Quick list: the 15 best removal companies in Reading
| Company | Best for | Based in |
|---|---|---|
| Robinsons Relocation | Long distance and international moves | Reading and wider Berkshire |
| Overs Removals | Family moves with a dedicated coordinator | Reading and founded 1857 |
| Britannia Leatherbarrows | National moves with local knowledge | Reading branch and part of Britannia network |
| Watson Removals Reading | Fixed price quotes after a home visit | Reading and RG postcodes |
| Berkshire Removals | Van hire and flexible packing | Wokingham and serving Reading |
| Robinson Transport & Removals | Man and van and student moves | Reading and also covers Newbury and Bracknell |
| Reading Removals | House clearance and man and van | Reading and Berkshire |
| Man and Van Reading | Small moves and house clearance | Reading town and surrounding areas |
| Easy Man and Van Removals | Affordable local movers from £60 an hour | Serves Reading and Caversham and Tilehurst and Earley |
| Bishop's Move Reading | National brand with 170 years of history | Reading and RG1 |
| Plaza Removals | Man and van and office moves | Serves Reading from London |
| Camp Hopson Removals | Long established mover with strong reviews | Newbury and serving Reading and West Berkshire |
| Pickfords | Personal move manager on every job | National brand serving Reading |
| Wilkins (Henley) Ltd | Family firm with around 140 years trading | Henley on Thames and serving Reading |
| BlueSky Relocation | Best for friendly full service house moves | Serves Reading and Berkshire |
1. Robinsons Relocation
Best for: Long distance and international moves.
Robinsons has been moving people for more than a century and the Reading branch handles everything from a studio flat to a five bedroom house. They are used to organising surveys ahead of a move so the crew turns up knowing exactly what is involved.
The firm is a good fit if you are heading overseas or a long way across the country because they run their own network of depots rather than handing the job to a subcontractor. Storage is available if your new home is not ready on the day.
Services: House removals · Office removals · Storage · Long distance.
Phone: 0118 942 3184.
2. Overs Removals
Best for: Family moves with a dedicated coordinator.
Overs has been trading in Reading since 1857 and is now part of the Armishaws Group. That long history shows in how the office runs. Every customer gets a single point of contact rather than a call centre.
They offer full and part packing services and will store your things in their own warehouse if there is a gap between houses. Good for families who want one firm to handle the whole move from quote to delivery.
Services: House removals · Office removals · Storage · Packing.
Phone: 0118 237 0081.
3. Britannia Leatherbarrows
Best for: National moves with local knowledge.
Britannia Leatherbarrows has covered Reading for over 25 years as part of the wider Britannia Movers network. That means a local crew for the packing and loading but a national system behind the scenes for anything moving further afield.
Every move starts with a proper survey so the quote is accurate rather than a rough guess over the phone. Business relocations are also part of their work with a named project manager kept on the job until it is finished.
Services: House removals · Office removals · Storage · Long distance.
4. Watson Removals Reading
Best for: Fixed price quotes after a home visit.
Watson Removals Reading is a smaller local operation that still insists on a proper survey before giving a price. That means no surprise charges on the day and a written quote you can hold them to.
Every job comes with goods in transit cover and a named move manager who stays with your booking from start to finish. They tend to suit people who want a personal service rather than a big national operator.
Services: House removals · Office removals · Packing.
Phone: 0118 315 1370.
5. Berkshire Removals
Best for: Van hire and flexible packing.
Berkshire Removals is based just outside Reading in Wokingham and covers the whole town along with the wider county. They offer three levels of packing so you can choose full service or just book the van and do the boxes yourself.
Their own storage facility is handy if completion dates do not line up. They also do show home installations so the crews are used to handling furniture carefully rather than just shifting boxes.
Services: House removals · Office removals · Storage · Man and van.
Phone: 0118 977 2242.
6. Robinson Transport & Removals
Best for: Man and van and student moves.
Robinson Transport runs a proper man and van service alongside full house removals across Reading and Newbury and Bracknell. Students moving in and out of Reading's large university population are a regular part of their work.
They offer a 24 hour service and will ship pallets or excess baggage overseas if needed. Moving into London is included with no extra congestion charge added on top.
Services: Man and van · House removals · Storage.
Phone: 0118 954 5607.
7. Reading Removals
Best for: House clearance and man and van.
Reading Removals has ten years in the trade and covers house clearance and man and van work as well as full removals. They handle eBay and IKEA pickups too which makes them useful for people furnishing a new place.
The team also does motorcycle transport and furniture assembly so they suit anyone with an unusual item that will not fit the standard removals mould.
Services: House removals · Man and van · Office removals.
Phone: 0118 322 4850.
8. Man and Van Reading
Best for: Small moves and house clearance.
This small operation focuses on fast and affordable man and van work across Reading rather than trying to be a full scale removals firm. Their van comes equipped with trolleys and blankets and straps for safe loading.
They also handle house and garden and garage clearances and are a licensed waste carrier so landlords and letting agents use them for end of tenancy work as much as home movers do.
Services: Man and van · House clearance.
Phone: 07933 585606.
9. Easy Man and Van Removals
Best for: Affordable local movers from £60 an hour.
Easy Man and Van Removals covers Reading town centre plus Caversham and Tilehurst and Earley and Woodley and Lower Earley. Prices start from £60 an hour which suits smaller flat moves and single item collections.
The price depends on van size and number of movers and stairs and access so quotes are worked out properly rather than guessed. They also cover longer runs out of Reading when needed.
Services: Man and van · House removals · Office removals.
10. Bishop's Move Reading
Best for: National brand with 170 years of history.
Bishop's Move is one of the biggest names in UK removals and has been trading since the 1850s. The Reading branch draws on that scale for international moves and long distance jobs while still sending a local crew for the physical work.
They are a Which Trusted Trader and members of the British Association of Removers. A concierge service can also help with things like redirecting mail or closing accounts before you leave your old address.
Services: House removals · Office removals · Storage · International removals.
Phone: 0118 950 0474.
11. Plaza Removals
Best for: Man and van and office moves.
Plaza Removals is a London based firm that regularly works out to Reading and Redhill and Heathrow. They cover the full range from single item collections to whole house moves and junk removal after a clear out.
Reviews consistently praise their loading and unloading care which matters if you are booking a firm from outside the town rather than a purely local name.
Services: Man and van · House removals · Office removals.
12. Camp Hopson Removals
Best for: Long established mover with strong reviews.
Camp Hopson has traded since 1861 and covers Reading as part of its wider West Berkshire patch out of Newbury. The long track record shows in the volume of positive reviews the firm has built up over the years.
Trained crews handle everything from a local move across Reading to a full international relocation so they suit people who want one firm for the whole job.
Services: House removals · Storage · International removals.
13. Pickfords
Best for: Personal move manager on every job.
Pickfords has been running removals since 1646 and applies that long heritage to every Reading move from a one bedroom flat to a large detached house. Every customer gets a dedicated move manager for the whole process.
The firm handles the full journey from an initial home survey through packing to delivery and setting up in the new place which suits people who want everything managed for them.
Services: House removals · Office removals · Storage · International removals.
14. Wilkins (Henley) Ltd
Best for: Family firm with around 140 years trading.
Wilkins has been a family owned mover for around 140 years and covers Reading as part of its Henley on Thames base. Local and national moves are handled alongside international shipping all with in house packing.
Their long standing local knowledge of the roads between Henley and Reading makes them a solid option for anyone moving between the two towns.
Services: House removals · Office removals · Packing · International removals.
Phone: 01491 572037.
15. BlueSky Relocation
Best for: Best for friendly full service house moves.
BlueSky Relocation covers Reading as part of its regular routes across Berkshire and the South East. The team is known for careful packing and a friendly crew who treat each home with real respect.
Moves of two to five bedrooms are its main focus which suits most family homes in Reading. Secure storage is also on offer if your completion dates do not line up.
Find out more on the BlueSky Relocation Reading removals page.
Services: House removals · Packing · Storage.
Phone: 0800 090 3125.
How much do removals cost in Reading?
Removal costs in Reading depend heavily on stairs and parking distance and whether the crew needs a permit for the Inner Distribution Road area. A one bedroom flat move within town is the cheapest job on this list while a five bedroom house heading to London will cost the most.
Expect quotes to rise in the last week of the month and over bank holiday weekends when demand from students and families both peak at once.
| Property | Local move in Reading | Reading to London |
|---|---|---|
| 1 bed flat | £300 to £550 | £450 to £750 |
| 2 bed house | £450 to £750 | £650 to £1,000 |
| 3 bed house | £650 to £1,000 | £900 to £1,400 |
| 4 bed house | £900 to £1,400 | £1,200 to £1,900 |
| 5 bed house | £1,300 to £2,000 | £1,700 to £2,600 |
Parking and permits for removal vans in Reading
Reading Borough Council controls parking across the town centre and much of Caversham and Tilehurst through resident permit zones. If your removal lorry needs to park on a restricted road you can apply to the council for a temporary bay suspension and it is worth doing this two to three weeks ahead of moving day.
Streets close to the station and around Friar Street get busy with buses and cyclists so most firms prefer an early start to beat the rush. Terraced streets in East Reading and Newtown often have no off street parking at all which is why a permit or a suspension request matters more here than in the newer estates further out.
To book a parking suspension or dispensation visit the Reading Borough Council parking page.
Tips for moving in Reading
- Victorian terraces in East Reading and Newtown often have narrow staircases so measure large furniture before moving day.
- The one way system around Friar Street and Chatham Street confuses drivers who do not know the town so give your removal firm the postcode and access notes in advance.
- Book well ahead in September when the university term starts because van availability drops fast across the town.
- If you are moving into one of the newer riverside apartment blocks check the lift booking policy with the management company first.
- Caversham Bridge and the roads over the Thames can back up at rush hour so an early morning slot avoids the worst of it.
- Apply for a bay suspension with Reading Borough Council early if your street has resident permit parking only.
How to choose the right removal company in Reading
- Get at least three quotes from firms that know Reading.
- Check Google and Trustpilot ratings. Aim for 4.5 stars or higher.
- Ask about goods in transit and public liability insurance.
- Confirm who arranges any parking suspension.
- Get a fixed written price not an hourly estimate.
- Ask if storage is available in case your chain is delayed.
Areas of Reading these movers cover
Reading covers a wide mix of neighbourhoods. Caversham RG4 sits north of the Thames with its own high street and is popular with families while Tilehurst RG31 and Southcote RG30 offer more affordable terraced housing to the west. East Reading and Newtown RG1 are close to the station and popular with young professionals and Earley and Lower Earley RG6 have newer estates that suit families needing more space.
Just outside the town proper you will find Woodley and Winnersh and Wokingham and Theale all served by the same removal firms covering Reading itself. Pangbourne to the west is a popular village move for people leaving the town but staying close to the river.