Moving Out of Student Accommodation in Norwich? Here’s What You Need to Know About Van Hire

The end of the uni year is fast approaching, so if you’re moving out of your student house or halls in Norwich, you’ve probably got a lot on your mind. Exams, end-of-year events, and then to add into the mix, the small matter of getting everything home. Our van hire covers Norwich and the surrounding Norfolk locations, with 24-hour breakdown cover and recovery available anywhere in the UK.

Hiring a van is one of the most straightforward and practical ways to get everything back to home base. You just load everything up, drive home, unload, and then drop the van back. There’s no waiting around for someone else, no making back and forth trips, and no leaving your furniture behind because it just wouldn’t fit into the family car. 

Here’s everything you need to know about hiring a van for your Norwich student move.

When should I book?

As soon as you know what your plans are, it’s best to get everything booked and organised. This means you can be suitably prepared and won’t have that worry of trying to work out how you’re going to get your possessions home. UEA and NUA students all finish around the same time, so that’s a lot of people looking to move around.

At Trott Rentals, there’s no deposit to worry about either, so there’s no reason to wait if you already know your move-out date.

What size van do I need?

This depends on how much stuff you have. Most students underestimate just how much they’ve accumulated over the year, so it makes it a good opportunity to de-clutter and give that jumper you’ve never worn to charity. Here’s a rough guide to help you choose the best van for the job.

Moving out of a single room in halls: A small or medium van will usually do the job. You are typically looking at a bed, a chest of drawers, a couple of boxes, clothes, and whatever other trinkets you may have accumulated over the year. 

Moving out of a shared house: If your shared house came unfurnished, you might have a lot of large items like a double bed, a wardrobe, or chest of drawers. Because of this, you’re likely going to need an extra large or super-large van. 

If you are coordinating a whole-house move with your housemates in one trip, a Luton van gives you the most space and makes short work of it. This is the most popular type of van hired for a house move, so you know it’ll do the job.

Not sure which to choose? Give us a call. We’ll ask a few quick questions and point you in the right direction.

What if I’ve never driven a van before?

This is absolutely fine, and you’re in good company. Most of the people who hire a van from us are not regular van drivers. We even have a blog post giving you hints and tips on what to expect when driving a van for the first time. 

Every van in our fleet is automatic, so you won’t need to worry about a gearbox, and means anyone can drive our vans. If you can drive a car, you can drive one of our vans.

When you collect the van, we walk you through everything before you leave. We cover the dimensions, using the mirrors, reversing, and anything else you want to go over. You’re never just handed the keys and sent on your way – we want to make sure you’re comfortable and confident.

All our vehicles also come with 24-hour UK breakdown cover, so if anything happens on the road, you can rest assured that help will be on the way.

You should also be conscious of differing speed limits on some roads when driving a van. When driving a van on a dual carriageway, for example, you’ll have to keep your speed to 60mph instead of the usual 70mph you’re used to. We’ve got a full guide on our blog so you don’t get caught out. 

Can I hire a van on a standard driving licence?

Unlike a lot of van rental companies, we rent vans to people under the age of 25, including students. You don’t need any special license or driving qualifications to drive any of the vans we offer – just make sure to bring your driving licence, license check code and ID with you when you collect the van. If you are aged between 21 and 24, you’ll need two years on your license in order to rent a van. 

If you have any penalty points, have held your licence for less than two years, or are under 25, get in touch before you book and we can talk through your options.

Can my housemates drive the van too?

At Trott Rentals, you can include up to three named drivers on any hire at no extra cost. All named drivers just need to attend the depot when you collect, with their driving license, license check code and required identification.

This is particularly useful if you are sharing a long drive home, or if you and your housemates are taking turns dropping things off at different addresses.

Do I need to worry about mileage?

All our hires include unlimited mileage. You pay a flat daily rate and you can go as far as you need to. Whether you are driving back to a town down the road or heading to the other end of the country, there is nothing extra to pay on mileage. Just bring the van back with a full tank of fuel.

A few practical tips to make your move-out day easier:

• Pack the night before. On your actual move-out day you want to be loading the van, not packing. Box everything up the evening before so you can get in and out quickly – otherwise you’ll end up wasting half the day finishing off something that could’ve been prepped in advance!
• Disassemble furniture if you want to take it with you. Flat-packed items take up far less space in a van. If a bed or wardrobe can come apart, sort it before collection day. Of course, this only applies if you own the furniture. 
• Load the heaviest and biggest items first. Put them at the back and bottom of the van, and smaller items can then stack on top. This helps make best use of space, keeps the van balanced and makes unloading simpler.
• Check the house before you leave. It sounds obvious, but it’s really easy to forget something in the wardrobe, at the back of the airing cupboard, or at the bottom of the garden.
• Return the van with a full tank. If a vehicle is not returned full and we are required to refill it, we will charge a refuelling fee of £24.00 to cover our time taking the vehicle to be refuelled, plus the cost of fuel required to refill the vehicle.

Where can I collect the van from?

We’re based at 21 Hurricane Way, Norwich, NR6 6EZ, which is just a couple of minutes away from Norwich Airport. It’s easy to reach from the city, and there is plenty of space on the forecourt. We’ll walk you through your van hire when you arrive, so you don’t need to worry about anything. Just make sure all drivers bring their driving license, license check code and required identification when collecting the van. 

If you need to return the van outside of opening hours, we do have a key drop box on the forecourt. The vehicle does remain your responsibility until the office reopens and we have checked it in, so please keep that in mind if you are planning a late return.

Ready to book?

Check availability and book online, or give us a call on 01603 426487. If you have a question about which van to choose or what to bring when collecting your van, we’re happy to help.