What Are the Average Costs of Moving in 2022?
Moving house is a stressful experience with all the organisation and preparation involved. It usually means planning months in advance to make sure everything is smooth sailing. Perhaps the most stressful part of moving is knowing exactly how much it’ll cost. In our complete costs of moving guide, we’ll walk you through the average cost of moving house and how you can save.
Costs of Moving House in 2022
Moving house is a costly experience. With removal companies, fees, and just general preparation, getting ready for your move can be taxing on both your mind and bank account.
What Is the Average Cost of Moving House?
According to CompareMyMove, the average cost of moving house usually costs around £1,181 for moving from a 3 bedroom house to a new home 50 miles away.
This figure includes:
- Loading and transit for £806
- Packing for £250
- Extra services for £125
If you’re selling a house and buying a new one, the costs of moving house go up dramatically due to all the legal fees and taxes you will have to pay. In the case of buying and selling, the average costs are usually around £8,951!
Need help planning your move? Moving is such a big task and having everything organised and correct can be a real hassle. To make things easier, we’ve created a Moving House Checklist so you can tick off each moving job one at a time!
Check out our Moving House Checklist!
Do the Costs of Moving House Vary?
Moving costs can vary a lot. Since it can be so different between people who are moving to a rented property and those who are buying and selling, it’s important to get a good idea of how much each service might cost so you can budget accordingly.
Fortunately, we’ve prepared this simple guide to help walk you through the costs of moving house so you know what to expect and what you will likely pay at the end of your move.
What Costs of Moving House Should I Expect?
The main costs of moving house depend on whether you’re selling and buying a new house or you’re simply moving from one rented house to another. The differences in costs between the two are very big, but even so you’ll need to be prepared for your moving costs.
In general, both cases should expect the following in their moving house budget:
- Home removal
- Moving boxes
- Additional costs for fragile objects
- Utilities and changes to bills
These are quite typical costs that should be factored into your move. Although with utilities, you won’t pay any fees for having a simple change of address, you should watch out for exit fees on your electricity or gas bills if you’re ending your contract early!
In the case that you’re buying and/or selling a property, you’ll need to take note of other costs such as:
- Stamp duty
- Searches fees
- Conveyance fees
- Surveyor fees
- Valuation fees
These are the costs of moving house that really start adding up quickly!
What Affects My Costs of Moving House?
The costs of moving house are usually broken down into the services you’ll need when you’re loading up the vans and transporting your belongings to your new home. Particularly when it comes to removal companies, you’ll need to get a quote before you move so you get an idea of how much it costs.
What Is Involved in a Removal Quote?
Most people who have bigger properties will opt to use a removal company to help them with their move. This often works out much cheaper since removal companies are professionals and are able to pack a van more efficiently so nothing gets broken. Also, they’re insured against any damages that might occur during transit.
A removal quote will typically include:
- Volume of Your Belongings
If you’re taking more belongings, for example from a 4 bedroom house, your quote will be higher. This is usually calculated on a basis of cubic feet. - Location
If you’re living in a more populated area such as a city, you’ll likely have higher costs since it’s harder to navigate through. If you live in a more rural area, you are more likely to have a cheaper time when it comes to location costs. - Distance Travelled
The distance you travel will also affect how much to pay at the end of your move. If you’ve had to travel for a longer distance, you’ll ultimately need to pay more to compensate for the fuel costs. - Additional Services
Although optional, many removal companies offer additional services that might be invaluable for your move. For example, helping you pack and store furniture correctly could come at an extra price.
Check Our Home Removals Guide!
In general, the costs of moving house with a removal company can be quite expensive depending on whether you are moving further away and have more things to pack up. Here’s a graph showing the average costs per house size and distance travelled:
Source: Compare My Move. Last Updated 12/07/2022.
How Can I Save on My Costs of Moving?
Despite distances and volume, other factors can affect your moving experience. It really comes down to what you’re prepared to save on and how you want to work it into your budget. If you want to make sure absolutely everything remains unbroken or you have some valuable items that you want to keep safe, it might be worth spending the extra money!
Packing Yourself
Packing yourself tends to work out a lot cheaper when it comes to your costs of moving. Especially if you are packing a lot of stuff, it can get more expensive if you have more bedrooms.
| Packing | 1 Bedroom | 2 Bedroom | 3 Bedroom | 4 Bedroom |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Self Packing | £450 | £670 | £900 | £1,150 |
| Company Packing | £700 | £920 | £1,150 | £1,400 |
Last Updated 12/07/2022
Source: Compare My Move
Hiring a Van
If you are only looking to move a small amount of belongings, you can hire a man with a van to cut down on costs. You’ll usually have to do all the packing yourself, but it can be a useful saving if you're only moving a few belongings.
Second Hand Moving Boxes
Moving boxes often come supplied as an extra cost by removal companies and although they provide sturdy boxes that will make sure your belongings are safe, you can find other boxes that are just as good elsewhere for much less.
You can even take the time to ask around to see if anyone has any leftover moving boxes you could have for free. Try asking:
- Friends and neighbours
- Online in Facebook groups
- At work
- Supermarkets
- Recycling centres
- Restaurants and chains
- Schools
This can make your packing cheaper since you’ll do it yourself and you won’t have paid anything for them!
Check Out Our Moving Boxes Guide!
Other Savings
You can also make other savings on your move if you book your move smartly. Although not always possible, you will tend make more savings if you do the following:
- Compare different home removal quotes
- Move on a Sunday
- Avoid busy seasons
- Book well in advance
What Costs Can I Expect When Buying?
If you’re buying and selling your property as well as moving, there’s a lot more to consider than just removal companies’ quotes.
Buying and selling is a notoriously expensive process in itself and unfortunately there aren’t any sure ways to make savings, even by putting down a bigger mortgage deposit! However, it’s still worth knowing the average costs of moving house with all the fees involved.
- Stamp Duty
You’ll need to pay the stamp duty tax when you buy a new property. This is usually a tax that is calculated as a percentage of the property. Stamp duty is usually applied only to properties that are with £125,000 or more and is applied in ranges, with the highest paying 10% of the property’s value. - Conveyance Fees
Conveyance fees are part of the legal work surrounding buying and selling a house. You can opt to do it yourself, but often it’s best to let a solicitor handle it. Conveyance fees can range between £500 to £1000. - Searches Fees
Searches are normally done by your solicitor (although they can be separate) to find out if there are any future developments that might threaten your ownership of the property. Searches usually range from £200 to £250. - Surveyor Fees
Surveys are conducted to make sure your property is in good condition before you buy it. They’re usually a good idea so you can bring the price down a bit if there’s any damage that was undisclosed beforehand. Surveys depend on the property’s value, but they average between £300 to £500. - Valuation Fees
If you’re buying a house with a mortgage loan, you will need to make sure the value of the house is correct so it can be secured against the loan. Your bank will want to conduct a mortgage valuation that you’ll need to pay for. Valuations usually cost between £125 and £365 depending on the price of the home.
