Removal Van and Lorry Size Guide
Choosing the wrong vehicle is the most expensive mistake in a self managed move. Two extra return trips cost more in fuel, hire hours and your own time than booking the right lorry once. This guide matches vehicle capacity to property size and shows you how to estimate your own volume in about ten minutes.
The short answer
- Studio or small one bed: long wheelbase Transit at roughly 400 cubic feet
- One bedroom home: Luton with tail lift at roughly 600 cubic feet
- Two and most three bedroom homes: 7.5 tonne lorry at roughly 1,100 cubic feet
- Four and five bedroom homes: 18 tonne lorry or two vehicles from 1,800 cubic feet
Van and lorry sizes at a glance
Capacity is measured in cubic feet rather than by van name because two Lutons from different makers can differ by eighty cubic feet. Use this table as your starting point then check your own volume below.
| Vehicle | Capacity | Load length | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small van (Transit Connect) | 150 to 200 cu ft | 1.8 m | A few items or a student room |
| Long wheelbase Transit | 350 to 450 cu ft | 3.4 m | Studio or sparse one bed flat |
| Luton with tail lift | 550 to 650 cu ft | 4.0 m | Full one bedroom home |
| 7.5 tonne lorry | 1,000 to 1,200 cu ft | 5.5 m | Two bed and most three bed homes |
| 18 tonne lorry | 1,800 to 2,200 cu ft | 7.2 m | Four bedroom homes |
| Articulated vehicle | 2,800 to 3,500 cu ft | 13 m | Five bed homes and long distance runs |
How to work out your own volume
Room counting is rough but close enough to pick a vehicle. Add these up and then add ten per cent for awkward shapes and the things you forget.
- 250 cubic feet per bedroom that is furnished normally
- 150 cubic feet for a living room with a sofa and units
- 100 cubic feet for a kitchen with white goods
- 150 cubic feet for a loft and the same again for a garage
- 100 cubic feet for a shed, bikes and garden furniture
- Add 10 per cent contingency on the final figure
Tail lifts and why they matter
A tail lift turns a two person lift into a one person wheel on. For white goods, sofa beds, treadmills and anything on castors it removes most of the risk of damage and injury.
If you are hiring a van yourself, check whether the tail lift is included and whether your licence covers the weight. Licences issued after January 1997 are limited to 3.5 tonnes, which rules out a 7.5 tonne lorry without extra entitlement.
Access is as important as capacity
The biggest vehicle is not always the right one. Narrow lanes, low bridges, height barriers in car parks, gated estates and permit only bays all decide what can physically reach the door.
Where the lorry cannot get close, a smaller shuttle van ferries the load out to it. That is normal practice and is priced in when the surveyor spots it in advance, rather than improvised on the morning.
One big lorry or two smaller trips
For anything beyond about ten miles a single larger vehicle almost always wins. Two round trips double the fuel, double the driving hours and usually push the day into overtime.
For a short local move with easy parking at both ends, two trips in one Luton can work for a small flat. Beyond a one bedroom home it stops being worth it.
Loading order that saves space
Heavy and square first: white goods, drawer units and boxed items against the headboard of the load. Then mattresses and sofas upright along the sides, then cartons stacked heaviest at the bottom.
Fill every void with soft items. A badly loaded lorry wastes a quarter of its capacity, which is exactly how one trip turns into two.
Not sure which size you need
A free video survey removes the guesswork. We measure the volume, pick the vehicle, confirm the access at both addresses and give you a fixed written price with the right size lorry already booked.
Frequently asked questions
What size van do I need to move a 2 bedroom house?
A 7.5 tonne lorry at around 1,100 cubic feet. A lightly furnished two bed flat can fit a Luton at around 600 cubic feet but expect to be tight.
What size lorry for a 3 bedroom house?
A 7.5 tonne lorry covers most three bedroom homes. Where the loft and garage are full, an 18 tonne vehicle or a second load is needed.
How many cubic feet is a Luton van?
Between 550 and 650 cubic feet depending on the body. That is roughly a full one bedroom home including a sofa, bed, appliances and around forty cartons.
Can I drive a 7.5 tonne removal lorry?
Only if your licence includes category C1. Licences issued in the UK after 1 January 1997 are limited to 3.5 tonnes unless you have taken the extra test.
Is it cheaper to do two trips in a small van?
Rarely beyond a short local move. Two trips double the fuel and driving time and usually cost more than booking the correct vehicle once.
What happens if the lorry cannot park near my house?
A smaller shuttle van moves the load between the door and the lorry. It is planned and priced at survey stage rather than added as a surprise on the day.
Planning a move?
BlueSky Removals gives fixed written prices after a free video or home survey. Call 0800 090 3125 or request a quote online.