Godalming is a Surrey market town on the River Wey, anchored by Charterhouse School and a busy commuter rail line to London Waterloo. The town centre has a strong conservation area with listed timber-framed buildings on the High Street; the surrounding villages are typical commuter-Surrey territory. Our Godalming work mixes school-relocation timing (the Charterhouse calendar drives some patterns), London commuter relocations, and family-home moves in the modern estates north of the town.
Charterhouse generates a steady flow of staff and family relocations. We handle these with awareness of the school’s term-time calendar and our crews know the access routes through the school grounds.
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.
Most of our Godalming 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 Godalming 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.
From Godalming the practical route options divide into three. Short local moves stay within the immediate Surrey 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 Godalming to Hailsham move is half a day; a Godalming 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.
Every Godalming 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 Godalming 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 Godalming 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 — we know the school grounds and the staff-housing locations.
Common via the A3 / A31 corridor.
Yes — all within standard Godalming coverage.
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.