Moving house with no help is cheap. You can hire a van for £100, and storage (if you need it) for another £100 or so. It might take multiple journeys, some spinal injuries, and a lot of passive aggression, but it’s doable.
Or… you can ask for help.
This is where professional movers come in. They can do everything for you. However, it’s one of the industries with the least transparent pricing. You’re strongly advised to get 3 quotes, and most people are surprised how much they differ.
Having said that, it’s always useful to have an average, just to check you’re not being ripped off. Which is where maths comes in.
How much on average does moving house cost in the UK
The average removal cost in the UK is £1,418. These are professional removal costs (i.e. not just renting a van). And it ranges depending on the size of your move:
- Average cost of moving a 1-bed: £902
- Average cost of moving a 2-bed: £1,267
- Average cost of moving a 3-bed: £1,439
- Average cost of moving a 4-bed: £2,207
You can also slice it by distance of move. There is a rough correlation between distance and removal costs, but it’s nowhere near as strong as for size of move. The main difference is for long-distance moves, where the movers might have to take an extra day. I’ve used 50 miles as a threshold:
| Distance of UK Move | Average Price |
| Over 50 miles | £1,917 |
| Under 50 miles | £1,305 |
| Average | £1,418 |
All this is based on real data from real people. I often see moving costs quoted on websites but I’m never sure where the data has come from.
I’ve taken our sample of 54 costs from 7 forum threads where people discuss moving costs in the UK. So it should give a much more realistic average. Also I would recommend having a read through these forum posts if you’re moving house. They’re a goldmine of information.
You can find the full list of data at the bottom. But it really isn’t compulsory.
What affects the price of a move
In descending order:
- Size of move
- Extra services, such as packaging and storage
- Distance of move
The biggest factor is the size of the move, e.g. how much stuff you have. This will determine the number of people required (usually from 2 to 6). Removals costs basically come down to cost of labour, so bigger is more expensive.
The other main cost is extra services. Removal companies will often offer packaging/boxes. They can pack your stuff for you too, and this alone can add 20-40% onto your costs. And some have storage units, in case there’s a gap between your move out and your move in to the new place.
The other factor is distance. But really this is more of a binary thing. If you’re moving somewhere under 50 miles, it’ll all be moved in a day. Any more than that and you may need an extra day, which can mean up to double the labour costs. On average, a move over 50 miles costs 47% more than a local one. Yikes.
Full data
| Bedrooms | Miles | Price |
| 2 | 30 | £2,500 |
| 1 | 70 | £1,400 |
| 2 | 2 | £1,500 |
| 4 | 3 | £1,680 |
| 2 | 2 | £700 |
| 4 | 140 | £3,500 |
| 2 | 30 | £936 |
| 3 | 5 | £700 |
| 3 | 42 | £400 |
| 1 | 50 | £410 |
| 3 | 30 | £1,000 |
| 2 | 30 | £1,500 |
| 2 | 30 | £700 |
| 4 | 10 | £1,300 |
| 2 | 4 | £560 |
| 3 | 3 | £1,900 |
| 3 | 20 | £475 |
| 1 | 30 | £650 |
| 2 | 1 | £595 |
| 1 | 100 | £650 |
| 1 | 5 | £1,100 |
| 3 | 5 | £2,300 |
| 4 | 200 | £2,700 |
| 3 | 30 | £1,800 |
| 2 | 9 | £1,000 |
| 3 | 7 | £1,500 |
| 3 | 5 | £1,100 |
| 3 | 80 | £1,500 |
| 2 | 250 | £2,000 |
| 2 | 1 | £700 |
| 3 | 2 | £1,000 |
| 3 | 5 | £500 |
| 2 | 5 | £480 |
| 3 | 1 | £1,000 |
| 3 | 1 | £3,000 |
| 3 | 15 | £900 |
| 4 | 3 | £840 |
| 3 | 1 | £2,500 |
| 3 | 30 | £1,500 |
| 1 | 5 | £1,200 |
| 2 | 20 | £2,000 |
| 3 | 200 | £1,700 |
| 3 | 50 | £1,200 |
| 3 | 20 | £1,100 |
| 2 | 2 | £1,500 |
| 3 | 100 | £1,800 |
| 2 | 2 | £3,000 |
| 2 | 2 | £1,500 |
| 2 | 2 | £900 |
| 3 | 25 | £2,780 |
| 4 | 50 | £2,515 |
| 4 | 200 | £2,917 |
| 2 | 1 | £1,000 |
| 2 | 65 | £1,000 |
Sources
https://www.reddit.com/r/HousingUK/comments/11iwhba/people_who_recently_moved_how_much_did_you_pay/
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/property/5058802-removals-cost
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/property/5026128-typical-cost-of-removals
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/4714012-quick-question-about-removal-costs
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/property/4478800-Removals-Costs-on-Average
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6469791/typical-cost-of-removals-these-days
