Our Hidden Costs of Buying a House guide covers the transaction: Stamp Duty, legal fees, and surveys. This guide covers the separate layer underneath that, actually moving your belongings, the removal company pricing by property size, why the date you choose can swing the bill by 25% either way, and the admin costs almost everyone forgets.
Figures below reflect Checkatrade, the British Association of Removers, and published 2026 UK removals industry pricing, current to mid-2026. This is general information, not financial advice; always get a written, itemised quote from more than one removal company before booking.
1. Removal costs by property size
| Property size | Local move (under 50 miles) |
|---|---|
| 1-2 bed flat | £350-£700 |
| 3-bed house | £700-£1,400 |
| 4+ bed house | £1,300-£3,000+ |
These figures cover the van, the removal team, and basic goods-in-transit insurance. Packing, storage, furniture dismantling beyond a basic bed or wardrobe, and higher insurance cover are usually priced as separate extras on top. Genuinely useful context if a quote looks unusually low: it may simply not include one of these, so check exactly what's covered before comparing prices between companies.
2. Long-distance moves
For moves beyond the local range, a rough ballpark is around £35 an hour plus £1.50 a mile, though longer moves are usually quoted as a fixed price once a company has assessed the actual volume and access involved. As a general benchmark, a long-distance move within the UK averages around £1,025, though this varies considerably by property size and exact distance.
3. The timing lever: why the date matters as much as the size
UK property completions cluster heavily around the last Friday of each month, and removal demand, and pricing, spikes accordingly. Peak season, roughly May to August, adds further pressure on top. Moving midweek, particularly during the quieter October to February window, can cost 20% to 30% less for an identical job. If your completion date has any flexibility at all, this single decision moves the needle on cost more than almost anything else covered in this guide.
4. Packing and storage
- A full packing service typically adds £150-£600 on top of the base move, commonly charged at around £50-£80 an hour per packer. Many people self-pack everything except genuinely fragile items, paying only for a packer to handle glassware and breakables.
- Storage between homes becomes necessary if your buying and selling completion dates don't align, with unit costs starting from around £6 a week for a small unit, scaling up with the volume stored.
- Specialist items such as pianos, antiques, or large artwork need to be assessed during the survey stage of a quote, and can adjust the final price once the removal company has seen exactly what's involved.
5. The admin costs almost everyone forgets
Royal Mail redirection typically costs £34-£67 depending on the length of cover, utility transfer fees can range from nothing up to £120 depending on your suppliers, and a period of council tax overlap between your old and new address is common if completion dates don't line up perfectly. None of these are large individually, but they're the kind of cost that gets forgotten entirely when budgeting purely around the headline removal company quote.
6. Getting a fair, comparable quote
Get at least three written quotes before booking, and check whether the company you're considering is registered with the British Association of Removers (BAR), the industry's recognised trade body. Insist on a quote that clearly itemises exactly what's included: insurance level, dismantling, packing materials, and any waiting-time charges. Mentioning access issues upfront, stairs, no lift, restricted parking, helps ensure the quote you receive is accurate rather than revised upward on the day itself. Decluttering before the quoting stage, rather than after, also keeps the volume estimate genuinely accurate.
7. Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to move house in the UK in 2026?
The removal company itself typically costs £350 to £700 for a local 1-2 bed move, £700 to £1,400 for a 3-bed house, and £1,300 to £3,000 or more for a large or long-distance move. Including packing, storage, cleaning, and admin costs, most people spend a total of £1,500 to £5,500 on the move itself, separate from the legal and transaction costs of buying.
Why does the date I move house affect the price?
Removal prices spike on Fridays, at month-end, and during peak season from May to August, since these are when most property completions happen and removal companies are in highest demand. Moving midweek, particularly in the October to February off-peak window, can cost 20% to 30% less for the same job.
What moving costs do people usually forget to budget for?
Royal Mail redirection (£34-£67), utility transfer fees, storage if your buying and selling completion dates don't align, and a full packing service if you decide partway through that you don't have time to pack everything yourself. These add up on top of the headline removal company quote.
How can I reduce the cost of moving house?
Move midweek and outside peak season if your completion date allows it, get at least three written quotes from removal companies registered with the British Association of Removers, declutter before the quoting stage so the volume estimate is accurate, and self-pack everything except genuinely fragile items to avoid paying for a full packing service.
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