Van hire
Van hire for a house move: which size you need
A Luton is the biggest van you can drive on an ordinary car licence and holds a two or three-bedroom home. Below it, a large van suits a one-bed flat. Here is what each size holds, the rules for driving one, and what the fuel costs this week.
Van sizes as Enterprise UK prints them in its van size guide, read 1 October 2026. Other hire firms use similar classes; check the van you are given.
| Van | Load space | Payload | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small van | 2.3 to 3.3 m³ | Not published | A small load, or collecting an appliance such as a washing machine |
| Medium van | 5 to 6.5 m³ | Not published | A two-seater sofa or one small room; a student to or from university |
| Large van | Up to 11.3 m³ | Not published | A one-bedroom flat or bedsit |
| Extra large van | Up to 14 m³ | Not published | A two-bedroom flat or small house |
| Luton van | Up to 19 m³ | Up to 1,000 kg | A two or three-bedroom flat or house |
| Luton with tail lift | Up to 19 m³ | Up to 1,000 kg; the lift takes up to 500 kg | Heavy furniture |
Source: Enterprise UK, van size guide.
Who can drive and hire a van, from GOV.UK and Enterprise UK.
| Rule | What it says |
|---|---|
| Car licence (category B) | Vehicles up to 3,500 kg maximum authorised mass with up to 8 passenger seats; 4,250 kg for electric or hydrogen vans. A Luton is within it. |
| Towing on a car licence | A trailer up to 3,500 kg MAM, with the van and trailer together no more than 7,000 kg. |
| Age to hire (Enterprise UK) | 25 or older for a van; 30 or older for a Luton. |
| Payload | Up to 1,000 kg on Enterprise's Lutons: boxes of books and a sofa add up faster than the space fills. |
Sources: GOV.UK, driving licence categories; Enterprise UK, van size guide.
Average UK pump prices, pence per litre. Most hire vans run on diesel; return the van at the fuel level you collected it with.
| Week of | Unleaded petrol | Diesel |
|---|---|---|
| 12 Oct 2026 | 175.28p | 200.04p |
| 19 Oct 2026 | 174.57p | 199.33p |
| 26 Oct 2026 | 174.07p | 199.22p |
Van or a removals firm
A van saves money when the load is small, the stairs are few and you have people to lift. It stops saving money when the job runs past a day, the flat is on the fourth floor without a lift, or the heaviest piece is near the payload. A removals firm prices the time and the crew; see what UK moves cost and the waiting time on completion day. Diesel averaged 199.22p a litre in the week of 26 Oct 2026.
Loading a van
Load the heaviest pieces first, against the bulkhead behind the cab, and build the load in rows with the heavy boxes at the bottom; the loading guide works the same way in a Luton. The space over a Luton's cab takes bags, bedding and light boxes. Size the load first with What fits in cubic metres.
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From, then To. Date and home size after that. A person on the phone is faster if you already know the dates.
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