How to choose a long-distance moving company: a buyer’s checklist

Searching for the best long distance moving companies usually turns up a wall of near-identical websites, all promising stress-free moves at great prices. The truth is that the best company for you isn’t the one with the slickest advert — it’s the one whose quote, insurance and plan for the day stand up to a few straightforward questions. This guide is a practical buyer’s checklist for long distance removals in the UK, whether you’re moving from London to another city or the other way round.

We’re a removals company ourselves, so where it’s useful we’ll explain how we handle each point. But the checklist works for any firm you’re considering, and you should hold us to it too.

What the best long distance moving companies get right

A local move forgives a lot. If the van is too small, it can do a second trip; if the crew runs late, they finish an hour later. Over 200 miles there’s no second trip and no quick fix, so the planning has to be right before the van leaves. Good long distance moving companies tend to share the same habits:

• They survey or properly review your home before giving a price.
• They give a fixed written quote that says exactly what’s included.
• They can tell you their insurance cover and its limits without hesitation.
• They’re clear about who will carry out the move and in what vehicle.
• They plan the driving day, including breaks and any overnight stop.
• They explain the difference between a dedicated van and a part-load.

Fixed price vs estimate

The first thing to establish is what kind of price you’re being given. A fixed price is the amount you pay unless the job itself changes — more items, different addresses, a different date. An estimate is a best guess, and the final bill can move with the hours worked, the mileage or the volume on the day.

For long-distance moves, a fixed price is almost always the safer choice, because so much can affect the time: motorway traffic, roadworks, waiting for keys, a narrow street at the far end. With an hourly or estimated price, that risk sits with you. With a fixed price, it sits with the company — which is also an incentive for them to plan properly.

Read the small print either way. A fixed quote should list the crew size, vehicle, date, services included and the specific things that would change the price. If it doesn’t, ask. For a sense of how moving costs build up, see our guide to how much it costs to move house in the UK.

Insurance and inventory

There are two types of cover you should expect any removals company to hold:

• Goods in transit: covers your belongings against loss or damage while they’re being moved.
• Public liability: covers damage to property and injury to other people caused during the move — a scraped hallway, a damaged lift, a broken gate.

Having insurance isn’t the end of the question. Ask what the limits are, whether there’s a per-item cap, what the excess is and whether items you pack yourself are covered in the same way as items the crew packs. If you own something of high value — artwork, antiques, a piano — mention it so the cover can be checked against it.

An inventory is the other half of protection. A written list of what’s going, ideally with photos of valuable or fragile pieces, makes the quote more accurate and gives everyone something to check against at delivery. On a long move it’s also how you’ll know if anything has gone missing. Every Phi Movers job includes goods-in-transit and public liability cover, and we work from an agreed inventory.

Who actually does the move?

This is the question most people forget to ask. Some companies run their own crews and vehicles. Others take the booking and pass the job to another firm or to independent drivers. Subcontracting isn’t automatically bad — plenty of reputable firms work with trusted partners — but you have a right to know, because it affects who is responsible if something goes wrong.

• Will your own staff carry out the move, or will it be subcontracted?
• If subcontracted, whose insurance covers my goods, and who do I deal with if there’s a claim?
• Will the crew that loads also unload, or will my things change vehicles on the way?
• Who is my point of contact on the day?

Ask for the answers in writing. A company that’s confident in how it runs its moves won’t mind putting it in an email.

Drivers’ hours, overnight stops and part-loads

Long-distance moves are limited by the law as much as the road. Larger removal lorries are covered by drivers’ hours rules and tachographs, which require regular breaks — typically a 45-minute break after four and a half hours of driving — and cap the amount of driving in a day. Smaller vans fall under different rules, but a responsible company still builds in breaks for safety.

In practice, that means a long move involves more than a driving time from a route planner. Loading, breaks, traffic and unloading all have to fit into the crew’s day. For longer routes, the honest plan may be to load one day, stop overnight and deliver the next morning. A company that promises to load a large house in London and unload it in Scotland the same evening should be able to explain exactly how.

The other big choice is between a dedicated van and a part-load.

A part-load can be a sensible way to cut the cost of moving a small amount a long way, as long as you know the delivery window up front. See part-load removals for how it works with us, or long-distance removals for dedicated moves.

Comparison table: what to check

When you have two or three quotes, put them side by side against the same checklist. The cheapest quote is only cheaper if it covers the same things.

Reviews are worth reading properly rather than just counting stars. Look for recent reviews that mention long-distance moves specifically, and pay attention to how the company responds when something went wrong — that tells you more than a page of five-star ratings.

Red flags and questions to ask

Most long distance moving companies are honest, but these are reasons to slow down:

• A firm price given over the phone with no idea of what you own.
• A large deposit demanded well before the move, especially in cash.
• No physical address, landline or trading history you can check.
• Pressure to book today to keep the price.
• Reluctance to say who will actually carry out the move.
• A quote far below everyone else’s with no explanation of why.

And these are the questions worth asking every company on your shortlist:

1. Is the price fixed, and what exactly would change it?
2. What insurance do you hold, and what are the limits and excess?
3. Will your own crew do the move, start to finish?
4. Is this a dedicated van or a part-load, and what are the delivery dates?
5. How are the driving day, breaks and any overnight stop planned?
6. What happens if my keys are delayed at the other end?
7. Can you pack, dismantle furniture or store items if my dates don’t line up?

If your dates don’t line up, storage can bridge the gap — ours starts from £15/week — and full packing starts from £150. If you’re moving to or from a specific town, our UK removals pages cover distances and local details for each one.

FAQs

How do I find the best long distance moving company?

Get two or three written quotes after a survey, then compare them on fixed price, insurance, who carries out the move, route planning and recent reviews — not on headline price alone.

Is a part-load cheaper than a dedicated van?

Usually, for smaller loads, because you share the vehicle with other moves. The trade-off is a wider delivery window. For a full home or a fixed completion date, a dedicated van is normally the better fit.

Will a long-distance move take more than one day?

Sometimes. Drivers’ hours rules, loading time and the distance all count, so longer routes may involve an overnight stop and delivery the next morning. A good company will plan this up front.

Do you do long-distance moves from London?

Yes. We move from London to towns and cities across the UK, quoted as a fixed price with goods-in-transit and public liability cover included.

See long-distance removals or contact us to talk it through.

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.