Moving-cost planner
Build a moving-cost scenario from a local quote or your own base estimate, distance charges and a packing allowance. It does not claim to predict market prices by property size.
Result
Estimated moving cost
How to use this tool
- Enter the local base cost from a quote, or set your own illustrative starting amount.
- Enter the move distance, miles included in that base amount and any extra-mile rate.
- If using professional packing, enter the uplift quoted or assumed for your scenario.
- Read the estimated cost.
Assumptions
- There is no sourced property-size price table in this planner. The prefilled £650 base, 50 included miles, £1 extra-mile rate and 30% packing uplift are independent illustrative scenario values, not UK removal-market averages or a quote.
- Actual quotes may include or exclude packing, distance, access, stairs, inventory volume, dates and insurance differently. Check the provider's quote scope before comparing totals.
Technical details: what the fields mean
- Base local move cost or quote
baseCostGbp - Your quoted or estimated local base cost. The £650 prefill is only an example; replace it with a quote or your own scenario.
- Moving distance
distanceMiles - Distance between the old and new address.
- Miles included in base cost
includedMiles - The distance included in the base cost you entered; check the quote or adjust for your scenario.
- Extra cost per mile
extraMileRateGbp - Your assumed or quoted rate for each mile beyond the included distance.
- Include professional packing
packingService - Whether you want a packing uplift included in this scenario.
- Packing uplift
packingUpliftPercent - Your quoted or assumed packing uplift; it is applied to base cost plus distance charge only when packing is selected.
Methodology
Scenario total = base move cost + max(0, distance − included miles) × extra-mile rate. If packing is selected, the entered packing percentage is applied to that subtotal.
Worked example
Illustrative base £650, 75-mile move, 50 miles included, £1 per extra mile, no packing
Inputs: Base local move cost or quote: £650, Moving distance: 75 miles, Miles included in base cost: 50 miles, Extra cost per mile: £1/mile, Include professional packing: No
Result: £650 + (75 − 50) × £1 = £675 scenario total; not a market quote.
Checking a real quote: £900 local base covering 30 miles, £1.50 per extra mile, 120-mile move, and a 25% packing add-on you're considering
Inputs: Base local move cost or quote: £900, Moving distance: 120 miles, Miles included in base cost: 30 miles, Extra cost per mile: £1.5/mile, Include professional packing: Yes, Packing uplift: 25%
Result: £900 + (120 − 30) × £1.50 = £1,035, then +25% packing = £1,294. Toggling packing off shows what that service costs you (£259 here), which is the number to weigh against packing yourself.
Practical guidance
- For like-for-like removal quotes, compare the same inventory, access details and moving dates, and check packing, included mileage and insurance cover; the quote scope may treat each differently.
- If you do not have a quote, adjust the scenario inputs rather than treating the prefilled figures as a representative price.
Common mistakes
- Adding a distance surcharge or packing uplift when your quote already includes it; check the quote and set the corresponding rate/uplift to zero if included.
FAQs
Does the planner know current removal-firm prices?
No. Enter a current quote or your own scenario values; the prefilled figures are illustrative and are not sourced market averages.
What costs does this leave out?
Anything not in your inputs: storage, parking permits or suspensions, extra stairs or long carries, disassembly, cleaning, insurance top-ups, overnight stops and any change to the moving date. Ask each firm which of these their quote includes, then add the ones you'll pay separately.
How do I compare two removal quotes fairly?
Enter each quote's base, included miles and per-mile rate separately and run the same distance and packing choice through both. Differences that remain usually come from inventory volume, access or insurance — check those are the same in both quotes.
Last reviewed: 2026-10-11
This calculates only the cost structure you enter; it does not forecast a provider's price or account for inventory volume, access, dates, insurance or services unless included in your inputs.
This tool provides an indicative estimate, based on the assumptions stated above.
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