When moving house, there are several questions you'll need to answer that you may not have considered. One of the biggest of these is what van size is best to book for your move.
It's a simple question, with not quite as simple of an answer. Luckily, we've written this guide to help you make that crucial decision a little bit easier.
We're going to outline the main things to keep in mind when considering van size. Then, we're going to list the options typically available when booking a van for a house move.
Finally, we'll go into some burning questions, like whether or not a second van is necessary. Once you've read through all of this information you should have no problem choosing the right van size for your removal.
To answer the question of which van size to opt for in your house removal, there's a more important question you need to answer first. Essentially, how large is your home itself?
Homes come in all shapes and sizes these days, from a 1-bed shoebox home in the city to a 6 bedroom mansion in the countryside. The biggest factor in choosing your van size is impacted by the size of your home itself.
This is fairly self-explanatory. If you have a bigger house, chances are you have more stuff. If you have more stuff, you're going to need a bigger van.
But this question, much like the question of van size, isn't as obvious as it first appears. For example, you might have additional aspects of your home that you're forgetting to account for.
Did you build that garden shed yourself, and simply can't comprehend parting ways with it? That's understandable, but it's going to add to the total volume of your removal.
It's also important to factor in how many people are living in your home at the moment. If you have children, those toys are going to take up a lot of van space! But if you're living alone, you likely have far less to move than a small family.
It's helpful to think about specific items too, like large bookcases or televisions. Visualise how many large items you have in your home, and consider how much space they take up.
Make sure to consider every aspect of your home itself, before you think about the van. If you equate the size of your home in your mind, deciding on a van size will become that much easier.
Now that you've figured out how large your home is, you need to know which van sizes are available. Each home removal service will likely have a slightly different fleet of vehicles on offer.
But all removal services generally follow the same vehicle sizing options. Here at 1 Man 1 Van, our fleet consists of two van sizes were chosen to cater to as many house removal jobs as possible.
The first of these is the Long Wheel Transit Van. It has a total load volume of 10.5 cubic meters/370 cubic feet and a sliding door to make for easy loading.
We also offer a second, larger removal option in the form of our Giant Luton Van. The Giant Luton Van, as you can tell by its name, is a much bigger vehicle, with a load volume of 18 cubic meters/635 cubic feet.
It also benefits from a tail lift loading system, while both vehicles include 3 seats in addition to the driver.
These are two of the most reliable home removal options, with each having certain advantages over the other. Now, we're going to put them side by side to help you decide which is the better van for your move.
The most obvious difference between these two vehicles lies in their size. The Giant Luton Van can hold a larger volume of belongings than the Long Wheel Transit Van.
This means that we typically advise small moves from apartments or flats to go with the Long Wheel Transit Van. This is also true of 1-2 bedroom homes, provided you don't have masses of belongings to transport.
But for larger 2+ bedroom homes or flats, the Giant Luton Van is the safer option of the two vehicles.
Not only does it provide that extra space, but the Giant Luton Van is also ideal for bulkier furniture or heavy items. This is because its tail lift can easily load heavier items into the vehicle.
The Long Wheel Transit Van's sliding door doesn't do as well with heavy items, though it's better when it comes to tight spots. That means when it comes to inner-city flats or apartments, its usually a better option when it comes to loading your belongings.
If you have certain delicate, heavy items like a piano for removal, the Giant Luton Van might also be the better van for you. It's much easier to get awkward-size items loaded thanks to the tail lift mechanism.
Both vehicles are fully insured and will be driven by our experienced removal team. That means you shouldn't let anything like drivability or timescale affect your decision.
Your decision should be based on how many belongings you have, based on your house size. If you're unsure on whether the van you're considering is large enough to accommodate your move, we have a helpful visual guide on our van sizes page linked above.
This is the second most common question we receive when it comes to removal van sizes. Should you stick with a single van, or double-up on your vehicles?
In most scenarios, it's advisable to stick with one removal van. This is because our vans are extremely spacious, to begin with, meaning you can usually fit the majority of your belongings inside and make one trip.
Even if you can't fit everything into one journey, the chances are you can fit it in two. Its usually cheaper to rely on one driver and one van to make two trips, rather than to double up on both.
This is particularly true of removals where not much ground is being covered. If you're moving to a neighbouring town, or to a different place in the same city, then making two trips is the better option.
There are some scenarios where booking several removal vans is a desirable option.
If you're travelling a long distance, like escaping to the country, it might be worth considering a second van. The longer distance can make multiple trips less viable, as it could extend your removal process by a full day.
We're able to provide a convoy for long-distance movers where required, ensuring both vehicles arrive at the destination at the same time. This can make a long-distance move far less stressful, as you can ensure everything is done in as quick of a time as possible.
Deciding on the number of vans always depends on your specific move. There are some other removal contexts where using two vehicles works out better, logistically.
For instance, if a student is moving to university alongside your move, you can get a second van to take their belongings to a different destination. This is also helpful if, for whatever reason, homeowners are leaving to separate places. This is ideal for when those in a house share are moving out.
If this is the case, you should consider how many belongings each person has. In all likelihood, you'll only need two smaller vans, rather than two larger ones.
When it comes to deciding on the number of vans you need, its about destination and distance, rather than size. Usually, one van doing several trips is more than big enough to accommodate. But in one of the situations above, you might be better off booking several vans to complete your move.
One of the biggest factors impacting what van size you need is in how well you package your belongings.
Badly packed removals take up unnecessary van space. This means you can end up paying for a larger van when you don't need one. Or, it can mean you're making several trips to complete the move when one or two would've sufficed.
That's why making sure you've got the right packing materials is just as crucial as ordering the right van. This can ensure you're putting the majority of your belongings into similar sized boxes.
This is essential for stacking items properly in a van and filling up as much space as possible.
But when it comes to home moves, not all of your items are going to fit into boxes. You'll likely have sofas, which are bulky and tough to move. Or you could have kitchen appliances, like ovens and fridges, which need to be packed and secure inside the vehicle.
Think of it as a game of Tetris, with a lot more on the line. Instead of a game over, badly packaging inside your van can break your things, resulting in a nightmare of a move.
Wherever possible, you should book with a removal service who know what they're doing. They should be offering to help you with packaging if desired, and they should be experienced in moving all types of homes and offices.
This means that not only are you going with the right size of van, saving you money, it means your belongings are also being transported safely.
With every home removal job, there are a number of factors which go into the final cost of the job. At 1 Man 1 Van, we make sure all costing is as fair and transparent as possible every step of the way.
You're able to receive a free quotation for any removal service from us. Then, you can secure an order with us via paying a deposit.
Van size is always factored into the total cost of a move. The larger your van is, the more you'll need to pay, which is why it's important to consider what size you need.
There are other size-related factors to take into account. The main one of these is how many removal men you'd like to request to complete the job.
All of our vans have enough space for a driver and 3 passengers. If you and your family members are willing to help, you might only need one remover. But we're happy to supply 2 or 3 staff members to ensure you're fully supported during a move.
The number of employees you require is also added to the distance you're intending to travel. The further the move is, the more it's likely to cost.
This is why it's important to ensure you're booking the right van size for your removal. Choosing a larger van than you need is a quick way of bumping up the cost of your removal unnecessarily.
We hope this guide has helped you better understand the van size dilemma. But we understand how stressful moving home can be.
If you do have any more questions regarding van size, please do contact us directly. The team here at 1 Man 1 Van are always on hand to assist with any queries you might have.
We operate a phone line as well as a live chat service via our website. If contacting us via phone, please make sure to call between 9 am-7 pm and our supportive crew will be ready to help.
If you'd rather request a quote on a move directly, make sure to visit our quote page. We look forward to hearing from you!