How Much Does a House Removal Really Cost? An Eastbourne Removal Company's View
One of the first questions we're asked by customers is: “How much will my removal cost?”
Unfortunately, it's one of the hardest questions to answer without knowing anything about the move.
You'll find plenty of websites giving average removal prices based on the number of bedrooms in a property. The problem is that, after more than 30 years of carrying out removals, we know no two moves are the same.
That's why at A1 Removals & Storage we don't believe a standard internet price based purely on the number of bedrooms is particularly useful. There are several factors that can have a much bigger impact on the final cost.
What Actually Affects the Cost of a House Removal?
- The Size of Your Home Isn't the Whole Story
The size of your property gives us a starting point, but the volume of belongings inside it is far more important. We've moved large family homes where the owners had relatively few possessions and smaller properties that required considerably more vehicle space and labour.
Garages, sheds, lofts and gardens are particularly easy to underestimate. That's why a survey is so useful. It allows us to establish what is actually moving rather than simply making assumptions based on the number of bedrooms.
We recently moved a three-bedroom house where the owner had accumulated a huge amount of belongings. That particular job took seven days, compared with the one or two days we would normally expect for a more typical three-bedroom move.
- Access Can Make a Big Difference
Access is another factor customers understandably don't always consider. There is a huge difference between parking our removal vehicle directly outside the front door and having to carry everything a significant distance.
Flats, stairs, lifts, narrow roads, restricted parking and difficult driveways can all affect how a removal needs to be organised. We also need to consider access at both ends of the move. You may have fantastic access at your current home but be moving somewhere where getting a large removal vehicle close to the property simply isn't possible.
What Are You Actually Paying For?
We understand why removal quotations can sometimes surprise people. From the outside, it can look like you're paying somebody to put your belongings into a lorry, drive them to your new house and unload them.
There's quite a bit more happening behind the scenes.
A professional removal quotation takes into account the trained crew required for the move, appropriate removal vehicles, fuel and travelling time, insurance, protective equipment, specialist moving equipment and the planning required to make everything work on the day.
How Many Removal Staff Do You Need?
Again, this depends on the move. Sending too few people might make a quotation look cheaper, but it can result in a very long and unnecessarily stressful moving day.
Part of our job when surveying your property is working out the appropriate crew and vehicle requirements. Sometimes it's not even about the number of people, it's about how the whole move is planned.
What About Packing?
Some customers prefer to pack everything themselves. Others would rather hand us the keys and let our team deal with it. We can provide full packing services or help with specific items depending on what you need.
If you're packing yourself, being properly prepared also makes a significant difference to how efficiently moving day runs. Forty sealed, clearly labelled boxes are considerably easier to move than forty open boxes that are still being packed when the removal crew arrives!
What Happens If You Don't Get the Keys?
You can have everything perfectly organised and still find yourself waiting outside your new home because the keys haven't been released. It's more common than people might imagine, so an experienced removal company needs to be prepared for delays.
One job I'll never forget happened in December 2022. We'd collected a customer's full removal and everything was loaded onto our vehicles, but by 4pm there were still no keys. Then, at around 5pm, we received the news that a mortgage had been pulled for somebody elsewhere in the chain. The move wasn't happening.
Fortunately, A1 has its own storage facilities. We took everything back to our storage facility and stored it securely over Christmas. Once the customer had arranged another property, we delivered everything to their new home.
Why Doesn't A1 Publish a Standard Price List?
We'd rather give you an accurate quotation than an attractive number on a website that doesn't reflect your actual move.
Advertising a standard price for a “three-bedroom removal”, for example, ignores the amount you're moving, access, distance, crew requirements, vehicle requirements and any additional services.
Instead, we offer a free, no-obligation home survey. We'll look at what you're actually moving, discuss both properties and any access issues, understand the services you require and then provide a quotation based on your individual move.
How Can You Keep Your Removal Costs Down?
There are several simple things you can do to keep your removal as efficient as possible:
- Declutter before your survey - this means you aren't paying to move things you're planning to throw away afterwards.
- Be fully packed and ready - if you're packing yourself, having everything prepared before moving day can make the job much more efficient.
- Give us accurate information - let us know about access issues and anything particularly heavy, fragile or unusual so we can plan properly and bring the right equipment and resources.
- Arrange your removal survey early - this gives you time to understand the costs involved and avoids trying to organise everything at the last minute.
Don't Compare Removal Quotations on Price Alone
If you've received several quotations, make sure you're comparing the same thing.
Check what is included, the proposed crew and vehicles, insurance arrangements, packing requirements and whether additional charges could apply.
And look at the company itself. Reviews, experience, reputation and how long the business has been established locally all matter when you're handing somebody the contents of your home.
So, How Much Will Your Removal Cost?
Every move is different, but what we can do is work it out properly.
A1 Removals & Storage has been helping people move throughout Eastbourne, East Sussex and beyond for more than 30 years.
If you're planning a move, we'll happily visit your property, assess exactly what's involved and provide a clear quotation tailored to you. Book your free, no-obligation home survey and let us take a proper look at your move.
