The average house removal costs in the UK

Moving house can be both exciting and stressful at the same time. One of the most overlooked fees that homeowners don’t budget for is removal costs. The extra money you have to set aside for a removals company to pack and unpack your belongings can be a surprise to most. Here’s what you can expect to pay for removals and how you could cut some of those costs.

In this article you’ll find:

• How much do removal companies cost?
• The pre-move survey
• Moving and packing
• Furniture dismantling and removal costs
• Extra removal costs

How much do removals companies cost?

The average house removal costs for a standard 3-bedroom house move based on short distance removals of around 25 miles is roughly £555. This should cover your basic costs; providing you’ve packed up your belongings and furniture yourself.

Should you require packing services and materials to be supplied by your local removal companies, there will be extra costs to factor in.

Dismantles and re-assembly also attract an additional cost, and the relocation cost will increase if you require special care for any of your possessions.

A local move will obviously be cheaper than the cost of moving house in the UK a long distance from your existing home.

International removals are considerably more costly again. After all, it stands to reason that an international move to the Republic of the Congo will involve significantly more long-distance removal costs than the cost to move to the next town.

Long-distance travelling involves a higher van cost, and moving abroad may also involve container shipping costs!

Average removal costs based on the size of property

The removal quote you receive from any house removals firm will depend on the size of your property.

A four-bedroom house, for example, will require more packing material, a larger removals van, and more of the removal company’s time for furniture removal than if you’re moving out of a one-bedroom house or studio apartment.

Therefore, you’ll need to add these additional expenses when comparing removal quotations that you’ve received from local companies.  

Tips to keep removal costs low

For a stress-free move, we always recommend finding a reputable removal company. It’ll mean you have one less thing to worry about; moving house is already stressful enough! If you want to save money (and sleep better at night) there are ways to keep house removal costs low.

Create an inventory of your belongings

Before you can get the final cost of removals, it makes sense to go through your house and see what you’re bringing with you to the new house. Before removal men come in, you may find that you have old, heavy items stored in your garage that you no longer need. Make your way through the house and take note of any fragile items, big furniture, sentimental items (you may want to pack these yourself for extra security).

Declutter your house and get rid of waste

The average cost of removal will depend on how many items you have to move. Naturally, you wouldn’t want to pay for waste. Moving house is the ideal time to get rid of old items. You can donate items in good condition to charity or, if they’re no good, take them to your local tip. It’s a great way to save money on your removals. And, it means you won’t bring anything unnecessary into your new property.

The pre-move survey

Pre-move surveys are usually offered free of charge by most removal companies in the UK.

Before your move day, they will come to your property to confirm their quote and discuss any special requirements you may have. They will also check out parking arrangements and access for their removal vehicle.

Like a storage company, a removal firm will give you a quote based on cubic footage.

The moving firm gives this free survey to enable the company cost to be worked out based on the volume of possessions that require moving.

This, in turn, will determine how big a removals van you need, the number of packing materials necessary and the length of time staff will need to pack up and load for your house move.

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Moving and packing costs

You may have read moving advice that suggests you pack your own furniture and possessions to keep your house removal costs low.

Although this moving tip can reduce your overall average removal costs, it can add considerably to your stress and the amount of time you need to spend on arranging your move.  

Most removal companies will offer you partial or complete packing services which could save you a lot of effort.

The typical cost you’ll need to pay for a three-bed home removal will be around £250, including thirty packing boxes as well as the labour of the staff involved.

Of course, the final price will depend on the number of items you’ll be taking along with you – the fewer boxes needed, the lower the price. A home visit will be carried out before your move date to pack your belongings professionally.

Your items will then be loaded onto the van before being unloaded professionally at your new home.

Furniture dismantling

A lot of firms will also offer a dismantling and reassembling service for furniture too.

Usually, the average removal price to dismantle and put together three double beds is about £125.

However, the final price varies to suit the volume of furniture, which requires dismantling, as well as the fees charged by the company you select.

If you have antiques, fine art, or other items requiring special additional protection or need specialist equipment to be used, removals costs will be higher.

More packing materials will be needed, and more time may be needed to pack and move fragile and high-value items.

In some cases, a specialist company may be needed to transport certain items to guarantee nothing will be lost or damaged during the moving process. You may also need to pay extra for removals insurance to have peace of mind.

Additional removal services and costs

Additional removal costs may be charged if your removal firm struggles to gain access to your home. While some will charge a higher hourly rate, others could add an extra fixed fee to the average removal costs they charge.

There are several types of access issue which could affect the cost of your removals.

For example, if you’re moving out of a high rise flat with no lift, loading the removal vehicle will be more difficult.

If your property is located in a narrow street or has limited or restricted parking, this could also impact the fee charged.