Direct answer
IKEA UK prices home delivery by order weight, individual box weight and fragility rather than a flat fee, with lighter orders cheaper and anything containing a heavier or bulkier box moving into a higher-cost, appointment-based tier; standard delivery timeframes can run from a few days to several weeks depending on stock and postcode. Click & Collect from an IKEA store is free, while partner pick-up points - Tesco car parks, DPD points, and lockers - usually carry a small fee for non-IKEA Family customers. When none of that fits - no lift, a tight moving-day timeline, or wanting everything collected the same day - an independently booked man-and-van or courier collecting directly from the store or Click & Collect point is the common alternative used across London, priced and booked separately from IKEA itself.
Contents
- How IKEA's own home delivery works
- Click & Collect: store, Tesco, DPD and lockers
- When an independent collection fits better
- How an independent man-and-van collection works
- Delivery and collection options at a glance
- What to confirm before booking either route
- Clearing old furniture to make room for new
- Frequently asked questions
How IKEA's own home delivery works
Priced by weight and fragility, not a single flat fee.
IKEA's UK home delivery service doesn't charge a flat rate - the cost depends on the total weight of your order, the weight of the heaviest individual box, and whether items are flagged as fragile. Lighter, smaller orders sit in the cheapest tier. Once an order's total weight or any single box crosses IKEA's published thresholds, it moves into a higher-cost tier that also switches the service to an appointment-based "in the home" delivery, where the driver contacts you ahead of arrival rather than leaving the order on the doorstep. As published on IKEA's own delivery page, correct as of 21 October 2026, this heavier tier is also where express and narrower delivery windows cost more than standard delivery. Because IKEA can and does adjust these fees, always check the price shown at your own checkout rather than relying on a figure quoted anywhere else, including this page.
Timeframes vary more than many people expect. Standard delivery can range from a few days up to several weeks, depending on stock availability at the warehouse serving your postcode and how busy the delivery network is at the time you order. Express delivery and 4-hour delivery slots are faster but cost more, and aren't offered in every postcode - IKEA's checkout will only show the options actually available for your address once you've entered it.
For large or heavy furniture specifically, IKEA's delivery drivers bringing an "in the home" order will typically carry it to a chosen room rather than leaving it at the doorstep, which matters for anyone without the ability to carry a large flat-pack box themselves. Assembly is a separate, optional service that can be added alongside delivery - it isn't included in the delivery price by default.
Click & Collect: store, Tesco, DPD and lockers
Four collection point types, each with its own access pattern.
IKEA's Click & Collect network in the UK runs through four types of collection point. Collecting directly from an IKEA store is free and available during normal store hours - you get a QR code by email once the order's ready, and scan it to check in. Tesco mobile pick-up points operate from a branded vehicle in a designated car park at set times rather than all day. DPD pick-up points use existing local shops and post offices as drop points, generally for smaller parcels rather than large flat-pack furniture. IKEA and Shift lockers offer self-service collection using a PIN, with IKEA's own lockers available more widely and Shift's external lockers typically accessible only in set daily windows rather than 24 hours.
Store collection is free regardless of order value. The partner pick-up points - Tesco, DPD and lockers - usually carry a small handling fee for customers who aren't on IKEA's Family loyalty scheme, which is commonly waived once an order passes a spend threshold. As with delivery pricing, treat any specific figure as indicative rather than fixed: it's worth checking the fee shown at IKEA's own checkout for your postcode and order value before assuming a particular collection point is free.
One detail worth checking regardless of which point you choose: order readiness. A Click & Collect confirmation at booking doesn't always mean the order is sitting ready for pick-up immediately - IKEA will notify you by email or SMS once it's actually ready, and turning up before that notification can mean a wasted trip, particularly for larger furniture items that need to be pulled from a warehouse area rather than a shop-floor shelf.
When an independent collection fits better
Usually about access and timing, not just price.
IKEA's own delivery and collection options work well for most orders, but there are recurring situations where an independently arranged collection - a man-and-van or courier picking the order up from the store or a Click & Collect point and bringing it to your door - fits better.
Access is the most common reason. IKEA's standard doorstep delivery doesn't carry items beyond the door by default, and even the appointment-based "in the home" tier for heavier orders is built around a driver bringing it to a room on a ground or lift-accessible floor - a flat up several flights with no lift is exactly the kind of job an independent van and driver with carrying experience is more commonly booked for. Timing is the second reason: IKEA's standard delivery lead times can run to several weeks, which doesn't suit a fixed moving day, and an independent same-day or next-day collection from the store is a common way to close that gap. The third is simply wanting one trip rather than several - collecting a full IKEA order plus taking away old furniture isn't something IKEA's own delivery service is set up to do, since it only delivers IKEA stock.
How an independent man-and-van collection works
A separate booking, arranged with the courier or van company directly.
Independent man-and-van and courier services collecting IKEA orders in London are a well-established category - several London-based providers describe exactly this job on their own sites: collecting a flat-pack or boxed order from an IKEA store or a Click & Collect point, then delivering to the customer's address, with assembly offered as an optional extra by some providers. This is a completely separate booking from IKEA's own checkout - you place your IKEA order as normal (or collect it yourself if it's ready), then arrange the van collection and onward delivery directly with the provider you choose.
Typical practice is to contact the provider with the order details - item sizes, weights, and quantity - to get a quote, since pricing depends on van size needed and distance rather than a fixed rate. Treat any quote as provisional until the provider has confirmed your order will actually be ready to collect at the agreed time, since an independent van turning up to an order that isn't ready yet wastes the booking in the same way it would for a self-collection.
houseclearance.co doesn't provide this collection service and has no commercial relationship with IKEA or with any named courier company - it's a marketplace that matches customers with independent, licensed clearance carriers for a different job: removing items from a property rather than delivering new ones into it. The connection between the two only comes up when a reader also has old furniture to clear to make room - covered further down this page.
Delivery and collection options at a glance
What each route includes, and what to confirm before you commit to it.
| Option or job scenario | What it includes | Main restriction | What to confirm before booking |
|---|---|---|---|
| IKEA standard home delivery | Doorstep delivery, priced by order weight, box weight and fragility | Standard lead times can run from days to several weeks; doorstep only below the heavier-order threshold | Current price and delivery window shown at your own checkout for your postcode |
| IKEA "in the home" delivery (heavier/larger orders) | Driver contacts you ahead of arrival and carries the order to a chosen room | Higher cost tier; access still depends on stairs/lift being manageable for the crew | Whether your floor and stairwell access is realistic for the delivery team |
| IKEA store Click & Collect | Free collection from an IKEA store once your order is confirmed ready | Only available during store hours; you still need your own transport from the store | The ready-for-collection notification - don't travel before you've received it |
| IKEA Tesco / DPD / locker pick-up points | Collection closer to home than an IKEA store, via a partner location | Smaller fee usually applies; narrower access windows than a full store; DPD points mainly suit smaller parcels | Current fee for your order value, and the specific point's opening or access window |
| Independent man-and-van/courier collection | A separate, independently booked service collects from the store or Click & Collect point and delivers to your door, sometimes with assembly | Not affiliated with IKEA; pricing and availability vary by provider and distance | Order readiness, item dimensions/weight, access for the crew, and whether assembly is included |
What to confirm before booking either route
The same five checks apply whether you stick with IKEA or book independently.
Whichever option you're leaning towards, the same checklist avoids most of the problems that come up with large flat-pack deliveries and collections. First, the exact collection location - a store, a specific Tesco car park, a named locker, or your own address - since "IKEA" alone isn't specific enough for a driver or courier to find the right pick-up point. Second, order readiness: confirm the order is actually flagged ready before anyone travels to collect it, rather than relying on the original estimated date. Third, package dimensions and weight against what will actually fit through your access route - a van, a stairwell, a lift - since a box that fits in a van doesn't automatically fit round a tight stairwell turn. Fourth, who is authorised to release the order at the collection point, particularly if someone other than the person who placed the order is doing the collecting - most collection points expect the order confirmation, QR code or ID matching the booking. Fifth, assembly scope: confirm upfront whether assembly is included in any quote or is a separate job, since "delivery" and "assembly" are priced and often booked as different services, by IKEA and by independent providers alike.
Clearing old furniture to make room for new
A different job to delivery, but often the same week.
New furniture arriving is frequently the same moment an old sofa, wardrobe or bed frame needs to leave - and that's a clearance job, not a delivery one, with a different licensing requirement behind it. A clearance carrier removing furniture for disposal or donation needs a waste carrier licence, which a courier delivering new flat-pack goods doesn't need, so the two jobs are genuinely separate even when they happen on the same day. If that's where you are - new IKEA furniture on the way and old items that need to go - you can request clearance quotes from licensed carriers through houseclearance.co rather than trying to fold both jobs into one booking.
If you're not just swapping a single item but clearing more of a room or property around a move, our guide to planning a downsizing or house clearance covers the wider timeline, and our house clearance checklist walks through what to sort, keep and remove before a crew arrives. For furniture specifically - what happens to items that aren't simply thrown away - our guide to furniture collection and disposal in London sets out the donation, recycling and removal routes side by side.
Frequently asked questions
The questions that come up most often when IKEA's own delivery doesn't quite fit.
Does houseclearance.co deliver or collect IKEA furniture?
No. houseclearance.co is a marketplace that matches customers with independent, licensed clearance carriers - it isn't a delivery company and has no relationship with IKEA. This guide exists because the two needs often overlap in the same move: new flat-pack furniture arriving while old furniture needs to leave, which is where a clearance quote becomes relevant rather than a delivery one.
Is IKEA Click & Collect free in London?
Collecting from an IKEA store itself is free. Collecting from a partner pick-up point - a Tesco car park, a DPD point, or a locker - usually carries a small fee for non-IKEA Family customers, which is often waived above a spend threshold. Exact fees can change, so always confirm the figure shown at IKEA's checkout for your order rather than relying on a number from elsewhere.
Why would I use a man-and-van service instead of IKEA's own delivery?
The usual reasons are access and timing rather than price alone: IKEA's standard delivery can take days to weeks depending on stock and postcode, doesn't always reach every floor without a lift, and a single large or heavy box can push an order into a higher-cost delivery tier. An independent man-and-van collecting directly from the store or a Click & Collect point can offer same-day timing and carry items up stairs, which IKEA's own doorstep or appointment delivery may not cover as standard.
What should I check before booking an independent collection for IKEA items?
Confirm the exact collection location and that your order will actually be ready at the time you book, the full dimensions and weight of what's being collected, whether the driver can get it up your stairs or needs a lift, who is authorised to release the order at the collection point, and whether assembly is included or a separate job. Treat any quote as provisional until the provider has these details.
Can the same van collect my IKEA order and take away old furniture?
Not usually in one combined booking, because IKEA collection and waste clearance are different services with different licensing requirements - a clearance carrier needs a waste carrier licence to remove items for disposal, which a furniture courier doesn't need for delivering new goods. Many households book them separately but on the same day: an independent van for the new IKEA items, and a licensed clearance carrier quote for what's being cleared out to make room.
Clearing old furniture to make room for your new IKEA order?
Post your job for licensed carriers to quote on - a separate job from IKEA delivery, handled on your timeline.
Request clearance quotes