Removal van costs: self-drive hire vs man and van
Last updated: August 2026
Removal van costs come in two flavours: hiring one yourself runs£40–£120 a day depending on size, plus fuel and insurance. A van with a driver — a man and van — charges £35–£70 an hour instead, lifting included. This page prices both honestly, because for small moves they land closer than most people expect.
Which van do I need?
Van sizes and what fits
- SWB Transit~250 cu ft
- a student room, or a few large items
- LWB Transit~400 cu ft
- a studio flat — just
- 3.5-tonne Luton (tail lift)~550 cu ft
- a 1-bed flat in one trip — the default removal van
Size is the decision that makes or breaks a DIY move. A Luton holds roughly a 1-bed flat; a lean 2-bed might squeeze into one trip with ruthless packing, but usually it's two.
And a second trip doesn't just double the driving — it doubles the loading and unloading too, so the real moving van cost doubles while the van is due back by 6pm. When in doubt, take the bigger van; the £20 difference in day rate is cheap compared to that.
The tail lift matters more than it looks, too. Rolling a washing machine onto a platform beats lifting it to chest height — it's the difference between a manageable day and a hurt back.
The DIY route
Removal van hire prices (self-drive)
- SWB Transit, per day
- £40–£70
- LWB Transit, per day
- £60–£90
- 3.5-tonne Luton, per day
- £70–£120
The day rate is the headline, not the total. Add fuel — a loaded Luton drinks it, so budget £30–£40 per 100 miles — and check the mileage cap: 100–150 free miles a day is common, then 10–25p a mile.
Look hard at the insurance excess: £1,000+ excesses are standard, with a £10–£20 a day waiver to bring them down. And one-way hires, where they're offered at all, carry a fee that can rival the day rate.
Then there's the cost that isn't on the invoice: it's your day, your driving and your back — and the going rate for a mate's help is still a curry and a favour owed. None of that makes self-drive hire wrong. It just belongs in the sums.
The with-driver route
Van with driver: man and van rates
A man and van — the same trade people find searching "van and man hire" — is priced by the hour: typically £35–£70 depending on region, plus £15–£25 an hour for a second person, with a two-hour minimum almost everywhere. Driver, fuel and lifting are all included, which is exactly what the DIY route leaves out.
The full detail — regional rates, worked examples, single-item jobs — lives on the man and van page. For anything bigger than a 2-bed flat, skip the hourly maths and look athouse removalsinstead.
Side by side
DIY hire vs man and van: the honest comparison
Hiring a removal van yourself costs £70–£120 a day plus fuel — around £110–£125 all-in for a local 1-bed move. A two-person man and van runs £210–£280 for the same job. DIY saves £100–£150 and costs you the lifting, the driving and a £1,000 insurance excess risk.
The sums behind that, for a ground-floor 1-bed moving locally.Self-drive: Luton at £90, fuel about £20, excess waiver £15 — £125 in cash, plus six to eight hours of your own loading, driving and unloading. Man and van: three to four hours with two people at £70 an hour — £210–£280, done by lunch, insured in transit.
Where DIY genuinely wins: tiny loads that fit an SWB Transit at £40–£70 a day, moves staged over several days where one hire covers many trips, and the eternal IKEA run. Where it quietly loses: anything with stairs, anything heavy, and any day your time is worth more than £15 an hour. Run your own numbers in the removal costs calculator, and see flat & 1-bed removal costsfor the full small-move picture — a typical 1-bed with stairs runs £250–£450 with a man and van. Wider pricing context lives in theremoval costs guide.
The with-driver shortcut
Getting removal van quotes
For van-with-crew jobs, removal van prices vary enough between operators that ringing round one at a time wastes an evening. One form here reaches up to five rated companies, and the prices come to you — compare the hourly and fixed offers against your DIY sums and pick with the numbers in front of you.
See your real price
Done! Your quotes are on their way.
Your request is with rated removal companies covering your route.
What happens next
- Quotes within 24 hoursUp to 5 top-rated companies will call or email — keep an eye on your phone.
- Compare with zero pressurePut their prices side by side. No obligation to book any of them.
- Details changed? No problemJust tell the companies when they get in touch — quotes adjust easily.
Good to know
Removal van costs FAQs
How much does Luton van hire cost per day?
Typically £70–£120 a day for a 3.5-tonne Luton with a tail lift, self-drive. Budget the rest honestly: fuel at roughly £30–£40 per 100 loaded miles, an excess waiver at £10–£20 a day if you want the £1,000+ insurance excess reduced, and more for weekends or one-way hires.
Do I need a special licence to drive a 3.5-tonne van?
No — a standard UK car licence (category B) covers vans up to 3,500kg, which is exactly why hire Lutons are built to 3.5 tonnes. Do watch the loaded weight, though: the limit includes your belongings, and an overloaded van at a weighbridge is your fine, not the hire company's.
Is a man and van cheaper than hiring a van myself?
On pure cash, rarely — a small move usually costs £100–£150 more with a man and van than with self-drive hire. But that price includes the driving, a second pair of arms and goods-in-transit insurance, and it doesn't cost you a full day. Price both; the gap is often smaller than a day of your time is worth.
How many van trips does a 2-bed flat take?
Usually two Luton trips — a 2-bed flat is around 700–800 cubic feet against a Luton's ~550. Removal companies solve this with a 7.5-tonne truck and one trip; a DIY hirer can't, because 3.5 tonnes is the car-licence ceiling. If you're pricing self-drive, put the second trip's hours and fuel in the sums.
Let the van come with arms
Up to five quotes from rated companies — hourly and fixed. Free, no obligation, about two minutes.