I would always recommend buying the newest van you can afford. Avoid low-mileage diesels that have covered lots of short journeys - these trips will not have done the engine or the DPF (diesel particulate filter) any favours.

If you are planning to keep the van for the long-term then I'd suggest spending a minimum of £7000. This should get you a van that's four or five years old.

Check the springs by looking underneath or listening for knocks on any drive, they’re prone to breaking - and not just because many people tend to overload their vans. Heavy wear and tear points to abuse and overloading, with so many for sale you shouldn’t have to compromise on buying a used example, it’ll be cheaper in the long run to spend a little extra and buy a good one.