Practical comparison

Fixed-Price Removals vs Hourly Removals

“Fixed-Price Removals is often the better fit when the inventory is fully described and the scope is fixed, while Hourly Removals is often the better fit when the job is a single item or a short, clearly limited load. Choose based on your budget, property access, and the amount of work you want the provider to handle. Get advice on which option fits your move.”

Some movers quote on a fixed-scope basis, where the price is tied to an agreed inventory and scope, while others charge by time. Vano Removals is in the second group: for house-to-house moves within London it charges by the hour and does not offer fixed prices. Which model suits a move depends on how certain the inventory, access, and timing are.

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A mover walking through a home with the customer, noting the inventory for a written quote

Quick answer

We sit in one of these camps: Vano charges by the hour for house-to-house moves within London, from a published card (Driver Help £70, 2 Men £85, 3 Men £100 an hour, 2-hour minimum), and does not offer fixed prices. So a 2-bed move totals £340 to £510 on the hours it takes. A fixed price from another firm buys certainty, and its value depends entirely on how accurately the inventory and access were described. Choose the model whose risk you would rather carry: the clock, or the scope list.

Price: Hourly card: £70, £85 or £100 an hour by crew size
Minimum booking: 2 hours on every crewed option
Who it is for: Anyone comparing a fixed quote against an hourly rate
Where: House-to-house moves within London
Terms: No deposit; free cancellation up to 24 hours before; payment at the time of service

Choosing between the options in Fixed-Price Removals vs Hourly Removals

A fixed-scope quote from another firm can give cost certainty when the inventory and access are accurately described, because the price rests on the agreed scope rather than the clock. That is not Vano’s model. Vano charges by the hour for house-to-house moves within London, from a published card: Driver Help £70 an hour, 2 Men £85 an hour, 3 Men £100 an hour, with a 2-hour minimum, so the total depends on how long the work actually takes. Vano does not offer fixed prices. Jobs outside London are priced per job in a written quote. Do not treat a headline figure as confirmed until it appears in the current written quote.

There is no universal winner. The right choice depends on the size and value of the move, the available time, access at both properties, how much work you can safely do yourself, and what the written scope actually includes.

Fixed-Price Removals

A fixed-scope quote ties the price to an agreed inventory and scope: the items, the addresses, the access, the services and the assumptions are listed in writing, and the price rests on that list rather than the clock.

The certainty is only as good as the inventory. If the load grows, the access changes or extra work appears, the scope, and the price, must be re-agreed. Ask how waiting, extra items and a changed route are handled before you book. Vano does not offer this model: its London moves are charged by the hour.

Hourly Removals

Hourly or time-based pricing charges for the time the job actually takes. This is Vano’s model for house-to-house moves within London: Driver Help £70 an hour, 2 Men £85 an hour, 3 Men £100 an hour, with a 2-hour minimum. It suits a short, clearly limited job where the scope is genuinely small and the access is simple: one item, one collection, one delivery. Larger London house moves are priced the same way: by the hour, on the published card.

The total is unknown until the job is done, and waiting, stairs, parking problems and extra items all add time. Confirm the minimum charge, when billable time starts, and what counts as extra.

Side-by-side comparison

AttributeFixed-Price RemovalsHourly Removals

Best forA well-described inventory and fixed scopeA short, clearly limited job

Price certaintyHigher when the scope is accurately describedLower; the total follows the time actually taken

Inventory accuracy neededHigh; the price rests on the agreed listModerate; extra items add time rather than void the quote

Waiting and delaysHandled per the written termsWaiting time is charged as it accrues

Extra itemsOutside the agreed scope; confirm how they are pricedAbsorbed as extra time, within vehicle capacity

Scope changesShould be agreed and recorded in writingShould be flagged as they affect time

Cost basisAgreed scope, not the clockTime on the job, plus any minimums

What to confirm in writingInclusions, exclusions, assumptions, waiting termsMinimum charge, waiting terms, what counts as extra

Basis: the rows describe the typical offer for fixed-price removals and hourly removals as published by providers of each option, checked October 2026. Terms vary by provider, so confirm the written scope before you book.

The hourly card, worked out

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Two-bed house, hourly

2 Men at £85 an hour over the 4 to 6 hours the move typically takes: £340 to £510 in total.

One-bed flat, hourly

2 Men for 3 hours: £85 × 3 hours = £255.

Single collection, hourly

Driver Help at the 2-hour minimum: £70 × 2 hours = £140.

Included with a booked Vano crew: loading, unloading and carrying, and dismantling and reassembly where booked. No deposit to book, free cancellation up to 24 hours before the move, quotes valid for 7 days, and payment at the time of service.

Basis: our published hourly card, checked October 2026 (2-hour minimum; £5 per floor where the carry is by stairs). Fixed-price figures are not shown because we do not offer them: any fixed quote you compare should be judged on its written scope, inclusions and waiting terms, which vary by firm.

The two options, in pictures

What each option actually looks like on the day, from the carrying and loading to the parts you do yourself.

A surveyor measuring a wardrobe and recording the inventory on a clipboard — Fixed-Price RemovalsA fixed-scope quote starts with a measured inventory: every item recorded, room by room.

A customer reading a multi-page written quote document at a table — Fixed-Price RemovalsThe price rests on the written scope: read what is included, and what is not, before signing.

A crew steadily loading a Vano Removals Luton during an hourly booking — Hourly RemovalsHourly work is simply the clock running on a working crew: the total follows the time taken.

A mover carrying a box through a hallway past a wall clock — Hourly RemovalsOn an hourly booking, time is the measure: waiting and extra items add minutes, not surprises.

When to choose Fixed-Price Removals

The inventory is fully described and the scope is fixed
A full home with a strict handover needs cost certainty
Access at both ends is described, not guessed
You want the price agreed before the crew arrives

When to choose Hourly Removals

The job is a single item or a short, clearly limited load
Access is simple and parking is confirmed
The scope is genuinely small and unlikely to grow
You accept the total following the time taken

Pros and cons: Fixed-Price Removals

Pros

Cost certainty when the scope is accurately described
No clock-watching on the day
Scope, inclusions and assumptions in writing

Cons

Extra items outside the scope cost more
Needs an accurate inventory up front
Changes must be re-agreed before the work grows

Pros and cons: Hourly Removals

Pros

Simple for a small, well-defined job
Extra items just add time, within vehicle capacity
Flexible scope without re-quoting

Cons

Total unknown until the job finishes
Waiting and access delays are charged as they accrue
Minimum charges may apply to very short jobs

Comparison example for Fixed-Price Removals vs Hourly Removals

Real-world examples

A full house with several floors and a strict handover

With Vano this move is priced by the hour on the published card (2 Men £85 an hour or 3 Men £100 an hour, 2-hour minimum). If you want a fixed price, that would mean using a different firm: check what inventory and access assumptions its quote rests on and how waiting or extra work would be handled.

A single furniture collection with easy parking

Time-based support is Vano’s model: Driver Help £70 an hour or 2 Men £85 an hour, with a 2-hour minimum. Confirm waiting terms and what counts as extra in the written quote.

A route with uncertain keys and lift access

With an hourly booking, waiting adds time to the bill, so confirm how waiting is handled and get the answer in the written quote before choosing.

Common mistakes

Treating a headline figure as a confirmed price
Leaving extra items off the inventory
Ignoring waiting terms and minimum charges
Not asking what counts as extra before the crew starts

Hidden costs to check

Waiting time on an hourly booking while keys or access are delayed
Extra items on a fixed quote that sit outside the agreed scope
Minimum charges on either model for very short jobs
Re-quoting when a fixed scope changes before the day
Stairs, parking or long carries absorbed differently by each model

Comparison FAQs

Which model is cheaper for a 2-bed move?

Neither model is cheaper by nature; they carry risk differently. On our hourly card a 2-bed move totals £340 to £510 over 4 to 6 hours with a 2 Men crew. A fixed quote for the same move is a single figure whose value depends on the inventory and access it was built from. Compare the written scope, not the model label.

Do you offer fixed prices?

No. For house-to-house moves within London we charge by the hour from the published card, and the written quote sets out the crew and the expected hours for your inventory. Moves outside London are priced per job in a written quote.

What makes an hourly total run over?

Time: waiting for keys, parking problems, extra items that were not in the inventory, and access that is harder than described. The defences are an accurate inventory, confirmed access and a quote that states the expected hours and how waiting is charged.

What makes a fixed price change?

Scope. Extra items, a changed route or different access from what was described all sit outside the agreed list, and the difference has to be re-agreed. A fixed price is only as fixed as the inventory it rests on.

Which model suits a strict completion day?

Either can work; the deciding factor is the paperwork. On a chain, the move needs the crew, the hours and the waiting position agreed in writing before the day, whichever model you choose. Hourly with a written expected-hours quote is not a guess, and fixed with a vague scope is not a guarantee.

What insurance applies under each model?

Insurance is as stated in your written quote: ask us to confirm in writing.

Balanced verdict on Fixed-Price Removals vs Hourly Removals

Our balanced verdict

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This page takes one pair apart. The full comparison puts all four ways of moving side by side, and the nearest pairs below answer the questions that usually come next.

Compare all four ways of moving Full removal company, man and van, hire a van yourself, or storage: one matrix, with the costs and the trade-offs.Hire van vs man and van Another pricing model entirely: a day rate and an excess against an hourly crew.Man and van vs removal company The service-level choice that sits behind the pricing choice.

About the author

Ahmer Faiz, Founder, Vano Removals

Ahmer runs the small London crew that carries out every Vano move, sets the published hourly rates on this website, and replies to every Google review personally. Every guide on this site is written from the moves the team actually does, and checked against the council and TfL pages it quotes.

Reviewed by Ahmer Faiz on 5 November 2026 · Next review: 5 May 2027 · More about Vano Removals

A clearer move starts with a clear scope

Describe the inventory, route and access at both addresses
Identify bulky, fragile or unusually valuable items in advance
Agree any packing, storage or specialist work before booking
Confirm the moving date and site restrictions before arrangements are final
Ask how waiting time or a change in scope affects the quote

Confirm the agreed service, timing, price and any exclusions in writing before booking.

Content updated October 2026. Figures on this page were checked in October 2026 against the published sources named in the basis notes.

Fixed-Price Removals vs Hourly Removals

Quick answer

Fixed-Price Removals

Hourly Removals

Side-by-side comparison

The hourly card, worked out

Two-bed house, hourly

One-bed flat, hourly

Single collection, hourly

The two options, in pictures

When to choose Fixed-Price Removals

When to choose Hourly Removals

Pros and cons: Fixed-Price Removals

Pros

Cons

Pros and cons: Hourly Removals

Pros

Cons

Real-world examples

A full house with several floors and a strict handover

A single furniture collection with easy parking

A route with uncertain keys and lift access

Common mistakes

Hidden costs to check

Comparison FAQs

Which model is cheaper for a 2-bed move?

Do you offer fixed prices?

What makes an hourly total run over?

What makes a fixed price change?

Which model suits a strict completion day?

What insurance applies under each model?

Our balanced verdict

Related services

Related guides

Calculators

More comparisons

A clearer move starts with a clear scope

What our customers say