Moving house is one of the most expensive life events, with the average UK move costing between £8,000 and £15,000 when you include legal fees, stamp duty, and everything else. The removals portion—physically transporting your belongings—typically accounts for £600 to £1,500 of that total. It’s natural to wonder whether you could save money by doing it yourself.
This guide provides a detailed, honest cost breakdown of both approaches so you can see exactly where your money goes and make an informed decision.
The True Cost of a Complete DIY Move
A DIY move means handling everything yourself: packing, loading, driving, unloading, and unpacking. The headline appeal is obvious—you avoid paying for professional labour. But the real costs often surprise people.
Van Hire
For a furnished one-bedroom flat, you’ll need a long-wheelbase panel van or small Luton. Daily rates typically run £40 to £80. For a two or three-bedroom house, you’ll need a large Luton box van, which costs £70 to £130 per day depending on the hire company and location. Weekend rates are often higher, and London prices sit at the top of these ranges.
If you need the van for more than one day—perhaps because you’re making multiple trips or the move spans two days—double the hire cost accordingly.
Fuel
Luton vans and large panel vans are not economical. Expect around 20 to 25 miles per gallon at best. For a local move (under 20 miles), budget £20 to £40 for fuel. For longer distances—say 50 to 100 miles—you’re looking at £60 to £120, especially if multiple trips are involved.
Insurance and Excess
Basic insurance is usually included in the hire price, but the excess (what you’d pay if the van is damaged) can be £500 to £1,000 or more. Many hire companies offer excess reduction for £10 to £20 per day. Without it, you’re carrying significant risk—one scraped panel or cracked mirror could cost you hundreds.
Packing Materials
If you’re packing everything yourself, you’ll need boxes, tape, bubble wrap, and protective materials. For a one-bedroom flat, budget £30 to £60. For a two or three-bedroom house, expect £60 to £120. You can reduce this by sourcing free boxes from supermarkets, but you’ll still need tape and protection for fragile items.
Equipment Hire
Professional movers bring their own trolleys, furniture blankets, straps, and lifting equipment. If you’re doing it yourself, you may need to hire or buy some of this. A furniture trolley or sack truck costs around £15 to £30 to hire for a day. Moving blankets can be hired for £5 to £10 each, and you might need four to six for larger furniture items. Ratchet straps for securing loads cost £10 to £20 to buy.
Time Off Work
A DIY move typically takes longer than a professional one. If you need to take unpaid leave or use holiday days, there’s a real cost to consider. Even if you move on a weekend, you’re giving up time that has value.
Food and Refreshments
Moving day is exhausting. Budget £20 to £50 for food and drinks—especially if you’ve enlisted friends to help and need to feed them.
Helpers (If You Pay Them)
If you’re paying friends or hiring casual labour to help with lifting, this erodes your savings quickly. Even informal payment of £50 to £100 per person starts adding up. Two helpers for a day could cost you £100 to £200.
Sample DIY Cost Breakdown: Two-Bedroom House, Local Move
Here’s what a typical DIY move might actually cost:
Luton van hire (one day): £90. Fuel: £30. Excess waiver insurance: £15. Packing materials: £70. Trolley hire: £20. Moving blankets (4): £30. Ratchet straps: £15. Food and drinks: £30. Total: approximately £300.
This assumes you have reliable helpers who don’t expect payment, everything goes smoothly, and you return the van on time without damage. If you need to pay helpers, make multiple trips, or encounter any problems, the cost rises quickly.
The True Cost of Hiring Help
Professional help comes in several forms, from a basic man and van service through to full-service removal companies. The cost varies accordingly.
Man and Van Service
A man and van typically charges £30 to £60 per hour for a driver with a medium to large van. Adding a helper increases this to £50 to £90 per hour. For an extra-large van with two people, expect £70 to £120 per hour.
For a one-bedroom flat, a local move might take three to four hours, costing £150 to £300. A two-bedroom house typically requires four to six hours, costing £250 to £450. These prices include the van, fuel, and labour—you’re not paying separately for each element.
Professional Removal Company
Full-service removal companies charge higher rates but offer more comprehensive services. For a local move, expect to pay around £400 to £700 for a one-bedroom property, £600 to £1,000 for a two-bedroom house, and £800 to £1,500 for a three-bedroom house. Long-distance moves add significantly to these figures.
These prices typically include a team of two to four people, an appropriately sized vehicle, basic goods-in-transit insurance, and all the equipment needed for safe handling.
Optional Extras
Both man and van services and removal companies often offer additional services at extra cost. Professional packing typically adds £100 to £300 depending on property size. Furniture disassembly and reassembly might cost £50 to £150. Storage, if needed between moves, runs £50 to £150 per week.
Sample Professional Cost Breakdown: Two-Bedroom House, Local Move
Using a man and van service with two people for five hours at £75 per hour: £375. This includes the van, fuel, insurance, and all the equipment. The team handles all the heavy lifting, loads efficiently, and completes the job in roughly half the time it would take most people doing it themselves.
Using a removal company for the same move might cost £600 to £800, but could include packing materials, furniture protection, and more comprehensive insurance coverage.
The Real Comparison
Looking at the sample breakdowns, a DIY move costs approximately £300 while hiring a man and van costs approximately £375—a difference of around £75. Hiring a full removal company costs £600 to £800, roughly double the DIY cost.
But these headline figures don’t tell the whole story.
Time Investment
A DIY move for a two-bedroom house typically takes eight to twelve hours of hard work, possibly spread over two days. That’s before you factor in time spent collecting and returning the hire van, sourcing packing materials, and dealing with any problems.
A professional two-person team can complete the same move in four to six hours. You’re present to direct and unpack, but you’re not doing the physical labour.
If you value your time at even £10 per hour, the “free” labour of a DIY move represents £80 to £120 of uncompensated work. At a more realistic valuation, the gap between DIY and professional help narrows significantly or disappears entirely.
Physical Demands and Risk
Moving heavy furniture is genuinely hard work. Sofas, washing machines, wardrobes, and mattresses are awkward and heavy. Without experience, you risk injury to yourself or damage to your belongings and property.
Professional movers handle these items daily. They know how to lift safely, navigate tight spaces, and protect both your possessions and your walls. The value of avoiding a back injury or a scraped doorframe is hard to quantify but very real.
Insurance Protection
When you move yourself, any damage to your belongings is your problem. If you drop a box of dishes or scratch your furniture, there’s no recourse.
Professional services carry goods-in-transit insurance, typically covering your belongings up to £10,000 or more. If something is damaged through their handling, you have protection. They also carry public liability insurance covering damage to property.
What Happens When Things Go Wrong
DIY moves often encounter problems: the van is harder to drive than expected, items don’t fit as planned, helpers cancel at the last minute, loading takes twice as long as anticipated. Each problem costs time, money, or both.
Professional services deal with these challenges routinely. They know how to tetris a van efficiently, navigate difficult parking, and handle unexpected complications. Their experience is part of what you’re paying for.
When DIY Makes Financial Sense
A complete self-move genuinely saves money in specific circumstances. If you have reliable helpers who are genuinely willing and able—not just agreeing to be polite—the labour cost advantage holds. If you’re moving a small amount of belongings, perhaps from a studio flat or a single room, the scale tips toward DIY. If your timeline is flexible and you can make multiple trips over several days without time pressure, you can work at your own pace. And if you’re comfortable driving large vehicles and have done this before, you’ll avoid the learning curve that slows down first-time DIY movers.
For student moves or people relocating with minimal furniture, DIY can work well and save meaningful money.
When Hiring Help Makes Financial Sense
Professional help often provides better value than the headline price suggests. If you’re moving alone or your helpers are unreliable, you need to factor in the cost of hiring casual labour or the risk of being stuck mid-move. If you have heavy or valuable items that require careful handling, professional expertise reduces damage risk. If your time has real value—whether measured in work income or personal priorities—paying for speed makes sense. And if you have any physical limitations that make heavy lifting risky or impossible, professional help isn’t optional.
For house moves involving substantial furniture and belongings, the efficiency and risk reduction of professional help often justifies the cost.
The Middle Ground: Hybrid Approaches
You don’t have to choose between complete DIY and full-service removal. Many people find the best value by handling some tasks themselves and hiring help for others.
Packing yourself while hiring professionals for the physical move saves money without requiring you to lift heavy items. This alone can reduce removal quotes by £100 to £300. Decluttering before you move reduces both DIY costs (smaller van, fewer trips) and professional quotes (less volume, less time). Moving small and personal items yourself in your own car, then hiring help just for the furniture and heavy boxes, lets you focus professional time where it adds most value.
Making Your Decision
The financial case for DIY moving is strongest for small moves with reliable helpers and flexible timelines. The case for hiring help is strongest for larger moves, tight schedules, valuable belongings, or situations where helpers aren’t available.
For many moves, the cost difference between DIY and a man and van service is modest enough that the convenience, speed, and reduced physical demands of professional help provide genuine value for money.
The key is being honest about your specific situation: your helpers’ reliability, your physical capabilities, your time constraints, and your tolerance for the stress and effort of doing it yourself.
If you’d like to see what professional help would cost for your specific move, you can get an instant quote online and compare it against your DIY estimates.
