Why van size matters
Pick a van that is too small and you pay for a second trip — and the mileage that comes with it. Too big, and you are paying for empty space. Matching the van to the load is the single biggest thing you can control on a man and van booking.
In London there is an added wrinkle: the biggest vans cannot always physically get to the door. A Luton may be the most efficient on paper but the wrong choice for a narrow mews in Kensington or a cobbled street in Greenwich, where a smaller van and a short shuttle works better.
A rough guide by move size
- •Small van (e.g. short-wheelbase Transit): a few boxes, a single item or a small studio. Good for an IKEA pickup, a marketplace collection or a one-room student move.
- •Medium van: a large studio or a modest one-bed flat with minimal furniture.
- •Large van (long-wheelbase): a well-furnished one-bed or a small two-bed.
- •Luton van: a full two- or three-bed home in a single trip. The box body and tail lift make heavy items easier.
- •Luton with tail lift: the same capacity plus easier loading of white goods, wardrobes and anything heavy you cannot lift into a high load bed.
Things that change the answer
Bulky-but-light items (think a corner sofa, a mattress, a wardrobe) eat volume faster than their weight suggests, so size up if you have several. Conversely, a flat that is mostly boxes packs down small. White goods and flat-pack furniture you plan to dismantle also change the maths.
Let the quote do the work
You do not have to guess. When you enter your property size and items into an online quote, the right van size is built into the price — so you are charged for what you actually need rather than defaulting to the biggest van on the lot.