How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Van? And What Size Van Do You Actually Need?
If you’re looking at hiring a van, one of the first questions you’re probably asking is:
How much does it cost to hire a van?
The honest answer is: it depends.
Van hire prices can vary depending on the size of the van, how long you need it for, where you’re hiring from and the type of job you’re doing.
But there’s another question that’s arguably even more important:
What size van do you actually need?
Choosing a van that’s too small can mean making multiple trips, spending more time loading and unloading, or discovering that your couch, fridge or mountain of boxes simply isn’t going to fit.
Choose one that’s unnecessarily large, and you could end up paying for more vehicle than you need.
So rather than simply looking for the cheapest van to hire, it’s worth thinking about what you’re actually moving.
At Handy Rentals, we have a range of cargo vans in different sizes, making it easier to find a vehicle that suits the job.
How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Van?
There’s no single price for van hire.
The cost can depend on several factors, including:
- The size of the van
- How long you need it for
- The location you’re hiring from
- The type of hire
- How much driving you’ll be doing
- The availability of the vehicle
That’s why you’ll often see different prices for different types of vans.
A small cargo van will generally be a different price from an extra-large van because you’re hiring a different amount of vehicle.
The important thing is to look at the overall cost of getting the job done, rather than just the advertised daily rate.
For example, hiring the cheapest van isn’t necessarily cheaper if you have to make three trips instead of one.
The Better Question: What Size Van Do I Need?
Think about what you’re transporting before choosing your vehicle.
Are you picking up a few pieces of furniture? Delivering stock for a business? Moving house? Transporting bulky equipment?
The amount and shape of what you’re carrying will help determine which van is right for you.
Here’s a rough guide to the different van sizes.
Small Cargo Van – For Smaller Jobs
A small cargo van is a good option when you don’t have a huge amount to move and want something compact and easy to drive.
These vans offer around 5-6m³ of cargo space.
They’re particularly useful for:
- Small furniture pickups
- Deliveries around town
- Moving a few larger household items
- Transporting tools and equipment
- Business deliveries
- Picking up Marketplace purchases
- Smaller loads that won’t fit in a car
If you’re only moving a handful of items, there’s no point hiring a massive van just because it has more space.
A small cargo van can be a handy middle ground between using your car and hiring a much larger vehicle.
Best for:
Small loads, deliveries and individual furniture items.
Medium Cargo Van – The All-Rounder
Need a bit more room?
A medium cargo van provides around 7-8m³ of cargo space, making it a versatile choice for a wide range of jobs.
This size can be useful for:
- Larger furniture collections
- Business deliveries
- Moving several appliances
- Equipment transport
- Small moves
- Stock deliveries
- A mixture of boxes and bulky items
If you’re not sure whether a small van will be enough, stepping up to a medium van can give you some valuable extra room without jumping all the way to a large vehicle.
It’s a popular option for people who need more than a basic cargo van but aren’t tackling a full house move.
Best for:
Medium-sized loads and people who need a little extra breathing room.
Large Cargo Van – When You Need Serious Space
Once you’ve got a bigger load, a large cargo van starts to make a lot more sense.
A large van can provide around 9-10m³ of cargo space, giving you considerably more room for bulky items and larger quantities of goods.
These vans can be useful for:
- Larger furniture moves
- Moving multiple rooms
- Business deliveries
- Trade equipment
- Appliances and furniture
- Larger stock movements
- Commercial transport jobs
One of the biggest advantages of stepping up to a larger van is simply having more room to work with.
You don’t want to spend hours carefully loading a van, only to discover you’ve got another load left behind.
Best for:
Large loads, bulky items and bigger domestic or commercial jobs.
Extra Large Cargo Van – Maximum Van Space
Sometimes a large van just isn’t large enough.
That’s where an extra-large cargo van comes in.
Handy Rentals’ extra-large cargo vans offer around 11-13m³ of cargo space, making them a great option when you’ve got a substantial amount to transport but still want the convenience of a van.
They’re particularly useful for:
- Large deliveries
- Moving substantial amounts of furniture
- Commercial transport
- Large quantities of stock
- Bulky equipment
- Bigger moving jobs
- Jobs where you want to minimise the number of trips
If you’re trying to fit a lot into one vehicle, going larger can make the job considerably easier.
Best for:
Big loads where maximum cargo space is the priority.
Van Size Comparison
Still not sure which one you need?
Here’s a quick way to compare the different sizes:
| Van size | Approx. cargo space | Good for |
| Small Cargo Van | 5–6m³ | Small deliveries, furniture pickups, tools and equipment |
| Medium Cargo Van | 7–8m³ | Medium loads, furniture, appliances and business deliveries |
| Large Cargo Van | 9–10m³ | Larger furniture loads, stock and bigger moving jobs |
| Extra Large Cargo Van | 11–13m³ | Large loads, bulky items and substantial deliveries |
These are useful guidelines rather than hard rules. The shape and size of the items you’re carrying can make just as much difference as the total amount of stuff.
What If You’re Moving House?
If you’re hiring a van because you’re moving house, don’t just think about how many boxes you have.
Think about the largest and most awkward items.
A few large pieces of furniture can take up more room than a surprising number of boxes.
For example, a household move might include:
- Sofas
- Beds
- Mattresses
- Fridges
- Washing machines
- Tables
- Chairs
- Drawers
- Boxes
- Outdoor furniture
A small van might be perfect for transporting a few individual items, but it can quickly become impractical when you’re trying to move the contents of several rooms.
If you’re moving a larger amount of furniture, it may make more sense to step up to a large or extra-large van – or consider one of Handy Rentals’ moving trucks if you need even more capacity.
Don’t Forget About the Shape of Your Load
Cargo volume isn’t the only thing to consider.
Two loads can have exactly the same amount of stuff but require completely different amounts of space.
A load consisting mostly of small boxes can be packed relatively efficiently.
A load containing a sofa, mattress, fridge and dining table is a different story.
Bulky items create gaps and can be much harder to pack efficiently.
That’s why it’s worth thinking about what you’re carrying, not just how much you’re carrying.
Is It Cheaper to Hire a Bigger Van?
Not necessarily.
A bigger van may have a higher hire price, but that doesn’t automatically mean it’s more expensive overall.
Imagine you hire a small van because it’s cheaper, but you need to make three trips.
If a larger van allows you to complete the job in one trip, you’ve potentially saved yourself:
- Fuel
- Driving time
- Loading and unloading time
- Extra kilometres
- A whole lot of frustration
That’s why the cheapest van isn’t always the cheapest solution.
The right-sized van is usually the one that gets the job done efficiently.
What Licence Do I Need to Hire a Van?
One of the handy things about Handy Rentals is that our range includes vehicles that can be driven on a standard Class 1 car licence.
That means you don’t necessarily need a special truck licence just because you need more cargo space.
It’s worth checking the requirements for the specific vehicle you’re looking at before booking.
So, How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Van?
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer.
The cost of hiring a van depends on the vehicle you need and the details of your hire.
Instead of starting with:
“What’s the cheapest van I can hire?”
it’s often better to start with:
“What van will get my job done in the fewest trips?”
Once you know the size you need, you can compare the hire options available and choose the vehicle that makes the most sense for your job.
Whether you’re picking up a couch, delivering business stock or moving a whole load of household belongings, Handy Rentals has a range of cargo vans to help you get the job done.
And if you’re not sure which size you need, ask us.
Our team is happy to talk through what you’re moving and help you work out which vehicle will suit the job.
Find the Right Van for Your Job
From compact cargo vans for smaller jobs through to extra-large vans with up to 13m³ of cargo space, Handy Rentals has options for loads big, small and everything in between.
We’re 100% locally owned and operated and have been helping New Zealanders move, deliver and transport since 1989.