How we chose
We built the candidate list from Google Places listings around Telford, Companies House records [4] and each firm's own website, then checked claimed memberships against the British Association of Removers [1] and TrustMark [3]. Before we score anyone, we check that each business is who it says it is, is trading today and can actually be reached, and that any claimed membership checks out. We then score every eligible business against our scoring system, which looks at the things you care about when hiring: what customers say, the qualifications and registrations that matter for this trade, how the business responded when we contacted it, how long it has traded, insurance and safeguards, how clearly it prices, and how useful its website is. Anything we cannot verify stays neutral rather than counting against a business. The ranking carries its evidence date so you can see how fresh each check is.
How to hire
Start with a survey, not a phone guess. A careful firm views your home in person or by video, lists what is included room by room, and prices the volume, access and distance it actually sees — BAR advises exactly this survey-based approach [1]. Get two or three such quotes on the same inventory so the figures compare. A price given blind over the phone, with no questions about stairs, parking or lofts, is a number the mover can revise on the day.
Then check the protections. Look for BAR membership: members are inspected, follow a code of practice and back advance payments with a guarantee [1]. Ask for goods-in-transit and public liability insurance with the cover limits in writing — standard per-item liability is often low, so declare valuables or take extended cover where offered. Confirm whether the quote is fixed or an estimate, whether VAT is included, and who does the work on the day: employed crew or subcontractors.
Pin down the logistics for both ends: arrival window, lorry parking and access, dismantling and reassembly, and what happens if your completion date slips. If there is a gap between completions, compare the mover's own storage against self-storage units on access hours, insurance for stored goods and notice terms. Get every answer written into the quote, not left in a phone call.
On the day, walk the crew through every room including lofts and sheds before loading, photograph valuables, and read the inventory before you sign it. If anything is damaged, report it in writing within the time limit stated in your terms — and keep the signed inventory until the claim is settled [5].
Pricing
As of autumn 2026, rough Telford figures run: a local one-bedroom flat £300 to £600, a three-bedroom house within town £700 to £1,400; full packing on a three-bedroom move adds around £500 to £600 [2]. National booking data averaging £466 for a one-bedroom and £969 for a three-bedroom move over longer distances sits comfortably inside the removal-only spans [2].
What moves the price is volume, distance, access at both ends, packing and dismantling, and how flexible your date is — BAR notes most moves bunch on Fridays, straining crews and diaries [1].
Get in writing whether the price is fixed or an estimate, exactly what the insurance covers per item, whether VAT is included, the arrival window, and the cancellation and delay terms. A deposit by card or transfer leaves a trail; a large cash deposit does not.
Red flags
Quotes for a whole-house move without any survey, in person or by video [1].
Cannot name the insurer or the per-item cover limit behind 'fully insured'.
Demands a large cash deposit before giving you written terms.
Has no verifiable address and trades under a mobile number alone [4].
Will not say whether the price is fixed or an estimate, or whether VAT is included.
Corrections and business responses
Tell us what needs checking, or ask to claim a listing and reply to an assessment.