Here's what trips people up. A van and driver runs about €49 per hour in the Netherlands, yet a full-crew moving company averages €900 to €1,600 for the same home (Inbox Storage, 2026). The gap isn't a trick — it's two completely different products priced two completely different ways. Most quotes don't explain that.
This guide does. It's built for anyone about to request a moving quote in the Netherlands — expat, student, or local — who wants to read the number, spot the padding, and pick the right service the first time. In our experience, the people who overpay aren't careless; they just compare quotes that were never comparable.
By the end, you'll know the three ways Dutch moves are priced, what a proper quote must itemise, which hidden costs to hunt for, and how to shave the bill without cutting corners.
Key Takeaways
- A van and driver runs about €49/hour; a two-person crew with a truck charges €80–€120/hour (Inbox Storage, 2026).
- Full-service movers average €900–€1,600, rising past €3,000 for a large home — a man-with-a-van studio move is often €90–€150.
- A real quote itemises vehicle, crew, hours, fuel, and 21% BTW. If any line is missing, ask before you book.
- You pay by the hour, so packing everything before the van arrives is the single cheapest lever you control.
Before You Request a Quote
Have these ready and any provider can price your move in minutes instead of days. Conversely, vague requests get vague — and usually inflated — numbers back.
- Both full addresses, including floor and whether there's a lift
- Moving date (and a backup — mid-week and mid-month are cheaper)
- A rough inventory: number of boxes, big furniture, anything awkward
- Access notes: parking distance, narrow street, loading restrictions
- Extras you want: help carrying, disassembly, or just van and driver
How Are Moving Quotes Priced in the Netherlands?
Dutch moves are quoted three ways: hourly, fixed-package, or per-trip. A van and driver is about €49/hour, while a two-person crew with a truck runs €80–€120/hour (Inbox Storage, 2026). The model you're quoted changes what "cheap" even means.
A moving quote (verhuisofferte) is a written price estimate based on three things: how much you're moving, the distance between addresses, and the date. Therefore, the same flat can be quoted wildly differently depending on which pricing model a company uses — and that's exactly why raw totals mislead.
- Hourly — you pay for each hour the van and crew work, plus fuel by distance. Best for small, well-packed moves where you control the clock.
- Fixed package — one agreed price for a defined job. Best when scope is clear and you want certainty.
- Per-trip — a set fee per load between two points. Best for a single van-load studio or IKEA run.
In particular, for a room or studio move, the hourly van model almost always wins. Our man-with-a-van service is quoted at €49/hour with a 1.5-hour minimum and fuel billed separately — no full-crew premium for a job that doesn't need a crew.
What Should a Proper Moving Quote Include?
A real quote itemises five things: vehicle size, number of movers, estimated hours, fuel or travel, and 21% BTW (verhuizen.nl, 2026). If a total lands in your inbox with none of that breakdown, you can't tell what you're actually buying.
BTW is the 21% Dutch VAT applied to moving services. Moreover, it's a legitimate line — the problem isn't the tax, it's a quote that hides whether the headline number already includes it. Specifically, always confirm the price is inclusief BTW before you compare it to anything.
A trustworthy quote states, clearly:
- Vehicle — van or truck, and its size
- Crew — how many people, and what they do (drive only, or carry too)
- Time — estimated hours and the minimum booking
- Fuel / travel — a rate per km, or included in a fixed price
- Extras — disassembly, packing materials, waiting time, a furniture lift
For the full budget picture — deposits, insurance, and admin — see our 2026 Netherlands moving costs guide.
Which Hidden Costs Catch People Out?
The padding rarely hides in the hourly rate — it hides in the extras. Total cost is driven by time, distance, and access: parking, walking distance, and stairs (Handy Movers, 2025). For instance, a €49/hour van can still run up a surprising bill if the van crawls across three cities or waits while you finish packing.
Our finding: In fact, across the hundreds of moves we've run, we found the single most common surprise isn't the rate — it's travel time. Because you pay while the van is on the road, an Amsterdam-to-Groningen job costs far more than the same volume across one city. In short, distance is a cost, not just a rate.
Watch for these:
- Fuel / travel time — billed by distance; long routes add up fast
- Waiting time — if you're not ready to load, the clock keeps running
- Furniture lift (verhuislift) — around €150 per day when the stairs won't do (Inbox Storage, 2026)
- Parking / permit — a distant load spot means more carrying hours
- Minimum hours — check the floor; a good one is short (ours is 1.5)
- Stairs and carrying — a van-and-driver service loads at street level, in case elevator is missing, so if you need items carried down floors, confirm it's quoted
A quick word on how our own service works, so the model is clear: the driver loads and unloads at street level, if elevator is missing, and you bring items down to the ground floor. As a result, there's no per-floor carrying charge to hide — because that carrying isn't part of the job. In some cases, we provide additional help for 1-2 buly items. Similarly, students moving a single room can see exactly how this keeps the bill low on our student moving service page.
How Do You Compare Quotes Without Getting Burned?
Compare the breakdown, not the bottom line. Two quotes of "€600" can mean a certified full-service crew with €100,000 insurance, or a van with a vague estimate and no terms (verhuizen.nl, 2026). Notably, the number is meaningless until you know what's under it.
An Erkende Verhuizer (recognised mover) is a company certified by the OEV that meets ISO 9001 standards, carries guarantee insurance, and answers to an independent dispute commission (De Haan, 2026). Consequently, for a large full-service move, that badge is a real safeguard — though a well-run van service is perfectly right for smaller jobs.
Run every quote through this:
- Same scope? Same volume, same date, same addresses, same extras
- Itemised? Vehicle, crew, hours, fuel, and BTW all shown
- Terms in writing? Cancellation, insurance, and liability stated
- Reviews? Recent, specific, and plausible — not a wall of five stars
- Payment sane? Be wary of large upfront cash deposits
How Do You Get the Cheapest Accurate Quote?
You control more of the bill than the rate. Because most small moves are billed by the hour, a fully packed, ready-to-load home can finish in half the time of a half-packed one (Handy Movers, 2025). Importantly, preparation, not haggling, is where the savings live. On our own jobs, our team measured that a sealed, stacked home loaded in roughly half the hours of a half-packed one.
Do these before the van arrives:
- Pack everything — every box sealed and stacked by the door
- Declutter to one load — fewer boxes, fewer hours, less van
- Disassemble big furniture — beds and wardrobes flat and ready
- Book off-peak — mid-week and mid-month are quieter and cheaper
- Reserve a parking spot — the closer the van, the fewer carrying hours
The average Dutch move is just 18 km, and three-quarters happen within 17 km (IndexBox / CBS, 2024). Meanwhile, students move furthest at 49 km on average. So most moves are short enough that an hourly van beats a full-crew quote handily — and for the longer ones, our long-distance man-with-a-van cost guide breaks down route-by-route pricing.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a man with a van cost in the Netherlands?
A van and driver is about €49 per hour in 2026, with fuel billed separately by distance (Inbox Storage, 2026). A typical studio or single-room move lands around €90–€150 all in, far below the €900–€1,600 average for a full-service crew.
Is a fixed price or an hourly quote better?
It depends on scope. Hourly wins for small, well-packed moves where you control the clock — a van and driver runs €49/hour (Inbox Storage, 2026). Conversely, a fixed price suits larger, clearly-defined jobs where you want certainty and no clock-watching.
Does a moving quote include BTW?
It should, but always confirm. Dutch moving services carry 21% BTW (VAT), and a proper quote states whether the total is inclusief BTW (verhuizen.nl, 2026). If it doesn't say, ask before comparing it to another quote.
What hidden costs should I watch for in a moving quote?
Fuel and travel time, waiting time, a furniture lift (around €150/day), parking distance, and minimum-hour floors (Inbox Storage, 2026). In addition, for street-level van services, confirm whether carrying items down floors is included or expected of you.
How can I make my move cheaper?
Pack everything before the van arrives, declutter to one load, disassemble big furniture, and book mid-week and mid-month (Handy Movers, 2025). Since small moves are billed by the hour, a ready-to-load home can halve the time.
Conclusion
In short, a good moving quote isn't the lowest number — it's the clearest one. Read the model first: hourly at ~€49 for a van and driver, or €80–€120 for a full crew. Additionally, check the quote itemises vehicle, hours, fuel, and BTW, and that the terms are in writing. Consequently, two "€600" quotes stop looking equal the moment you see what's underneath.
Ready to move? Get a fixed, no-surprises quote from MoverMate's man-with-a-van service — €49/hour, 1.5-hour minimum, fuel clearly separate.
Keep reading: our 2026 Netherlands moving costs guide for the full budget, and our expat relocation checklist if the Netherlands is new to you.
About us: this guide was written and fact-checked by the MoverMate moving team, who run man-with-a-van jobs across the Netherlands every week and quote hundreds of moves a year. Have a question about a quote? Contact us and we'll price your move honestly.
Sources
All sources retrieved 2026-08-15.
- Inbox Storage, What does moving cost? 2026 price guide, link
- verhuizen.nl, Requesting a removal quote, link
- Handy Movers, Moving Costs in 2025: What to Expect and How to Save, link
- De Haan, Erkende Verhuizers – Recognised Movers, link
- IndexBox (CBS data), Average moving distance increases to 18 kilometers, link
- nlcompass, Moving within Netherlands 2026, link
