How long does it take to move house? Longer than the drive, and usually longer than people plan for. When customers ask me that question, they are often thinking about the journey between the two addresses. On most local moves that is the shortest part of the day. The hours go on packing in the weeks before, and on loading and unloading on the day. This guide breaks a move into its parts so you can plan each one. Our house moving checklist puts all of it on a week by week timeline.
Three parts, three timescales
A house move is really three jobs. Packing, which happens over days or weeks. The move itself, loading, driving and unloading, which happens in a day. And unpacking, which takes as long as you let it. The legal side, from offer to completion, runs on its own timetable set by the solicitors, and the completion day guide covers how that decides when the move can start.
Packing takes longer than anyone plans for
Packing is where most moves fall behind. As a rough guide, start packing the rooms you use least two or three weeks before a family house move, and a week or so before a small flat. That sounds generous until you open the loft. Kitchens take the longest, because of the number of small, fragile and awkward things, and the room by room packing guide sets out an order that keeps the house usable until the end.
If time is short, a professional packing service can do a family house in a day or two, depending on how much is in it. Ask for it when you get a quote, so it is priced and booked in, not added in a panic the week before.
Loading and unloading
Loading is the part of the day you have most control over. A house where every box is packed, sealed and labelled, and the furniture is clear of the doorways, loads far faster than one where packing is still going on when the van arrives. Unloading is usually quicker than loading, because nothing has to be wrapped, but it slows down when boxes are not labelled with the room they are going to and every one needs a decision.
Access matters as much as volume. Stairs, a lift, a long walk from the van to the door or no parking outside all add time to every single item. A third floor flat with a narrow staircase can take as long to empty as a bigger house with a drive. Our guide to moving day parking explains how to make sure the van can stop close to the door at both ends.
How long does it take to move house on the day itself
For a local move, a small flat is often done in a morning or half a day, and a typical family house fills most of a day. Large houses, long distances and difficult access can push a move into a second day. These are rough guides, not promises. The only way to get a figure for your move is for the removals company to see what is going, which is why a proper quote should be based on a survey or a detailed list, not a guess from the number of bedrooms.
On most days my crew and I can be loading by early morning. Whether the day finishes on time usually depends on the keys. If the money and keys are not released until the afternoon, the van can be loaded and waiting with nowhere to go.
What stretches a moving day
- Packing that is not finished when the van arrives
- Keys released late at the new property
- No parking near the door at either end
- Furniture that will not fit through a door or up the stairs
- Appliances not disconnected and drained the day before
- Things that were never mentioned at the quote, such as a full shed or garage
Appliances catch people out more than you would think. The guide to moving a washing machine explains what needs doing before the crew arrives.
How to make it shorter
Finish packing the day before. Label every box with its room. Take beds and large furniture apart in advance if you are able to. Keep a separate bag of the things you need on the night, so nobody is opening boxes at midnight to find a kettle. And tell your removals company about anything unusual at the quote, from a piano to a loft with no ladder. The moving house tips post has more of the small jobs that save hours on the day.
If you are moving around Luton, Dunstable or anywhere across Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire, ask for a quote and I will give you a realistic idea of how long your move will take, not just a price.
Want this priced properly?
Send us the two postcodes and a rough idea of what is coming, and we will give you a fixed price in writing. No obligation, and no follow-up pestering if you decide to go elsewhere.