Alfriston is one of the most photographed villages in the South Downs — a single high street of listed cottages running south to the River Cuckmere, surrounded by chalk downland. The village has a strict conservation-area designation and narrow streets that limit lorry access. Our Alfriston work involves careful listed-property handling, often paired with moves between the village and London via the train at Polegate or Lewes.
Alfriston’s High Street is narrow throughout and pedestrian-busy in summer. We typically load and unload outside peak hours (before 9am or after 6pm) and use a 7.5-tonne where possible. The Tye area has slightly easier access.
Three things to look at when choosing a removals company:
We’ve been moving Sussex households since 1982. Currently rated 4.9/5 from 120+ independent reviews. The reviews page has the full set. Book a free survey by emailing office@markratcliffemoving.co.uk or calling 01323 848 008. We’ll come to you, walk through the property and email a fixed-price quote within 48 hours.
Alfriston properties tend to fall into two main groups. Substantial detached commuter homes on the established estates — typically three to five bedrooms, with garages, summerhouses, gym or office conversions and a fair amount of outdoor furniture. And the older village cottages and farmhouses in the surrounding lanes — listed buildings, original fireplaces, low beams and steep stairs that benefit from careful pad-wrap protection on every piece.
Either type lends itself well to a proper in-home survey. We walk every room, count cartons by name and size, photograph the access points and email the quote with itemised pricing within two working days. For straightforward smaller jobs (a single bedroom, a studio flat or a baggage shipment) a phone or video survey is enough. The aim is the same regardless of the property: a fixed, written price that doesn’t move on the day.
Our daily routes out of the Lower Dicker depot put Alfriston within standard half-day or full-day reach, depending on inventory size and the destination address. A typical Alfriston pickup with a Sussex or Surrey delivery completes in a single day, including pad-wrapping at the load and unwrapping at the unload. The lorry leaves Lower Dicker in time to be on your driveway ten minutes before the stated load time — we don’t make customers wait around at 6am for a 7am scheduled start.
For chain-day moves out of Alfriston the timings matter and we plan the schedule from the keys-release time backwards. The conveyancer’s 12 noon or 1pm completion target shapes when we crew up, when we pad-wrap and when we leave the property. For longer-distance UK moves — to the Midlands, the West Country, the north — we generally split the day across two crews if the inventory exceeds a single lorry. Anything heading overseas from Alfriston routes through our customs-controlled holding bay at the depot, where the container is loaded after a final inventory check.
Every Alfriston quote starts with an in-home or video survey — free, no obligation, and the only way to give you a fixed price that doesn’t move on move day. The surveyor walks every room, photographs access at both ends, and counts the cartons by size. The written quote follows within 48 hours, broken down by line: crew time, lorry, fuel, pad-wrap, materials, insurance, any specialist handling. You can see exactly what every cost line is paying for.
Confirming the date takes a 20-25% deposit, protected under the BAR Advance Payment Guarantee. The balance is paid on the day of completion. The crew that arrives on move day is the crew that gets the job done from start to finish — uniformed, directly employed, trained at our Sussex training centre. No agency labour, no day rates, no sub-contractors. It’s a slightly more expensive way to run a removals firm but it’s the single biggest reason we’ve been in business since 1982.
Most Alfriston moves use one of three packing options. Full pack — our crews pack everything in the house the day before move day, using removal-grade cartons and tissue. Fragile-only pack — we handle the kitchen, the display cabinets, the framed art, the mirrors, the lamps, and the customer packs the easy stuff (books, clothing, linen, garage). Self-pack with materials supplied — we drop off cartons, tape, bubble and tissue, and you do it yourself with our written room-by-room guide.
Where the dates don’t line up (the sale completes a fortnight before the purchase, the chain slips, or the new property isn’t ready), we hold the load at our A22 depot in steel strong-rooms with 24-hour CCTV. Short-term storage between contracts is charged by the week; longer-term storage is invoiced monthly. For Alfriston customers needing self-access self-storage, the ground floor of the depot is fitted for that — individual digital-entry doors and 24/7 access via a key fob.
After the move, we come back to collect empty cartons free of charge if you’re within standard delivery range. We also offer an unpack service for customers who prefer the new home set up by us — particularly common for older customers and white-glove relocations.
For end-of-month dates in the May–September peak, six to ten weeks ahead. Mid-week, mid-month dates can sometimes be booked two to three weeks ahead. The earlier you book, the more choice of slot and crew you’ll have.
Yes — typically 20–25% of the quoted price on booking, with the balance payable on the day of completion. All deposits are protected under the British Association of Removers’ Advance Payment Guarantee.
Crew time, our own lorry, fuel, pad-wrap (industry-grade blankets washed between jobs), basic transit insurance and labour. Packing materials, fragile-only or full packing service, and any specialist handling (piano, antiques, art, marble) are quoted separately so you see the price of each.
Yes — full British Association of Removers members and audited annually, including the BS 8564 international removal standard. Our membership number and current audit dates are on the BAR site.
Sometimes — depends on the date and the inventory size. Smaller jobs can often be slotted in within a week. Larger 3- and 4-bed moves usually need at least two weeks’ notice so we can crew correctly.
Yes — summer tourism makes the High Street busy. We arrange council suspensions and prefer early-morning loading.
Yes — Litlington, Wilmington, Berwick, Friston, Westdean all within standard coverage.
Yes — standard procedure for most Alfriston properties.
Call us today for a free, no-obligation quote — or use our online form. Whether it's a one-room move or a full international relocation, we've handled it before.