Chichester is one of our most distinctive removals patches. The cathedral city has hundreds of Grade II listed properties with narrow doors, the surrounding villages have country homes with significant antique contents, the Witterings have a coastal cottage character all of their own, and Goodwood’s events calendar dictates which weekends a removal van can actually get into the area. Mark Ratcliffe Moving has been working PO19 and the surrounding West Sussex postcodes since the mid-1980s, with crews who know listed-property handling, antique-furniture protocols and the Goodwood Festival of Speed traffic restrictions.
Chichester city, the surrounding villages and the Manhood Peninsula:
Chichester has more Grade II listed properties per square mile than almost any other Sussex city. Moving in or out of one isn’t fundamentally different from any other move, but a few things matter:
Georgian and earlier townhouses. Slow, careful, full floor protection.
Often second-home owners moving in or selling on. Tight lanes, beach parking restrictions.
Estate-owned properties around the racecourse and the house. Often involves coordination with the estate office.
The villages north of Chichester have a lot of antique furniture. See antiques service.
The Chichester-to-London corridor is well-used by retirees. We run this route monthly.
Selsey is a downsizer hub. Bungalow-to-bungalow moves are routine.
Four weekends a year (Festival of Speed late June/early July, Qatar Goodwood Festival late July/early August, Revival mid-September, plus the Members’ Meeting in March/April), the area around Goodwood becomes effectively closed to removal lorries. Traffic restrictions, parking suspensions, and the sheer volume of event traffic mean we don’t take Chichester removals on those dates. The Goodwood events calendar is published 12+ months ahead — we cross-reference every Chichester quote against it before confirming.
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.
Most of our Chichester work falls into one of three property categories. Tile-hung Victorian and Edwardian terraces on the older streets, where the move-out involves narrow staircases, sash windows that need protecting, and original mantelpieces that we wrap individually. Post-war semis and detached homes on the mid-century estates — wider doors, garages that often function as overflow loft space, and gardens that have accumulated sheds, greenhouses and outdoor furniture. And modern detached new-builds, where the move is faster but the inventory is usually bigger thanks to the bonus rooms and double garages.
Whichever of those three describes your Chichester home, the survey covers the same ground: room-by-room walk, photo of every awkward corner, and a written, itemised quote within 48 hours. We don’t quote off a phone call for anything bigger than a one-bedroom flat — phone quotes too often miss the loft, the under-stair cupboard or the shed, and the price moves on move day. A proper survey is free, takes 30 to 45 minutes, and means the price you see is the price you pay.
Our daily routes out of the Lower Dicker depot put Chichester within standard half-day or full-day reach, depending on inventory size and the destination address. A typical Chichester 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 Chichester 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 Chichester routes through our customs-controlled holding bay at the depot, where the container is loaded after a final inventory check.
The Chichester quote process runs in five practical steps. First, a phone or web enquiry — tell us the address and the rough move date and we’ll suggest a survey slot. Second, the survey itself: either in-home (30 to 45 minutes) or over a video call. Both produce the same paperwork. Third, the written quote, emailed within 48 hours, itemised by line — pad-wrap, transport, packing materials, insurance, any specialist handling — so you can see what every cost line covers.
Fourth, the deposit and date hold: typically 20-25% on confirmation, fully protected under the British Association of Removers’ Advance Payment Guarantee. Fifth, the move itself — uniformed crew, our own lorry, no agency labour, blankets washed between jobs, and a written inventory at handover. None of this is unusual but it’s worth saying because a meaningful minority of removal firms across West Sussex cut corners on at least one of those steps. The five-step process keeps every move predictable and every cost line visible.
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 — dozens in Chichester alone, plus the wider Sussex Grade II and Grade II* market. Full floor protection, freestanding lifting equipment, and we’ll coordinate with your conservation officer if needed.
Yes — full Chichester city and the surrounding West Sussex postcodes including the Witterings, Selsey, Bosham, Fishbourne, Lavant and the Manhood Peninsula.
We don’t schedule Chichester moves on Festival of Speed, Qatar Goodwood Festival, Revival or Members’ Meeting weekends — access is too restricted. We cross-check every quote against the Goodwood calendar 12+ months ahead.
Yes — our antiques moving service is regularly paired with Chichester moves. Acid-free materials, cotton-glove handling, optional all-risks insurance.
4–8 weeks for standard moves. Longer if you’re moving across one of the Goodwood weekends — in which case we’ll need to book around it.
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.