The average UK house move costs around £1,100 in 2026. Most families pay between £450 for a small local move and £2,400 for a fully packed four bedroom house. Three things drive the number: how much you own how far it travels and how much of the work you want the crew to do. This guide breaks all three down with real price ranges so you can sense check any quote you are given.
These are typical 2026 prices for a move of up to 50 miles. Transport only means the crew load carry and deliver what you have boxed yourself. Full pack includes packers materials and unpacking on request.
| Property | Transport only | With packing | Packing and storage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio or bedsit | £280 to £420 | £420 to £650 | £650 to £950 |
| 1 bedroom flat | £350 to £600 | £550 to £850 | £850 to £1,300 |
| 2 bedroom house | £450 to £750 | £700 to £1,100 | £1,100 to £1,700 |
| 3 bedroom house | £700 to £1,200 | £1,100 to £1,700 | £1,600 to £2,400 |
| 4 bedroom house | £1,100 to £1,900 | £1,600 to £2,600 | £2,200 to £3,400 |
| 5 bedroom house | £1,800 to £3,000 | £2,500 to £3,900 | £3,200 to £5,200 |
Prices include crew vehicle fuel blankets transit wrap and standard insurance. Parking suspensions and specialist items are quoted separately.
Driver hours cost more than fuel. Once a job passes roughly 200 miles it may need an overnight stay or a second driver which is where the steps in this table come from.
| Distance | 2 bed | 3 bed | 4 bed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 miles | £450 to £750 | £700 to £1,200 | £1,100 to £1,900 |
| 10 to 50 miles | £550 to £900 | £850 to £1,400 | £1,300 to £2,100 |
| 50 to 150 miles | £750 to £1,200 | £1,150 to £1,800 | £1,700 to £2,700 |
| 150 to 300 miles | £950 to £1,500 | £1,450 to £2,200 | £2,100 to £3,300 |
| 300 miles or more | £1,200 to £1,900 | £1,800 to £2,800 | £2,600 to £4,200 |
Planning a long move? Our long distance route guides give guide prices and timings for 35 popular UK journeys.
| Service | Typical cost | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Fragile only pack (3 bed) | £180 to £320 | Kitchen glass artwork and mirrors packed by the crew while you box the rest |
| Full pack (2 bed) | £150 to £350 | One packer for most of a day including materials |
| Full pack (3 bed) | £350 to £600 | Two packers for a full day the day before loading |
| Full pack (4 bed) | £400 to £800 | Two or three packers often spread over two days |
| Unpacking service | £150 to £400 | Boxes emptied flat packed and taken away on the same visit |
| Materials only | £60 to £220 | Boxes tape bubble wrap paper and wardrobe cartons delivered in advance |
| Extra | Typical cost | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Parking bay suspension | £40 to £180 per bay | Charged at cost by the council and booked five to ten working days ahead |
| Containerised storage | £25 to £60 per container a week | One container holds roughly 250 cubic feet which is about a bedroom |
| Piano move (upright) | £150 to £400 | Grand pianos need specialist handling and start nearer £450 |
| Dismantle and rebuild furniture | £30 to £80 per item | Beds wardrobes and garden furniture where fittings are supplied |
| Extended insurance cover | £30 to £120 | Raises the single item limit for art jewellery and instruments |
| Shuttle vehicle | £120 to £300 | Needed where a lorry cannot reach the door such as farm tracks or narrow mews |
| Waiting time | £40 to £90 an hour | Applies when a chain delays key release beyond the agreed window |
| End of tenancy clean | £120 to £300 | Often required by a landlord or agent before a deposit is returned |
Removal firms price on cubic feet. Two identical three bedroom houses can differ by 400 cubic feet once you count the loft the shed and the garage. Roughly 250 cubic feet per bedroom plus 150 for a living room is a fair working estimate before a survey.
Fuel is a smaller part of the bill than most people expect. Driver hours are the real cost. Anything beyond about 200 miles may need an overnight stay or a second driver which is where long distance prices step up.
Access is the biggest hidden factor in any quote. Stairs above the second floor lifts that need booking permit bays narrow lanes and long carries from the door to the vehicle all add crew time before a single box is loaded.
A full pack with materials typically adds 30 to 40 per cent to a transport only price. A fragile only pack is the middle ground and costs a fraction of the full service while covering the items most likely to break.
Fridays and the last working day of the month are the busiest slots in the UK calendar and priced accordingly. The same move on a Tuesday in the middle of the month is often 10 to 15 per cent cheaper.
Pianos safes American fridges gym equipment hot tubs and large garden machinery need extra crew or lifting kit. Declare them at survey so they are inside the fixed price rather than added on the day.
When dates do not line up containerised storage is almost always cheaper than a failed completion. Goods are sealed in the same container from collection to delivery so there is no extra handling charge.
Goods in transit cover is standard with professional firms but every policy has a single item limit. If one piece is worth more than that limit the cover needs extending which is a small cost against a large risk.
| Region | Against UK average | Why |
|---|---|---|
| London | 25 to 40 per cent above average | Permit bays lifts stair carries and congestion charges all add crew hours |
| South East and Thames Valley | 10 to 20 per cent above average | High demand around Reading Slough Guildford and Windsor especially at month end |
| South West | Around average | Longer rural drives offset lower labour costs |
| Midlands | 5 to 10 per cent below average | Central depots keep travel time short in both directions |
| North of England | 10 to 20 per cent below average | Lower labour rates and easier parking at most properties |
| Scotland and Wales | Around average with rural premiums | Island ferries and single track access add planned time to the day |
Two quotes for the same house can differ by hundreds of pounds and the gap is almost always in what is included. Ask every company for three numbers before you look at the price: volume in cubic feet crew size and the single item liability limit. Once those three match you are comparing the same job.
Insist on a survey. A firm pricing a house move from a phone call is guessing and the estimate will move on the day. A video survey takes fifteen minutes and turns a guess into a fixed written price.
Check the small print for waiting time if your chain runs late the cancellation window and whether storage can be arranged at short notice. Those three clauses are what actually cost people money when a completion slips.
The average UK house move costs around £1,100 in 2026. A two bedroom local move sits between £450 and £750 while a three bedroom house with full packing is usually £1,100 to £1,700. Long distance moves and London postcodes sit above those figures.
Between £700 and £1,200 for a local transport only move and £1,100 to £1,700 with a full packing service. A cross country three bedroom move with an overnight run usually starts around £1,600.
A fragile only pack adds around £120 to £250 and a full pack of a three bedroom house adds £350 to £600 including all materials and the time on the day before.
Small local jobs are often hourly. Anything from a two bedroom home upwards should be a fixed price after a survey so a delay in your chain does not change what you pay.
Between 10 and 25 per cent is normal with the balance due before unloading. Be wary of any firm asking for the full amount in cash on the doorstep.
Tuesday and Wednesday in the middle of the month. Fridays and month end dates are the busiest in the calendar and normally carry a premium of 10 to 15 per cent.
Yes. Self packing saves roughly 30 to 40 per cent against a full pack. Keep in mind that boxes you pack yourself are usually covered for the box rather than the contents so let the crew pack anything irreplaceable.
Six to eight weeks for a normal move and longer if you need a Friday or a month end date in summer. Short notice bookings are possible but you pay whatever capacity is left.
Professional firms include goods in transit and public liability cover as standard. Check the single item limit and extend it if you own art jewellery or an instrument worth more than the cap.
Almost always because of what is included rather than the quality of the firm. Ask all three companies for the same numbers: volume in cubic feet crew size and single item liability limit. Once those match the comparison is honest.
Free survey fixed written price and our own trained crews across the UK.
