With the price of removal companies it is unsurprising that many are choosing to hire a van and move their belongings without professional help. The do it yourself approach can be advisable if you live in a small flat or house and do not have a great deal of furniture. If however you are planning to hire a van and have a large house with many heavy pieces of furniture, hiring the professionals may be a wiser course of action

The main reason most people choose to hire a van and move themselves is due to the cost of removal companies. But as previously stated, it will take a great deal of effort. In addition, you will need a group of friends that are willing to help you; without the help of friends moving yourself can be next to impossible. Also important is to remain positive, while loading everything on and off the hire van can be stressful, try to remember the ultimate goal, a new home.

When you are exchanging and have to move in one day it is important to hire a van that is large enough to make the move in one trip. While you may think that doing many trips will be a possibility, remember that you can only unload the van once you have the house keys in your hand; this is sometimes late in the day meaning you will be moving into the night. As well as delays with completion, the other problem with using a van that is too small and making many trips is that the new owners of your property will also be turning up to move in, ideally they will not want half of your possessions still in situ when they arrive.

The cost of the van hire will not be the only cost for your move however, it is important to factor in the entire financial outlay when planning a move. As well as the hire price, you will most likely have to obtain removal boxes; while in the past supermarkets used to supply movers with these; increasingly this is not the case so buying boxes may be the only option. As well as moving boxes you will have to pay for the fuel for the van, if you have a great deal of distance to cover this may be expensive; also remember that you will have to return the van to the hire company. While your friends may be willing to help, it is still likely that a few beers and a pizza will be expected at the end of the day, so factor this into the cost as well.

In terms of the vans that you will be able to hire there are three main varieties on the market. The most commonly used is the transit van; this however is quite small and due to the sloping sides, not ideally suited to packing. The Luton box van is also widely used for people moving house due to the fact it is a happy medium between size and ease of driving. They will normally store a small house or flat in one go but if you want to save your back a tail-lift is advisable, the height from the road can be as much as two or three feet.

The final and largest commonly used hire van is the 7.5 tonne wagon. You will only be able to drive one of these if you passed your driving test before 1997 however. These trucks are quite high so ensure to take notice of low bridges and wires that wouldn't be an issue if driving your car.

Self moving really is an option if you do not want to pay removal fees. Make sure however to prepare yourself for a long and physically exhausting day, moving house is definitely hard work. Make sure you choose the right van and your move should go smoothly, ensuring you will be in your new home in no time.