This guide covers 10 man with a van services worth considering for moves in Brighton and Hove, from the steep terraces of Hanover to seafront flats in Kemptown and Hove. Most of the city centre is a controlled parking zone, so parking is the thing to sort first: the council will suspend a bay for a house move if you give it seven working days’ notice. The Van Man Co is first on the list, and the other nine are local firms with their own websites you can check.
Man with a Van in Brighton Booking
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
This guide covers 10 services worth looking at for moves in Brighton: local independents, and one larger removal firm for the bigger jobs, and The Van Man Co first, since you’re already here.
What a man and van service actually is
You get a driver and a van, and the price is based on the time the job takes. Loading, the drive and unloading are all part of it. Some drivers work on their own and others bring a helper, depending on the job.
It handles most Brighton moves well. A one bed flat in Kemptown, a student room off Lewes Road, a single piece of furniture from Facebook Marketplace. For a full three bed house it can still work, though you’ll want to check the van size and whether a second pair of hands is included. Man and van services booked through a platform let you see the drivers and a price before you commit.
Fridays and Saturdays are the busiest days across our own bookings, so those slots go first. Brighton has two universities, the University of Sussex and the University of Brighton, so the start and end of term are busy as well.
How it typically works
Give your pickup and drop-off postcodes and say what needs moving. Pick a van size and a time. If there’s more than one address, mention it up front.
Brighton has its own complications, and they’re worth mentioning when you book. Hanover is tightly packed Victorian cottages on a very steep hill. The Lanes are narrow, and parts of North Laine are pedestrianised, so a van may not get to the door. Kemptown and the Brunswick end of Hove are full of big Regency houses converted into flats, which usually means stairs. Student houses are mostly around Lewes Road, Moulsecoomb and Bevendean. If any of this applies to your move, say so up front, because it all adds loading time.
1. The Van Man Co
The Van Man Co connects customers with independent local drivers covering Brighton and the rest of the UK. There are three van sizes: medium, large and Luton. You put in your postcodes, pick a van and get a price estimate straight away, based on time and distance and including the driver’s travel to you and back.
A booking is a request until a driver confirms. Your card isn’t charged until then, when a 20% deposit is taken, and the rest is paid in cash to the driver on the day. Drivers bring blankets, straps and a trolley. Insurance cover varies by driver, and you can check a driver’s cover after making a booking request and before the deposit is charged. Find local drivers and get a price on the Brighton man and van page.
2. Man-with-a-Van
A Brighton removals firm that says it was established in 1999. It takes anything from one room to a flat or an entire house, with a choice of van sizes and either one man with a van or a two man team. The site says the service is fully insured and offers a student discount.
3. Tom’s Vans
Established in 2010, with bases in Bristol, Bath and Brighton. They run Luton vans as well as long wheelbase panel vans, and the site lists house removals, office removals, nationwide deliveries and European removals. The site says they carry full insurance. A good fit if your move is between Brighton and the West Country.
4. ESV Removals Ltd
A family-run firm that has specialised in house moves since 2019, with a Mercedes Sprinter and a 3.5 tonne Luton. The site states goods in transit cover of up to £40,000 per vehicle and £5 million public liability, and says they are vetted and approved on Checkatrade. Student removals cover both universities, and they mainly work across BN, RH, TN and PO postcodes.
5. Van Dan Removals
Based in Hove. The site lists man and van jobs, home removals, storage, office moves, student moves and single items, with furniture taken apart and put back together if you need it. They describe themselves as fully insured and as a certified carbon neutral company.
6. Sole Moves Removals
A removals and man and van service with a large Luton van and an electric tail lift, which helps with heavy items. The site states goods in transit insurance of up to £5,000 and says they cover all of Brighton and Hove and East Sussex.
7. Removals Brighton Co
A Brighton removals firm that says it is a member of Checkatrade and fully insured. The site lists student moves for both universities and vans with tail lifts for heavy items.
8. bright:on re:moval
Offers home and office removals, a man with a van service, packing and rubbish clearance. The site says the service is fully insured and includes taking furniture apart and putting it back together, and that they are registered with the Environment Agency for the clearance work.
9. Sam with a Van
A Brighton and Hove man with a van service. The site says no deposit is required and that they are fully insured, and it describes them as student specialists for both universities. They also make a point of knowing the narrow streets of The Lanes and the parking in Kemptown.
10. Bearded Bros
The larger firm on this list. They started with one van in 2013 and now have around twenty crew and a small fleet of vans and trucks. They are a British Association of Removers member, a Brighton and Hove Living Wage employer, and have storage at a depot on Springfield Road. The site says every move is covered by goods in transit insurance. Worth pricing for a whole house.
How to choose between them
Comparing quotes
Most man and van firms price by the hour, and the rate varies with the van and the firm. Ask what the final number includes before you confirm: fuel or mileage, a minimum booking, and what happens if the job runs over. Our guide to how much a man and van costs shows what our own last 500 jobs came to, by van size and time booked.
The cheapest hourly rate doesn’t always give the cheapest bill. A van that’s too small means a second trip, and that costs more than a slightly bigger van that does it in one. Look at reviews alongside price, and look for jobs like yours.
Reviews and track record
Volume matters. A firm with a few hundred reviews and consistent feedback tells you more than one with four reviews and five stars. Look for reviews from the past year and watch for patterns. Late arrivals and prices that change at the end are the two complaints worth screening for.
Local experience counts for a lot in Brighton. A driver who knows Hanover’s hills and which streets in the centre a van can’t get down will save you time on the day.
Matching the service to your job
Be accurate about what you’re moving. Vans fill up quicker than most people expect. If you have 30 boxes, a sofa, a bed and a wardrobe, say so when you book. Our van size calculator shows your own list loaded into each van.
For a bigger home, or if you want the packing done for you, price a full removal firm as well. Bearded Bros is the one on this list set up for that.
Is there a Clean Air Zone in Brighton?
Not one that charges vans. Brighton and Hove has an ultra-low emission zone for buses along Castle Square, North Street and Western Road, and the council’s page sets out no charge for cars or vans. Brighton isn’t on GOV.UK’s list of cities with a Clean Air Zone either.
So there’s no daily charge for a van moving you within the city. If your move goes somewhere that does have a zone, such as Portsmouth, check before the day. With us, charges like that are the customer’s responsibility where the route requires them.
Parking in Brighton
Parking is the hard part of a Brighton move. If you live in a controlled parking zone you need a resident permit to park there, and the council says a permit doesn’t guarantee a space outside your home. A removal van can’t count on finding one.
The fix is a parking suspension, which the council offers for moving house. It needs seven full working days’ notice. There’s an administration fee of £38, or £19 if you live in Brighton and Hove or are a new resident moving in with a removal vehicle, and the suspension itself is £51 a day for each 5.5 metre bay. The details are on the council’s application page.
The council can’t suspend parking on yellow lines or in unrestricted streets, and it doesn’t suspend bays on bank holidays. Parking is your responsibility at both ends, so apply early and tell the driver where the van can stop.
Common mistakes
Underestimating the load is the most common one. People leave half their boxes out when they describe a move, then the van is full before everything’s on. List what you actually have.
Leaving the parking suspension too late is the Brighton one. It needs seven working days, and without it the van may be streets away from your door.
Not mentioning the stairs is the third. A top floor flat in a converted Regency house is a very different job from a ground floor one, and the driver needs to know to book the right time.
Ready to get a quote?
Frequently asked questions
How much does a man and van cost in Brighton?
It depends on the van and how long the job takes, including the driver’s travel to you and back. Most firms charge by the hour. Our guide to how much a man and van costs shows what our own last 500 jobs came to. Budget for a parking suspension as well if you’re in a controlled zone.
Is there a Clean Air Zone charge for vans in Brighton?
No. Brighton and Hove’s ultra-low emission zone applies to buses on Castle Square, North Street and Western Road. The council’s page sets out no charge for cars or vans.
How do I arrange parking for moving day in Brighton?
Apply to the council for a parking suspension. It needs seven full working days’ notice, with an administration fee of £38, or £19 for residents, plus £51 a day for each 5.5 metre bay. It can’t be done on yellow lines or on bank holidays.
Which parts of Brighton are hardest to move in?
Hanover, for the steep hill and tightly packed streets. The Lanes and North Laine, where a van often can’t reach the door. Kemptown and Brunswick, where flats in converted Regency houses mean stairs. Mention any of these when you book.
What’s the difference between a man and van and a full removal company?
A man and van is a driver, sometimes with a helper, and one van, priced on time. A removal company sends a crew and a bigger vehicle and usually quotes for the whole job, often with packing. For a flat, a man and van is usually enough. For a full house, it’s worth pricing both.
