What affects your price
Man and van pricing in London is time-based, and almost everything on this page comes back to that. Here is what moves the number, and what is already covered before you get to the till.
How the price is put together
City2City is a marketplace. Drivers set their own prices, so you are not looking at one company's price list — you are comparing several drivers who are free on your date, each with their own van and their own hourly rate.
- Most drivers set a minimum booking of two hours, to cover getting to you, loading and unloading.
- The first two hours are charged as a block, at the price shown on the driver's quote.
- After that, time is charged by the hour or the half hour, so the price keeps stepping up in units you can see.
- You see the full price before you book, and pay by card. Nothing is invented after the fact.
- If the job runs longer than the hours you booked, the driver's listed overtime rate applies. That is the only thing that changes the number.
What an hour actually costs
These two rates were read off City2City's own booking flow for a real London job. They are here so you have something concrete to work from — drivers set their own prices, so the ones you are shown for your date will differ.
| Van | 2 hrs | 3 hrs | 4 hrs | 5 hrs | 6 hrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Large Long Wheel Base£171.95 first 2 hrs, then £85.97/hr | £171.95 | £257.92 | £343.89 | £429.86 | £515.83 |
| Luton Van£185.95 first 2 hrs, then £92.97/hr | £185.95 | £278.92 | £371.89 | £464.86 | £557.83 |
Totals are the first two hours plus the hourly rate for each hour after that. They do not include helpers beyond what the driver offers, or a packing service.
Van size
A bigger van costs more per hour. It is still usually cheaper than booking a small one and paying for two trips across London. Pick the van that fits the load in one go.
| Van | Load space (L × W × H) | Payload | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small Wheel Base | 1.2 m × 1.49 m × 1.2 m | 600–900 kg | Luggage, parcels and a few boxes |
| Medium Wheel Base | 2.4 m × 1.7 m × 1.4 m | 1,200 kg | A few rooms of belongings or a sofa collection |
| Large Long Wheel Base | 3.4 m × 1.7 m × 1.7 m | 1,200–1,500 kg | 1–2 bed flat moves and business deliveries |
| Extra Long Wheel Base | 4.5 m × 1.7 m × 1.9 m | 1,200–1,500 kg | 1–2 bed house or office removals |
| Luton Van | 4.0 m × 2.0 m × 2.2 m | 1,200–1,600 kg | 3-bed house and office moves, heavy items |
Not sure which one you need? Tick off what you are moving and the calculator will tell you.
The things that eat the clock
Since you are paying for time, this is the list that really decides your bill. None of it is a surcharge — it is just work that takes longer.
- Floors without a lift. Every flight is another trip up and down for every item.
- A long carry from the van to the front door. If the nearest legal space is down the road, that distance gets walked dozens of times.
- Things that are not ready. Boxes still open, a bed still assembled, a freezer still defrosting — the clock is running while you finish.
- Awkward access: narrow stairwells, tight landings, gates, security doors, a lift you have to share with the rest of the block.
- Traffic and the time of day. A cross-London run at five o'clock is not the same job as the same run at ten in the morning.
- Heavy or oversized single items — an American-style fridge freezer, a piano, a safe. Declare these when you book.
Helpers
You choose how much help you want when you book. More help costs more, but a job that takes four hours with one pair of hands can take a lot less with two, so the bigger option is often the cheaper one overall.
“No help needed” means the driver drives and you do the lifting. If you are on your own with a wardrobe, pick something else.
Distance and extra stops
- Mileage and fuel are already in the quote. You are shown the route and the mileage before you choose a driver.
- You can add as many stops as you need between collection and delivery. Each one adds time, and the price reflects that.
- Each address has its own floor and lift, and both get priced in. Answer them accurately — an undeclared third floor is the fastest way to run over your booked hours.
- A move out of London and back is time in traffic as well as miles. Booking earlier in the day usually means less of it.
What is included, and what is not
- Mileage and fuel
- Insurance
- The van size you chose
- The helpers you chose
- The travel time you selected
- Congestion Charge, ULEZ and Clean Air Zone fees
- Other tolls, ferries and private road charges, paid separately if your route needs them
- Overtime if the job runs past the hours you booked, at the driver's listed rate
- A packing service unless you add it when you book
- Parking suspensions or permits, which you arrange with the council
How long a move usually takes
These come from the same calculator the booking form uses, based on a typical contents list for each property type and a thirty-minute travel estimate, rounded up to the next half hour because that is how you book. Your own list, your floors and your parking will move them.
| Property | Van it fits | Estimated time |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | Medium Wheel Base | about 2½ hours |
| 1 Bed Flat | Large Long Wheel Base | about 3½ hours |
| 2 Bed Flat | Extra Long Wheel Base | about 4½ hours |
| 2 Bed House | Extra Long Wheel Base | about 5 hours |
| 3 Bed House | May need multiple trips or vehicles | about request an estimate |
| 4+ Bed House | May need multiple trips or vehicles | about request an estimate |
An estimate, not a quote. Put your own item list into the van size calculator for a closer figure.
How to keep the price down
- Be genuinely ready. Everything boxed, taped, labelled and stacked by the front door before the driver arrives.
- Take apart what is meant to come apart the night before, and leave flat-pack alone.
- Get the van size right first time. Two trips costs more than the next size up.
- Sort parking at both ends, and tell the driver where to stop.
- Answer the floor and lift questions honestly. A cheap quote built on a wrong answer just becomes overtime.
- Do not move things you do not want. A charity collection is free; carrying a sofa across London is not.
- Compare more than one driver. Price, rating, jobs completed and van are all on the same card.