Cost of moving home

Young couple moving home.

Who is this page for?

If you’ve bought a home, or simply want to understand the costs for moving day, this page is for you. If you’re looking for fees associated with buying, read our buying a house costs and fees page.

In this article

Cost of moving house

Hiring removal vans, renting storage space and arranging childcare – moving house is exciting – but can be expensive.

By knowing exactly what you’ll need to pay for, you can make a budget and look for ways to save money.

This page explains the most common moving costs to help you prepare for the big day.

What moving costs should you plan for?

It’s helpful to know the moving costs you’ll need to cover before and during moving day. You can use these costs to create a budget and plan what you’ll need to pay for.

Removal firm

Removal firms can save you the heavy lifting when moving large or valuable items, like:

  • Furniture – beds, sofas, tables
  • Kitchen appliances – Cookers, fridge freezers, microwaves
  • Tech items – TVs, laptops, speakers
  • Valuables – jewellery, artwork

Removal firm charges depend on the size and number of items you’re moving. The average cost to hire a removal company for a three-bedroom house, moving around 50 miles away, is around £1,000 - £1,200. Get a quote from a number of firms before choosing.

Packing

You’ll need a lot of boxes when moving house. Buying bulk packs of storage boxes before you start is usually cheaper than getting them individually. Include items like bubble wrap and tape for fragile items too.

Think outside the box – your local supermarket may gift you leftover boxes you can use. 

Furniture storage

If you can’t move into your new home straight away, you may need to store furniture temporarily in a storage unit.

The cost of these units depends on how much space you need. Different storage companies offer their own rates, so compare prices beforehand. Some have minimum stays and charge by the week.

Childcare

Young children and moving day don’t mix! If family or friends aren’t available to babysit, factor a crèche or babysitter into your moving costs.

Pet sitters

A busy house in the middle of a move is not be a fun place for a pet. If you choose to use a kennel, cattery or pet sitting service, you’ll have to factor these costs in.

Hotels

If you can’t move into your home straight away, you might need to spend a few nights in a hotel, so include this in your budget. Check hotel prices beforehand to get an idea of how much this might cost.

Royal Mail redirection

When you move to a new address, redirecting your mail guarantees important notices reach you. Royal Mail offers a service that automatically makes sure your post goes to your new address – find out more about mail redirection.

Travel

If you’re not using a removal company, you may need to hire a van to transport your furniture and belongings. Or you may be travelling on the train or driving while a removal company moves your belongings.

If you have a set moving date, arrange suitable transport in advance:

  • Book trains as early as possible
  • Hire a removal company in advance

Booking these as early as possible could save you money. 

How can you save money?

There are plenty of ways you can keep costs down when moving house:

Making a budget

Making a list of the things you’ll pay for while moving can help you:

  • Track what you’ll spend.
  • Remove any non-essential costs.
  • Find ways of reducing what you’re spending.

Hiring a van instead of a removal company

The average cost of a removal company in the UK for a house move depends on the size of your house and how far you’re moving. Hiring a van for a day could save you money.

It means you’ll have to do the loading and unloading yourself, so make sure you’ve a few friends or relatives to pitch in to help with bigger items, like sofas.

Decluttering

Having less stuff to move means less storage space is needed or a smaller removal van. It can also mean fewer trips to and from your old home, saving you time.

Before you start packing, have a clear out and donate or bin items you no longer need. You could even sell some items you don’t need to help fund the move.

Getting help from friends and family

Friends or family may be able to help out with storage of furniture or household items while you’re moving, which can save money on renting a storage unit.

They may also be able to help with moving furniture and your belongings, so there’s no need to rent a van or use a removal company. 

The content on this page is for reference and does not constitute finance advice.

For impartial financial advice, we recommend government bodies like the MoneyHelper.

Related pages

Find out more about mortgages.

Moving house checklist >

The cost of buying a house >

Interest only mortgage guide >

What is conveyancing? >

Underpayments and overpayments >

Calculators & tools

We have a range of mortgage calculators to help you:

  • Find out how much you could borrow from Lloyds Bank
  • See how much you could save if you make overpayments on your mortgage
  • Get an idea how a change to the Bank of England Base Rate could effect your monthly payments

Use our mortgage calculator and tools >

Need to speak with someone?

You can talk to us over the phone or use our mortgage video service from the comfort of your own home.

Contact us Contact us

Telephone calls may be monitored or recorded in case we need to check we have carried out your instructions correctly and to help us improve our quality of service.