There are a lot of removal companies out there. Some are brilliant — professional, insured, punctual and worth every penny. Some are less so. The stakes are high: your home, your belongings, your moving day. Getting the choice right matters.
Here's what we'd look for — honestly, even when the answer isn't us.
Start with insurance
Any removal company working in the UK should carry goods-in-transit insurance and public liability insurance. Ask for proof. Not "yes we're insured" — actual documentation. A company that can't or won't provide this immediately either doesn't have the cover or has something to hide.
Check what's covered. Basic goods-in-transit insurance typically covers items up to a certain value per cubic foot — which can leave you substantially under-covered if you're moving antiques, high-value electronics or jewellery. If you have items of significant value, discuss this specifically.
Written quotes only
A quote given over the phone and never confirmed in writing is not a quote — it's a number that can change on the day. Always get your quote confirmed in writing before you commit. This protects you if the company tries to add costs on moving day, which unfortunately does happen.
The written quote should specify exactly what's included — how many crew, what size vehicle, whether packing is included, what access assumptions the price is based on. If any of these things change, the price should be renegotiated, not just inflated without notice.
Check their reviews — critically
Google reviews are the most useful because they're harder to fake than Trustpilot or Checkatrade. But read them critically rather than just counting stars. Look for reviews that mention specific things — timekeeping, how they handled something that went wrong, whether the price matched the quote. Generic five-star reviews that don't mention anything specific are less useful.
Look at how the company responds to negative reviews. A company that responds to a bad review by blaming the customer and getting defensive tells you a lot more about their character than a company that acknowledges what went wrong and explains what they did about it.
The survey question
For a whole house move, a decent removal company should offer (or request) a site survey — either in person or via video call. A company quoting a large move purely from a bedrooms count without seeing the property is either very experienced and very good at estimating, or they're cutting corners and hoping they don't underquote.
If you have a piano, a safe, an AGA, a spiral staircase, a long carry from the property to the road, or anything else unusual — this needs to be seen, not estimated. A company that doesn't ask about these things probably isn't thinking carefully enough about your move.
Red flags to watch for
- No website, no fixed business address, payment in cash only — this doesn't necessarily mean they're bad, but it's a reasonable reason to look elsewhere.
- Quote significantly lower than everyone else without a clear reason — the van might arrive understaffed, the price might increase on the day, or the insurance might not be what they claim.
- Reluctance to confirm anything in writing — see above.
- No answer to calls or slow to respond to enquiries — how they communicate before you've booked often reflects how they'll communicate when something goes wrong on moving day.
- No reference to insurance when you ask directly about it — not being sure where their documents are is fine; not knowing whether they have insurance is not.
💡 Tip: Call the removal company rather than emailing first. You'll get a much better read of whether you trust them from a five-minute conversation than from any amount of written back-and-forth.
Price is important, but it's not everything
The cheapest quote is not always the best value. A removal that goes wrong — items damaged, crew that don't show, a price that doubles on the day — will cost you far more in stress, replacement cost and practical disruption than the few pounds you saved on the original quote.
That said, there's no reason a good removal company should be excessively expensive. The Staffordshire and Midlands market is competitive and pricing is generally fair. If you're getting quotes that are all similar and one is dramatically lower, ask why.
Ask these questions before you book
- Can you send me written confirmation of the quote and what's included?
- Are you insured for goods in transit, and can you send me a copy of the certificate?
- What happens if completion is delayed — do you wait, and is there a charge?
- How many crew and what size vehicle will you send?
- Have you moved anyone in my area before?
The answers to these questions won't guarantee a perfect move. But they'll give you a much clearer picture of who you're dealing with.