Is it worthwhile to hire a vehicle (7.5 tonne) and do your own?
Would we save that much? Quite a bit going over with us. All being well with our house sale, we will have to move out 13th August of this house so I have to really decide what is the best course of action to take...Hubby quite prepared to do it, but I would be interested in other's opinions

I have contacted a company mentioned quite a bit here for a quote in the meantime...something tells me that if there isn't a great deal of difference it would be better just to get a company in to save the hassle!

The chances are you wont be able to hire a HGV and drive it abroad unless you own a ltd company with an operators license and hire it through that,If you speak good spanish speak to some of the hauliers who go to the UK with fruit/veg ,they are nearly always looking for a backload and are very very cheap compared to UK operators,

Rgds

Rotor

7.5 tonne is not classified as an HGV is it?
But it is not just the drive you should consider it is all the loading and unloading at each end, (without help maybe?). Plus you will have to return the vehicle too.
The tolls in France are bad enough for a car god knows what they will be for vehicle of this size.

I did the hire 7.5Tonne lorry and self drive, about 5 years ago, so it would have been a lot cheaper then on fuel, tolls, and ferry,

I came via Le Havre, drive took about 23 hours ( not including overnight stop), cost was around the £1200 plus hire of lorry, for a competitive quote try Gwalia hire Ross on Wye Hereford, I couldnt find anybody to beat them on hire cost of the lorry, that was all in Insurance, breakdown and it was a new unit also, with sleeper room behind seats. No need for commercial licences etc, but I was advised to ensure I had a bill of loading ( list of contents) for customs purposes. althougth I was not challenged for it.

http://www.gwalia-hire.co.uk/rates.html

The best removal quote I could get at the time was over double the cost, All in I found it a great experience and would do it again!!

You might want to check your husbands license to see if it allows for 7.5t lorry driving as it was stopped about 15-ish years ago if memory serves me correctly.

If hubby can legally drive one then he can hire one, the whole needing a LTD company is utter nonsense so ignore that.

What I would say is it boils down to 1 thing : If you want a stress free move, don't do it.

If you don't mind a complete hassle (and it will be) and not to mention having to then return to the UK with the lorry and having to fly/drive back out to Spain then do it as it will no doubt save you a few bob and you will be as much as you can in control of your items and how they are packed.

As usual Zel things he knows it all, just phone around and see who will hire you a 7.5 ton as a private customer for an overseas trip,also most hire firms expect you to have your own insurance for HGV vehicles, I talk from experience not what Ive heard in a bar, and from info given by a friend who hires HGVs.
Also you will find a UK haulier who will run from central UK to southern spain from £2000,00 with a 40` artic, youd have to load/unload quickly at both ends or get charged extra for waiting time,ie best to palletise every thing ,

Rgds

Rotor

7.5 tons isn't HGV and you dont need to use a tachograph if it is for personal use and you dont need an operators licence

I dont regard it as a stress free move. It was hard work for sure, but we have almost always done our own moves

The most gratifying thing about doing our own move was that everything arrived in one piece and we knew where it was all the time. Once it was loaded, it was loaded ... not transshipped, no one elses effects loaded with it

For us it was cheaper .... much cheaper, but we took the option of a lwb luton van. Suprising the amount we got in there, and we were nowhere near the weight limit as we put it over a weighbridge before we left.

I did it last month and thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm suprised at the amount of negativity over something as simple as this compared with the decision to emigrate. If you have the cajones to up sticks and jump country then a little more adventure can't do any harm surely?

Ok, fair enough, I have had plenty of experience driving 7.5 tonners and I had a very good friend help me out, but it's certainly do-able.

There aren't many companies who will let you out of the country with a 7.5t wagon and those that do can be pricey so best to shop about and also ask any contacts you have who may know someone who knows someone with one.

The way I did it was to enlist the help of a friend who made the return leg alone. I also paid extra to sail into Santander which gave us a night in the bar and a good sleep.

A 20' box holds a lot of stuff. I brought 4 suites 2 king size beds loads of boxes and obscurely shaped items which I could pack how I wanted to instead of having to have everything nicely squared off for a courier.

Total cost was around 2200-2300 uk pounds and a drink for my mate, but I never worried about my record collection or guitars getting trashed.
We did have a bit of drama on reaching Santander just as the strike happened but that just adds to the tale.

Each to their own though, deep down you allready know which way you want to do it!

Good luck,

Ste.

We did 5 cu metres as a part load for 500 pounds.

This time 2-3 Cu M is 400.

All you can do is cost it all out and see if it is worth the hassle.

Crikey. I hope it was a really really good drink!

If you’re working out the cost, just make sure you double it for the return journey. I wouldn’t do it with only the one person to drive. If you come down through France it’s boredom city on the autoroutes, and driving while tired is never a good idea. The long drag through the dark night is a killer.

Having said that, if you’re young enough and fit enough, go for it. The missus and I (both mid 50s) reckon that the cost difference is not worth it (although there is a £ benefit) mainly because we’d be doing the load and unload too. She’s prone to lower back problems, and I tend to be the ‘hero’. All in all a recipe for disaster. Compared to removal quotes, I reckoned the difference to be only about a grand or so.

What price your neck? What price your ongoing health?

Hope this contri helps in your decision. Money is NOT the only thing to take account of in this calculation.

OH yes you do mitz.3.5 max on a car licence. same applies to campers and caravans and shoguns and the like.

We used a removal company and can't fault them though it ended up costing 3,600 pounds without any white goods included. We went for a single load with storage in Malaga. This avoided any delay with partial/shared loads and transportation from the UK which is the problem my Mother is now experiencing. 2 months in her new home without any furniture!!

Not for personal use Betris, no you dont. A 7.5 tonner (gross) you can drive on a car licence ...... I've done it many times.
You only need a tachograph if you are driving for hire or reward.

Ive also driven several very large mobile homes I've owned on a car licence

Seconded!