Sizes and weights
Typical ranges for what we actually meet in Central London rather than one manufacturer's specification. Measure yours before you rely on them.
| Type | Size | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Freestanding washing machine | 60cm wide, 60cm deep, 85cm tall65 to 85kg | 65 to 85kg |
| Washer dryer | 60cm wide, 60 to 65cm deep, 85cm tall75 to 95kg | 75 to 95kg |
| Integrated machine | 60cm wide, behind a cabinet door60 to 80kg | 60 to 80kg |
| Condenser or heat pump dryer | 60cm wide, 60cm deep, 85cm tall35 to 55kg | 35 to 55kg |
For reference, a standard UK internal door is 762mm. Older Central London stock is often narrower. Full door and van measurements.
Will it fit?
Will it fit through the door?
At 60cm wide against a 762mm door, comfortably. Washing machines are one of the few large appliances that give no trouble at all on width. Even a narrow 686mm Victorian door takes one with room to spare.
What about the stairs?
The weight rather than the size. At 65 to 85kg it is a two person carry on any staircase, and on a turning Georgian half landing it is a two person carry that needs planning. It travels on a sack truck on the flat and is carried on the stairs.
Do the transit bolts really matter?
Yes, and more than anything else on this page. Without them the drum swings on its suspension for the whole journey, and it can shear a damper, crack the spider that holds the drum, or knock the balance permanently out. That damage is not covered by any mover's insurance because it is not caused by the mover.
What if I have lost them?
Most people have. They can be ordered from the manufacturer for a few pounds by model number, which is worth doing if you have a week. Failing that we pack the drum out with blankets and move it slowly and upright, which is a mitigation rather than a fix, and we will be straight with you that it carries a risk.
How we move a washing machine
- The machine is isolated, the water disconnected and the hoses drained into a bowl before anything moves
- Transit bolts go in where you have them, or the drum is packed out where you do not
- The door is taped shut and the hoses are secured to the back rather than trailing
- It travels upright, strapped against the bulkhead, never on its back or side
- Two crew for anything with a staircase involved, because 85kg on a half landing is not a solo job
- At the other end it is levelled on its feet, which is what stops it walking on the spin cycle
What we disconnect and what we do not
We isolate the water at the valve behind the machine, undo the fill hose, drain the waste hose and pull the machine out. At the other end we reconnect to an existing valve and waste, level the machine and check for leaks before we leave.
What we do not do is plumbing. No new valves, no cutting into supply pipes, no rerouting a waste. Nor electrics beyond plugging into an existing socket. Where the new kitchen has no valve fitted or the connection needs altering, that is a plumber, and we would rather say so than leave you with a slow leak behind a cabinet.
Integrated machines
An integrated machine sits behind a cabinet door and is usually held by brackets to the worktop or the plinth, sometimes with the cabinet door screwed to the machine front. Getting it out is a joinery job as much as an appliance one.
Tell us at the quote stage if the machine is integrated. It adds twenty minutes to half an hour at each end and it is entirely manageable when planned, and it is a nuisance discovered by a crew who brought a sack truck and a strap.
Before we arrive
- Run an empty cycle on a hot wash a day or two before, then leave the door open to dry out
- Order transit bolts by model number if you cannot find the originals
- Turn the water off at the isolating valve behind the machine
- Have a bowl and towels ready, because there is always more water in the hoses than expected
- Find the feet spanner if you have it, which makes levelling at the other end much faster
What tends to go wrong
Moving it without transit bolts
The most common way a working washing machine arrives broken. The drum weighs a good deal and it is hanging on springs; a van and a staircase give it plenty to swing against. Bolts cost a few pounds from the manufacturer and take five minutes to fit.
Not draining the hoses
There is always a litre or two left in the drain hose and the filter, and it comes out on the stairs. Draining into a bowl before the machine moves takes two minutes and saves apologising to a neighbour.
Not levelling it at the other end
A machine that is not level walks across the floor on a fast spin, and in a flat that means the neighbour below hears it. The feet adjust with a spanner and it takes a couple of minutes, which is why we do it as part of the job.
Washing machine moving: common questions
How much does it cost to move a washing machine in London?
Between £100 and £240 including VAT, most near £145. Ground floor or a lift at both ends is £100 to £145. Stairs at one or both ends is £155 to £240. The figure covers two crew where the stairs need them, the disconnection, the reconnection to existing valves and the levelling.
What are transit bolts and do I need them?
They lock the drum to the casing so it cannot swing on its suspension during a journey. Without them a move can shear a damper or crack the drum spider, and that damage is not covered by any mover's insurance. If you have lost yours, order replacements by model number from the manufacturer for a few pounds.
What if I cannot get transit bolts in time?
We pack the drum out with blankets and move it upright and slowly. That is a mitigation rather than a fix and we will tell you plainly that it carries a risk rather than implying it is equivalent. On a short move with good access the risk is small; on a long distance move it is not.
Do you disconnect and reconnect it?
We isolate the water at the existing valve, undo and drain the hoses, and reconnect to an existing valve and waste at the other end, then level the machine and check for leaks. We do not do plumbing work: no new valves, no cutting into pipework. Where that is needed you want a plumber.
Can it be laid down in the van?
No. It travels upright and strapped. Laying a washing machine on its back or side puts the full weight of the drum onto the suspension in a direction it was not designed for, and it is one of the ways machines arrive damaged.
Other single items
Moving more than one thing?
This page is about a washing machine on its own. The single item and furniture delivery page covers the service generally, and what a move costs prices a whole flat or house.
Across Central London
We move a washing machine anywhere in the 37 areas we cover. What changes between them is the parking and the staircase, which is what decides where in the band you land.