Choosing a firm · What gets moved and packed · Hiring a van yourself
What insurance should a removal company have?
Two kinds of cover are worth asking any firm about in writing: goods in transit and public liability. For moves booked here, the cover includes both, and the cover row above lists the items on specific terms. Name any of those at the survey, and say which rooms you will pack.
Do you need a licence to do removals? Above 3,500kg, generally yes
For the lorry, yes, once it passes a set weight. GOV.UK says a business generally needs a goods vehicle operator's licence to carry goods in a vehicle with a gross plated weight over 3,500kg. The driver needs the right category on their own licence too.
- Up to 3,500kg. A car licence from a test passed on or after 1 January 1997 covers petrol and diesel vehicles up to this weight.
- From 3,500kg to 7,500kg. The driver needs category C1 on their licence.
- Over 3,500kg gross plated weight. A business generally needs a goods vehicle operator's licence for the vehicle.
Asked for a deposit? Get the terms in writing before you pay
Firms set their own terms, so get the deposit, the balance date and what happens if your date moves in writing before you pay. Paying by credit card can help. Under section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974, the card provider shares the firm's liability for a breach of contract. That applies where the price is over £100 and no more than £30,000.
Four red flags to spot before you book a mover
Each one is easy to check before you pay anything.
- A price before anyone has seen your things. No survey, in person or by video, means the price is a guess.
- Nothing in writing. No quote naming the date, both addresses and the packing.
- Cover nobody will name. No straight answer on goods in transit and public liability.
- Payment terms that shift. A deposit asked for before the terms are written down.
How it works
Three steps from first call to a quote you can check
The checks above fit into these steps. The cover, the packing and the date all go on the quote before you agree it.
- Four details
- Survey, in person or by video
- Written quote
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Give four details
Give four details. The postcode you are leaving, the postcode you are going to, the size of the move and a phone number.
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Flag the special-terms items
In person or on a video call. Point out anything on special terms, anything to take apart and the rooms you will pack.
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Spot the cover on the quote
Check the date, both addresses, the packing and the cover are named. Agree it only when it matches what you said.
Reviews
Booking from abroad, in Steve's words
Over 250 five-star Google reviews
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Booked from abroad
… I was coordinating from outside the country to move my daughter’s university belongings … and Kirk was fantastic to work with. He was friendly, flexible, professional, and incredibly helpful throughout the process! …
Steve K.4 October 2026
Google review
Google reviews of Moving Professionals, as shown on its website on 6 November 2026.
Too big for the doorway, the stairs or the lift? That piece comes apart
Measure the big items at both ends and point them out at the survey.
- The narrowest doorway on the way out and the way in.
- Every turn in the stairs, and the height under any landing.
- The lift door and car, if either home is a flat.
Is it hard to disassemble furniture?
It takes time more than skill, and fittings go missing. Keep every screw and fitting in a labelled bag if you do it yourself. The removals team takes furniture apart and puts it back together, if required. Say which pieces are flat-pack at the survey.
Pianos are taken, small single items and clearances are not
Here, clearance jobs and small single-item jobs are not taken. TVs and monitors, flat-pack furniture and self-packed boxes may be handled under specific terms, so name each to the surveyor. Pianos and grand pianos are taken; mention one at the survey.
Do removal companies pack everything?
Only if you ask them to. Packing comes full, part or fragile-only, so you choose which rooms the team packs and which you do.
Do you empty the chest of drawers when moving?
Ask at the survey, because the answer depends on the piece and how heavy it is once loaded. Whatever you agree, have the quote say it, so nobody is emptying drawers on the morning.
What do removal companies load first?
Ask at the survey how the van will be loaded. What you decide is which boxes you need first at the new home: mark the kettle, the bedding and the children's things, and keep them apart.
Hiring a van yourself? Check the weight, the cover and the extras first
Before you book one, check the van's weight against your licence, the insurance, and what the hire price leaves out.
- The van's weight, against the licence you hold.
- The insurance excess, the amount you pay if the van is damaged.
- Fuel and mileage, and how far the hire price lets you go.
- A one-way return, if the van goes back to a different branch.
Do I need my own insurance to hire a van?
You need motor insurance to drive on UK roads, and third party cover is the legal minimum (GOV.UK). Ask the hire firm what its price includes, and what you pay yourself if the van is damaged.
Can I drive a hired van on a car licence?
If you passed your test on or after 1 January 1997, a car licence covers petrol and diesel vehicles up to 3,500kg. Check the van's weight on the booking before you pay.
What does van hire cost on top of the day rate?
Fuel, mileage, the insurance excess and any one-way return charge. Hire firms set their own day rates, so compare written prices for the same van size and dates with those added in.
How do you keep one-way van hire down?
Ask each hire firm whether it takes the van back at a branch near your new home, and what it charges for that. Then compare the full cost against a written removals quote for the same date.
Clearing things out with a hired van first? Check the council's van rules at Poole Recycling Centre before you book the hire.
Which moving company has the best reputation?
Judge each firm on what you can check yourself: recent reviews in customers' own words, a survey before any price, and a written quote.
- Recent reviews in customers' own words, with dates.
- A survey in person or by video before any price.
- A written quote naming the date, both addresses and the cover.
Questions
Before you book, four quick answers
Rather ring?
Is there a price list?
No. The price follows the survey, which looks at what is moving and the access at each end, and it is given in writing before you agree to anything.
Can the survey be done without a home visit?
Yes, by video link, with no app to download. A survey at your home is offered too, if you prefer one.
Who sorts out parking for the van?
Most moves need nothing from the council. On a main road or a street with yellow lines, the removals team applies to the council for whatever the van needs, such as a bay suspension. If anything is ever needed from you, you are told before the job is booked.
Where do the reviews on this page come from?
From Google, as shown on the website of the team that carries out the moves. They are copied word for word, surnames are cut to an initial, and each cut is marked with three dots.
Sources for this page, read in November 2026:
- GOV.UK: Being a goods vehicle operator
- GOV.UK: Driving licence categories
- GOV.UK: Vehicle insurance
- legislation.gov.uk: Consumer Credit Act 1974, section 75
Put every one of these checks to the removals team
Send the form or ring, and the survey is booked before any price is given.