MAN & VAN
LONDON
FROM £50/HR

What Is the Congestion Charge?

The London Congestion Charge is a daily fee charged to vehicles entering the central London zone. It currently costs £15 per day and applies Monday to Friday between 7am and 6pm. It does not apply on Saturdays, Sundays or bank holidays.

The zone covers roughly the area within the Inner Ring Road — bounded by Marylebone Road and Euston Road to the north, Tower Bridge to the east, Vauxhall Bridge Road to the south, and Park Lane to the west. Some parts of West London that might seem central — Hammersmith, Fulham, Battersea, Kensington — are actually outside or on the edge of the zone.

How We Handle It

We always confirm at booking whether your specific move will involve the zone. If it does, the £15 charge is passed on to you at cost — no markup, no handling fee, ever.

If your schedule is flexible and your move involves the zone, we will always offer the option of an early morning start (before 7am) or a weekend move to avoid the charge entirely. The choice is always yours — we will never push a more expensive option.

Book Your Parking Suspension Early

If you are in a Controlled Parking Zone — which covers most of inner London — you need a formal parking suspension from your local council. Allow a minimum of 5 working days, and 10 days for Kensington and Chelsea. Failing to arrange this is the single most common cause of delayed and expensive moves in London. We advise on every booking whether a suspension is needed and which council to contact.

Start Early in the Morning

A 7am or 8am start is almost always better than a 10am one in London. Roads are quieter, parking is easier, building lifts are free and you have the whole day ahead. End-of-month moves are particularly competitive — early starters consistently have smoother days. We are available from 7AM every day of the week.

Declutter Before You Pack

Every box and item we carry costs time — and time is money on an hourly rate. Before you pack, go through every room and be ruthless. Charity shops, Facebook Marketplace, Freecycle and skip hire are all your friends. Moving a smaller, curated load is genuinely cheaper, faster and less stressful. The average London move has 15 to 20% items that could be discarded — and never missed.

Label Every Box Clearly

Write the destination room on every box — in large letters, on the top and the side. This lets our team place each box directly in the right room at the new property without asking you 40 times. It also makes unpacking dramatically faster. Mark fragile boxes on all sides, not just the top — boxes get turned and stacked in ways you cannot predict.

Confirm Building Access at Both Ends

If you are moving from or into an apartment building — particularly a new-build or a premium block — contact building management before your move date. Loading bays and goods lifts often need to be pre-booked, sometimes a week or more in advance. Arriving without a booking can mean your move is turned away entirely. We guide every customer through this process when we take the booking.

Pack a Moving Day Essentials Bag

Pack a separate bag — not a box — that travels with you rather than in the van. Include: phone charger, kettle, tea and coffee, a mug, toilet roll, a change of clothes, important documents, keys, medications and anything you will need in the first few hours. The rest of your belongings can take time to unpack. The essentials bag means you can function the moment you arrive.

Measure Before Move Day

The single item most likely to cause problems on move day is a large sofa or wardrobe that does not fit through a doorway or around a staircase bend. Measure your largest items and measure the narrowest point in the exit and entry routes before move day — doorway widths, staircase heights and any tight corners. If something will not fit, it is far better to know in advance so we can plan a solution (sometimes that means removing a door, sometimes disassembly) rather than discovering it on the day.

Avoid Match Days and Major Events

London's events calendar can derail an otherwise well-planned move. Twickenham Stadium England rugby internationals (February to March and November), the Notting Hill Carnival (August bank holiday weekend), the Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race (late March, Putney to Mortlake), Wimbledon Championships (late June to early July) and Chelsea FC or Fulham FC home matches all create localised traffic chaos and parking restrictions. We check the events calendar for your area when you book and flag any potential conflicts proactively.

Disassemble Flat-Pack Furniture in Advance

Large IKEA wardrobes, bed frames and shelving units are much faster to move when disassembled. If you can take them apart before move day and keep all the fixings in a labelled bag taped to the main piece, you will save significant time. If you are not sure whether something should be disassembled, ask us when you book and we will advise based on your specific items and the access at both properties.

Notify Everyone of Your New Address

This sounds obvious but it is consistently the most forgotten task. Before you move: update your address with your bank, DVLA, GP, dentist, HMRC, electoral roll, TV Licence, insurance providers, subscriptions and any direct debits. Set up Royal Mail's redirection service as a safety net — it costs around £40 for 6 months and catches anything you missed. Start the list two weeks before move day and work through it systematically.