Book a house move without a surveyor visiting first
Traditional removals firms send someone round, then post a quote days later. This app prices the van, the crew and the extras while you are still standing in the hallway.
A removals app books a house move from your phone without an in-person survey. TowManVan prices by van size and crew hours: a Luton with tail lift is £60 an hour with a two hour minimum, packing is £25 an hour and dismantling £30 per item. You book a slot directly rather than waiting for a written quote.
The traditional removals quote is a two stage process. A surveyor visits, walks the property, estimates volume, and a written quote follows within a few days. It is thorough, and for a large house with fragile or high-value contents it earns its place. For a two or three bedroom move it is mostly friction.
Most domestic moves are not volumetrically mysterious. A three bedroom house is a Luton van and a crew, give or take an hour. What actually varies is access: stairs without a lift, a shared entrance, a controlled parking zone that needs a bay suspension, a narrow Victorian staircase that will not take a wardrobe assembled.
So this app asks about access rather than about volume. Which floor, is there a lift, is there parking at both ends, does anything need dismantling to get through a door. Those answers change the crew and the hours far more than an estimate of how many boxes you own.
Pricing follows the same hourly structure as a man and van booking, because a removal is the same job at a larger scale. The Luton at £60 an hour with a tail lift is the standard removals unit. Extra crew at £12 an hour each is usually the highest-value addition on a stairs job. Packing at £25 an hour is worth booking if you are moving mid-week around work. Dismantling is £30 per item.
Weekend and out-of-hours moves run at 1.3 times the rate between 20:00 and 06:00 and across weekends, which reflects what crews cost at those times rather than being a demand penalty.
How the removals app works
Describe both properties
Floor, lift or no lift, parking, and whether either end sits inside a controlled parking zone that needs a bay suspension.
Pick van and crew
Luton with tail lift for most house moves. Add crew at £12 an hour each, which is where stairs jobs are won or lost.
Add packing and dismantling
Packing at £25 an hour, dismantle or reassemble at £30 per item. Both can be added on the day if you underestimate.
Book the slot and track
Choose a date and window, then follow the van on the day with the running total visible from arrival.
What it costs
Two hour minimum. First 15 miles included. Cancel free more than 24 hours ahead, £45 inside that window, which goes to the crew who held the date.
| Service | Price | What is included |
|---|---|---|
| Luton van with tail lift | £60 per hour | The standard removals unit. Three bedroom houses and office moves. |
| Medium van | £45 per hour | One or two bedroom flats where a Luton cannot access the street. |
| Additional crew member | £12 per hour | Each. The single most useful addition on any move involving stairs. |
| Packing service | £25 per hour | Crew packs and wraps room by room. Materials at cost. |
| Dismantle or reassemble | £30 per item | Beds, wardrobes, flat-pack that will not clear a doorway assembled. |
| Weekend or 20:00 to 06:00 | 1.3x | Applied to the hourly rate, shown on the slot before you choose it. |
What the app does
Access questions, not volume guesses
Floor, lift, parking and doorways drive the real cost of a move. The app asks about those instead of asking you to estimate cubic feet.
Controlled parking zone handling
Flag a CPZ at either end and the crew arrives knowing whether a bay suspension is needed, rather than circling the street with a loaded van.
Crew sized to the stairs
The app recommends crew numbers based on floor and lift access, because two people on a third floor walk-up beats one person for twice as long.
Packing bookable separately
Book packing for the day before and the move for the day itself, so the van is not sitting idle while boxes get filled.
Tail lift as standard on Luton
Every Luton in the network carries a tail lift, which matters for white goods, safes and anything that cannot be carried down a ramp.
Free cancellation to 24 hours
Plans change during a house purchase. Cancel more than 24 hours out at no cost; inside that the £45 fee goes to the crew who turned down other work.
App booking versus a traditional removals firm
| Factor | TowManVan app | a traditional removals firm |
|---|---|---|
| Getting a price | In the app, in minutes | Surveyor visit, then a written quote days later |
| Booking lead time | Same day where crews are free | Typically one to three weeks |
| How it is priced | Hourly, running total visible | Fixed quote based on estimated volume |
| Changing the scope | Add crew or packing on the day | Usually a re-quote |
| Best suited to | Studio to three bed, standard contents | Large houses, antiques, specialist packing |
removals app questions
How much does a house removal cost in the UK?
Through the app a Luton van with tail lift is £60 an hour with a two hour minimum and the first 15 miles included. A typical three bedroom local move runs four to six hours with two crew, so roughly £290 to £430 including the extra crew member.
Do I need a survey before booking removals?
Not for a standard domestic move. The app asks about access instead: floor level, lift, parking and anything needing dismantling. Those factors change the price far more than an estimate of your volume. Large houses with antiques or specialist items are still better served by a surveyed quote.
Is a removals app cheaper than a removals company?
For studio to three bedroom moves with standard contents, usually yes, because you are not paying for a survey, an estate or a fixed-price risk premium. For large or high-value moves a traditional firm's insurance and specialist packing may be worth the difference.
Can I book packing as well as the van?
Yes. Packing is £25 an hour and can be booked for the same day or the day before. Booking it the day before is usually more efficient, because the van and crew are not waiting while boxes are filled.
What if my move runs over the booked hours?
Time continues at the same hourly rate in 15 minute increments. There is no overrun penalty and the running total stays visible in the app, so you can decide whether to add crew or extend.
Are weekend removals more expensive?
Yes, weekends and any time between 20:00 and 06:00 run at 1.3 times the hourly rate. The multiplier appears on the slot when you choose it, so you can compare a Saturday against a Wednesday before committing.
Own a vehicle? Take jobs through the same app
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Apply to driveMel Carrington - Head of Removals Operations
Mel ran national removal fleets at Pickfords for 15 years before joining TowManVan. She signs off van sizing, hourly rates and crew guidance on this page. Questions? Email mel@towmanvan.co.uk.
Last updated 19 August 2026. Apps launch 1st of October 2026.