Van Hire and DIY Move Cost Calculator

Who this is for

What moving yourself really costs. You enter the distance, the number of trips, your fuel price and your van's fuel use, then each hire charge and extra from your own quotes, and the sheet totals the lot and sets it beside the removals quote you have been given.

Households weighing up a self-drive van against a removals firm, and anyone who has booked a van and wants to know the whole cost before the day.

What this helps you track

• Fuel cost for every trip, from your own price and consumption figures
• Hire charges, waivers, mileage, tolls, parking, equipment and helpers
• Refundable deposits kept apart from money that is spent
• The DIY total set against the removals quote you were given

How to use it

1. Write the hire company, the distance for one trip between the homes and the number of trips you expect to make.
2. Enter your fuel price and the distance your van covers per unit of fuel, in the same units, from the hire company or your own experience.
3. Enter the removals quote you want to compare against, taken from your quote paperwork.
4. Work down the cost lines, entering each rate and how many days or units apply; tick refundable for any deposit you expect back.
5. The line costs, totals and summary are worked out in the browser and the workbook; on paper, multiply across and add down.
6. Compare the DIY total with the removals quote in the summary, remembering that your own time and effort are not in either figure.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser
• Excel / Google Sheets workbook

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The workbook uses plain formulas only — SUM, IF, COUNTIF and the like — so it opens in Excel, LibreOffice and Google Sheets without anything breaking, and every calculated cell is grey so you can see which figures it worked out.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

How is the fuel cost worked out?

Distance per trip times the number of trips gives the total distance. That is divided by the distance your van covers per unit of fuel, then multiplied by your fuel price. Use the same units throughout, for example miles and litres.

Why are deposits kept separate?

A deposit you expect back is not a cost of the move, so ticking refundable keeps it out of the net cost column. Track its return on the moving deposits and refunds tracker so it is not forgotten.

Does the comparison include my time?

No. The sheet compares money only. Packing, loading, driving and unloading yourself take time and effort that a removals firm would otherwise supply, so weigh that alongside the figures.

Where do the rates come from?

From your hire company's quote and your own receipts. The calculator supplies no hire rates, fuel prices or consumption figures; every number is one you enter.