Mark Dean
One of the most reliable industries in the UK is the removals industry for the simple reason that people are always moving, and someone will always be needed to carry out those moves!
Despite suffering setbacks following the 2008 financial crisis, the industry remains strong, which is unsurprising given the most valuable consumer group drives it in the UK with the average home mover spending £13,000 within the year.
In this article, we have pulled together some of the most interesting statistics about the home removals industry in the UK to answer the most frequently asked questions, as well as provide some predictions for the industry going forward into the future.
Let’s start with the industry as a whole:
How much is the UK removals industry worth?
The UK removals industry is worth roughly £1.2 Billion as of 2023.
How much has the industry grown in the past 5 years?
The removals industry has experienced steady growth over the last five years, with an average yearly increase of 2.3% between 2018 and 2023.
How has the removals service industry compared to other transport and logistics industries over the last 5 years? To other industries?
The removals industry market size has increased faster than the transport and storage industry has increased overall.
The market size of the removals industry actually increased faster than the economy overall in the last 5 years.
How big is the market size compared to the transportation and storage industry?
Within the transportation and storage industry, the removals service market is the 16th largest.
How big is the market size compared to all markets in the UK?
Overall, the removal services industry stands as the 316th largest in the UK.
So, there’s an overview of the industry, but what about the people using the removal services?
Did you know… removal service customers are the most valuable consumer group in the UK, spending £13,000 on average within a year of their move.
How many people move each year?
Approximately 461,010 people moved in the UK in 2021, however, this number is around 100,000 higher than any year since 2007 which displays the returning growth of the industry since the recession.
How often do people move in the UK?
UK Citizens will move on average 8 times in their lifetime.
Average moving age in the UK?
The average age of someone moving house in the UK is between 18 and 30.
What time of year is the most popular to move?
The most popular time of year to move home in the UK are the Summer months.
What day of the week is the most popular to move?
The most popular days of the week to move are Fridays and Saturdays as the weekend gives extra time to sort the move.
Now that you have a rough idea of WHO is moving, what about WHERE they are moving to?
How many moves are domestic compared to international?
75% of the moves that occur in the UK are domestic, meaning just 25% are international moves.
Where are the most expensive places to move to in the UK?
The top 5 most expensive areas you can move to in the UK are:
- Winchester, South East
- Oxford, South East
- Bath, South West
- Truro, South West
- Chichester, South East
Where are the cheapest places to move to in the UK?
The top 5 cheapest areas you can move to in the UK are:
- Shildon, County Durham
- Cleator Moor, Copeland
- Ferryhill, County Durham
- Stevenson, North Ayrshire
- Cumnock, East Ayrshire
How many people move to London every year?
Every year approximately 200,000 people move from somewhere else in the country to London.
How many people move from London every year?
Around 25,000 people move out of London to elsewhere in the country every year.
Which regions have the most estate agencies?
The regions with the highest number of estate agencies are London, Manchester and Kent. In total, these areas alone represent 30% of the market share.
What about the industry itself? How big is it?
How many companies work in the industry?
In 2022, there were 14,184 moving companies registered in the UK,
According to a study from 2019, the top 3 biggest estate agencies with the most available properties were:
- Purplebricks (16,284 properties available)
- William H. Brown Group (5,316 properties available)
- Connells (4,820 properties available)
How has the number of removal companies changed over the past 5 years?
The number of removal companies in the UK has grown 3.5% per year on average between 2018-2023.
So hopefully you have a fairly good idea of the size of the home removals industry and key facts about it, but here is a couple for the future:
How much has the industry grown in 2023?
Following the trend of the previous 5 years, the UK removals industry is expected to grow by the end of 2023, but by just 0.6%, which is a smaller increase than previous years (and is likely caused by the current economic crisis).
How is the industry going to develop over the next few years?
Without actual numbers, an accurate depiction of the removals industry over the next 5 years would predict some growth, but not at the rates we have seen previously. The economic downturn of the country is likely to reduce demand for moving and slow the rate of growth for as long as it lasts.
Thanks for reading, we hope this has been an insightful look into the home removal industry in the UK, and remember to try Shiply if you need to move your home!
Sources: MarketingDonut, Ibisworld 1, Ibisworld 2, LandC, Brycelands, Top-Removals, EALeagues
