Choosing a moving van is a gamble most people lose in one of two ways. Too small, and you make extra trips, pay extra fuel, and run out of time on moving day. Too large, and you pay for space you never use and struggle to park and load it. This estimator takes the gamble out: enter your home size and your big items, and it returns an estimated total volume and the van or truck size that fits it.
The volume comes from a home-size base plus the big items that dominate a load. A studio base is about 8 cubic metres, a 2-bedroom home about 18, and a 3-bedroom home about 26. On top of that, each sofa counts as 2 cubic metres, each bed as 2.5, and each large appliance such as a fridge or washer as 1. These are planning assumptions that include the boxes and furniture a normal home of that size contains, so you do not need to measure every chair.
Here is a worked example. A 3-bedroom home has a base of 26 cubic metres. Add 1 sofa at 2 cubic metres, 2 beds at 2.5 each, and 2 appliances at 1 each, and the total is 35 cubic metres. That sits on the boundary of a 20 foot truck, which holds about 30 to 35 cubic metres. Because awkward shapes waste space, a load on the boundary is a warning sign: choose the larger truck or plan two trips rather than discovering on the day that the last items do not fit.
Size classes are approximate because rental companies name their vehicles differently. A small van holds about 8 to 10 cubic metres and suits a studio or a few rooms of furniture. A medium van holds about 14 to 16 cubic metres and suits a 1-bedroom flat. A large van holds about 20 to 24 cubic metres and suits a 2-bedroom home. A 20 foot truck holds about 30 to 35 cubic metres for a 3-bedroom home, and a 26 foot truck holds about 40 cubic metres or more for larger homes.
Volume is not the only limit: weight, shape, and access matter too. A piano, a safe, or a stone table may be small in volume but heavy enough to need special handling and a vehicle with the right payload. Long items such as a dining table or a king-size mattress need a load space long enough to lie flat, so check the internal length of the vehicle, not just its volume. Narrow streets, low bridges, and parking limits at either address can rule out the largest trucks entirely.
Loading well makes any size go further. Load the heaviest items first, against the cab wall, and distribute weight evenly from side to side. Fill gaps with soft items such as bedding and cushions, and strap everything so it cannot slide: a load that shifts in transit damages furniture and can make the vehicle unsafe. Disassemble what you can, keep screws and fittings in labelled bags taped to the furniture, and measure doorways at both homes before moving day.
Remember that this is a planning estimate, not a professional quote. It does not allow for a garage, a loft, a garden shed, or a piano, so add their volume separately if you have them. Driving licence rules for larger trucks differ by country and by licence, so check what you are allowed to drive before booking. For a large or valuable move, show your numbers to a rental company or a mover and ask them to confirm the vehicle size. Book the vehicle a week early in busy months.