DIY Move

goldengirl28

Hi all,

Hubby is bugging me about DIY move again, i thought i'd sold him on the removal van ideas.

He is rattling on about hiring 7.5 tonne truck to move our 3 bed house - i think thats too big, especially considering most of our belongings are in storage

any ideas is a 7.5 tonne too big, i see lots of references to Luton vans on here, is that the average size van used for removals.

cheers folks

birduk

Check what he can drive on his license- a Luton is normally the max (unless there are some very very old grandad rights). We moved with one and it still took two trips (three people in an unfurnished rental). It can be done!

I'd say it will be quite enough and manageable to drive for the two of you.

nomnomnom

We've got a Luton van booked for Saturday when we move. That's a 3 bed house, 3 cats, 2 adults and 2 children. My OH is the same, you think you have sold an idea, especially when they are the ones saying in previous house moves that's they'd never do it diy again! Then they look at the cost and think it's worth saving the money...

G_M

birduk wrote: »

Check what he can drive on his license- a Luton is normally the max (unless there are some very very old grandad rights). We moved with one and it still took two trips (three people in an unfurnished rental). It can be done!

I'd say it will be quite enough and manageable to drive for the two of you.

I'm not a grandad but have an old-style licence that permits driving larger vehicles than current-day licences. Don't know what date the law changed though!

Personally I'd pay someone to do all that hefting and save the money doing nice easy paperwork: dispence with the solicitor and do the conveyancing myself. That's what I call a "DIY move!"

Wee_Willy_Harris

However big the truck (and you don't need to be grandad to be able to drive a 7.5 ton on a car license) you still have x amount of stuff to load at one end and unload at the other. All a bigger truck does is cut down on the driving time, and that's probably the easiest part!

TBeckett100

i have moved house several times DIY stylie. However when we moved to our 2 bed, i said never again. I recently cleared out someones house, admitidly great care was not taken as a sledgehammer involved, but even then I could have cried.

tux900

goldengirl28 wrote: »

He is rattling on about hiring 7.5 tonne truck to move our 3 bed house - i think thats too big,

It sounds about right for an 'average' amount of stuff.

especially considering most of our belongings are in storage

Well that depends on how much is left in the house. Does it not need to go to your new house too though?

any ideas is a 7.5 tonne too big

Impossible to say exactly without knowing what you've got. Complete the volume calculator at http://www.kirtley.co.uk/calculate.htm and see what it comes out at. A 7.5t Luton is around 1000-1200 cubic feet.

i see lots of references to Luton vans on here, is that the average size van used for removals.

They are very common, due largely to their shape (very boxy). There are however two main types - 3.5t and 7.5t (the former being roughly half the capacity). Note that to drive a 7.5t you would typically need to have had your licence since before 1997.

A 'Pickfords' van is probably twice the capacity of a 7.5t Luton, at least.

Mathew