Moving to a new house: what size van do I need?

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If you’re in the process of moving house, you’re probably aware that it can be a very stressful time with lots of decisions and preparations to make. To help your plans run smoothly, we’ve put together a guide to cover which moving van size you will need to hire when you are transferring all your possessions over into your new property.

Medium wheel based transit

This is the smallest van size available for transportation, so it may not be your first choice if you’re moving your whole house contents to a new location. However, it could definitely be an option for people who don’t want to move everything out all at once, or a student moving from their university halls to a student house without furniture.

This van is perfect for storing some of your less essential items, so that you can plan the furniture layout in your new place without obstruction. It can carry up to 30 boxes, which is equivalent to the number of boxes that a 16-square foot storage unit at Titan Self Storage can hold. If you need to dispose of some of your old furniture after the move, these vans are also able to transport one large item of furniture.

Long wheel base transit

If you need more space in your moving van, especially if you’re moving items of furniture, this is the next size up from the medium wheel based transit. If you’re moving out of a single or double bedroom, possibly with a small amount of furniture and white goods, or several larger items of furniture but no white goods, these vans are perfect. For example, this van is ideal for a young adult moving out of the family home and into their own place or a student moving between student houses while at university.

This van is the perfect size to either carry boxes and furniture to your new property, or convey everything to a storage unit if you’re planning on travelling or the time for moving into a new place doesn’t quite overlap with moving out. It has an average loading capacity of 12 to 14 cubic metres and a length of 6.9 metres (sizes do vary between different makes and models).

The capacity of the long wheel base transit roughly equates to a 25 – 35 square foot storage unit at Titan Self Storage.

3.5 tonne Luton van

This next transit van is the first of the vans mentioned that can move an entire house or flats. The 3.5 tonne Luton van is ideal for moving the contents of a one or two bedroom flat, or even a small two-bedroom house, depending on whether it is single person moving or couple.

This van can hold up to 40 boxes of personal belongings, along with a number of different furniture items, such as a dining table and chairs, a two or three-seater sofa, double beds, wardrobes, chest of drawers, and all kitchen white goods.

Since the contents of your house may completely fit in this van, the 3.5 tonne Luton can make your move simple and straightforward. Also, if you’re looking to move the contents listed above into storage, due to downsizing or moving an elderly relative into a residential care home, these vans are perfect for the job. Our 50-square foot and 75-square foot storage units should comfortably fit the contents of a van of this size.

7.5 tonne Luton lorry

If you’re moving out of an average two-bedroom house, or a small or large three-bedroom house, this is the ideal lorry for you – since this is the biggest vehicle available in terms of van size. These lorries can hold 40-50 boxes of personal belongings, three to four beds, two to three sofas, dining tables and chairs, two double and two single wardrobes, and even all your kitchen appliances.

Similarly to the smaller Luton lorry, if you’re downsizing from a larger two or three-bedroom property, this van could be the best way to move your possessions, that you don’t need any more or don’t have space for, into a storage unit.

At Titan Self Storage, our 100-square foot, 125-square foot and 150-square foot units can all easily hold the aforementioned number of possessions and furniture that fits in this 7.5 tonne Luton lorry.

Bigger properties and alternatives

If you are moving out of a property that is bigger than a large three-bedroom house, you will need more than one moving van, or it might be more prudent to use a large removals company.

If you don’ t want to deal with the hassle of your own move, you could always hire a man with a van who will provide the van and the people to move your possessions out of your old property and transport it to your new one.

If you’re looking to store the contents of your home while you go travelling, if you’re downsizing, or if your moving dates don’t quite overlap, why not get a quote from Titan Self Storage to find out the best size unit for you. Or, to see which of our units will accommodate the rooms and contents of your home with our size estimator.