Quick answer: a standard local move in the UK typically costs around £500 to £700 for a two-person crew and van, or £50 to £80 an hour (Checkatrade cost guide, updated April 2026). Sirelo puts a local three-bedroom move at about £985 if you pack yourself, £590 with a part-load or man-and-van service, and £1,435 with full packing (Sirelo guide, updated September 2026). These guides measure prices in different ways, so they are shown side by side rather than averaged. Your own price depends on your inventory, access, distance and how much packing you want, and council parking or clean air charges can add to it on the day.
Removals cost checker
Pick the move that matches yours to see the typical UK price range and where it comes from.
Prices change and depend on the size of the job, the property, access and location. Figures were last checked . Always get a written quote before work starts.
Request a free quoteNo two removal quotes are priced quite the same way, but the published guides agree on the main drivers: how much you own, how far it goes, who packs it, and how easy the access is at each end. Every figure below names its source. The three national price guides (Checkatrade, Sirelo and Konnect You) were rechecked on 1 October 2026; the council and clean air charges were last read on each authority’s own page in September 2026. Where we could not find a source for an item, we have left it out rather than guess.
Removal costs by home size
Sirelo’s guide (updated September 2026) prices local moves of about 25 miles, including VAT, at three service levels: a budget part-load or man-and-van service, a standard removal company where you pack your own boxes, and a premium service with full packing.
| Home size | Part-load or man and van | Standard (you pack) | Premium (full packing) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-bedroom flat | £250 | £480 | £770 | Sirelo removal costs guide, updated September 2026 |
| 2-bedroom house | £355 | £705 | £1,065 | Sirelo removal costs guide, updated September 2026 |
| 3-bedroom house | £590 | £985 | £1,435 | Sirelo removal costs guide, updated September 2026 |
| 4-bedroom house | £760 | £1,270 | £1,810 | Sirelo removal costs guide, updated September 2026 |
| 5-bedroom house | £930 | £1,550 | £2,180 | Sirelo removal costs guide, updated September 2026 |
Two other guides give single averages. They measure different things (Checkatrade’s figures include packing; Konnect You’s come from moves arranged through its site between 2022 and 2026), so compare the pattern rather than the exact pounds, and do not average the three sources together.
| Home size | Checkatrade, with packing (updated April 2026) | Konnect You average (updated 30 September 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 bedroom | around £750 | £466 |
| 2 bedrooms | around £925 | £834 |
| 3 bedrooms | around £1,300 | £1,252 |
| 4 bedrooms | around £1,800 | £1,803 |
| 5 bedrooms | – | £2,661 |
Why bedroom count alone is not enough
The tables above are sorted by bedrooms because that is how the guides publish them, but firms price the job, not the room count. Two three-bedroom homes can need very different vans and crews: one with a full loft, a garage and a piano on a narrow street, the other sparsely furnished with parking outside. Before you compare any figure with a quote, check what each figure assumes.
| Assumption | Why it changes the price | What to tell or ask the firm |
|---|---|---|
| Inventory | Volume sets the van size and loading time | A room-by-room list, including loft, garage, shed and garden items |
| Crew | More people cost more per hour but can finish sooner | How many people are coming, and for how long |
| Distance | Longer moves add driving time, fuel and sometimes an overnight stop | Both full addresses and any extra stops |
| Packing | Full packing can add hundreds of pounds to the same move | Whether you pack, the firm packs fragile items only, or the firm packs everything |
| VAT | The standard UK rate is 20% (GOV.UK); some guide figures include it and some quotes do not | Whether the quote includes VAT |
| Access | Stairs, no lift and a long carry from the van all add time | Floors, lifts, parking and walking distance at both ends |
A home or video survey is the usual way to turn these assumptions into a firm price.
Worked example: one quote includes packing, one does not
This is a hypothetical example. The figures are round numbers chosen to show the method; they are not market prices and are not taken from any of the guides above.
Two firms quote for the same three-bedroom inventory and the same access. Firm A quotes £1,000, with you packing your own boxes. Firm B quotes £1,400, including full packing and materials. Both say VAT is included.
| Line | Firm A | Firm B |
|---|---|---|
| Removal (crew, van, loading, transport) | £1,000 | Included |
| Full packing service | Not included: ask for a price (say £350) | Included |
| Boxes and materials | Not included: ask for a price (say £80) | Included |
| Total for the same work | £1,430 | £1,400 |
The quote that looked £400 cheaper ends up slightly dearer once it covers the same work. The reverse can also happen: if you are happy to pack yourself, Firm A’s £1,000 may be the better fit, as long as you also count the cost of boxes and your own time. The point is to compare the same scope, not the headline number. Our guide to comparing removal quotes has a line-by-line checklist.
Compare House Movers is building Move Planner, an app that helps you prepare one room-by-room inventory to send to each firm, so their quotes start from the same list; contact us for pricing and availability.
How distance changes the price
Sirelo’s standard prices (you pack, VAT included) by distance:
| Home size | Local (about 25 miles) | Regional (about 90 miles) | Long distance (about 250 miles) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-bedroom flat | £480 | £570 | £795 |
| 2-bedroom house | £705 | £855 | £1,230 |
| 3-bedroom house | £985 | £1,215 | £1,770 |
| 4-bedroom house | £1,270 | £1,570 | £2,310 |
| 5-bedroom house | £1,550 | £1,925 | £2,855 |
Checkatrade gives around £1,025 as an average long-distance move within the UK, and around £400 to £500 for a small local move where both homes are within about 50 miles. Konnect You says moves of 10 to 50 miles typically add £75 to £150 to its average, and 50 to 150 miles can add £150 to £300. For more on longer moves, see long-distance UK removals.
Labour, packing and extras
| Item | Typical cost | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Two-person crew and van | £50 to £80 per hour | Checkatrade house removal cost guide, updated April 2026 |
| Self-drive removal van | £50 to £200 a day, before fuel and damage waiver | Sirelo removal costs guide, updated September 2026 |
| Full packing service | £290 (1-bed flat) to £630 (5-bed house) | Sirelo removal costs guide, updated September 2026 |
| Fragile-only packing | £120 (1-bed flat) to £270 (5-bed house) | Sirelo removal costs guide, updated September 2026 |
| Packing service (single average) | around £400 | Checkatrade house removal cost guide, updated April 2026 |
| Extra packer | around £50 an hour per packer | Checkatrade house removal cost guide, updated April 2026 |
| Dismantling and reassembly | around £145 flat fee, or £45 to £60 an hour | Sirelo removal costs guide, updated September 2026 |
| Stairs without a lift | around £85 per floor above ground, at each end | Sirelo removal costs guide, updated September 2026 |
| Long carry (van more than 50m from the door) | around £75 | Sirelo removal costs guide, updated September 2026 |
| Pianos, pool tables and antiques | £200 to £800 | Sirelo removal costs guide, updated September 2026 |
| Storage between moves | around £10 per cubic metre per month | Sirelo removal costs guide, updated September 2026 |
| Storage (alternative measure) | £122 a month for up to 50 sq ft | Konnect You removal cost guide, updated 30 September 2026 |
Konnect You also found that about 6% of reviews on its site mentioned surprise charges, averaging £389, most often for overtime, parking permits and dismantling that was not in the quote. A home survey before booking is the best defence: see what happens in a removal survey.
Council and clean air charges
These are set by councils and transport authorities, not removal firms, and they vary a lot from place to place. We read each council’s own page in September 2026. The one-day figure is for a single space or the smallest booking, for a home move where a concession applies.
| Place | Charge | One day, roughly | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester | Bay suspension £30 per bay per day; yellow-line dispensation £30 per vehicle per day | £30 | manchester.gov.uk |
| Camden (London) | £66.66 admin; first-day space charge waived for home moves (up to 3 spaces) | £66.66 | camden.gov.uk |
| Hackney (London) | £100 admin plus £44 per bay per day; first-day bay fee waived for home moves (up to 3 bays) | £100 | hackney.gov.uk |
| Birmingham | £18.90 a day (1 to 3 bays), £87.60 set-up and removal, £18.90 admin | £125.40 | birmingham.gov.uk |
| Wandsworth (London) | Domestic: £43.40 per space first day, plus £82.20 booking fee (10 working days’ notice) | £125.60 | wandsworth.gov.uk |
| Lambeth (London) | £57.55 per space per day plus £98.83 admin | £156.38 | lambeth.gov.uk |
| Islington (London) | Residents: £164.80 for day 1, any number of spaces. The council says most domestic removals can park near the home free | £164.80 if needed | islington.gov.uk |
| Glasgow | Traffic regulation notice fee through a contractor, plus the parking charge for each space for the full 10-hour day | Varies | glasgow.gov.uk |
| Zone | Charge for a non-compliant van | Source |
|---|---|---|
| London ULEZ (all boroughs) | £12.50 a day for vans up to 3.5 tonnes | tfl.gov.uk |
| London Congestion Charge (central zone) | £18 a day (£21 if paid later); applies to all vehicles unless exempt | tfl.gov.uk |
| Birmingham Clean Air Zone | £8 a day for cars and vans, £50 for HGVs | brumbreathes.co.uk |
| Glasgow Low Emission Zone | Penalty of £60 (£30 if paid within 14 days), doubling for repeats, up to £480 for light goods vehicles | mygov.scot |
| Greater Manchester | No clean air charges | cleanairgm.com |
| Leeds | No Clean Air Zone; the planned zone was dropped in 2020 | news.leeds.gov.uk |
Our city guides explain each council’s rules in full. Our general guides cover parking suspensions for removal vans and what clean air zones add to a move.
Prices in five UK cities
Konnect You publishes city averages from moves arranged through its site; we read each city page on 1 October 2026. They reflect the mix of homes in each city as much as local prices, so use them to compare cities rather than to check a quote.
| City | Average figures | Source |
|---|---|---|
| London | Around £918 on average, with most moves £735 to £1,306; West London around £1,090 and North London around £660 | Konnect You London removals page, checked 1 October 2026 |
| Birmingham | £418 (1 bed), £651 (2), £1,153 (3), £1,458 (4+) | Konnect You Birmingham removals page, checked 1 October 2026 |
| Manchester | £385 (1 bed), £636 (2), £1,088 (3), £1,652 (4+) | Konnect You Manchester removals page, checked 1 October 2026 |
| Glasgow | £537 (1 bed), £601 (2), £917 (3), £1,398 (4+) | Konnect You Glasgow removals page, checked 1 October 2026 |
| Leeds | £363 (1 bed), £701 (2), £1,233 (3), £1,561 (4+) | Konnect You Leeds removals page, checked 1 October 2026 |
When you move matters
Konnect You found February the cheapest month on its data, at around £1,020 on average, with August and November peaking at nearly £1,190, a difference of about 17%. If your dates are flexible, ask each firm for a price on two or three different days. See weekday or weekend moves. If you need to move within days rather than weeks, the choice of firms can be narrower; see last-minute house removals.
How to keep the cost down
- Declutter before the survey: less volume means a smaller van and a shorter day. See decluttering before moving.
- Pack yourself, or pay only for fragile items. On Sirelo’s figures that saves roughly £450 on a three-bedroom move against full packing.
- Consider a part-load if your dates are flexible: Sirelo says a part-load or man-and-van operator typically costs 40% to 50% less than a standard removal company. Read about shared-load removals and their trade-offs before you rely on the saving.
- Sort parking early, so the crew is not carrying furniture from the end of the street.
- Get written quotes that list the same things, and check what is excluded. Our guide to comparing removal quotes has a checklist.
Ready to compare? Ask for removal quotes or browse our UK removal options.
How much does it cost to move a three-bedroom house?
Around £985 for a local move where you pack yourself, £590 with a part-load or man-and-van service and £1,435 with full packing, on Sirelo’s figures (updated September 2026). Checkatrade (updated April 2026) gives around £1,300 including packing. The two are measured differently, so treat them as separate guides rather than averaging them.
Are removal quotes usually VAT inclusive?
Sirelo’s figures include VAT. Always check whether a quote does; see VAT on removal services.
Who pays for the parking suspension?
It depends on the firm. Some arrange and include it, others leave it to you. Ask before you book, and check the council’s notice period.
Is man and van cheaper than a removal company?
Usually, for smaller moves. Sirelo puts a part-load or man-and-van service at roughly 40% to 50% below a standard removal. See man and van vs removal company.
Sources
- Checkatrade, “House removal costs in the UK (2026 price guide)”
- Sirelo, “Removal Costs UK 2026: How Much Does It Cost to Move House?”
- Konnect You, “House Removal Costs UK: Average Prices 2026”
- Konnect You, city removals pages for London, Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow and Leeds
- GOV.UK, “VAT rates”
- Camden Council, “Parking bay suspensions”
- Hackney Council, “Parking bay suspension”
- Islington Council, “Suspend a parking bay”
- Lambeth Council, “Parking suspensions: costs”
- Wandsworth Council, “Parking bay suspension charges”
- Birmingham City Council, “Apply for parking suspensions or dispensations”
- Manchester City Council, “Suspending parking bays and getting permission to park on yellow lines”
- Glasgow City Council, “Apply for Dispensation or a Parking Suspension”
- Transport for London, “Ultra Low Emission Zone” and “Congestion Charge”
- Brum Breathes, “Paying to drive in the Clean Air Zone”
- mygov.scot, “Fines for Low Emission Zones”
- Clean Air Greater Manchester, “Greater Manchester Clean Air Plan”
- Leeds City Council, “Leeds’ Clean Air Zone is no longer required”
Price guides last checked: 1 October 2026. Council and clean air charges last checked: September 2026. Prices change, so treat these as a guide and compare written quotes.
Compare House Movers is a comparison and referral service, not a removal company. We do not carry out moves, and a listing here is not an endorsement.