Moving Cost Calculator
Enter your home size, distance, the local hourly rate per mover, call-out fee and van hire price. The calculator totals a professional crew and an honest DIY move side by side - including the pizza, fuel and boxes the DIY column always forgets.
Removal-company quote tools take commissions from the companies. This comparison prices both columns the same honest way and tells you when the crew is genuinely worth it - which is more often than DIY pride expects.
How to use
- Pick your home size; the built-in hours-per-size come from typical crew jobs, not brochure minimums.
- Enter your local hourly mover rate and call-out fee - ask two companies to sanity-check the figures.
- Read the gap against one day of your salary: under that, the crew is usually the rational buy.
Frequently asked questions
How much do movers cost for a 1-bedroom move?
At 40 per mover-hour, a 1-bedroom (4 hours, 2 movers) with a 50 call-out runs about 370. The same move DIY - van, fuel, pizzas, boxes - lands near 230 plus two days of your back.
Why do moving quotes vary so much?
Access, not volume: stairs without a lift, long carries, narrow access for the van and waiting time add billed hours. Two quotes for the same flat routinely differ 50% because one estimator walked the route and the other guessed from photos.
When is DIY moving worth it?
Ground-floor to ground-floor, short distance, a friend with a van, and no piano or heirlooms. Past a day's salary of savings, or up any serious staircase, the professional column wins on money once damaged furniture and your time are priced.
What hidden fees should I watch for?
Stair surcharges, weekend and end-of-month premiums (20-30%), packing-materials markup, waiting time if keys are delayed, and fuel levies. Ask for the all-in figure in writing - the hourly rate is the ad, the access fees are the invoice.