Quick summary (November 2026): Hiring a van yourself can be cheaper than a man with a van for a short, local move if you’re old enough to hire one, have friends to help and don’t mind the driving. Once you add fuel, the insurance excess you’re liable for (often around £1,000 at the big hire firms), a deposit, a 24-hour rental day and your own time, the gap can close quickly, and on longer or heavier moves a man with a van can work out about the same or cheaper. A standard car licence covers vans up to 3,500kg, but many hire firms want you to be 25, and some want 30 for a Luton. With The Van Man Co, the estimate is based on time and distance and covers the driver, the van and the loading. To get one for a flat move or a student let on the south coast, start with the Bournemouth man and van page.
On paper, hiring a van looks like the cheap option. You pay a day rate, load it yourself and drop it back. The catch is everything the day rate leaves out, and that’s usually where the comparison with a man with a van gets decided.
Here’s what each option really costs, the rules that catch people out with hire vans, and how to tell which one suits your move.
The short answer
Self-drive van hire tends to be cheaper when the move is short and local, you’ve got a couple of strong friends for the day, and you’re comfortable driving a big van. A man with a van tends to win when the move is longer, there’s heavy furniture or stairs, you’d have to take time off work, or you’d struggle to meet the hire firm’s age and licence rules.
The honest way to decide is to cost both properly, including the bits people forget.
What van hire costs you beyond the day rate
The day rate is just the starting point. These are the costs that turn a cheap-looking hire into an expensive day:
- The insurance excess. Basic hire cover leaves you liable for the first part of any damage. At one of the big national firms it’s typically around £1,000 on a van, and you pay extra each day to bring it down. A scraped wing mirror in a tight street could cost more than the hire itself.
- A deposit. Hire firms often take one on your card when you collect the van. At one big firm it’s £200 for vans, and some local firms ask for more depending on your age and licence history.
- Fuel. At many firms the van goes out full and has to come back full. If you don’t refuel, the firm does it for you at its own price.
- The rental day. A rental day is normally 24 hours from collection. If the move runs late and the van comes back after that, you can be charged for a second day.
- Mileage and one-way hire. Many big firms include unlimited mileage, but some local firms include a set number of miles a day and charge per mile after that. Dropping the van at a different branch usually costs extra.
- Your time and your helpers. Someone has to collect the van, load it, drive it, unload it and take it back. That’s often a full day off work for you and at least one other person.
None of that shows up in the headline price, so add it up before you compare.
Where does your driver need to go?
How long do you need the driver at each end?
A rough guide to the total time for loading and unloading.
- Few items: 30 mins to 1 hour
- Studio flat: 1 to 1.5 hours
- 1-bed flat: 1.5 to 2.5 hours
- 2-bed house: 2.5 to 4 hours
Every move is different. Stairs, parking and big or awkward items all add time. If unsure, round up.
Extra loading and unloading time is charged by the hour.
Estimate
Compare van sizes
How your booking & deposit works
Can you drive a hire van on a car licence?
Usually, yes. A standard car licence covers vehicles up to 3,500kg maximum authorised mass, which GOV.UK’s driving licence categories set out. The big hire firms keep their vans, Lutons included, under that limit. Our guide to the 3.5 tonne van explains what the weight limit covers.
The licence isn’t usually what stops people. Age is. One big national firm wants drivers to be 23 for its smaller vans and 25 for a Transit or a Luton, and another lists 25 for vans and 30 for a Luton. Younger drivers who can hire often pay a daily young driver charge, and many firms want you to have held a full licence for a year or two. You’ll normally need to show your licence record too, which you can share with a check code from GOV.UK’s view your driving licence service.
What a man with a van costs instead
With a man with a van, you pay for the driver’s time and the distance, and the driver, the van and the loading come together. With The Van Man Co, the estimate is based on time and distance, including the driver’s travel to your pickup and back from your drop-off. On longer trips a distance charge is included in the price you’re shown. If loading takes longer than the quoted time, the extra is charged at an hourly rate, so having everything boxed and ready by the door keeps it down.
The driver brings blankets, straps and a trolley. Some drivers can bring a second person for an extra hourly rate if you’ve got heavy furniture. There’s no excess for you to worry about, no fuel to put in and no van to take back. Insurance cover varies from driver to driver, so if you’re moving something valuable, ask the driver what they hold.
You send a booking request, your card isn’t charged until a driver confirms, and then a 20% deposit is taken. The rest is paid in cash to the driver on the day. For real prices by van size and hours, see our guide to how much a man and van costs in the UK.
When hiring a van works out cheaper
- The move is short and local, so you’re done well inside the 24-hour rental day.
- You meet the hire firm’s age and licence rules without paying a young driver charge.
- You’ve got at least one strong helper who’ll give up the day.
- Nothing is too heavy or awkward to carry between you, and there aren’t many stairs.
- You’re happy driving and parking a large van, and you can take the excess risk.
When a man with a van works out cheaper
- The move is longer, or one way between towns, where a hire firm would add a one-way fee or a second day.
- There’s heavy furniture, white goods or a lot of stairs, and nobody free to help.
- Taking a day off work costs you more than the difference.
- You’re under the hire firm’s age limit, or you’d rather not carry the excess risk.
- You’re not sure which van you need. The van size calculator shows your own list loaded into each van, and our guide to what fits in a Luton van covers the bigger moves.
Would you rather someone else drove?
Frequently asked questions
Is it cheaper to hire a van or a man with a van?
For a short local move with friends to help, hiring a van can be cheaper. Once you count fuel, the insurance excess, the deposit, the 24-hour rental day and your own time, a man with a van can cost about the same, and it’s often cheaper for longer or heavier moves.
Can I drive a Luton van on a car licence?
Usually, yes. A standard car licence covers vehicles up to 3,500kg, and the big hire firms keep their Lutons under that. Some firms set a higher minimum age for a Luton, though, so check before you book.
How old do you have to be to hire a van?
It depends on the firm and the van. Many want you to be 23 or 25, some set 30 for a Luton, and younger drivers often pay a daily young driver charge.
What’s included with a man and van?
With The Van Man Co, the driver, the van and the loading are included, and the driver brings blankets, straps and a trolley. Packing materials aren’t included, so have your boxes packed before the driver arrives.
