Average Cost of Moving House in Bournemouth, Poole & Christchurch

## Typical local move costs

These are realistic ranges for moves inside the BH postcodes, based on jobs we run week in, week out. Every quote still depends on access, volume and the day of the week.

• Single item or small delivery — the low end: a call-out plus about an hour of loading and driving.
• Studio or student room — usually a couple of hours with one person plus mileage.
• One-bed flat — commonly two to three hours, more if there are stairs and no lift.
• Two-bed house or flat — commonly three to five hours, often with a second helper.
• Three-bed house — usually most of a day, two people, sometimes two van loads.
• Garage or house clearance — hourly labour plus disposal costs per item or load.

What actually drives the price

• Call-out fee — £25 Monday to Saturday, £45 on Sundays. This covers getting the van to your door and the first stop. The smallest possible job is the call-out plus one hour of a one-person crew at £40 — so £65 is the realistic floor for any booking.
• Hourly rate — charged per hour for the crew and van you need. A one-person medium van is the cheapest tier at £40 an hour; a two-person crew or a three-person Luton crew costs more per hour but often finishes in less time, which can work out cheaper overall on heavy jobs.
• Round-trip mileage — the first ten miles are free, then mileage is billed both ways, because the van has to come home. A 70-mile trip to London is a 140-mile round trip.
• Driving time — long-distance jobs also include the hours spent behind the wheel, multiplied by the number of people on the job.
• Access — stairs, no lift, narrow lanes, permit parking and long carries all add time. Stairs are charged per flight at each end.
• Disposal — clearances add tip charges. These vary by material: soil and rubble are cheap per tonne, general mixed waste costs several times more, and certain items are priced individually because they need specialist handling. Mattresses, fridges and freezers, and electricals are the main ones.

Worked examples

One-bed flat, Winton to Southbourne. Ground floor to first floor, about four miles — inside the free mileage allowance. One helper, roughly two to three hours, plus the call-out. This is the classic BH move and usually the cheapest way to do it properly.

Two-bed house, Poole to Christchurch. Around twelve miles each way, so a little over the free allowance once the return leg is counted. Two people for four hours or so, plus the call-out. Booking mid-week and being packed before we arrive is what keeps this at the lower end.

Sofa and bed to London. Roughly seventy miles each way. You pay the call-out, loading and unloading time, the round-trip mileage beyond the free ten, and the driving hours — which is why long-distance single items still cost more than a local flat move.

Why the cheapest quote often isn't

If one quote comes in dramatically below the others, it's worth asking what's missing rather than assuming you've found a bargain. The usual explanations:

• The hours are optimistic. An hourly quote based on two hours becomes expensive when the job genuinely takes five. A fixed price shifts that risk to us instead of you.
• Mileage isn't mentioned. If the return leg isn't in the quote, it usually appears on the invoice.
• Disposal isn't included. Tip fees are a real cost. A clearance price that ignores them is incomplete.
• There's no goods-in-transit insurance. This is the big one. If your belongings are damaged in an uninsured van, you have no recourse. Always ask for the cover level — ours is £10,000 per load.
• They're not a licensed waste carrier. If any disposal is involved, an unregistered carrier can leave *you* liable for a fine if the waste is fly-tipped. See our waste removal page for how to check.

How to keep the cost down

• Be fully packed and boxed before the van arrives — loose items are the single biggest time sink, and the one thing entirely within your control
• Dismantle beds and flat-pack in advance, or tell us so we allow for it
• Reserve a parking space or arrange a permit near both doors — a long carry from the nearest legal space adds up quickly
• Move mid-week and mid-month if you can. The end of the month, bank holiday weekends and the July and September student windows are the busiest and book up first
• Take anything for the tip in the same load rather than paying for a second trip
• Book Monday to Saturday rather than Sunday — the call-out is £25 instead of £45
• Be honest about volume when you get the quote. Under-describing the job doesn't make it cheaper, it just makes the estimate wrong

Get an exact figure

Our online quote calculator uses the same rates we charge — call-out, hourly labour, round-trip mileage, driving time and any disposal fees — so the number you see is the number you pay, barring changes on the day. You can also call or WhatsApp 07879 168 829 and we will price it over the phone. Full rates are on the pricing page.

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