When moving property, an increasing number of people are ditching the traditional removals firms and turning instead to the local business man who owns his personal van. The man with a van is a traditional British role which has taken on a new lease of life as people are searching for more cost effective and flexible approaches to home removals. But what does the man with a van offer that hiring a removal firm, or even doing the job yourself, does not? One of the main attractions offered by the man with a van is his flexibility. Since the only two components required are the man and his van (and one is never very far from the other), then there is little in the way of hindrances once you have agreed upon a job. Rather than having to book a certain slot months in advance with a removals firm, the man and a van offers the opportunity to hire somebody in a pinch and at short notice. This is particularly pertinent if prior plans have fallen through. Much more than just a fall back option however, the man and a van can also work around your life, trading outside of traditional working hours and available to find a time which is best suited to you. This is also useful if a self-move turns into a bigger job than previously thought. If you are overwhelmed with trying to move yourself, you need only give the man and a van a call and he can be there as soon as possible. As well as the flexibility offered by the man and a van, the cost compared to larger, more traditional moving firms can be considerably cheaper. There are no set prices: the price is usually hourly and agreed upon before the job. Thus, the process is transparent and it is easy to see what you are spending your money on, namely, a man and his van, rather than the extra and additional services offered up by firms which you might not need or want. An underrated quality of the local tradesman will be his knowledge of the local area. If you have hired someone local to help you move only a few short miles, it is incredibly unlikely that you will get lost along the way. The wisdom of the man and a van allows him to enact his excellent knowledge of the local area to get you to where you need to be. Relying on an out of town removal firm can be difficult in these circumstances, especially if you are unsure of the area yourself. However, there are some draw backs to the hiring of a man and a van as opposed to a traditional removals firm. Removals firms are built on their expertise and experience. They will be conducting removals day in and day out, building up a great knowledge of the industry. The man and a van will have a much more varied and changing schedule. His expertise, while likely rich and useful, might not be as geared towards the actual process of removals as a team of qualified and guild approved removals men. If you are searching to save money, it might be even cheaper still to hire a van yourself; for you to become the man with a van (if only temporarily). Since you will only be hiring the van component of the man with a van, the price could be cheaper, though this will depend on the businesses available in your area. There might also be additional costs with renting a car/van, such as petrol, insurance and the congestion charge.