Moving house yourself can save a good deal of money, and plenty of our customers at Hirus do exactly that every weekend. The ones who have an easy day tend to have done three things: hired the right size van, packed it in the right order, and let the tail lift do the heavy lifting. Here is how.
Which van do I need?
Go by the size of the home you are leaving, then be honest about how much stuff you have.
- Single room or studio flat: a small van
- One or two bedroom flat: a Transit
- Larger flat or small house: a long wheelbase Transit
- Bigger move, lots of furniture: an extra long wheelbase van
- Three bedroom house or larger: a Luton with tail lift
- Large house, everything in one go: the 7.5 tonne lorry
If you are between two sizes, take the bigger one. The difference in price is small next to the cost of a second trip.
Everything up to the Luton can be driven on a normal car licence. The lorry needs category C1, so read our guide on whether your licence covers the 7.5 tonne lorry before you book one. For a closer look at each vehicle, see the van size guide.
Planning the day
A bit of thought beforehand saves a lot of stress.
Book ahead. Weekends and month ends are busy and the Lutons go quickly.
Know your hire period. A day runs from your collection time until 8:00am the following morning. Collect on Saturday morning, bring it back by 8:00am on Sunday, and that is one day. Need longer? The daily rate drops for hires of 3 days or more.
Plan the return. The van comes back to the depot you collected it from. Mileage is unlimited, so distance is not a problem. If you finish late, both depots have a 24-hour key drop.
Get your helpers named. If a friend is sharing the driving, they have to be on the hire agreement and bring their own licence and check code. Our collection checklist covers what everyone needs.
Check the parking. Find out if either street needs a permit, and work out where the van can stop near each front door.
Packing the van
Think of it as building a wall from the front of the van to the back.
Start with the heavy stuff. White goods, chests of drawers and anything solid goes in first, right up against the bulkhead behind the cab. Keep the weight low and spread it evenly from side to side.
Stand flat things up. Mattresses, headboards, table tops and mirrors travel best on their edges against the sides of the van. Strap them back so they cannot fall.
Up-end the sofa. If the van has the height, a sofa on its end takes up half the floor space.
Stack boxes in blocks. Same-size boxes make stable stacks. Heavy at the bottom, light at the top, labels facing out.
Stuff the gaps. Duvets, cushions and bags of clothes are perfect for filling spaces so nothing slides.
Strap as you go. Bring ratchet straps or rope and tie each section off before starting the next. Do not leave it all to the end.
Keep the essentials by the doors. Kettle, mugs, tools, phone chargers and cleaning kit go in last so they come out first.
Two warnings. Do not overload the van: boxes of books and bags of rubble weigh far more than you expect, and the van must not carry more than it is rated for. And bring blankets, because furniture rubbing against furniture for twenty miles leaves marks.
Let the tail lift do the work
A Luton’s tail lift is a powered platform at the back of the van. You wheel or walk an item onto it at ground level, raise it to the height of the van floor, and slide the item in. It is the reason the Luton is so popular for moves.
Use it properly:
- Park on flat, solid ground and leave space behind the van
- Lower the platform fully before you load it
- Keep the load central and stay inside the weight limit marked on the lift
- Hold items steady, and keep feet and fingers away from the edges
- Keep children and pets well away while it is moving
- Fold it away completely before you set off
Never used one? Ask us when you collect and we will show you how the controls work.
Driving a loaded van
Take it steady. A full van is heavier, slower to stop and wider on corners than you are used to.
Above all, remember the height. A Luton is over 3 metres tall, and the exact figure is on a label in the cab. Low bridges, multi-storey car parks, drive-throughs and tree branches are where vans come to grief. Roof damage is not covered by the insurance, so it pays to look up.
Bringing it back
Clear out the load area and the cab, put back the fuel you have used, and return the van by 8:00am on your return date. If you are using the key drop, take a few photos of the van and the fuel gauge before you leave.
That is it. If you want a second opinion on van size before you book, call either depot and we will help. You will find our numbers on the contact page, or you can book online whenever suits you.