Moving home - Am I mad to consider hiring a van?

[NotAGolf]

I've been in contact with about 10 removal companies to try and get a quote for moving home.

Half didn't bother to respond. 1 responded with a bunch of questions that I'd already answered, 3 gave quotes for at £1300-1600 (move only, no packing/dismantling, and it's only a 2 min drive from my current house), and the last gave a quote I'd be happy with (£900), but now isn't responding :-/

I didn't realise I could drive a Luton van on a standard license. I priced it up and I could hire a van, a sack trolley and hire some boxes for 3 days for between a third and a quarter of the price of the quotes I'm getting.

There's no way I could fit my whole house in a Luton van, but my in-laws live nearby so I was thinking the day before completing I could move half my gear into theirs, then on the day of the move I could put all the big stuff in the van, and I can unload at 'leisure' as the van wouldn't be due back until the day after.

I realise it'll be hard graft, but I'm reasonably fit and we don't have much stuff. I'm confident between me and the missus we could carry everything we own no problem apart from the big American fridge freezer, but I could rope my brother in to help with that.

Am I mad for considering this?

 

[NotAGolf]

Hmm, some of you are suggesting to do multiple trips. How does that work if you're in a chain? I thought at X o'clock you get a call that basically says get out of your house and into your new one. I.e. No time to shuttle back and forth as your buyer will move in the moment you move out? (Hence why I was thinking I needed to do a single trip on completion day).

Sorry if it's a dumb question. Last time I was a FTB so never sold a house before.

 

[NotAGolf]

Just for clarification, when did you pass your test and which vehicle categories are you allowed?

I passed in 2004, so I've got dates stamped in the BE category, which I believe is the one allowing up to 3.5t?