How much does a man and van cost?

For a small load — a single item, a studio flat, a marketplace pickup — a man and van starts from around £75 as a fixed price for the whole job, rather than an hourly rate that climbs in traffic. Load size, distance, stairs and parking set the exact figure, shown before you book.

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

A 3-bed house move typically starts from around £1,100 as a fixed local-move price, rising with distance, packing help, dismantling and access. Long-distance or full-packing moves cost more; a fixed quote itemises the extras so the total doesn't shift on the day.

Is it cheaper to move mid-week?

Usually, yes. Saturdays and the last few days of the month are the busiest slots and book up first, so weekday and mid-month moves often have better availability and price. If your dates are flexible, avoiding the peak is one of the easiest ways to save.

Do removal costs include packing?

Not by default — packing is normally an optional add-on. You can pack yourself to save money, or add a packing service shown as a clear line item in the quote. Either way, with a fixed price you see the cost before you commit rather than being billed for hours on the day.

How can I reduce the cost of moving house?

Move less: declutter and sell what you don't use before you pack. Then book a fixed price so it can't creep, do your own packing where you can, and avoid Saturday and month-end slots if your dates flex. Booking early also locks a better price than last-minute.

Costs & admin · Movesmith guide

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

Q: How much does it cost to move house in the UK?

It depends on whether you're renting or buying. The move itself — removals, packing, cleaning — typically runs from a few hundred pounds to around £2,000, driven by property size and distance. Buyers add conveyancing, a survey and Stamp Duty; renters add a deposit and first month's rent. Removals are the one part you can fix in advance.

Q: How much do removals cost?

Roughly £75 for a man-and-van load, £420–£700 for a flat, £750–£1,100 for a 2–3 bed house, and £1,600–£2,100 for a 4–5 bed home, as fixed ‘from’ prices for a local move. Distance, access, packing and route charges adjust the final number — a fixed-price quote shows them all before you book.

Moving costs split into two buckets: the move itself (removals, packing, cleaning) and the transaction (conveyancing, survey, Stamp Duty if you're buying, or a deposit if you're renting). Here's what each actually costs and where the money hides.

Last reviewed July 2026 · 7 min read

‘How much does it cost to move house?’ has no single answer — a man-and-van studio move and a 4-bed house purchase are different orders of magnitude. But the costs fall into predictable buckets, and most of the nasty surprises are avoidable once you know what to budget for. This guide breaks down removals, the buying and renting costs, and the ones people forget.

The short version

Removals run from around £75 for a man-and-van load to £2,000+ for a large house move — it's the one moving cost you can fix in advance.
Buyers should budget for conveyancing (roughly £800–£1,800), a survey (£400–£1,000+), possible mortgage fees, and Stamp Duty, which varies with price and first-time-buyer status — always check GOV.UK for current rates.
Renters pay a deposit (capped at 5 weeks' rent for annual rent under £50,000) plus the first month up front; most other tenant fees are banned in England.
The hidden costs — cleaning, storage, time off work, new furniture, mail redirection — quietly add up. Budget a buffer.
You cut the bill most by moving less: declutter first, book a fixed price so it can't creep, and avoid Saturday and month-end slots if your dates flex.

The short answer

For most people the move itself — removals, packing and cleaning — lands somewhere between a few hundred pounds and around two thousand, driven mainly by property size and distance. If you're buying, the transaction costs (conveyancing, survey, Stamp Duty) usually dwarf the removals. If you're renting, the deposit and first month are the big up-front numbers.

The single most controllable line is removals, because a fixed-price quote locks it before you commit. Almost everything else is a range until late in the process.

How much do removals cost?

Removals are priced on property size, distance, access (stairs, lifts, parking) and how much you're moving. These are typical fixed ‘from’ prices for a local move — your exact number depends on the details:

Move size	Typical fixed price from
Man and van / single item	£75
1-bed flat	£420
2-bed flat	£700
2-bed house	£750
3-bed house	£1,100
4-bed house	£1,600
5-bed home	£2,100

Packing help, dismantling, long carries and route charges (congestion, ULEZ, crossings) sit on top — but with a fixed-price quote they're shown as line items before you book, not added on the day.

How much is a man and van?

For a small load — a single item, a studio, a marketplace pickup — a man and van starts from around £75 fixed. It's charged as a whole job here, not an hourly rate that climbs in traffic. See our man and van in London page for how the fixed price is built.

Extra costs when you're buying

If you're buying, the transaction costs usually outweigh the move. Rough ranges (always confirm live figures):

Cost	Typical range	Notes
Conveyancing / legal	£800–£1,800	Plus disbursements (searches, Land Registry).
Survey	£400–£1,000+	Homebuyer or full building survey; more for larger/older homes.
Mortgage fees	£0–£1,500	Arrangement and valuation fees vary by lender and deal.
Stamp Duty (SDLT)	Varies	Depends on price and first-time-buyer status — check GOV.UK.

Stamp Duty rates and thresholds change, and first-time buyers get relief up to a limit, so we don't print a figure that will go stale — use the official calculator on GOV.UK for your exact liability.

Extra costs when you're renting

Tenancy deposit — capped at 5 weeks' rent (annual rent under £50,000) or 6 weeks (£50,000+) under the Tenant Fees Act in England.
First month's rent, usually paid up front alongside the deposit.
A holding deposit to reserve the property — capped at one week's rent and normally put toward your first rent.
Most other tenant fees (admin, referencing, inventory, renewal) are banned in England — if you're asked to pay them, question it.

The costs people forget

End-of-tenancy or move-out cleaning, if you're not doing it yourself.
Temporary storage if your move-out and move-in dates don't line up.
Time off work — a day or two of unpaid or annual leave has a real cost.
A Royal Mail redirect, plus replacing anything that doesn't survive the move.
New furniture and white goods for a bigger place, or to fit the new layout.

How to move for less

Declutter before you pack — you pay to move volume, so sell or donate what you don't use.
Get a fixed price rather than an hourly quote, so the cost can't creep on the day.
Avoid Saturdays and month-end if your dates flex — they book up first and cost more.
Do your own packing where you can, and keep boxes from friends or free-cycle sites.
Book early: last-minute availability is thinner and pricier, and a fixed quote locked early doesn't rise.

How Movesmith fits in

Removals are the one big moving cost you can pin down before you commit. Movesmith gives you a fixed price before you book — based on your property, access and inventory — and matches you with a verified local moving operator, whether it's a single item, a man-and-van load or a full house.

No bidding sites, no estimates that grow on the day. You see the price, you book, and the operator turns up.

Got your move date? Get a fixed price in under a minute.

Movesmith gives you a fixed price before you book, with a verified local moving operator on the day — no estimates that change later.

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