House move, DIY or professionals?

[TheDriverCom]

Hi Chaps, due to losing our storage here in sunny Oxfordshire we are having to move around a Luton box van full of stuff down to our place near to La Chatre, a total of 500 miles door to door. I'm trying to decide what's the best way, rent a van and take a long weekend to load, travel, unload and return or buggered the cost and let the movers do it...suggestions please


Mods move to elsewhere if you think there is a better option

[Rushjob]

Third option.....
Shop around and buy yourself a Luton van in the UK.
Drive it and your stuff to France.
Register the van in France.
Sell it in France for more than you paid for it and the fuel to get you there.
Couple of mates have just sold rhd vans out here for almost twice what they paid for them in the UK, strangely both went to Romanian guys who turned up, checked the vans over and paid in cash.

[Rushjob]

Third option.....
Shop around and buy yourself a Luton van in the UK.
Drive it and your stuff to France.
Register the van in France.
Sell it in France for more than you paid for it and the fuel to get you there.
Couple of mates have just sold rhd vans out here for almost twice what they paid for them in the UK, strangely both went to Romanian guys who turned up, checked the vans over and paid in cash.

Edited by Rushjob on Friday 13th January 11:27

[paulwirral]

I've done the 850 mile one way trip from home to Dordogne countless times in either a cabstar tipper truck or worker spec 2 seat l200 when I was building a house , as long as you just switch off from what your doing it's fine . I found listening to " how to speak French " cds actually passed the time more easily than music , I nearly always travelled alone , it only took me 18 hours per journey !

[V8RX7]

I suspect the issue with a rented van is taking / insuring it in France

When a friend moved stuff to Spain and had an empty run back, he found a quick post on FB found people happy to pay to shift stuff back to the UK - it ended up becoming a sideline.

Edited by V8RX7 on Friday 13th January 15:11

[rdjohn]

I have used http://www.loadup.co.uk a few times to shift stuff between UK, France and Spain.

If your timing can be flexible, you can get some fantastic quotes for part loads.

[Spare tyre]

V8RX7 said:

I suspect the issue with a rented van is taking / insuring it in France

When a friend moved stuff to Spain and had an empty run back, he found a quick post on FB found people happy to pay to shift stuff back to the UK - it ended up becoming a sideline.

Edited by V8RX7 on Friday 13th January 15:11

We hire vans for Le Mans, most people do it for a small premium


Op, what's van rental like in France?

[TheDriverCom]

Spare tyre said:

V8RX7 said:

I suspect the issue with a rented van is taking / insuring it in France

When a friend moved stuff to Spain and had an empty run back, he found a quick post on FB found people happy to pay to shift stuff back to the UK - it ended up becoming a sideline.

Edited by V8RX7 on Friday 13th January 15:11

We hire vans for Le Mans, most people do it for a small premium


Op, what's van rental like in France?

Most of the bigger supermarkets, SuperU etc all have vans for hire but not sure about oversea use...thanks for all your suggestions, got a couple of weeks before I need to panic. Had a man and van quote me £1000 to do it so got to do my sums

[roofer]

Hire a 7.5 tonner, cut the trips down/

[Mykap]

Watch the weight in a Luton. It's less than the transit van of same length. Don't ask how I know but it cost me 100 in fines and the threat of unloading by the roadside. Also no pets if using tunnel, OK on ferry though.

[4Q]

Mykap said:

Watch the weight in a Luton. It's less than the transit van of same length. Don't ask how I know but it cost me 100 in fines and the threat of unloading by the roadside. Also no pets if using tunnel, OK on ferry though.

I've taken my dog on the tunnel loads of times?

[Mykap]

Not on a Luton van you haven't

[4Q]

I have in a vw van, why is that different?

[Mykap]

4Q said:

I have in a vw van, why is that different?

My journey to Spain last year in a one way hire van (Luton) made me very aware of the tunnel rules.

I booked the van on the tunnel filling in all the right bits of the online booking form including the fact we were in a luton van. Declared the dog and was charged £18 for him.

On arrival at the tunnel I was told 'you can't go through the tunnel with a dog mate' WTF I've paid for him and you took the money?

'Yeah but you're in a Luton, if it was a transit no problem but a Luton its not allowed....'

All to do with the height of the van and the fact Lutons have to go in the freight carriages. Not at all clear on the tunnel web site.

We had to drive to Dover and get a ferry (£180 ouch). Delayed us by 5 hrs and caused much stress.

This was the journey from hell as I also got pulled over and fined in France for overloading the bloody thing.

As for the tunnel booking I complained and they have allowed me to reuse the booking later in the year - wow thanks.

[anothernameitist]

roofer said:

Hire a 7.5 tonner, cut the trips down/

14 years ago we managed to hire a 7.5 t to get to France.

Last year no one would entertain us, managed to cram everything into a Luton.