Moving cost calculator

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

For a local move the removal itself is usually the largest line. Stackt’s fixed London prices (in the table above, pulled from our live price list) run from £199 for a studio or small flat to £349 for a one-bedroom, £599 for a two-bedroom and £1,099 for a three-bedroom house, including the van, the movers and fuel. A packing service adds roughly £99 to £699 depending on size, and an end of tenancy clean £259 to £399. Elsewhere in the UK, removal firms quoting by the hour typically charge £50 to £90 an hour for two movers and a van, so a one-bed flat often lands in the same £300 to £500 range.

Then come the lines people forget: packing materials (£50 to £150 for a flat if you buy new boxes), a parking suspension outside each address in London (£30 to £80 a day per bay depending on the borough), storage if the dates do not line up, specialist movers for a piano or a safe, your own travel, and takeaways on the first night. Add a contingency and a one-bed move in London comes to £600 to £1,200 all in; a three-bed house with packing is more often £2,000 to £3,500.

Which moving costs should you include?

Transport is one line, not necessarily the whole move. Consider packing help, materials, cleaning, storage, access arrangements (parking suspensions, lift bookings) and your own travel. Use the other-costs line for anything that does not fit, such as a locksmith on the first day or a van for the garden pots the movers would not take. Check whether a mover’s quote already includes packing or materials before entering those amounts again.

Keep deposits, stamp duty, legal fees and rent in advance in a separate housing budget, or add your confirmed amounts under other costs. This tool does not calculate those charges or advise on affordability.

Understand the total, contingency and remaining budget

The subtotal is the sum of your planned cost lines. Your chosen contingency percentage is applied to that subtotal and added as a separate reserve; 10% is a sensible default for a move where most lines are still estimates, and 5% once the quotes are confirmed. Paid amounts reduce what is still to set aside; they do not reduce the cost of the move.

For example, £800 of planned costs with a 10% reserve gives an £880 planning total. If you have paid a £200 deposit, the remaining amount is £680. When arrangements change, update the affected line rather than adding the revised quote on top, and download a new copy.

How to spend less on the move

Move on a weekday in the middle of the month: Fridays, month ends and school holidays are the most expensive dates and the first to go. Declutter before you get quotes, because every box you do not move is money saved on the van and on storage. Ask friends and local groups for used boxes, or buy a packing kit rather than boxes one at a time.

If your dates do not line up, storage with collection is normally cheaper than a self storage unit once you add the van hire to get there and back twice. And compare quotes like for like: a lower headline figure may exclude packing, materials, insurance or a second trip.

Frequently asked questions