Mark Ratcliffe Moving - providing an exemplary moving, storage and packing service.
Moving home is one of life's most stressful events. There are so many things to remember and on top of that you have the task of trying to choose a reliable moving company. Securing good value for money, but also being confident that the team arriving on the morning of your move will be punctual, hardworking and equipped with the right training and equipment is vital.
Here at Mark Ratcliffe Moving we can satisfy all of these important requirements. Having worked in the UK domestic removals and storage market for over 30 years, we have extensive experience working with customers within the local area, across the South East and nationally. Mark Ratcliffe is well respected within the moving industry and has developed a reputation for a quality service that competitors strive to achieve.
With a dedicated staff training centre, our staff are trained to the highest industry standards in packing fragile and non-fragile personal effects, wrapping and moving household furniture for home and overseas moving, as well as customer services and vehicle loading. The highest standards, competitive prices and a genuine commitment from everyone involved in your move is guaranteed when choosing Mark Ratcliffe Moving.
Unlike other removal companies, we offer a complete moving experience that takes care of every aspect of your move from start to finish. Whether you have a single piece of furniture that needs moving across town, or a 4 bedroom home whose contents need relocating up to Scotland - big or small, we can handle it all.
Following your initial enquiry, Mark Ratcliffe will visit your home (at a time convenient for you) to carry out a site survey. During this time we can discuss all aspects of your forthcoming move including any packing requirements or insurance cover for your valuable possessions. A fixed quotation can be provided for moving, storage and packing and we also offer a house clearance service that can be discussed if required. On your moving day a fully trained and uniformed crew will arrive and lay down floor covers to protect your carpets, cover exposed doors and banisters etc. If requested, they will also pack and move your belongings with the utmost care and transport them safely to your new property.
Packing is time consuming and when you are moving home time is not always something you have a lot of. That is why we offer a full packing service, whether you require complete packing or simply some of the more fragile items to be specially packed, our team are trained in packing and will ensure your possessions are well protected. If you decide to carry out your own packing, we can also provide flat pack moving boxes, plain paper, bubble wrap, tape etc. All products are minimal in cost and they can be collected from our shop
We offer secure self storage rooms to rent for customers who prefer to deposit and remove their own goods. The self storage units are available in various sizes with our most popular size is the 77 sqft which equates to 850 cubic feet / 24 cubic metres. This room is charged at £30 plus vat (per week) and with our storage rooms being much higher than local competitors and prices being over 50% less, you receive great value for money.
Seaford is a stunning costal town located on the south cost of England in the county of East Sussex. With the surrounding areas of Newhaven and Brighton, Seaford has a population of appproximately 27,000. With a quaint pebble beach, Martello Tower Museum, Crypt Art Gallery, a vibrant town centre, there are many things to do and see.
We are proud to be Seaford's local removal company. Whether you need assistance moving within the area or further afield in the UK, or even abroad, Mark Ratcliffe Moving is ready to help. Our friendly and local team would be delighted to give you a quote without any obligation. Or for ease, fill out our online quote request form. Our opening hours are Mon - Sat 08.30 - 17.00 or we can arrange an appointment for any other time including Sundays. A 24/7 Service for our Self Store Customers is also available.
Most of our Seaford 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 Seaford 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 Seaford within standard half-day or full-day reach, depending on inventory size and the destination address. A typical Seaford 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 Seaford the timings matter and we plan the schedule from the keys-release time backwards. 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 Seaford routes through our customs-controlled holding bay at the depot, where the container is loaded after a final inventory check.
The Seaford 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 East Sussex cut corners on at least one of those steps.
Most Seaford 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 Seaford 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 — FIDI-network shipments to over 200 countries. International moves route through our customs-controlled holding bay at the A22 depot, where the container is loaded after a final inventory check. We don’t sub-contract international work to third-party brokers.