Moving house budget calculator
Last updated: August 2026
The removal van is one line in a much bigger budget. This tool totals the whole move — removals, packing, boxes, mail redirection, cleaning and the legal costs of buying — with every figure editable and the running total always in view. Just pricing the van and crew?Use the removal costs calculator.
Build your moving budget
| Include | Item | Amount (£) |
|---|---|---|
| Removal companyPrefilled from typical UK ranges — get real quotes to firm it up. | ||
| Packing serviceOptional — a crew packs for you. Packing services. | ||
| Boxes & materialsIf you pack yourself. How many boxes you need. | ||
| Royal Mail redirectionFrom £45 — exact price depends on duration. Who to tell you're moving. | ||
| End-of-tenancy cleaningMost tenancies expect a professional clean — get a local quote and drop it in. | ||
| ConveyancingYour solicitor's or licensed conveyancer's quote. | ||
| SurveyYour surveyor's quote (level 1–3, depending on the property). | ||
| EPC (if selling)An Energy Performance Certificate from an accredited assessor. | ||
| Stamp Duty (SDLT)We don't estimate this — rates and thresholds change. Use gov.uk's official SDLT calculator. | see gov.uk → | |
| Anything elseStorage, van hire, a night in a hotel — add your own line. | ||
| Estimated total | £1,185 |
An estimate — every one of these is editable, and your real numbers will differ. The removal figure is a typical UK range; real quotespin it down. Blank rows are the ones only your own quotes can fill.
The short answer
How much should I budget for moving house?
Budget beyond the van. The removal itself averages around £1,100 for a typical UK home (based on published data from major UK comparison platforms, 2025–26); a whole-move budget adds packing, boxes and mail redirection, and — if you're buying — conveyancing, a survey and Stamp Duty on top. A local 3-bed removal alone is usually £870–£1,300.
Line by line
What's in a moving budget
The removal
Usually the biggest single line — around £1,090 for a local 3-bed, more with distance, stairs or packing. The calculator prefills a typical range for your size; the full breakdown is in the removal costs guide, and real quotes turn the estimate into a price.
Packing — service or DIY
A full packing service adds a few hundred pounds but buys back a day and the breakage risk. Pack yourself and you're paying for boxes and materials instead — a 3-bed needs roughly 35–60 boxes, covered in the moving boxes guide.
Mail redirection & admin
Royal Mail redirection starts at £45 and needs booking about a week ahead — the exact price depends on how long you want it. It's the classic forgotten line; the who-to-tell checklist has the rest of the address changes.
Cleaning (renters)
Most tenancy agreements expect the property returned professionally cleaned, and it's usually the difference between getting your deposit back or not. We leave this line blank for you to drop in a local quote — costs vary too much by property and area to prefill honestly.
Legal costs (buyers)
Buying or selling brings conveyancing, a survey and — if you're selling — an EPC. These are quoted individually by your solicitor and surveyor, so the calculator gives you editable blank lines rather than guessed figures. Switch the Renting / Buying toggle to show them.
Stamp Duty — why we don't estimate it
Stamp Duty Land Tax depends on the price, whether you're a first-time buyer and whether it's an additional property — and the rates change. Rather than guess and risk being wrong on your biggest single cost, we link the official gov.uk SDLT calculatorand leave a line for its figure.
Budget set — now price the biggest line
The removal is the number you can pin down today. Up to five real quotes from vetted companies — free, no obligation, about two minutes.
Good to know
Moving budget FAQs
How much should I budget to move a 3-bed house?
The removal itself is typically £870–£1,300 for a local 3-bed move. On top, budget for boxes and materials, Royal Mail redirection (from £45), and — if you're buying or selling — conveyancing, a survey, an EPC and Stamp Duty. Renters swap those legal costs for an end-of-tenancy clean.
What's different about a renter's budget versus a buyer's?
Renters and buyers share the removal, boxes and mail redirection. Renters add an end-of-tenancy clean and usually a deposit gap between properties. Buyers add conveyancing, a survey, an EPC if selling, and Stamp Duty — which is why a purchase budget is often the larger of the two. Use the Renting / Buying toggle to switch.
What do people forget in a moving budget?
Royal Mail redirection and the end-of-tenancy clean are the two most missed. Redirection needs booking about a week ahead (from £45), and most tenancies expect a professional clean to get the deposit back. Both are small, both are easy to leave off — the calculator keeps them on the list.
Is Stamp Duty included in the calculator?
No — deliberately. SDLT rates and thresholds change, and they depend on price, whether you're a first-time buyer and whether it's an additional property. Guessing it would do you a disservice, so we link the official gov.uk SDLT calculator instead and leave a line for the figure it gives you.