Practical answer: the cheapest man and van jobs come from channels where you pay per booking, not per lead. In practice that means a mix of: marketplaces that only charge on accepted jobs, your own Google Business Profile, local Facebook groups and Marketplace, referrals from past customers, storage and furniture shop partnerships, and repeat business. The sections below rank each by cost per actually booked job and explain how to work them.
Why paying per lead quietly kills your margin
Most movers do not do the maths on lead-buying until a bad month forces them to. A lead is not a job: when three or four movers buy the same phone number, most of them win nothing but keep the invoice. Paying per lead also pushes you to chase every contact, because each one has already cost money — including the tyre-kickers and the "just checking prices" enquiries.
The healthier metric is cost per booked job: what you actually paid to stand in front of a customer whose details and deposit are already committed. Every channel below is ranked with that number in mind.
1. Marketplaces that only charge on accepted jobs
The fairest structure a mover can join is one where quoting is free and a fee only exists when the customer has said yes — because the platform only earns when you do. On Man and Van Club jobs, for example, there is no subscription and no fee to quote; a capped booking-deposit fee (currently £50 maximum) only applies when the customer accepts your quote, and only one mover quotes each customer at a time, so you are not racing five other vans to the bottom on price.
When comparing any platform, ask three questions before you join: do I pay before or after a confirmed booking, how many other movers quote the same customer, and is the customer committed (a deposit paid) before my phone rings? The answers tell you more than any sales page will.
2. Google Business Profile — the free channel most movers half-finish
A complete Google Business Profile puts you in the local map results for "man and van near me" searches at zero cost. Complete every field: services, areas covered, opening hours, photos of your van and completed jobs, and a description written the way customers actually search (their words, not your company slogans). Reviews are the engine here — ask every happy customer immediately after a good move, while the goodwill is fresh. Even a handful of recent, detailed reviews changes your enquiry rate noticeably.
3. Facebook groups and Marketplace
Local community groups, "spotted in" pages and Marketplace listings generate steady single-item and small-move work — the exact jobs that fill gaps between bigger bookings. Post when it is allowed, answer wanted-posts quickly with a clear price or a clear question, and keep a short standard reply saved on your phone so you respond in minutes. Speed usually beats polish in groups: the first useful reply often gets the job.
4. Referrals and repeat customers
Every completed move is the seed of the next two. Customers refer movers who do three simple things: turn up on time, protect the furniture, and confirm the price before the job so there are no surprises on the pavement. Message the customer the day after a move to check everything arrived well — it closes the job professionally and it is the natural moment to ask for a review or a recommendation. Storage facilities, letting agents and furniture shops are worth the same treatment: one friendly storage manager who trusts you can send work for years.
5. Win more of the quotes you already send
Before hunting for more work, tighten the conversion of the work you already see. Movers consistently win more jobs when they: reply fast (the first considered quote usually wins), give clearly structured options rather than a single take-it-or-leave-it figure, state exactly what is included (wrapping, stairs, dismantling), and confirm the price in writing before moving day. A quoted job lost to silence is the most expensive work you will never do.
6. Keep your insurance current — it is a sales tool, not paperwork
Goods in Transit and Public Liability cover are not just a tick-box for platforms: customers increasingly ask for proof before handing over a deposit, and being able to send your documents in one reply wins jobs against movers who cannot. If you are unsure what cover moving work needs, read our mover's insurance guide — and if you are weighing moving work against courier work, the honest comparison is in man and van vs courier work.
Want this work sent to you?
Man and Van Club sends approved movers real customer requests in their area — free to join, no subscription, no fee to quote, and a platform fee (currently £50 maximum) only when a customer accepts your quote and pays the deposit. Apply free in a few minutes, then email your insurance documents. Applications are checked manually, and early movers in each area are first in line as requests arrive.