You’ve found your new place, the dates are looming… and one big question won’t go away: how much do removal companies cost?
Most people only move a handful of times in their lives, so it’s hard to know whether a quote is fair, expensive, or suspiciously cheap. Is £500 reasonable? Is £1,500 outrageous? And why do two companies looking at the same house come back with completely different numbers?
The truth is, removals pricing isn’t random; it’s driven by a handful of clear factors like how much you’re moving, how far you’re going, how tricky the access is, and whether you want the full packing service or just the van and muscle.
In this guide, we’ll break down typical UK removals price ranges, show you what really pushes your quote up or down, and share simple ways to keep costs under control, with relatable examples based on the kind of moves handled every day by companies like Reliable Removals in Essex.
At a Glance: Typical UK Removal Company Costs
If you’re trying to work out how much removal companies cost, it helps to have a rough idea of what other households typically pay. Exact prices will always depend on your move, but most quotes tend to fall into similar ranges.
As a very general guide for a standard local move with a professional removal company (including VAT):
Average removals cost by property size (house or flat):
- 1-bedroom home: ~£400–£700
- 2-bedroom home: ~£550–£900
- 3-bedroom home: ~£800–£1,300
- 4-bedroom home: ~£1,100–£1,700+
- 5-bedroom home: ~£1,400–£2,200+
These ballpark bands are simply typical ranges seen across the UK. A straightforward 3-bedroom move often lands somewhere around £850–£1,000 for a basic service, with higher costs for full packing, tricky access or more complex moves.
For long-distance removals costs (around 100+ miles), prices naturally climb to cover extra mileage, fuel and crew time. As a loose guide, many moves fall roughly into these brackets:
- 1–2 bedroom home: ~£800–£1,200
- 3-bedroom home: ~£1,500+
- 4-bedroom home: ~£2,000+
- 5-bedroom home: ~£2,500+
Remember, these figures are not set rates for any particular company, just typical examples to help you sense-check quotes and understand the sort of numbers you might hear.
Now, let’s break down why removal companies cost what they do.
What Affects How Much Removal Companies Cost?
1. Volume of Belongings
The single biggest driver of your quote is how much stuff you’re moving.
Removal companies often think in terms of cubic feet/cubic metres rather than the number of rooms. A minimalist in a 4-bed house could be cheaper to move than a 1-bed hoarder.
Things that push the price up:
- Lots of large furniture (wardrobes, big sofas, American-style fridge freezers)
- Heavy items (pianos, safes, gym equipment)
- Lots of boxes, books or files
- Multiple sheds, loft contents, garden furniture and tools
Cost-saving tip: Declutter before you get quotes. You’ll pay less and unpack less at the other end.
2. Distance & Travel Time
For local moves (within the same town or nearby area), many companies base prices on time and crew size, rather than a strict mileage charge.
For longer distances, your quote is more likely to be a fixed price based on:
- Distance between the two addresses
- Time on the road (traffic, route, overnight stays)
- Whether the crew needs accommodation
If you’re moving across the country, it’s common to see costs for a typical 1–2 bedroom property starting around £800–£1,200, up to £2,000+ for a larger 4–5 bedroom house.
3. Type of Service: Van Hire vs Man & Van vs Full-Service Removals
When people ask “how much do removal companies cost?” they’re often mixing together three quite different options:
- a) DIY Van Hire
- Cost: ~£30–£150 per day, depending on van size and region
- You handle: All lifting, loading, driving, fuel, insurance, parking, and stress.
- Best for: Very small moves, people with plenty of friends and no awkward furniture.
- b) Man & Van Services
These are great for mini moves, student moves or single items.
Typical UK hourly rates in 2025:
- 1 man + van: ~£30–£60 per hour
- 2 men + van: ~£45–£80 per hour
- 3 men + van: ~£55–£100+ per hour
Most providers require a minimum 2–3 hour booking.
- c) Full-Service Removal Companies
A professional removals firm (like Reliable Removals in Essex) will typically offer:
- Pre-move survey & planning
- Trained team & multiple vehicles
- Protective covers, transit blankets, mattress and sofa bags
- Optional packing and unpacking services
- Optional containerised storage
- Insurance options
This is the service level behind those £400–£1,700+ average figures for whole-house moves.
4. Access & Complexity
Two properties with the same number of rooms can be priced very differently depending on how easy they are to work in:
- Long walks from the front door to the parking
- Narrow stairs, tight turns, low ceilings
- Top-floor flats with no lift
- Restricted access streets or red routes
- Need for parking suspensions or permits
Tough access increases the time needed, the crew size required, or both, all of which can push up your total cost.
5. Time of Year, Day of Week & Notice
General UK moving trends show that:
- August and late summer are peak moving times
- Fridays and month-end are the most popular days to move
- Some firms offer better deals mid-week or off-peak
If you can be flexible and move Tuesday–Thursday outside of peak season, you’ll often get more availability and occasionally sharper pricing.
Last-minute bookings, on the other hand, can carry higher costs or limited choice.
6. Extra Services (Packing, Materials, Dismantling)
Most guides split house removals costs into transport only and extras. Key add-ons include:
Packing service
Packing an average 3-bed house can add roughly £400–£500 to the bill, with extra costs for highly fragile items.
You can usually choose between:
- Fragile-only packing (glass, china, ornaments, TVs)
- Full packing service (everything)
Unpacking service
Some firms can unpack and place items for you, typically adding around half a day’s labour, roughly £150–£250 extra for an average 3-bed property.
Dismantling & reassembly
Beds, wardrobes, trampolines, garden playsets and certain appliances may need dismantling. Some companies include a reasonable amount of this in their quote; others charge:
- A fixed price per item, or
- Extra time at the agreed hourly rate
Packing materials
Boxes, tape, bubble wrap and wardrobe cartons might be:
- Included in the main price
- Sold as an add-on pack
- Or charged individually per box
Always check what’s included so you can compare quotes on like-for-like terms.
7. Storage Costs
If there’s a gap between moving out and moving in, you might need short-term storage as part of your move.
Storage costs vary depending on size, location and how long you need the space, but you’ll generally see:
- Self-storage units – A small unit (around 25 sq ft) typically sits around £20–£30 per week outside London, while medium to larger units (50–100 sq ft) can work out at up to around £190+ per month.
- Removal-company containerised storage, A standard 250 cu ft container is often around £20–£25 per week + VAT, depending on the provider and how many containers you need.
Companies like Reliable Removals can build storage into your move as a “move via storage” option, the crew loads your belongings straight into storage containers, and then delivers them to your new home once you’re ready to move in.
8. Insurance & Liability
A good removal quote should clearly outline:
- What level of goods-in-transit and storage insurance is included
- Any limits per item or per load
- What’s excluded (cash, jewellery, certain fragile items if self-packed, etc.)
Higher levels of cover or specialist insurance will add to the overall cost, but are usually worth it for higher-value moves.
Example Cost Scenarios (Ballpark Only)
To make the numbers more real, here are a few hypothetical examples. These are not Reliable Removals’ prices, just illustrative based on 2025 UK averages.
Example 1 – Local 2-Bed Flat Move
- From: 2-bed flat in Chelmsford
- To: 2-bed house 5 miles away
- Access: Good at both ends, no lifts
- Service: Standard removal (you pack), no storage
A 2–3 person crew and one Luton van could complete this in half a day to a full day. At typical rates and fixed-price averages, you might expect somewhere between £550 and £850 all-in, depending on the day of the week, flexibility, and exact volume.
Example 2 – 3-Bed House, 60-Mile Move with Packing
- From: 3-bed house in Brentwood
- To: New-build house 60 miles away
- Access: Driveway at both properties
- Service: Full packing service + next-day delivery
Using UK average data for 3-bed homes and adding a full packing service, you might reasonably expect a total in the region of £1,200–£1,800, with more complex moves sitting towards the upper end.
Example 3 – Mini Move / Student Move
- From: Room in shared house in Southend
- To: Studio flat elsewhere in town
- Service: Man & van, you help with loading
If you only need a van and one mover for 3–4 hours at £35–£60 per hour, you’re probably looking at £120–£240 plus any parking or congestion charges.
How to Get an Accurate Removals Quote
Because there are so many moving parts, the only way to get a truly accurate answer to “how much do removal companies cost?” for your move is to get a detailed quote.
Here’s what to expect, and what to ask.
Step 1 – Pre-Move Survey
Most reputable removal companies will:
- Visit your home or offer a video survey
- Walk through every room, including the loft, garage and garden
- Ask about access, parking and any restrictions
- Check for special items (pianos, antiques, large TVs, safes, artwork)
A pre-move survey avoids nasty surprises on the day.
Step 2 – Provide Key Information
To get a realistic figure, be ready with:
- Addresses and how far you’re moving house
- Property type and number of floors
- Approximate move date and flexibility
- Whether you need packing/unpacking
- Whether you need storage (and for how long)
- Any items not going (things you’ll sell, donate or dispose of)
The more accurate you are, the closer your quote will be to your final bill.
Step 3 – Questions to Ask Every Removal Company
- Is your quote fixed, or based on time?
- What could trigger extra charges and hidden fees? (waiting time, extra volume, key delays)
- What insurance is included, and what are the limits?
- Are packing materials included in the price?
- What is your cancellation/postponement policy?
- Are you accredited or members of any trade bodies?
- Do you offer storage if completion is delayed?
A good company will answer all of these clearly and in writing.
How to Reduce Your Removal Costs (Without Losing Your Sanity)
You don’t have to go full DIY to save money. These ideas can reduce how much your removal company costs:
- Declutter hard – sell, donate or recycle anything you don’t love or need. Less volume = fewer vehicles, smaller crew, shorter job.
- Be flexible on dates – avoid the last Friday of the month and late summer if possible.
- Pack as much as you sensibly can – if you’re happy to pack non-fragile items yourself, you can skip or shrink the packing service.
- Be fully packed before moving day – overrunning your booked time can be expensive. Being ready lets the crew work quickly and may avoid overtime.
- Sort parking and access in advance – arranging permits or reserved spaces can save time and stress.
- Combine moving and storage – using your removal company’s own storage can be cheaper and logistically smoother than dealing with separate providers.
How Reliable Removals Fits Into the Picture
By now, you know there’s no simple, one-line answer to how much do removal companies cost, it all comes down to your home, your plans and the level of help you want. That’s exactly where a local, hands-on team makes the difference.
Reliable Removals is an Essex-based removals and storage company that builds your quote around your move, not a generic price list. They can help with:
- Home moves – from compact flats to large family houses, moving locally or across the UK
- Mini Moves – ideal for smaller loads, students or single items, using modern Luton low-loader vehicles
- Local moves – often completed in a single day with the right crew and vehicle size
- Long-distance moves – carefully planned over one or more days for moves further afield
- Business & office relocations – scheduled to minimise downtime and disruption
- Packing & unpacking services – from fragile-only to full, whole-house packing
- Secure storage – perfect if you’re moving via storage or have a gap between properties
Every quote is bespoke, so your price sits within the ranges we’ve covered, but reflects your exact volume, distance, access and chosen services, rather than a rough national average.
If you’ve got a move on the horizon and want to know what your removal will really cost, get in touch with Reliable Removals for a free, no-obligation quote.
Share a few details about your property and your plans, and you’ll get a clear, honest price, with no guesswork, no hidden costs, and a team ready to do the heavy lifting for you.
Time to Turn Research Into Action
So, how much do professional removal services cost?
For a typical UK home move in 2025, you’re often looking at somewhere between £400 and £1,700+, depending mainly on volume, distance and service level. Add packing, storage or complex access, and costs rise; declutter, choose flexible dates and keep things organised, and you can keep your quote towards the lower end.
If you’re moving within or from Essex, a company like Reliable Removals can talk through these variables with you and build a quote that matches your exact move, no guesswork, no generic averages, just a clear price for your specific situation.
