Hi all,
I am moving the contents of my small flat in the UK – books, artwork, vintage Danish and Indian furniture – to Finland this spring. I will be driving a van from Leeds to Oulu (most likely a small Luton van or large Mercedes Sprinter – something with a capacity of about 10 cubic metres/ 1200kg loading weight). Is there anyone who is planning an opposite move, from Finland to the UK, or to somewhere in Europe? If so, perhaps we could split the van costs and save on one-way drop-off fees. The rental price for a van looks to be around €600 – split in half that's pretty affordable. I could also consider renting a van from/to Germany or Belgium (I have various items there that I will also move stuff from) if that idea also suits someone. Let me know if this might be of interest to anyone out there planning a move from Finland.
Thanks!
A move from UK to Finland
Re: A move from UK to Finland
Hi there im looking to move to finland next year. Where are you renting your van from? Will you have to return it to the uk?
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chaDirector
- Posts: 8
- Joined: Sun Feb 25, 2018 8:37 am
Re: A move from UK to Finland
Hi Danik –
I was going to rent a van from Avis. The cost would have been about £500 for a ten-day rental, with international continental cover and return to the same point of rental. The plan was to drive over (about a 3-4 day journey), unpack and then drive back. In the end though I just couldn't stomach the idea of driving that whole trip only to turn around and do the same thing back again. So I capitulated and just bought a used Luton van. Found it on gumtree, cost me £2850, plus about £300 in servicing to get it running up to snuff. Have just arrived to Finland and, barring a few rainstorms and the stress of driving a hulking vehicle through some European cities, the move went fine. Ended up costing about €500 in petrol, plus ferries that totaled €500. The nice thing about moving with a van that big (6m long x 3m high) is that I really was able to fit *everything* in my life into it: two sofas, bookshelf, antique furniture, all my art, 20 boxes of books (I'm a university professor), two bicycles, a vespa, and all the other crap I own that I probably don't need but still have.
In any event, even if I can now sell the van for a €1500 loss, it still would have been cheaper than renting and driving it back – and saved me another week of my life at the wheel. And if I get what I paid for it, then my international move will have cost a grand, which is about two grand cheaper than most removals firms quoted me to do the task.
So while it's far from stressful (then again moving always is), I'd recommend the purchasing a van and driving it route – just be sure to have it serviced before heading off.
Cha
I was going to rent a van from Avis. The cost would have been about £500 for a ten-day rental, with international continental cover and return to the same point of rental. The plan was to drive over (about a 3-4 day journey), unpack and then drive back. In the end though I just couldn't stomach the idea of driving that whole trip only to turn around and do the same thing back again. So I capitulated and just bought a used Luton van. Found it on gumtree, cost me £2850, plus about £300 in servicing to get it running up to snuff. Have just arrived to Finland and, barring a few rainstorms and the stress of driving a hulking vehicle through some European cities, the move went fine. Ended up costing about €500 in petrol, plus ferries that totaled €500. The nice thing about moving with a van that big (6m long x 3m high) is that I really was able to fit *everything* in my life into it: two sofas, bookshelf, antique furniture, all my art, 20 boxes of books (I'm a university professor), two bicycles, a vespa, and all the other crap I own that I probably don't need but still have.
In any event, even if I can now sell the van for a €1500 loss, it still would have been cheaper than renting and driving it back – and saved me another week of my life at the wheel. And if I get what I paid for it, then my international move will have cost a grand, which is about two grand cheaper than most removals firms quoted me to do the task.
So while it's far from stressful (then again moving always is), I'd recommend the purchasing a van and driving it route – just be sure to have it serviced before heading off.
Cha