I’m moving from Dundee to Edinburgh (yay) and I’m trying to work out how to get my depressingly large accumulation of stuff there. I don’t drive so it’s man with a van or offer a mate a fair price. How much is reasonable?

Don’t ask STW, get some quotes from men with vans.

They are all competitive as there are lots of them. Try Gum Tree.

Just google/contact the companies in your area, as prices will fluctuate depending on location.

Ball park is £45 an hour for a man with a van.

Pop what you want on http://www.shiply.com/ and see what comes up ?

£1 a mile or £40-50 an hour.

If it seems too cheap pay alittle more. When we moved to London the driver quoted a crazy cheap price. It took forever to get there and all the way I thought ‘hes working for **** all here’. So I paid him £10 ontop (alot back then) and just said ‘its a tip’ as he wouldn’t accept it.

OK thanks I’ll ask about, just thought I’d start by consulting the STW hivemind.

I would get a bunch of quotes, find someone who I wanted to do the job, with a ‘look after my stuff’ attitude and pay him what he wanted.

I’d rather pay a bit more to someone who will do a good job rather than sort out issues afterwards.

Also is it normal to get a lift with the man with a van?

i payed 60 quid a shot to move my land rover about 40 miles by man with van and car transporter.

cheap at twice the price for me.

Ahh a free lift to new location as well.

You could hire a LWB transit off Arnold Clarks or the like for <£100 for a day. So if you could get a mate to drive it for beer it should cost you £120 odd with fuel, probably less if you can get a good deal on the van hire.

So compare your van man cost against that.

Edit: van hire places will often charge quite a lot extra for one way trip!

I’ve used both shiply and a local man with van for moving/collecting various items.
As you’ve got multiple items I’d go with the man with a van (Shiply drivers may be in too much of a hurry to help unload, etc) and I’d expect to pay in the region of £100.

Also is it normal to get a lift with the man with a van?

It is if you agree it beforehand.

TBH I’d look at the mate angle.

I can drive, if a mate needed to move I’d offer to drive a hire van for them for nought.

But if I was asking a mate to take a day and do me a favour, I’d offer to take them out for a curry and some beers after unpacking in edinburgh and pay their train fare home….of course a man with van might work out cheaper than van hire, fuel, curry and beer. But I like curry and beer, and from the mate’s point of view I like to help my friends out.

Also is it normal to get a lift with the man with a van?

A mate of mine’s brother did man with van for a while. He would hire someone to help out and if needed and pass the cost on to you, so if you were prepared to lend some muscle power, you’d save a bit and get a lift into the bargain. Not doing it any more though

I would charge about £160 for that if I lived in Dundee and was returning to base afterwards

As a one-off, for a mate, I’d do it for the cost of fuel. If I had to take a day off work, that would be different.

I’ve also moved stuff on a slightly more regular business for a mate and it was fuel plus £10/hr.