The leading removals company in Kent for more than 30 years.
Here at Goodfellows, we receive countless enquiries about how much it costs to hire a removals team.
With over three decades of expertise, we're able to explain that the average starts at around £900 (with a professional packing service) or from approximately £600 if you're handling the packing yourself.
Of course, the total cost will depend on a range of factors, which we'll discuss here to give you a clear idea about what to expect and what will influence your overall removal price.
One of the primary elements in your removals quotation is the level of assistance you require. A two-bedroom house usually costs from £600 on a self-pack basis or £900 with full transit packaging.
If you live in a larger property, the average prices change as below.
It's difficult to give an exact price because the overall removals package isn't solely based on the size of your home or the distance between your current residence and the new property.
UK moving costs can vary from £400 to £5,000 or even higher in some areas, and so a lot depends on the nature of your belongings and the services you require.
Before we offer an accurate quotation, we'll run through a series of questions to understand your prerequisites, the appropriate type of vehicle, and any special services needed.
For example, you may want expert packing supplies to handle a piano or antiques, storage space while preparing your new home or comprehensive packing.
We're always happy to offer advice if you prefer to deal with the packing. Still, we would advise you to be mindful of the costs - it's consistently more cost-effective to have a professional crew in terms of time and actual expenditure.
You'll need to purchase quality rigid transport boxes in various sizes, packing tape, insulating packaging, labels, cartons, strapping and a whole range of equipment for valuable possessions.
There are three main parts to a removals quotation:
The time required will depend on the number of removals personnel needed, the necessary materials for your possessions, and the best vehicle size to avoid multiple trips.
Next, we'll look at some of the main elements contributing to your removal costs.
Volume is based on cubic feet because that allows us to calculate the size of the transport and determine how long it will take for a removal crew to pack, load and unload, and identify the suitable packing materials needed.
We'll also ask for information about each of the below considerations.
Some local authorities instruct drivers to hold permits to position a vehicle on a roadway, and we'll investigate whether this is necessary when we have both addresses.
Access is also important because if a vehicle cannot park nearby or needs to follow a specific route to avoid obstacles such as low bridges, it can influence the time required and the number of crew members.
We cover much of the southeast, from London and throughout Kent, managed from our Maidstone and West Malling offices.
Understanding the distance travelled enables us to quote accurately against the time and fuel costs involved.
Many clients have particular care items that need extra-diligent handling, whether a family heirloom, higher value item, antique or belonging of sentimental value.
We also deal with variable handling requirements, such as removing items through windows or down multiple flights of stairs, where heavy lifting equipment is needed.
Packing for fragile items is highly advisable, particularly for fine arts or antiques, which are extremely vulnerable to damage or wear and tear when being removed from one property and loaded onto transport.
Examples of additional services include crating, using constructed wooden boxes to move electronic equipment or any particularly precious items where conventional packaging either doesn't meet your needs or comply with insurance.
If your new home has complex access requirements, we can pre-book additional items, including hoists or mobile lifting platforms, to get all of your possessions safely inside, positioning large things upstairs as necessary.
Certain days and periods are extremely busy and in high demand.
If you have a fixed moving date and cannot organise removals at another time, it may affect your budget slightly to accommodate additional removals teams.
Many homeowners like to move during weekends, bank holidays or school holidays to ensure they can deal with all the logistics without disrupting work or school.
Needless to say, these are very popular times, although we will always be adaptive where possible.
Some circumstances are unavoidable, and you cannot change the access to a property solely for removals - but it's worth understanding those contributing factors that could push the cost upwards.
Poor access is a key issue. Suppose you need your removals crew to handle heavier items between rooms, navigating narrow staircases, apartments in high-rise properties without a lift, or manual handling with no parking facilities nearby. In that case, it will influence the overall labour costs.
Of course, in this scenario, the importance of a professionally trained removals crew becomes even more important!
Storage facilities are an added service but often required where movers are redecorating their new home, need to find space for their belongings whilst the sale completes, or want to schedule furniture delivery on a convenient day.
Whether you are moving to a new home a couple of streets over or relocating to a new country overseas, the quality of your removals company will have a big effect on your experience and how well your items are packed and transported.
Many of the costs inherent in removals are crucial, including:
There are intricate skills involved in removals, such as correctly packing items, stacking objects to create a balance of weight, and banding loads to ensure nothing shifts or is left vulnerable to breakage.
Cheap removals services are normally worth avoiding, and we'll explain why one quotation may appear significantly lower than others.
Goodfellows Removals offer a complimentary home survey as standard.
This visit helps us get a precise idea about the number of items, vehicle size, particularly weighty appliances, and how long we realistically think it will take to pack and load every belonging in your home.
If you've been offered a removal quote that hasn't been based on a survey, it's very likely the contractor has misjudged.
This situation can make your move very stressful, requiring multiple trips, taking many more days than anticipated, or finding that some items do not fit on the size of the vehicle provided.
While we're confident our customer service and dedicated removals teams are second to none, we'd still recommend you get three quotes to make an informed choice about which removals provider to go with.
Our crews take great pride in the quality of our services and our commitment to professionalism - we put in place robust controls to ensure we deliver to the highest standards and eliminate any risks that could reduce the smoothness of your move.
Removal prices that seem very low will often mean that the company hasn't implemented security management processes such as background checks, insurance coverage and commercial-grade packing materials.
Any of these issues can put your belongings at risk and mean your removals provider may not have sufficient insurance coverage to provide compensation for any losses suffered.
Moving into a new home and taking everything you value with you can be emotional and fraught, with so much to remember, deal with and tick off your list before settling back.
As the leading removals firm in Kent for over 30 years, we believe that the benefits of using a respected removal and storage team are compelling.
We spoke about packing materials earlier, but it's impossible to exaggerate how important these are when you're transporting personal items, glass, jewellery, tech appliances and gadgets, and heirlooms that mean a great deal.
The efficiency of your packing will also matter when you arrive at your new home.
Well labelled cartons allow you to pick and choose which boxes to open first, allocating some items to storage if you'd like to stagger your unpacking process, and immediately knowing what each carton contains.
There is a fine balance between speed and care. Rushing your removals could mean an item isn't strapped down properly, which could cause damage to every belonging in your moving van.
However, we routinely find that removals complete faster than customers expect. A well-experienced team can work through your property quickly and efficiently, identifying the best ways to load and pack each item.
Our storage services are an added asset, and so if you do experience disruption, such as a delay to the date you receive your keys, you can put your belongings in a secure storage space until required.
While we acknowledge that many house movers need to manage their budget, it is usually more affordable to use a trusted removal firm than try to handle the project yourself or use a friend or family member.
Remember that standard buildings or contents insurance will not cover any of your possessions while they are in transit, which can be disastrous if a TV screen shatters or a chandelier falls from a height.
Goodfellows quotations include every requested service, so you will know exactly the cost before any work begins.
The cost of your home removals may vary between regions and often are slightly higher in London due to factors such as the congestion charge and permits required for commercial vehicles needing access to residential streets.
Average costs for removals only - without packing, storage or specialist handling services, by area, are as follows:
These averages are, of course, indicative, and the precise cost of your home removals service will vary, depending on the multiple variables we've discussed here.
Goodfellows covers all of the major towns in Kent, and the surrounding areas in between, including Tonbridge, Tunbridge Wells, Maidstone, West Malling and Sevenoaks.
Please get in touch if you would like further information about nationwide removal prices or transporting your belongings for shipment overseas.
You can do many things to make sure the process goes smoothly, and you are relaxed throughout your move.
They include:
For a more accurate pricing indication or advice about the best ways to deal with your removals, please contact Goodfellows at your convenience.
We're on hand to keep things moving, streamlining every aspect of your removals and providing outstanding customer service at every step.
What our customers say...
“I felt I had to write and thank you for all your help during our recent from Hollingbourne. Kim in the office especially, and of course your personnel who were the most skilled and professional I have encountered in many years of moving.”
Dr Brown - Dorset
“Just a note to say thank you for all your help during my recent move, and how wonderful the lads were. The whole move went without stress and the three lads were so very helpful and good natured.”
Sandra Mulley South Welling
Domestic Removals
Domestic removals have been a speciality of Goodfellows for the past 30 years
Storage
At Goodfellows we have our own secure storage facilities we can store any of your belongings
Commercial Removals
No matter how big or small your commercial removal need, we can help you at Goodfellows
Overseas Removals
Whether you’re moving locally or overseas, Goodfellows can help you along every step of the way
Freephone:
0800 6346794
Maidstone:
01622 753708
West Malling:
01732 841841
