What each removal vehicle actually holds, in cubic feet and kilograms, and which one your home needs. These are working figures from a UK removals fleet, not brochure numbers measured to the roof with nothing in the way.
Compiled with Alexander Bruce, 14 years in UK removals.
| Vehicle | Capacity | Payload |
|---|---|---|
| Luton van | 650 cu ft about 18.4 m³ | 600 kg |
| Maxi low loader | 950 cu ft about 26.9 m³ | 1,200 kg |
| 7.5-tonne lorry | 1,250 cu ft about 35.4 m³ | 2,000 kg |
| 18-tonne truck | 2,400 cu ft about 68 m³ | 5,000 kg |
Most van-hire pages publish cubic feet and stop there, which is why people book too small. A load heavy in books, tools or appliances reaches the weight limit with the vehicle half empty. A load of duvets and cushions fills the space while weighing almost nothing. Work out which limit your load hits first, then book to that.
Typical household volumes, matched to the smallest vehicle that holds them. These are averages from completed moves — a decluttered house sits below, a full loft and garage push above.
| Home size | Typical volume | Smallest vehicle that fits |
|---|---|---|
| Studio / small 1-bed flat | ~350 cu ft | Luton van |
| 1-bedroom home | ~500 cu ft | Luton van |
| 2-bedroom home | ~800 cu ft | Maxi low loader |
| 3-bedroom home | ~1,500 cu ft | 18-tonne truck |
| 4-bedroom home | ~1,850 cu ft | 18-tonne truck |
Note the three-bedroom row. At around 1,500 cubic feet it exceeds a 7.5-tonne lorry's 1,250 — so if you have been quoted a 7.5-tonne for a fully furnished three-bed, ask how they intend to fit it. Plenty do, but only when the house is genuinely decluttered.
650 cu ft · 600 kg
Studio and one-bedroom moves, and the standard vehicle for a man-and-van job. The box body and low tail-lift make loading furniture far quicker than a panel van.
Watch out: The payload is the catch. At 600 kg a Luton fills on volume long before it runs out of weight for most household goods, but a load heavy in books, tools or appliances can reach the limit with the box only part full.
Drivable on a standard category B car licence.
950 cu ft · 1,200 kg
Two-bedroom moves, and the sensible step up when a Luton is close but not certain. The lowered floor gives more usable height without moving into lorry territory.
Watch out: Larger body on a similar chassis, so access is the constraint rather than capacity - check the approach, any overhanging trees and the turning space before booking one for a narrow terraced street.
1,250 cu ft · 2,000 kg
The workhorse of UK household removals. Suits a well-decluttered three-bedroom house, and is the vehicle most quotes assume unless you are told otherwise.
Watch out: A full three-bedroom home averages around 1,500 cubic feet, which is more than this holds. Plenty of three-bed moves do fit - but if yours is furnished throughout, with a loft and a garage, ask whether the quote is for this or something bigger.
Requires category C1 on the driver licence. Anyone who passed their car test before 1 January 1997 usually has it automatically; anyone who passed after does not.
2,400 cu ft · 5,000 kg
Four-bedroom houses and up, or a fully furnished three-bed that will not fit a 7.5-tonne in one load. Also the answer when a single trip is non-negotiable on completion day.
Watch out: Size becomes a liability on residential streets. Confirm the vehicle can physically reach both properties, and arrange a parking suspension in advance - an 18-tonne truck parked two streets away turns a long carry into hours of chargeable time.
Requires a category C (HGV) licence.
A Luton van holds around 650 cubic feet with a payload of about 600 kg. That suits a studio or one-bedroom move, and it is the standard vehicle for a man-and-van job. The box body sits over the cab, which is what gives it more space than a panel van of the same length.
A three-bedroom home averages around 1,500 cubic feet. A 7.5-tonne lorry holds about 1,250 cubic feet, so a well-decluttered three-bed fits but a fully furnished one with a loft and garage does not. If yours is the latter, you need an 18-tonne truck or two loads.
About 1,250 cubic feet of load space and a 2,000 kg payload. It is the most common vehicle in UK household removals. Driving one requires category C1 on the licence, which drivers who passed their car test before 1 January 1997 usually hold automatically.
Capacity is how much space there is, measured in cubic feet. Payload is how much weight the vehicle can legally carry, in kilograms. You can run out of either. A load of books reaches the payload limit with the vehicle half empty; a load of duvets fills the space while weighing almost nothing. Book on whichever limit your load hits first.
A full 7.5-tonne lorry, around 1,250 cubic feet, takes roughly two hours to load and an hour and a half to unload. Unloading is quicker because the crew is no longer deciding how to stack for transit. Stairs, long carries and awkward parking add time at either end.
Vehicle size follows from volume, and volume is what a removal quote is priced on. The removal cost calculator estimates yours from property size, access and distance, and the packing boxes calculator tells you how many boxes that comes to. For how a move runs on the day, see the Moving Help Centre.