Think in volume, not item count
Ten boxes and one corner sofa are not comparable loads, even though both are a short list. What matters is cubic metres, which is why PORTR asks what the items are rather than how many things you have.
As a rough guide, a small van holds around 3 cubic metres, a medium van around 6, a large van around 11 and a Luton around 18.
What actually fits
A small van suits an armchair, a mattress, a bike or a handful of boxes. It is the right choice for genuine single-item jobs.
A medium van covers most single-room jobs: a two-seater sofa, a double bed frame, a chest of drawers. A large van handles corner sofas, wardrobes and appliances together with boxes. A Luton with a tail lift is for studio or one-bedroom contents and the heaviest individual items.
Leave room for the load to be stacked safely
A van filled to its absolute capacity cannot be loaded safely, because items need to be separated, padded and strapped. Plan on filling around 85% of the stated capacity.
PORTR builds that headroom into its recommendation automatically, which is why the suggested van is sometimes one size up from what the raw numbers suggest.
You can override the recommendation
If you know something we do not — the sofa dismantles, the wardrobe is already flat — you can select a different van in the quote flow and the price updates.
If your list genuinely exceeds the van you pick, PORTR tells you plainly rather than letting you discover it when the driver arrives.
Ready to move it? Get an instant price — your addresses and item list is all it takes.