Removal van size calculator
When moving furniture from your home, quantities like 3.5 tonnes and 600 cubic feet can seem uselessly abstract to your very real boxes, beds, tables and sofas.
All furniture has a cubic feet size value, which can help gauge the volume of van you need to transport your items. A medium-sized box, for instance, is around three cubic feet, and a fridge freezer is 30 cubic feet. So 200 boxes, or 20 fridge-freezers, might fit into a 600 cubic feet van.
But if you're doing the maths, you must consider loading and stacking too. Furniture items can be bulky, misshapen and awkward, so it's always safer to overestimate the space you need.
Our removal van size guide will translate the abstract into more understandable terms to determine what sort of domestic removal vehicle is the most appropriate for your needs.
Use our guide to see which van size is best for your move:
| Items to move | Recommended van for the job |
|---|---|
| 10-15 medium boxes - or a large wardrobe/sofa | MWB transit van |
| 25 medium boxes (Plus, one small white goods item or a bed) | MWB transit van |
| 20 medium boxes (Plus typical studio apartment furnishings) | LWB transit van |
| 20-25 medium boxes (Plus the contents of a slightly bigger apartment) | 3.5 tonne van with tail lift |
| 25 medium boxes (Enough for a two-bedroom flat or bungalow) | 3.5 tonne Luton body van with tail lift |
| 30-35 medium boxes (A two-bedroom house and some garden furniture) | 3.5 tonne Luton body van with tail lift & a LWB transit van |
| 40 medium boxes (Plus the contents of a three-bedroom house and a garden) | 7.5 tonne Luton box van |
| 50-55 medium boxes (Four or five-bedroom houses, with garden furniture and a conservatory) | 7.5 tonne Luton box van & a 3.5 tonne Luton body van with tail lift or two 7.5 tonne Luton box vans with tail lift |
Medium wheelbase transit (MWB)
Typically the smallest transport vehicle available, the medium wheelbase transit can move up to 30 medium-sized boxes, roughly enough to fill a shed. However, to move furniture items, you must subtract their volume from the moving inventory. So, if you want to include a washing machine, be mindful that this accounts for about six boxes worth of space.
Long wheelbase transit (LWB)
If you're moving to or from a furnished property or clearing out a garage or lock up, the long wheelbase transit could be right for you. An LWB transit is capable of transporting plenty of boxes as well as more significant household items. For example, a typical LWB job could contain 20 medium-sized boxes, a fridge-freezer, a microwave, a 2-seater sofa, a double bed and a large TV.
3.5 tonne Luton van with tail lift
If an LWB transit isn't for you, the 3.5-tonne Luton body van could be a more practical option. With a volume of 600 cubic feet, this vehicle can transport 20-25 medium-sized boxes and bulkier items such as a washing machine, 2-seater sofa, double bed and dining table. The tail lift also facilitates the loading and unloading of large furniture items. As a result, many one and two-bedroom flat owners opt for a 3.5-tonne van.
7.5 tonne Luton box van with tail lift
The 7.5-tonne Luton or box van with a tail lift is the king of the removals world, with an internal volume of 1200 cubic feet. Ideal for a 3-bedroom house move, it can typically carry complete kitchen, bedroom, living room and garden furniture. The 7.5 tonne is plenty for an average house move, but if you have upward of 50 boxes, four beds and a few sofas, you may require two Luton vans - which is sometimes the case for four-bedroom house moves or above.
So there you have it. AnyVan's comprehensive guide to removal van sizes.
