Prices: one fixed figure, worked out before we start
No hourly meter, no per-mile addition, no congestion charge appearing at the end. Below is what our jobs actually cost, what moves the number, and what never does.
What our jobs cost
| Job | Price | What that covers |
|---|---|---|
| Single item or small deliveryA sofa, a wardrobe, a marketplace pickup | £90 to £220 | A sofa, a wardrobe, a marketplace pickup |
| Studio flatOne room, one van, one run | £340 to £620 | One room, one van, one run |
| One bedroom flatTwo crew, four to five hours | £420 to £850 | Two crew, four to five hours |
| Two bedroom flatA Luton, or a transit and two runs | £680 to £1,400 | A Luton, or a transit and two runs |
| Three bedroom houseA full day and three or four crew | £1,050 to £2,000 | A full day and three or four crew |
| Four bedroom houseA full day, sometimes split over two | £1,650 to £2,900 | A full day, sometimes split over two |
| Small office, up to ten desksUsually an evening or a Saturday | £650 to £1,600 | Usually an evening or a Saturday |
| House or flat clearancePriced on volume, tipping fees included | £280 to £1,700 | Priced on volume, tipping fees included |
| Student roomOne hall room, priced per room not per flat | £150 to £340 | One hall room, priced per room not per flat |
| Specialist single itemPiano, pool table, safe, aquarium | £180 to £950 | Piano, pool table, safe, aquarium |
| Long distance, out of LondonA dedicated van, priced per route | £350 to £6,200 | A dedicated van, priced per route |
Each band has its own guide with worked examples from real jobs. Start with the full cost breakdown if you want to see where in the band your move is likely to land.
Why the figure is fixed rather than hourly
Most removals firms in London quote by the hour. It is simpler for them and it moves every risk onto you. A shared goods lift that gives you one trip every fifteen minutes, a concierge who is at lunch, forty minutes stuck on Buckingham Palace Road. None of that is your fault and on an hourly rate all of it is your bill.
We quote a fixed figure instead. It means we have a direct reason to check the access properly before the day rather than discovering it on the morning, and it means the number you agree is the number you pay. If the job takes longer than we thought, that is our problem, which is exactly where it belongs.
The trade for that is we ask more questions up front. Two addresses, the floor at each end, whether there is a lift, roughly what is being moved. Two minutes of detail buys you a price that does not move.
Always included
- The crew, sized to the access rather than the postcode
- The van, matched to what the street will actually take
- Blanket wrapping, covers and corner protection
- Bed and wardrobe dismantling and reassembly where needed
- Fuel and mileage, with no per-mile addition
- The Congestion Charge at £18 a day and ULEZ at £12.50 where they apply
- Waiting time, whether the delay is a slow goods lift or a late completion
- Goods in transit and public liability insurance
Quoted separately when they apply
- Council bay suspensions at £45 to £120 a day, passed on at exactly what the borough charged
- A packing service, if you book it alongside the move
- Waste clearance, if you want items taken away as well as moved
- Storage facility fees, which you pay the facility rather than us
What actually changes the price
In most of the country the answer is distance and volume. In Central London it is mostly access, which is why we ask about the floor before we ask about the furniture.
The floor, and whether there is a lift
The single biggest variable in Central London. A fourth floor walk-up is a two person job where a ground floor flat might not be, and a shared goods lift in a converted warehouse can add hours to an otherwise ordinary move.
Where the van can actually stop
A bay outside the door and a two hundred metre carry from the nearest legal stopping point are different jobs. Red routes, pedestrian zones, riverside walks and estate podium levels all lengthen the carry.
Whether a bay suspension is needed
Councils charge for these and the cost varies by borough and by the number of bays. Where one is worth having we will say so and put the cost in the quote rather than absorbing it invisibly.
The volume, and the awkward pieces
Volume sets the van size and the number of runs. Individual awkward items, a wardrobe that will not turn on a half landing, a marble table, a piano, change the crew rather than the van.
The vehicle the street allows
Cobbled mews in Belgravia, the lanes off Shad Thames, basement bays with a two metre limit and railway arches in SE1 all rule out a Luton. A smaller van means an extra run, and that is in the price from the start.
When you want it done
Weekends, evenings and end of month Fridays are in higher demand than a Tuesday morning. Out of hours office moves need the building to open for them, which is worth doing and does cost more.
Pricing questions
What does a man and van cost in Central London?
A single item is £90 to £220. A studio is £340 to £620, a one bedroom flat £420 to £850, a two bedroom flat £680 to £1,400, a three bedroom house £1,050 to £2,000. Every figure includes VAT, the crew, the van, the wrapping, the fuel and the Congestion Charge. Where you land inside each band is set by the floor, the lift and where the van can legally stop, which is what the rest of this page is about.
Why publish a band rather than one price per job?
Because a single figure for "one bedroom" would be wrong twice over. A one bedroom on the ground floor with a bay outside and a one bedroom on the fourth floor of a Soho walk-up hold the same furniture and are not the same job. One published number would mean overcharging the easy one or underquoting the hard one and then adding to the bill on the day. The band is honest about the spread and the worked examples on each cost guide show you which end yours sits at.
What do you need to give me an accurate price?
Both addresses, the floor at each end, whether there is a lift, and a rough idea of the volume. That is enough for almost any job. For anything unusual, a piano, a very large office, a mews with a width restriction, we may ask for a photo or suggest a quick look in person.
Can the price change on the day?
Only if what we find is materially different from what was described. Twice the volume, an extra floor, a second address that was not mentioned. If everything matches the description, the price does not move, and that includes when the job runs longer than we expected. That is what fixed price means and it is the reason we ask about access so carefully up front.
Do you take a deposit?
For larger moves and for any job needing a bay suspension, yes, because the suspension has to be paid for in advance and is not refundable once the council has granted it. For a small job usually not. Whatever applies is stated in the quote rather than raised afterwards.
How do I pay?
Bank transfer or card. Payment is due on completion unless we have agreed something else in writing, and for business moves we can invoice on standard terms.
What if I need to cancel or move the date?
Tell us as early as you can and we will move the date without a charge wherever we can fill the slot. Late cancellations on a booked crew, and any bay suspension already paid for, we do have to charge for. The terms are set out when you book rather than buried.
Want the figures broken down by job? The cost guides carry worked examples from real Central London moves. Still working out what you need? Read through the services or find your area.
Get your fixed price
We reply to quote requests the same day, usually within a couple of hours.
Prefer to email? quotes@manandvancentrallondon.co.uk. We answer monday to sunday, 7am to 9pm.