Moving House Van Guide: Which Van Size Do I Need?
- nationwidevehiclea
- Sep 23, 2022
- 4 min read
With the busiest housing market in years, moving house can be very stressful; there are so many things to think about, including how to transport all of your belongings from your old house to your new. In most cases, you need to hire a moving van, unless you have your own, or you are using a a reputable house removals company like NVP but knowing what size you need can be tricky.
To help you in your choice, our moving house van guide will help clarify the different types of moving vans that are available to hire and the type of items they would be suitable for transporting so you can get a good idea of what you will need for your move.
Why should you hire a removal van?
Medium Wheels Base (MWB) Van
Long Wheels Base (LWB) Transit Van and Sprinter Van
3.5 Tonne Luton Van
Why should you hire a removal van?
It’s essential to hire a removal van when moving house/flat or generally transporting large, heavy items as these items won’t fit in a regular car.
Lifting heavy or bulky items must be done with care to prevent serious injury. A removal van service will not only have the correct equipment but have the experience too. They will do most of the work for you so the whole move will be much easier for you and there is less to worry about.
Hiring a moving van is right for you if you are moving:
from a flat or house that has 1+ bedrooms
furniture that is heavy or bulky
complex furniture that requires dismantling
Items that are fragile or specialist
Medium Wheels Base (MWB) Van
This is the smallest van size available for removal vans from NVP in Partnership with Stone Van Hire, so not ideal for moving everything from a family home but useful for smaller items. They have high roofs and an easy low loading platform so they are quite popular hires because they are easy to use and often cheaper rather other larger van types.
A MWB van can fit around 30-40 boxes in or one large item such as a bed, fridge freezer or sofa. This can be good for moving less essential items ahead or for getting rid of a large unwanted furnishing.
The average loading capacity of a MWB van is 230-380 cubic feet. For size reference, a MWB is about the size of a garden shed so would be a good size for moving out of a studio or one-bedroom flat.
Quick facts
30-40 boxes in or one large item
Size of a garden shed
Studio or one-bedroom flat
Equivalent size of a garden shed
Long Wheels Base (LWB) Transit Van and Sprinter Van
Next up on our moving house van guide is the LWB. As the next size up from a MWB, the LWB can fit multiple items of furniture in, white goods and up to 20-30 boxes in addition to these.
The average loading capacity of a LWB van is 380-530 cubic feet. This is around the size of a garage for size reference and so a LWB van would be ideal for moving a one or two-bedroom flat.
Quick facts
50-70 boxes
Equivalent size of a garage
One/Two bedroom flat
3.5 Tonne Luton Van
This is definitely the most popular choice for moving homes across the UK, particularly because it has the additional feature of a tail lift which makes them much easier to use for larger items of furniture.
With a volume of 600 cubic feet, it’s also the largest available size of Van you can hire and drive yourself with just a standard UK driving licence.
Although they don’t necessarily hold much more than an LWB, the dimensions of a Luton van are narrow and good for moving within cities as they can go round tight corners. The shape of the 3.5 Tonne Luton Van is flat on the base which makes it an ideal van for transporting boxes as the wheel arches don’t interfere with the shape of the inside.
The 3.5 Tonne Luton Van is ideal for moving to a two-bedroom flat or small house with around 40 boxes in addition to the furniture.
Quick facts
40 boxes + furniture
Two bedroom flat or a small house
Important things to consider
Obviously, these are rough guides for the different sizes of moving vans, there will be slight differences depending on the make and model of the van.
Top tip: Call our team on 01782 703115 ahead of time will help ensure you are choosing the best van for your needs.
Don’t forget that although you may have estimated the size of your furnishings, the way they stack and fit together may not be as simple – things like sofas are not set shapes after all. It’s always better to overestimate the size you will need to allow for this margin and ensure your moving day goes as smoothly as possible.
Another thing to consider is how far in advance you need to plan your move, both for booking your moving van and allowing time to pack all your belongings so they are ready in boxes by moving day.
Final thoughts from the team
Choosing the right van for your move can be difficult, but if you assess what possessions you have and use our moving house van guide it should be clear to see which size will be right for you.
At NVP Vehicle Rentals in Partnership with Stone Van Hire, we offer a Self Drive Van Hire Service as well as an expert Removals Service this will allow you to weight up which option suits you best, in terms of time, effort and also budget. You can speak to our expert team and they will be able to assist you with assisting on you what is best for your circumstances.
We can also help you with all your storage needs, we also now offer European removals!
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