How Much Does Moving a House Cost
How much does moving a house cost is one of the first questions people ask when a sale or purchase is confirmed. The honest answer: it depends. Property size, distance, access, and services all affect the final bill. This guide gives you real numbers, not ballpark ranges, so you can plan your budget properly.
Moving a house costs £149–£1,200 depending on size and distance. Man and van from £48 for small local moves.
Full house removals with crew start at £149.
All Giant Van jobs are fully insured.
Message us in the live chat for a fixed quote.
How Long Does Moving Take: Scope and Coverage
If you need How Long to Keep Cats in After Moving, when you search for movers local near me, the quality of quotes varies enormously.
Some firms quote over the phone without asking enough questions.
Others conduct a proper assessment — either in person or via video call — to account for access, volume, and specific items.
Local movers who operate in your area will price more accurately than national aggregators who pass the job to a subcontractor.
Giant Van operates directly in every area it covers, so the crew who quotes is the crew who turns up.
For local moves within the same city, pricing starts from £54 per hour in London and £54 per hour in regional areas.
Most small local moves complete in three to five hours.
From Road to Door: How Long Does Moving Take Planning
Your How Long Does Moving Take Preparation Checklist
Clear Costs for How Long Does Moving Take
With How Long Does a House Move Take, how much does moving a house cost is a question that requires separating the removal cost from the total moving cost.
The removal itself — van, crew, loading, and unloading — is one line in a larger budget.
The full cost of moving a house in the UK includes: solicitor fees (£800–£2,000 for a standard sale and purchase), stamp duty (for properties over £250,000 from April 2025), removal company fees (£149–£1,500+ depending on property size and distance), mortgage arrangement fees if remortgaging (£500–£2,000), survey costs (£250–£600), and connection fees for utilities at the new property.
Homebuyers also typically budget for immediate decoration or repairs at the new property, furniture for rooms that the previous property did not require, and the hidden costs of address changes and professional redirections.
The removal fee is often the smallest variable — it is the solicitor and stamp duty that move the total significantly.
Quick and Easy How Long Does Moving Take Booking
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When it comes to How Long to Leave a Fridge Freezer After Moving, moving a house costs time as well as money.
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The legal process — from offer acceptance to completion — takes on average 12 weeks in England and Wales, though it varies from 8 to 20 weeks depending on chain length and conveyancing speed.
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Scotland operates under a different system with missives that typically conclude faster.
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Within that legal timeline, the physical preparation — decluttering, packing, booking removals, arranging utilities — requires 30–50 hours of work spread over six to eight weeks.
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On moving day itself, a one-bedroom flat typically takes four to five hours with a professional crew.
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A three-bedroom house takes six to nine hours.
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A four or five-bedroom house can take a full day and sometimes two.
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Time estimates assume reasonable access at both ends and pre-packed boxes at the collection address.
Regions Covered for How Long Does Moving Take
With When Moving House How Long Should You Keep Cats in, removal van services span a wide price range in the UK.
At the budget end: sole traders operating an uninsured van at £20–£30 per hour.
In the middle: man-and-van services from professional operators such as Giant Van, starting from £35–£54 per hour with insurance and goods-in-transit cover included.
At the full-service end: complete packing, loading, transport, unloading, and unpacking with furniture assembly at up to £150 per hour for large crews.
The right level depends on property size and how much physical and administrative support you need.
Giant Van occupies the middle tier — professional service at competitive pricing, without the overhead of white-glove full-service removal firms.
For most one to three-bedroom moves, the Giant Van service level covers everything needed without paying for premium extras.
How Long Does Moving Take: Insured and Experienced
How much does moving a house cost in total is always higher than the initial estimate because of hidden costs most people do not account for.
Cleaning costs at the previous property — landlord deductions or end-of-tenancy professional clean — run £150–£400 for a two-bedroom flat.
Carpet cleaning at the new property if the previous owners had pets: £80–£200.
New curtains or blinds if sizes do not match: £100–£500 per room.
Changing door locks at the new property: £50–£150 per lock.
Royal Mail redirection: £33–£66 for three to six months.
Council tax during a void period between properties: £50–£200 depending on local authority rates.
Parking permits at the new address: £30–£150 annually depending on zone.
Utility reconnection fees for broadband engineers: £30–£150.
These individually small costs combine to add £500–£1,500 to a typical house move budget.
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How Long Does Moving Take: Crew Recommendations
Fixed-Price Removal vs Hourly Rate: Which Is Better Value?
Changing address when moving house triggers a chain of admin that catches people off guard.
Setting a reminder to complete 10 address changes per week for four weeks before the move keeps it manageable.
Giant Van handles the physical side — house removals from £149 across the UK.
The address change admin is on you, but the heavy lifting does not have to be.
Message us in the live chat to book.
Giant Van provides house removals across the UK from £149.
Fixed-price quotes confirmed before arrival — no mileage surprises or hourly overrun charges.
Fully insured.
Man and van from £48 for smaller loads.
Message us in the live chat for a quote that reflects your actual property.
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How Much Does Moving a House Cost — FAQs
What address change should I do first when moving house?
Prioritise the address change for HMRC and your bank first when moving house, as these affect your finances and tax records directly. Next, update your DVLA driving licence and V5C, then the electoral roll. Set up Royal Mail redirection at least a week before moving day so it is active from day one.
Work through remaining accounts over the following two to three weeks.
What should I do first when moving to a house?
When moving to a house, prioritise safety and essentials first. Check all door and window locks on day one. Locate the gas stopcock, electricity consumer unit, and water stopcock. Change the door locks if you are the new owner — previous owners may have spare keys. Set up broadband early if the installation requires an engineer visit.
Then unpack the kitchen and bedrooms before tackling non-essential rooms.
How much does it cost to move a two-bedroom flat?
Moving a two-bedroom flat with a professional crew costs £200–£320 with Giant Van on a fixed-quote basis. This includes a two-person crew, a large transit or Luton van, blankets, strapping, and goods-in-transit insurance. Distance between properties and floor access affect the final price.
Man-and-van hourly rates for a two-bedroom flat typically run four to six hours at £54 per hour in London. Message us in the live chat for an exact quote.
How long does moving a three-bedroom house take?
Moving a three-bedroom house takes six to nine hours with a two-person professional crew, including loading, driving, and unloading. Properties with multiple stair carries, large amounts of garden or loft content, or long carries from the property to the van add time. Giant Van allocates crew size to property size to keep completion within the estimated window.
Is it cheaper to move house yourself or use a removal company?
Self-move costs include van hire (£80–£150 per day), fuel, insurance excess cover, boxes, and the physical effort and time cost of doing it yourself. For one-bedroom moves, self-moving can save £50–£80 over a professional service. For two-bedroom moves and above, the time cost, damage risk, and physical strain typically make professional removal comparable or cheaper in total value terms.
Giant Van's fixed-price house removals from £149 include a professional crew and full insurance.
What is the cheapest day to move house?
Monday to Thursday are the cheapest days for house moves. Friday and Saturday are the most expensive — removal company calendars fill fastest on these days, particularly at month end when many rental tenancies expire. Moving midweek with Giant Van is typically 10–15% less expensive than the same booking on a Friday.
Bank holiday weekends should be avoided for cost and availability reasons.
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Sources and further reading
These are the official UK sources that set the rules for a job like this one. Each link goes straight to the source so you can check it yourself. Links open in a new tab.
- Citizens Advice
Free, independent advice on consumer rights, contracts and complaints.
- Consumer Rights Act 2015, s.49 (reasonable care and skill)
Section 49 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015: a service you pay for must be carried out with reasonable care and skill.
- Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013
The regulations covering what a trader must tell you before you book, and your right to cancel a service booked online or by phone.
- CMA — what businesses need to know about unfair commercial practices
The Competition and Markets Authority's guidance on how a business has to present its prices and offers.
All links checked on or after 1 August 2026.
Compiled by the Giant Van editorial team
Giant Van Ltd is registered in England and Wales, company number 16071027.