How much does it cost to move house in the UK? (2026 guide)

How much does it cost to move house? It’s usually the first question people ask us — and the honest answer is “it depends”, but not in a vague way. The cost of moving home comes down to a handful of things you can measure: how much you own, how far it’s going, how easy the access is at each end, and how much of the work you want done for you. This guide breaks down the typical costs to move house in the UK, shows our own London removals prices by property size, and explains the extras — from packing and storage to stamp duty — that make up the real total.

A quick note before the numbers: UK-wide figures below are typical ranges, not quotes. Prices vary by region, season and company. The Phi Movers prices you’ll see are our own published London starting prices, covering all 32 boroughs.

Average cost of moving house in the UK

Across the UK, the removals part of a move typically lands somewhere between a few hundred pounds for a studio or small flat and roughly £1,000–£2,000 or more for a larger family house, especially over longer distances. Small local man & van jobs can come in under £200; a four or five-bed house moving across the country with full packing can run well beyond £2,500.

The removals bill is only one part of the costs of moving house. If you’re buying, legal fees, surveys and stamp duty usually dwarf it. If you’re renting, the bigger costs tend to be deposits, the first month’s rent and an end-of-tenancy clean on the way out. We cover those further down.

Region makes a difference too. London and the South East are generally the most expensive places to move, partly because of traffic, parking restrictions and the number of flats with stairs and no lift. Moves in smaller towns tend to be cheaper per hour, but longer distances between addresses can even things out. Whatever the region, the same factors decide your price:

• Volume: the number of rooms and big pieces is the biggest single driver.
• Distance: local moves are priced on time; long-distance moves on time, fuel and mileage.
• Access: stairs without a lift, long carries and restricted parking all add time.
• Service level: loading only, or packing, dismantling and storage too.
• Timing: Fridays, weekends and month-end dates are in highest demand.

Removals prices by property size

For anything bigger than a few items, most removal companies quote a fixed price based on your inventory. Here are our London starting prices, which include the van, the crew, loading, transport and unloading — plus goods-in-transit and public liability insurance.

“From” prices assume reasonable access and a typical amount of furniture for that size of home. A third-floor walk-up, a garage full of tools or a loft that hasn’t been cleared in a decade will push the figure up — which is exactly why we offer a free home survey (in person or by video) before we fix the price.

Distance matters less than people think for local moves — most of the time on a London job is spent carrying, not driving. For long-distance removals, such as London to Manchester or Edinburgh, expect the price to rise with fuel, driver hours and sometimes an overnight stay. Those moves are quoted individually, but the same principle applies: the more accurate your inventory, the more accurate the price.

When you compare removals prices, check what each quote actually includes. A lower figure that leaves out insurance, dismantling or a third mover on a walk-up isn’t really cheaper. With a fixed quote you should know, in writing, the crew size, the vehicle, the date, what’s covered and what would change the price.

Moving van cost: man & van vs removals

If you’re wondering how much for removals versus a simple van, the difference is mostly about who carries the risk of time running over. A man & van is charged by the hour; a full removal is a fixed job price.

Our man & van service starts from £50/hour with a two-hour minimum, billed in 30-minute blocks after that, with the first 10 miles included. An extra helper is £20/hour. That makes it the cheapest option for studios, single rooms and smaller loads where you can help — and a less obvious choice for a full house, where an hourly clock can overtake a fixed quote.

DIY van hire looks cheapest on paper, but remember to add fuel, insurance excess, parking, your own time and the risk of injury or damage. For many people, a two-hour man & van job costs little more than a day’s hire once everything is added up. We compare the two in more detail in man & van vs full removal.

As a worked example: a one-bed flat move that takes three and a half hours with two people on our man & van would be 3.5 hours at £50/hour plus 3.5 hours for the extra helper at £20/hour — around £245. A fixed one-bed removal starts from £329 and won’t go up if a lift breaks or the stairs take longer than expected. Which is better depends on how confident you are about the time.

Packing and storage costs

Packing is where moves lose the most time. Even a well-organised two-bed can need 40–60 boxes, and doing it yourself over several evenings is fine — but it isn’t free once you count materials.

• Packing materials kit: from £50 (boxes, tape, paper and wrap).
• Fragile-only packing: from £80 — kitchens, glassware, pictures and mirrors.
• Full packing service: from £150 — we pack the whole home the day before or the morning of the move.
• Storage: from £15/week or £55/month for clean, secure storage between properties.

Storage matters when completion dates don’t line up, which happens more often than anyone would like. Rather than hire two vans and pay twice, we can collect, store and deliver when your keys arrive. See secure storage or our guide to storage costs per month.

Specialist items, piano removal cost & extras

Some items need extra people, equipment or vehicles. They’re worth mentioning at the quote stage so nothing is a surprise on the day.

Piano removal cost varies most of all: a small upright on the ground floor is a straightforward job; a baby grand up two flights needs more hands, skids and careful planning. Photos of the piano and the stairs let us quote properly — see piano & specialist moves.

London-specific extras can include parking bay suspensions (set by each borough), Congestion Charge and ULEZ where routes pass through them. We flag these in your quote when they apply.

The other costs of moving house

If you’re buying, the removals bill is usually the smaller part of the costs to move house. These are the main ones to budget for — figures are broad, typical ranges and will depend on your purchase price and circumstances.

• Stamp duty (SDLT) in England and Northern Ireland: set by price bands and buyer status — use the GOV.UK calculator for your figure.
• Conveyancing: commonly around £1,000–£2,000 including searches, depending on price and complexity.
• Survey: from a few hundred pounds for a basic report to £1,000 or more for a full building survey.
• Estate agent fees when selling: often around 1–3% plus VAT.
• Mortgage fees, if applicable: arrangement and valuation fees vary by lender.
• Renters: holding deposit, tenancy deposit and an end-of-tenancy clean.

Ask your conveyancer for a written estimate early. Removals are easy to price — the legal side is what usually catches people out.

Worked examples: three typical moves

Headline prices are useful, but it helps to see how a real budget comes together. These three examples use our published London starting prices and assume reasonable access. They’re illustrations, not quotes — your own figure depends on your inventory and addresses.

The studio example shows why hourly pricing suits small moves: three hours at £50/hour plus a helper at £20/hour comes to around £210, comfortably under the fixed studio price — as long as everything is packed and the van can park outside. Add an hour of searching for parking or packing on the day and the gap narrows quickly.

The one-bed example is the most common job we quote. Most couples pack their own clothes, books and bedding over a couple of weekends and hand the kitchen to us, because glassware and crockery are slow to wrap well and the most likely things to break. That keeps the total predictable without paying for full packing.

The family example is where costs genuinely stack up, and it’s also where planning saves the most. The storage element depends entirely on how long the gap lasts, so it’s worth asking your solicitor for a realistic completion window before you commit to a unit size. Storing only what you won’t need for a few weeks — not the whole house — can bring the monthly figure right down.

What we see on real jobs is that the final bill rarely changes because of distance. It changes because of things nobody mentioned at quote stage: a loft that needs emptying, a garden shed, a sofa that won’t go round the landing or a lift that turns out to be out of service. A five-minute walk round with your phone camera before you ask for quotes is the cheapest insurance against all of them.

Ways to cut the cost of moving home

1. Declutter before you get quotes — every wardrobe you sell is one you don’t pay to move.
2. Move mid-week or mid-month if your dates allow; demand is lower than on Fridays and weekends.
3. Pack the easy rooms yourself and book fragile-only packing for the kitchen.
4. Measure big pieces against stairwells so nothing gets stuck and wastes crew time.
5. Sort parking at both addresses so the van can stop close to the door.
6. Get a fixed quote for anything bigger than a studio — it caps your risk.
7. Send clear photos or book the free home survey so the quote is accurate first time.

The biggest savings almost always come from the first step. People are often surprised by how much of a move is made up of things they no longer use — old bed frames, spare chairs, boxes from the last move that were never unpacked. Selling, donating or recycling them before you get quotes can bring the job down a whole size band.

Be wary of saving money in the wrong places, though. Uninsured operators, vague “estimates” and cash-only deals can cost far more if something gets damaged or the crew doesn’t turn up. A fixed price from an insured company is the safest way to keep the cost of moving home predictable.

FAQs

How much does it cost to move house in the UK on average?

For removals alone, typically a few hundred pounds for a small flat and roughly £1,000–£2,000 or more for a large house. Buyers should budget separately for legal fees, surveys and stamp duty.

How much does it cost to move a 3-bed house?

In the UK a local 3-bed move typically costs roughly £700–£1,400 for removals alone, more with packing or long distances. Our London 3-bed moves start from £749 as a fixed price.

Is man & van cheaper than a removal company?

For small loads, usually yes. Our man & van is from £50/hour with a two-hour minimum. For a full flat or house, a fixed removals quote is often similar or cheaper once you factor in stairs and packing.

How much is a piano removal?

Our piano and specialist item moves start from £180 in London. The final price depends on the type of piano, floors and access.

Do your prices include insurance?

Yes. Every Phi Movers job includes goods-in-transit and public liability cover, and quotes are fixed before moving day.

Prefer to talk it through? Contact us or see our house removals page for what’s included.

About the author

Sameer Ahmad Basra

Writer

Sameer writes practical, no-nonsense moving guides for Londoners — drawn from real jobs across all 32 boroughs, covering vans, packing, permits and fixed-price removals.