The costs associated with moving home, such as removal hire, solicitors and self storage, have increased by an average of 4.9% over the past year, Barrows and Forrester has revealed.
Barrows and Forrester analysed the various costs of 35 services and items associated with moving house, and how they have changed over the past 12 months.
The 35 examples were split across four broad categories: moving, cleaning, repairing, and furnishing.
The largest increase was seen in the cost of moving home itself, with an average annual increase of 4.9%, driven by a 10.5% (£50) jump in the cost of hiring home removal services which now averages £528.
A more affordable option was to hire a self-drive van at £71 per day, although this also saw a 5.1% year-on-year cost increase.
On average, the cost of furnishing a home increased by 4.2% over the past year, with the biggest increase being a gas cooker, which cost an average of £419 after an annual rise of 10.5%.
Electric cookers were close behind with an increase of 10.4%, and remained the more expensive option at £501.
Significant price increases were also applied to the likes of curtains (9.4%), sofa beds (8.7%), dishwashers (8.1%), kettles (7.1%), and desks (7.1%).
The cost of cleaning increased by 2.6% year-on-year.
The price of hiring a cleaner saw the largest jump (4.4%) to an average of £16 per hour.
Window cleaner rates went up by 2.8%, but the price of hiring a carpet cleaner only rose by 0.6%.
The cost of calling in professional help for repairs climbed by 1.2% on an annual basis.
The hourly rate of a plumber increased by 1.7%, to about £55 per hour, while carpenters upped their rate by 1.4% and now charge an average of £26 per hour.
The cost of an electrician was £43 after a 1%, rise while decorators charged £147 per day, 0.8% more than this time last year.
James Forrester, managing director of Barrows and Forrester, said: “House prices might be cooling, but the cost of actually moving to and settling in a new home is going up.
“Inflation is pushing up everything from the price of manufacturing to expenses incurred by tradespeople, and they have little choice but to pass these increases to you, the customer.
“The question of whether or not these costs will rise or fall in the future is up to the decision-making of our Government.
“Can Rishi actually come good at his oft-recited pledge to bring rates down? We wait with bated breath.”
