What Affects the Price of a House Move
What Affects the Price of a House Move
The cost of moving house can feel mysterious until you break it down. In reality, removal companies base their prices on a handful of factors, most predictable. Understanding these helps you budget accurately, avoid surprises, and choose the right level of service for your move.
Quotes rarely change unless new factors come into play, such as additional boxes or furniture to move or self-packing customers failing to pack some or all of their belongings. These can have a knock-on effect to the amount of time allocated for the move, the number of colleagues needed on the move and the size and availability of lorries.
Below is a general breakdown of current basic costs for a van and lorry, for a local move. Below that is a list of factors that influence and increase costs, such as long distance moves and a detailed look at the elements that influence the price of a house move — whether you’re relocating across town or across the country.
Basic starting price
• One small lorry; 3.5 ton Luton Van with two colleagues - £96 per hour (including vat)
• Large Lorry; 18 ton - £120 per hour plus two colleagues (including vat)
1. The Volume of Your Belongings
This is the single biggest factor.
Albany removals Ltd, calculate volume by visiting your property or from a WhatsApp video you take showing the property and what needs moving. The more items you have, the larger the vehicle required and the more time and labour needed.
Size and weight of the items also affect the costs. Larger, awkward and heavier items take up more space, so a larger number of these could mean a larger or more than one lorry is required. They also take time and more people to move safely.
Larger moves mean more colleagues are needed to ensure it can be completed in one day, or if it is a larger, long distance move, more colleagues can help to reduce the days and overnight stays required.
What increases volume:
• Large furniture (wardrobes, sofas, beds)
• Lots of boxes
• Bulky or awkward items (pianos, gym equipment)
• Outdoor items (garden furniture, sheds, tools)
How to reduce costs: declutter before you move. Fewer items = smaller van = lower price. I have talked about decluttering in an Albany Removals previous blog. If some furniture is no longer suitable for the new house, don’t waste money moving it. Many charities are happy to take your unwanted furniture, or you can sell online. Just make sure this is organised well before the move.
NB: Lorries have legal weight limits, VOSA (Vehicle and Operator Services Agency) do regular spot checks on lorries and vans to check they are not exceeding this. If they are, as well as penalties including a fine, they are then prevented from moving the lorry onwards. Over loading lorries to reduce costs can lead to costly delays and present a significant danger to road users.
2. Distance Between Properties
Fuel, driver hours, and vehicle wear all scale with distance.
• Local moves (within 10–20 miles) are usually charged at a fixed rate or hourly.
• Long-distance moves (cross country) include mileage, travel time, and sometimes overnight accommodation for the crew. Remember that the lorries have speed restrictions, so will take longer than a typical car journey. There are also legal requirements for driver breaks. For more details read the blog I have written about the Lorries we use at Albany Removals Ltd.
• There are strict legal limits on the drive and rest times for lorry drivers, which are monitored by tachographs in the lorries.
• Longer distances often require the team to stay overnight. This will incur overnight fees. We endeavour to keep these to a minimum.
Fuel costs
• Luton 3.5 ton lorry: covers approximately 25 miles per gallon
• Large 18 ton lorry; covers approximately 12 miles per gallon
With the current instability in the oil market cost of fuel has been fluctuating.
How to reduce costs: If you’re moving far, try to avoid peak traffic days — delays can increase labour time and fuel costs.
3. Access at Both Properties
Access can dramatically affect the time and manpower required. If Albany Removal lorries can park directly outside of a house, it makes it much quicker and easier.
Factors that increase cost:
• Narrow streets where vans can’t park close
• No driveway or restricted parking
• Upper floor flats, especially if they have no lift access
• Long walks from the property to the van
• Tight staircases or awkward turns
If access is tricky, companies may need extra staff or a smaller shuttle van. It is essential to inform your removal company of any access issues, in advance so they can plan for this. Failure to do so can lead to delays, that could have been avoided.
How to reduce costs: Check whether appropriate parking space can be booked or sectioned off in advance. Avoid moving unwanted items – declutter, especially larger items (see above). Check to see if there is any other direct access through service roads, neighbours, back entrances.
4. Packing Services
Packing is optional, but it adds to the cost.
Types of packing:
• Full packing service: the team packs, disassembles and reassembles everything for you.
• Part packing e.g. you may choose to pack your own personal items but require Albany Removals to dismantle and reassemble furniture.
• Self packing: you pack, disassemble and reassemble everything yourself.
Professional packing saves time and reduces breakages, but it increases labour hours and materials, therefore costs.
Packing materials
You will need double walled boxes for a move, to ensure your items are protected and the boxes don’t collapse during the move. Paper to wrap items, bubble wrap, tape, hiring of wardrobe boxes etc. are quoted within a full or part packing service.
If you are packing yourself you will need to factor the packing materials into the costs (see previous Albany Removals packing advice blog).
Estimated for average number of boxes need are:
• Small flat – 35 boxes
• Two bedroom house – 60 boxes
• Three bedroom house – 100 boxes
• Four bedroom house – 140 +
The exact number will depend on how many items, in each room, need packing. If you live in a four bedroom house, but three rooms are guest rooms, you probably need less than and a large family using all bedrooms.
How to reduce costs: Packing yourself can save money. If you are packing yourself, Albany Removals can offer packaging materials, including appropriate, recycled boxes, at a competitive price. We will also come and collect your empty boxes once you have unpacked.
Do not be tempted to pack using substandard materials, as this can lead to damage, breakages and a reduced lorry capacity as we can’t stack safely. See Albany Removals blog on how to pack.
If you are short of time or feeling overwhelmed by the volume of packing it may be more cost effective to get help for some or all of it. Please do not wait until the day before. Failure to complete packing will incur additional costs and delays.
5. Specialist Items
Some belongings require extra skill, equipment, or insurance.
Examples include:
• Pianos
• Large mirrors or artwork
• Antiques
• Safes
• Aquariums
• High value electronics
• Garden structures (trampolines, sheds)
These items may need specialist handling, dismantling, or crating.
It may be possible to offer a skilled museum trained packer for some items, please ask when booking a service and we can check availability.
How to reduce costs: Again, consider whether you want to move these items. Will they meet yours and your new home’s needs.
6. Dismantling and Reassembly
Beds, wardrobes, and furniture systems often need to be taken apart to move safely. You can do this yourself or pay for the removal company to do it for you.
Albany Removals offers this service. It can make it much easier and quicker to settle into your new home if all the furniture, especially beds are assembled the same day as the move.
How to save costs: dismantle and reassemble furniture yourself. Make your you label and keep all parts taped together and bolts etc in a taped labelled bag. It is also advisable to take photos as you disassemble as reassembly often proves more tricky than assumed.
Also, consider whether some furniture is worth moving. Some budget furnishings do not stand up well to being disassembled and reassembled. It may be cheaper to replace at your convenience.
7. Storage Requirements
If your move involves temporary storage — for example, if your new home isn’t ready — you’ll pay for:
• Storage space (weekly or monthly)
• Collection and redelivery
• Handling fees
Albany Removals offers house removal storage, which is different to self-storage. Self storage allows you to visit the storage when you wish, removing and adding items. This is more expensive than the house storage offered by removal companies like Albany Removals. Once stored we would not expect to access the items again until they are being moved out. This does mean it is significantly cheaper. If you only store things you will not need until you can move into your knew home, this is a good and cheaper option.
How to reduce costs: as well as using house removal storage rather than self-storage, declutter so you are not storing items you won’t meet the needs of your new home.
9. Insurance and Liability Cover
Most professional removal companies, including Albany Removals Ltd. include insurance cover within the quote. If you have some particularly valuable items, or you have self-packed (meaning the content of boxes are not covered by Albany’s insurance) you may want to consider extra cover.
High value items like jewellery, or cash should not be moved by a removal company, but by the customer.
How to save costs: shop around for additional insurance for high end products.
10. Additional Services
If you have items, you no longer want, such as old furniture, white goods etc. ask Albany Removals for a quote to dispose of them. Remember that removal and clearance companies are required to use and pay for the services of a commercial tip, but these will take items that are more difficult to dispose of at household recycling.
How to save money: asking the removal company, such as Albany Removals, to take away white good, which are often difficult to dispose of yourself, can be cheaper and easier than booking in for a later date. See if any working goods can remain as part of your sale.
Sometimes it may be possible for Albany to drop these off at another property for a small fee.
Final Thoughts
A house move is a combination of logistics, labour, and time. The more complex the move, the higher the cost. But once you understand the factors involved, you can make smart decisions — decluttering, choosing the right day, or packing yourself — to keep the price manageable. Or to take the stress out of the move you can book the removal company to provide the additional services.
It is important not to underestimate the time, effort and equipment needed move home and the running costs of a professional removal company, with the equipment, experience and expertise to carry out your move smoothly and effectively. A professional removal company, such as Albany Removals has many over-heads including the upkeep of the lorries, storage and offices, staff, fuel and insurances. This may be more costly than hiring a van, but the reason most people choose a professional company over van (and possibly person) hire is because it is a complex and physically demanding job. Moving your whole possessions from one place to another is one of the most important activities you will undertake, it needs to be carried out with expertise. Albany Removals has been doing this since 1987 and has received consistent positive reviews to reassure you and take the stress out of your move.
