What is a Full Service Home Move?

There is plenty to worry about, much to do, and even less time to do it in when you are planning a home move whilst living your normal everyday life.

Or it could be that you just prefer to pay someone to do the hard work for you during your home move.

Well, a full-service removal company could be the answer to your home moving prayers for making your home move as easy and time-efficient as possible.

And no doubt you have plenty of questions about full-service removal companies, for example, what do full-service removal companies do? Do removal companies pack and unpack for you? How much do full-service removal companies cost?

So here is an indispensable guide on exactly what you can expect from a full-service removal company, and what you can expect to pay for a full moving service.

What Does Full Service Moving Include?

A full-service removal company will, in short, manage every aspect of your home move from packing ready for moving day, to placing the furniture where you want it in your new home.

If a task is part of the home move, then a full-service removal company will likely be able to take care of it for you.

As a minimum, a full-service home move will include:

• A free in-home moving cost estimate
• A full professional packing service
• Loading and unloading of your household items
• Transporting your items to your new home
• Placing your furniture in the designated places in your new home

Some full-service removal companies may also include:

• Disassembly and reassembly of furniture
• Unpacking your moving boxes
• Packing material disposal
• Cleaning services
• Household rubbish removal
• Storage

You may also like to read: What to Know When Hiring a Removal Company for the First Time. If you have never hired a removal company before then this guide shows you what you need to do and what the removal company will do for you.

How Much Does a Full Removal Service Cost?

The prices quoted below are averages for packing, removal, and delivery only and any other services such as cleaning (about £300 for a 3-bed house), furniture disassembly/assembly (about £150), or storage (about £35 a month for a 3-bed house) should be added to that.

• 1 bedroom apartment: £850+
• 2 bedroom apartment: £1200+
• 3 bedroom house: £1500+
• 4 bedroom house: £1800+
• 5 bedroom house: £2100+

All home moves are different and therefore the above examples are just averages. Your actual quote will be affected by:

• The distance from old to new home
• Where you live in the country
• How much stuff do you need to pack
• Any specialist packing materials you may need
• The time of year or even the day of the week you want to move home
• If there are factors such as no lift or a long walk from your property to the nearest place the removal lorry can park

You may also like to read: What is the Average of Moving a 1 or 2-Bedroom Home? and What is the Average Cost of Moving a 3-Bedroom Home? In these guides, we look at how much the average home move costs when you hire a removal company and also when you move yourself so that you can compare the costs involved.

How Does a Full-Service Removal Company Work?

The process starts when a removal company surveyor comes to visit your home to give you an in-home moving survey. This is what happens during your home-move survey:

• The removal company will assess what items you have to move
• What the packing requirements of those items will be
• If any items you want packing require specialist packing materials or packing crates to be made
• If you have any furniture that requires disassembly
• If any specialist moving equipment is required
• Assess access and parking requirements
• They will identify any issues that may affect the smooth execution of your move
• They will provide you with an accurate home-moving cost

It is becoming far more common for the in-home survey to be completed via video or an app on your phone. This is usually far more convenient for you and can be completed at any time to suit you.

Once you have compared the removal companies who gave you a quote and you have chosen your preferred removal company, hire them as soon as you can to avoid disappointment, the best removal companies are often fully booked, especially in the summer months.

If you require any specialist packing crates to be constructed then the removal company will be arranging this prior to the packing days that they have scheduled for your move.

The next time you see your full-service removal company will be when they have arranged to start your packing for you.

Keep in contact with them though to ensure that everybody is fully briefed on all aspects of your home move should they change for any reason.

You may also like to read: Are Packing Services Worth the Money? One of the services offered by a full-service removal firm is a professional packing service. In this guide, we look at whether it is worth paying someone to pack your things for you when moving home.

How Long Does It Take Professional Packers to Pack a Home?

• 1 bedroom apartment: 2-4hrs
• 2 bedroom apartment: 3-5hrs
• 3 bedroom house: 6-10hrs
• 4 bedroom house: 8-12hrs
• 5 bedroom house: 10-12hrs

Bear in mind that these are averages, so if you are a hoarder it will take longer to pack and the packing materials will cost more too.

If you have elected the removal company to unpack your things, factor in about the same amount of time and costs as packing your things.

On moving day the full-service removal company will arrive to load your belongings onto the removal lorry.

These will then be driven to your new home, unloaded, and the furniture reassembled and placed as you specified on your floor plan.

It is a good idea to produce a floor plan so that you and the removal company know exactly where each piece of furniture is going and importantly that all the furniture you intend to take with you will fit into your new home.

You may also like to read: How to Complete a Floor Plan. A floor plan will not only ensure that your things can physically be moved to your new home but will ensure that your furniture fits in the available space in your new home. Here we show you how to make a simple floor plan as well as explain how to measure your furniture and rooms.

How to Find the Best Full-Service Removal Companies Near You

So if you have decided that a full-service move is exactly what you are looking for, then your next step is to find such a removal company local to you.

Rather than waste hours of your time ringing around endless removal firms only to be told that they do not offer a full removal service or are not available on the date you want to move, use an online removal cost estimation calculator.

Usually, within half an hour, you will receive up to four quotes from removal firms that are pre-vetted, have great reviews, and are available to move you on your preferred date.

All that remains for you to do is carefully read all their reviews, check out the removal company, and decide whether to invite them to give you an in-home survey.

Pay particular attention to the reviews of full-service removal companies to ensure that the services they offer match your requirements exactly.

Look for recent reviews of similarly sized property moves, and if you want to move a particular item such as a piano, look for reviews that mention that service.

You should also note whether the company takes the time and effort to reply to their reviews, good and bad.

Even a simple acknowledgment of the review is a good sign that the company values its customers.

There are many full-service removal companies all over the UK, but if you can find a local one you generally will pay less as there will be less travelling distance for the removal company.

Also, you can take the time to visit their premises, a quick drive-by will be all you need to see the condition of their vehicles, how professional the company looks, and more importantly, that the company actually has a physical building.

This is important because you will then know they are an established business who are unlikely to try and scam you in any way.

You may also like to read: How to Pick a Good Removal Company: The Ultimate Step-By-Step Guide. It can be a daunting task choosing which removal company to hire from all the hundreds out there. So in this guide, we take you step-by-step through the process of choosing the best removal firm for your home move.

Can I Save Money on a Full-Service Home Move?

The most cost-effective way to have a full-service home move is to only pay for the packing and removal of things that you really need in your new home.

The more you intend to take with you, the higher the full-service costs will be.

You should, therefore, sort out all the things you will not be taking with you, the furniture that will not fit in your new home, and anything you no longer need.

Declutter your home before you get the actual quote from the removal company so that there can be no misunderstandings about exactly what you are taking.

You may also like to read: The Epic Guide to Decluttering for a Home Move. In this guide, we take you through the process of decluttering your home so that your home move is as cost-effective as possible.

If you can be flexible on your moving date this can also reduce costs.

Weekends, Fridays and the peak moving times of the summer are all generally more expensive. Plan on a midweek move in autumn or winter and you will likely save some money.

You may also like to read: Can I Negotiate the Price of My Home Move? In this guide, we suggest ways to reduce the cost of your home move, and steps you can take to negotiate a better deal with your removal company.

A full-service move is never going to be the cheapest option, but if you are looking for the best service for a home move where the quality of the packing materials used, the best packing skills are employed, and careful handling of all your possessions is important to you, then it is the option to choose.

So that is really all you need to do as far as the physical packing and moving of your household goods are concerned. Just hire a full-service removal company and leave all the hard work to them.

It is a good idea though to create a home moving binder with a week-by-week home moving timeline and planner. This will provide the perfect checklist to check off all the tasks that need to be completed before moving day.

You only need to sit back and tick off each task as your full-service removal company makes your home move as easy as possible.

You will still need to do things like change of address notifications and keep your removal company up-to-date with any changes to your requirements.

But if that is all you need to do for a stress-free home move, hiring a full-service removal company seems like excellent value for money.