Removals in Brighton are a particular kind of work. The streets are steep, parking is permit-controlled almost everywhere, the terraces have narrow doors and tight stairwells, and the city has a fortnight-by-fortnight rhythm of student moves layered on top of family relocations. Mark Ratcliffe Moving has been running Brighton removals since 1982, with crews who know the difference between a Kemp Town basement flat and a Seven Dials maisonette, and who know which side of Queen’s Park you need a smaller van for.
Our Brighton removals service covers all BN1, BN2, BN3 and the wider Brighton & Hove postcode area. Specific neighbourhoods we move in and out of every month:
The Brighton bread-and-butter. Half-day with two crew. Most go to Hove, Portslade or out to the suburbs.
3- or 4-bed terraces in Hanover, Queen’s Park, Fiveways. Typically a full day, three crew, occasionally a shuttle van.
One of our most common routes. Usually a one-day move with an overnight stay. We know the M23 / A23 corridor like the back of our hand.
Sussex Uni, University of Brighton. Hall-to-hall, hall-to-home. See our student page.
Often from a family Hove townhouse to a Saltdean or Rottingdean bungalow. Our full-pack + unpack service is the most-chosen option here.
Brighton out to Mid-Sussex (Lewes, Haywards Heath, Burgess Hill). Single-day moves. We do these multiple times a week.
See the full pricing page for the rest, including packing and storage rates.
Three things to look at when choosing a Sussex remover:
We’ve been moving Sussex households since 1982. Currently rated 4.9/5 from 120+ independent reviews. The reviews page has the full set; the testimonials we’re proudest of are the ones from customers who’ve used us twice or three times across different moves.
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.
Across Brighton the property types we move are a mix of family homes, period properties and modern builds. Family homes carry the larger inventories — kitchens with multiple appliances, garages that double as overflow storage, gardens with sheds, swing sets and BBQ kit, and a few corners with awkwardly stacked boxes that have lived there for years. Period properties bring the careful-protection requirements: corner boards on plaster walls, padded wrapping on original mantelpieces, slow door clearances to protect the architraves and the listed-property fittings.
We survey every Brighton job in person where the inventory justifies it — typically anything over a one-bedroom flat. The survey takes 30 to 45 minutes and produces a written, itemised quote inside two working days. For smaller jobs — studio flats, single rooms, baggage shipments — a video or phone survey covers the same ground.
From Brighton the practical route options divide into three. Short local moves stay within the immediate Sussex catchment and complete inside half a day — pad-wrap, load, drive, unload, unwrap, the lot. Mid-distance moves — the rest of Sussex, Surrey, Kent, the M25 corridor — complete inside a single day with one crew. Longer national routes (the Midlands, the South-West, the North) book as either an overnight job with one crew or a same-day job with two crews if the inventory justifies it.
The reason we mention all this is that the quote depends on the route as much as on the contents. A Brighton to Hailsham move is half a day; a Brighton to Glasgow move is two days. Both are perfectly normal jobs but the price differs accordingly, and the survey is the right place to discuss which route applies to you.
A Brighton move starts with a 30-to-45 minute survey at the property. The surveyor walks every room, counts cartons by size, photographs every awkward corner (lofts, narrow staircases, the gap behind the wardrobe that the previous owner left a marble-topped table in), and discusses access at both ends. The written quote follows within 48 hours and is itemised by line, so the cost of pad-wrap, materials, insurance and any specialist handling is visible separately rather than rolled into a single anonymous number.
Once you accept the quote, a 20-25% deposit confirms the date — protected under the British Association of Removers’ Advance Payment Guarantee so it’s never at risk if the worst happens. The balance is payable on the day of completion. Crews are directly employed and uniformed, the lorry is our own, blankets are laundered between jobs, and we don’t use agency labour. The reason that matters is consistency: the same hands that survey your home are the hands that wrap and load it.
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 — included as standard. We apply to Brighton & Hove City Council 5–10 working days ahead. You don’t need to do anything; we handle the form and the fee.
Yes — Saturday moves are slightly more expensive (typically 10–15% surcharge) but very popular. Book 6+ weeks ahead for end-of-month Saturdays.
Yes — full Brighton & Hove plus the coast east to Newhaven and west to Worthing. See the areas covered page for the full radius.
Yes — routinely. Falmer halls, Moulsecoomb, the various private student blocks. See our student removals page.
No, we do it often. Stairs add roughly 15–25% to the labour cost — we’ll quote it in the survey. We also have hoist contractors for impossible-stair items.
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.