Booking movers is one of the first jobs on any moving checklist, and one of the easiest to get wrong. The cheapest phone quote can turn into a long day of extra hours, and the wrong van size means a second trip. This guide covers the whole process: when to book, whether you need a man and van or a full removals team, how to compare quotes, what insurance to check, and how to fit the end of tenancy clean around moving day. At the end we explain why we recommend Hello Vans, our moving partner, for moves across the UK.
Key takeaways
- Book house removals one to two weeks ahead, and earlier for a Saturday or August move. Man and van jobs can often be booked at shorter notice.
- A man and van suits studios, flats and small moves. A full removals team suits houses, lots of stairs or heavy furniture.
- Get at least three quotes with a full breakdown (hourly rate, minimum hours, travel, packing, parking and clean air zone charges).
- Check what the insurance covers. Goods in Transit and public liability cover should be included, but items you pack yourself are often not covered.
- Book the end of tenancy clean for after the van has left. In our records, July and August account for 24.6% of move-out cleans, so book both early in summer.
When to book your movers
As a rule of thumb, book a full house removal one to two weeks before moving day, which is the lead time Hello Vans recommends, and allow more if you’re moving on a Saturday, at the end of a month or in summer. Smaller man and van jobs are often available the same week, sometimes the same day.
Moving dates bunch together. Hello Vans finds Saturday its busiest day and August its busiest month, with Sunday the quietest. Our own cleaning records show the same pattern from the other side of the move: across the full years 2023 to 2025, July (12.0%) and August (12.6%) were the busiest months for end of tenancy cleans, and only 8.2% of move-out cleans happened on a Sunday. If your dates are flexible, a weekday or Sunday move is usually easier to book for both the van and the cleaners.
If you’re renting, work back from the date your tenancy ends, not the date you get the keys to the new place. You’ll want the old property empty and cleaned before the checkout inspection, so the move needs to happen first. Our moving out checklist and timeline sets out the order week by week.
Here’s how a typical moving fortnight fits together:
- Two weeks beforeBook your moversGet three quotes, choose a crew size and confirm the date and start time.
- 10 days beforeBook the end of tenancy cleanSchedule it for after the van has left, on moving day afternoon or the day after.
- One week beforeDeclutter and start packingBook a clearance for anything you won’t take, and sort parking permits at both ends.
- The day beforeDefrost and disconnectDefrost the freezer, disconnect appliances and pack your essentials box.
- Moving day, morningThe movers load and goWalk round every room, the loft and the garden before the van leaves.
- Moving day, afternoonThe cleaners arriveAn empty property gets the most thorough clean, including under where the furniture stood.
Man and van or full removals?
The two are priced differently, so choosing the right one is the biggest single way to control the cost.
Smaller moves
Man and van
- Best for
- Studios, one-bed flats, student moves, single items and furniture collections
- Crew
- The driver alone, or the driver plus one helper
- Pricing
- Usually by the hour, with a minimum booking
- Notice
- Often days, sometimes the same day
Homes and bigger moves
Full house removals
- Best for
- Two-bed homes and larger, lots of stairs, heavy or bulky furniture
- Crew
- Two to three movers or more
- Pricing
- By the hour, or a fixed price for the whole move
- Notice
- One to two weeks, more in summer
Not sure which you need? Count the large items: beds, wardrobes, sofas, fridge freezers, washing machines and desks. If there are more than a handful, or the property has more than one flight of stairs without a lift, a removals crew of two or three will usually finish faster. Paying for an extra person can work out cheaper than paying a smaller crew for extra hours.
How to get an accurate quote
Consumer group Which? recommends getting at least three quotes, ideally after the firm has seen the property in person or on a video call. To make quotes comparable:
- List everything that’s moving, including the loft, garage, shed and garden furniture. Items left off the list are an easy way for a move to overrun.
- Ask for a breakdown: hourly rate, minimum hours, how travel time is charged, packing and materials, and any overtime rules.
- Mention access at both ends: stairs, lifts, narrow streets and how far the van can park from the door.
- Check parking and road charges. You may need a parking suspension or permit from the council, and congestion, ULEZ or clean air zone charges are often added on top of the quote.
- Flag anything unusual: pianos, American fridge freezers, antiques, artwork or furniture that has to be taken apart.
Check the insurance and the terms
Before you pay a deposit, check:
- Goods in Transit insurance, which covers your belongings while they’re being loaded, driven and unloaded. Ask what the limit is per item and per move, and whether there’s an excess.
- Public liability insurance, which covers damage to the properties, such as a scraped wall or a broken banister.
- What isn’t covered. Which? points out that items you pack yourself, especially breakables, are usually not covered by the mover’s insurance, and some policies cap cover per box. Pack valuables and documents yourself and keep them with you.
- The claims deadline: how long after the move you have to report damage.
- Cancellation and rescheduling terms. Completion dates can slip, so check how much notice you need to give to move the date for free.
Get ready for moving day
The British Association of Removers recommends starting early and packing one room at a time. A few habits make the day far quicker:
- Declutter first. Everything you don’t move is time you don’t pay for. Book a clearance for anything you won’t take.
- Use the right boxes: heavy items such as books in small boxes, light bulky items in large ones.
- Label every box with the room and contents, on the top and one side.
- Pack an essentials box with the kettle, mugs, toiletries, chargers, bin bags and basic cleaning products, and keep it with you.
- Bag screws and fittings and tape them to the furniture they came from.
- Disconnect appliances in advance. Movers usually won’t disconnect gas, plumbed-in or hard-wired appliances, so book an engineer if needed, and defrost the freezer the day before.
Move first, clean second
If you’re leaving a rental, the end of tenancy clean is the last job before you hand back the keys. It works best in an empty property, so book it for after the van has left, either later on moving day or the next day. Cleaning around boxes and furniture means corners, skirting boards and the floor under the beds get missed, and those are exactly the places a checkout inspection looks.
A move also shows up dirt you couldn’t see: dust where the wardrobe stood, marks on walls behind the sofa and dents in the carpet. That’s one reason half of our move-out cleans include carpet cleaning. You can see what a typical move-out clean includes, our fixed prices, or book your end of tenancy clean once your moving date is fixed.
Our recommendation: Hello Vans
When our customers ask who to use for the move itself, we recommend Hello Vans, a nationwide removals and man and van company and our moving partner.
Need to move in the UK? Book Hello Vans
Like our own service, Hello Vans works through local teams across the UK. Prices are shown before you book, every booking includes Goods in Transit and public liability cover, and furniture is wrapped in blankets and strapped in the van. Hello Vans says it has completed more than 22,000 moves since 2019.
Cancellation is free with more than 72 hours’ notice. See the Hello Vans cancellation policy for shorter notice.
If you book both, we suggest the move in the morning and the end of tenancy clean in the afternoon or the next day, so the cleaners arrive to an empty property.
Frequently asked questions
How far in advance should I book movers?
One to two weeks ahead for a full house removal, and earlier for a Saturday, the end of the month or July and August. Man and van jobs can often be booked at a few days’ notice, or even the same day.
Is a man and van cheaper than a removals company?
For small moves, usually yes, because you pay for a smaller crew by the hour. For larger homes, a bigger crew can be cheaper overall because the job takes fewer hours. Compare total estimated prices, not just hourly rates.
What insurance should movers have?
Goods in Transit insurance for your belongings and public liability insurance for damage to the properties. Ask for the cover limits, the excess and the deadline for making a claim.
Should I clean before or after the movers come?
After. An end of tenancy clean is done in an empty property, so book it for once the van has left. Cleaning first means the movers walk dirt back in and the areas under furniture don’t get cleaned.
Is Hello Vans connected to Tenancy.Cleaning?
Hello Vans is our recommended moving partner. We recommend it because it works across the UK through local teams, shows prices before you book and includes insurance on every booking. You’re free to compare it with other movers.
Sources: Which?, How to choose the best removals company; British Association of Removers, Top ten packing tips; Hello Vans service and policy pages (checked October 2026); Tenancy.Cleaning job records, January 2023 to October 2026.
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Written by the Tenancy.Cleaning team
We complete end of tenancy, deep and specialist cleans across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Our guides are based on that work and checked against current UK rules.
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