Questions to Ask a Removal Company Before You Book

The gap between the best and worst removal companies in the UK is vast. Same price, same van on the drive, completely different experience. The only way to tell them apart before you've handed over a deposit is to ask the right questions, in writing, and listen carefully to how they answer.

Here are the twelve questions we'd ask if we were hiring a removal company ourselves. Pinch them, adapt them, and don't book anyone who fumbles the answers.

1. "Is the quote fixed, or will it change on the day?"

The single most important question. A fixed quote is a fixed number. An hourly rate with "and we'll see how we go" is an open cheque book. Hourly can be fair for a small man-and-van job, but for a full house move, insist on a fixed price once the team has seen (in person or by video) what they're actually moving.

Good answer: "Fixed, based on the survey. Here it is in writing." Red flag: "Well, it depends on how long it takes."

2. "Are you insured, and can I see the certificates?"

Every legitimate UK removal company should carry goods-in-transit cover (a stated figure per van, ours is £10,000) and public liability (typically £1-2 million, ours is £1 million). Ask to see both certificates. Real, named, current. Not a screenshot from 2021.

If they hesitate, stall, or say "don't worry about that," worry about that.

3. "Will the team who turn up on the day actually work for you?"

Some "removal companies" are brokers who farm the job out to whichever freelance team is free that week. You'll get whoever turns up. The quote you agreed might not be the deal the sub-team was paid for, which gets interesting when damage claims come in.

Good answer: "Yes, we employ our own crew. Same people who'll be on your job are on the van in the photos on our site." Red flag: Vague language about "our partner network" or "our trusted subcontractors."

4. "What's included in the base price, and what costs extra?"

Get this itemised. A proper quote should cover the van, the crew, fuel, wrapping, loading, furniture dismantling and reassembly, goods-in-transit insurance, and public liability. Anything else is a separate line item you want to know about now, not on the day.

Common extras: packing materials, full packing service, storage between dates, parking suspensions, congestion charge passthroughs, and specialist items (pianos, safes). See our full breakdown of how much it costs to move house in 2026 for the range of what's typical.

5. "What's your cancellation and rescheduling policy?"

UK house moves fall through in the last 72 hours more often than anyone admits. Chains collapse, completions slip, solicitors lose the signal. You want to know before you pay the deposit:

• If the chain collapses, do you get the deposit back?
• If it slips by a day or two, can you reschedule at no cost?
• What's the cutoff where cancellation becomes a fee?

A fair policy protects both sides. Our standard is: deposit fully refundable if completion fails, free reschedule within a reasonable window, reasonable cancellation fee only if you cancel last-minute for a reason unrelated to the property transaction.

6. "Do you do your own packing, or just the move?"

Some companies only move pre-packed boxes. Some will pack for you as an extra service. Some will do a mixed job (you pack the boxes, they wrap the furniture). Know which model you're getting, because the difference in how much of the "before moving day" stress falls on you is significant.

Our packing service is genuinely full-service: boxes, tape, bubble wrap, labour, the lot, and it's all insured under the same policy as the move. Not every firm offers that.

7. "How do you protect furniture and floors?"

The reassuring answer is specific: moving blankets, stretch wrap, corner protectors, doorway pads, and floor runners for carpets and hardwood. The worrying answer is "don't worry, we're careful."

If you have polished floors, piano-finish furniture, a listed building, or anything else that bruises easily, flag it in the quote conversation. Good firms plan around it. Bad firms are surprised on the day.

8. "What happens if something gets damaged?"

There's a right answer and there's a dodge. The right answer is a clear process:

1. Note the damage on the inventory or completion sheet before we leave.
2. Photograph it.
3. Email the company within a stated window (usually 7-14 days).
4. Claim is processed under the goods-in-transit policy.
5. Settled within a stated timeframe.

The dodge sounds like "we don't really get damage claims." Every mover gets damage claims occasionally. The question is how they handle them.

9. "Who's my point of contact on the day?"

You want one named person whose phone number you have. Not a customer-service queue. Not a generic dispatcher. The crew lead, ideally. Small-firm movers win this one comfortably; with a national chain, push for a direct line to the person actually on your job.

10. "What time will you arrive, and how long will loading take?"

This should be a specific window, not "in the morning." Typical for a 3-bed move: arrival 7.30-8.30am, loading 3-4 hours, en route by midday, unloading starts early afternoon. Nationwide jobs and larger houses shift the timings; good firms will give you a realistic schedule.

If the answer is evasive ("it depends") without any numbers attached, push back. Our moving day survival guide has the full hour-by-hour timeline if you want to sanity-check what you're being told.

11. "Can you handle anything unusual in my house?"

Pianos, safes, pool tables, gym equipment, large garden sculptures, motorbikes, grand pianos, antique furniture. Any of these need flagging in advance. Firms that specialise in them will tell you with confidence. Firms that don't should say so, and refer you or decline the job, not wing it. We do a fair bit of piano removals so we know what that side of the job involves.

12. "Can I speak to a recent customer, or see recent reviews?"

Reviews are noisy, but recent specific reviews are genuinely useful. Google reviews with photos, named staff, and specific details (date, property type, what went well, what didn't) are real. Clusters of generic five-star reviews from three years ago are less so.

Better still: ask for a testimonial from a customer who moved in the last month. A firm doing good work can produce that in an hour. A firm with nothing to show should worry you.

The summary checklist

Before you pay a deposit, the mover should have given you, in writing:

• A fixed-price quote based on an actual survey
• Copies of insurance certificates
• Confirmation that their own crew does the job
• An itemised list of what's in the price and what costs extra
• A cancellation and rescheduling policy
• Details on packing, floor and furniture protection, and damage claims
• A named contact for the day
• A specific arrival window and schedule
• Written acknowledgement of any unusual items

If anything on that list is missing, ask. If you can't get it, walk.

The shortcut

If you're moving in or around Huddersfield and want to skip the phone-tag, WhatsApp us on 07873 405 938 or email [email protected] with a few details. We'll answer all twelve questions in one reply, with a fixed quote in writing, usually within a few hours. No sales pressure, and if we're not the right fit we'll say so.

That's how it should work. Anything less, and you're being sold to, not served.