Home movers often surprised by cost of moving, new research suggests

Over a third of British people admit they could have done more research into the cost of moving home, according to a new report which reveals that they need to budget an extra £2,000 or risk facing extra costs. Brighton has emerged as the most expensive city for house movers, followed by Southampton and Oxford, the survey by Admiral Home Insurance shows, while Birmingham is the cheapest, followed by Newcastle and Plymouth. Overall some 83% revealed that they would have to rely on others to help them transport their belongings to a new home, a third use storage facilities, and 46% take between three and six days off work. The average cost of a home removal service is £353, storage space comes in at £532, professional cleaning at £147, painting and decorating £873 and re-directing post, perhaps a hidden cost, is £34.