For?

Nowadays, most removal companies offer a number of extras. While these will make moving day easier for you, they will also cause your removals costs to increase substantially.

Before opting for these add-on services that you might not need, it’s important to weight up the pros and cons to determine whether they’re worth the higher price. Some of these additional services might include:

Furniture Dismantling: the final price for disassembling and reassembling of furniture will vary depending on the volume of the furniture in question.
Specialist Equipment: If you own fine art, antiques or any other items that require special equipment or protection, your removal costs will be higher.
Access Issues: If the removal company has difficulty accessing your home, they might charge an additional removal cost. This could involve a flat with no lift or a narrow street.

According to getamover.co.uk, the average cost for additional removal services are:

Do I Need a Removals Survey to Get Accurate Removal Costs?

Yes! In order to get accurate removal costs, it is essential that you get a couple of firms to do a pre-move survey. They will send a removals assessor to visit your property and assess your needs. Once they’ve done this, they’ll be able to provide you with a more accurate, binding removals quote.

By visiting your property in person, a removal company can see exactly how much stuff needs moving. They can also assess any access issues or items that will require extra care during the move.

While the assessor is with you, make sure you point out anything that isn’t coming with you and that should not be included in your removal quote. And don’t forget to tell them about any items that are out of sight, such as the contents of your loft, so there aren’t any surprises on moving day.

Do I Need Removals Insurance?

Usually, your removal company will include insurance in their price, but be sure to fully understand what level of protection this gives you. Often, removal firm insurance is limited to ‘transit insurance’, which means your belongings are only covered while they’re on the move. This cover is also usually very limited – you could get as little as £40 per item regardless of their actual value.

You should also check whether your insurance cover will be invalidated if you choose to do your own packing.

How Can I Lower Removal Costs?

Given that removal costs are one of the largest outgoings when moving house, you’ll likely want to do whatever you can to minimise them. Thankfully, it isn’t too difficult to keep your removal costs down.

Create an Inventory: Before you removal company finalises their cost, make sure you go through your entire house and note down everything that will need moving. This ensures that the removal company doesn’t get any surprises and charge you even more for something you missed off.
Declutter Your House: Everyone has stuff they no longer need or use and moving house presents the perfect opportunity to sort through it all. Ultimately, the less stuff you have to more, the less it will cost you.
Ask for Help: A removal company aren’t the only ones who can help you move. If you have a close-knit group of friends or family, don’t be scared to ask them to help. This might reduce the number removal men you need, in turn, reducing your removal costs.
Avoid Popular Moving Times: The busier a removal company is, the more they’re likely to charge you for their services. For example, Fridays and Saturdays tend to be the most popular days. So, if you can, avoid these peak times to save money.
Source Your Own Packing Material: Most removal companies will offer to provide packing materials for an extra cost, but it’s easy to find your own boxes and bubble wrap for a lot less. Take a look online, ask neighbours, friends and family or even put an advert online – there are likely to be lots of people who have just moved in your area.