The ultimate Brisbane removalists price guide
The Sunshine State continues to see growth in people moving into and around its capital city, Brisbane. There are a large number of options for moving with good road networks between the major south-east Queensland hubs, including the Sunshine Coast, Brisbane, Toowoomba and the Gold Coast. To help you make the best move, we’ve created an insiders guide to pricing for removalists in Brisbane.
Topics in this article:
Moving locally in Brisbane
Brisbane movers very rarely will quote a set price. Even if they do, this may not go in your favour if they finish earlier and you end up paying for more than you need.
When you’re moving ‘locally’ (within an 80km radius), you are best to choose moving services that are charged by the hour. It may make you feel uneasy not to know your costs before you move, but with the flexibility comes the opportunity to save substantially.
There are a few ways you can save money. Let’s break it down as the time taken to load and unload a moving truck depends on a few factors:
- What type of items are you moving? Some items are more difficult than others to move. That ridiculously heavy cabinet upstairs? Maybe you’re better off trying to get someone to buy it and take it away for you than spending extra time with removalists carting it to your new place. Loading and unloading these sorts of things can really impact price even if only moving out of a one-bed studio apartment.
- How much stuff are you moving? Naturally, if you have more items it will take longer to move, but it does take a bit of effort to reduce the load. The question of what to keep, sell or store can be a hard one, so we’ve got a handy table below that details how long a removalist will generally take to load and unload a range of different furnishings.
- Can the removalist get access to your property? Accessibility is often overlooked by people moving out of apartment buildings. We tend to find Brisbane’s outer suburbs have plenty of room in the street for parking, and this isn’t usually an issue. However, if moving in or out of the city or tighter inner-city streets of Paddington, Red Hill or Spring Hill the removalists either need to use an intermediary ferry vehicle or carry all your items down by hand. It’s important to know the removalist you choose can handle this type of work and do it quickly, or it can add significant time and costs to your move.
- Don’t forget the stairs and elevators. We often see customers baulking at additional costs for stairs or elevators, but, for anyone who’s ever tried to move with access restrictions, you’ll know it adds more time to get everything moved in or out. On top of this, if you have quite a lot of items upstairs, the move might start quickly, but, then can begin to lag as the constant physical exertion on the removalists can slow their pace towards the end of the job.
Now you’ve got a good overview of the critical factors for any move, here’s a guide for how long a moderately-furnished, ground-floor, easily accessed driveway or front parking residence would take to move.
Local furniture removals prices in Brisbane
| Residence size | Total items size | Avg Brisbane removalist price | Time needed for 2 people (loading and unloading) |
| Studio apartment | 8m3 | $298 | 2 hours |
| 1 bedroom apartment | 15m3 | $566 | 3.8 hours |
| 2 bedroom apartment | 23m3 | $865 | 5.8 hours |
| 3 bedroom apartment | 32m3 | $1193 | 8 hours |
| 4 bedroom apartment | 42m3 | $1566 | 10.5 hours |
| 2 bedroom house | 26m3 | $984 | 6.6 hours |
| 3 bedroom house | 35m3 | $1327 | 8.9 hours |
| 4 bedroom house | 48m3 | $1820 | 12.2 hours |
| 5 bedroom house | 55m3 | $2087 | 14 hours |
Source: Muval
You’ll see pricing based on per-hour or per-half-hour of work. Most removalists offer a minimum of two movers with any job and sometimes even more, as it’s typically better for the removalists to complete two jobs a day, so it’s in their best interest to move quickly.
Now, if you want to save a few dollars, we recommend asking the removalist if they are happy for you to help out to try and speed things up on the day.
Another good question to ask is whether or not the removalist has other jobs to be completed on the day, so you can see if they will need to ensure things run quickly for your job to get to the next.
There are a few things you can also do to save time and money on the day:
- Disassemble furniture before the removalists arrive and also reassemble it yourself on delivery.
- This one is key – move any items from upstairs to downstairs and better still, into a common access area like the garage – you’ll be surprised at how much this speeds things up.
- Have a good plan for where things will go in the new place and clearly label items and boxes with the room they belong in. You can waste quite a lot of time umming and arring about where to put each item.
- Pre-pack and pre-bundle as many items as possible. In many cases, it’s the one-off kid’s table or spare tennis racquets lying around in the stairwell that creates another trip back and forward between the truck.
A recent example of Muval customer saving money was Andrew, moving locally between Brisbane suburb Kedron to the popular suburb Banyo. Andrew had a fully furnished two-bedroom house at approximately 25m3 and chose to go with a removalist whose rate was $120 per hour. He helped by dismantling all of his furniture and getting his goods packed up into his garage which saved him an extra hour as part of his move bringing his move down to $500 total.
Moving interstate to and from Brisbane
Interstate removalists in Brisbane can send your items by either rail or truck depending on your origin or destination. It’s important to remember that interstate moves are calculated based on the total size (or volume) of the items you are moving and how much space they take up in the truck or container. This is where a ‘cubic metre’ is often referenced (m3). Similar to local moves, added costs can apply for hard to access properties, stairs or tight pickup/drop off streets.
Knowing what a cubic meter looks like
It’s a question that many don’t know the answer to, but it is the most important for an interstate job as all prices revolve around this one measure. A cubic meter is a measurement of volume. One cubic meter is equal to an object that is one metre in height, one metre deep and one meter wide. Think of a box where each edge is one metre long, and that will give you a good feeling for how big it is. You will usually find that within one cubic metre, you can fit around eight tea chests or medium-sized moving boxes.
Approximate volume of items depending on residence size
| Residence size | Space needed |
| Studio apartment | 12m3 |
| 1 bedroom apartment | 18m3 |
| 2 bedroom apartment | 28m3 |
| 3 bedroom apartment | 35m3 |
| 3 bedroom house | 40m3 |
| 4 bedroom house | 45m3 |
| 5 bedroom house | 60m3 |
Moving between Brisbane and Sydney
The average cost of moving from Brisbane to Sydney is $99.72 per cubic metre. From Sydney to Brisbane on average is $111.71 per cubic metre.
Interstate removalist prices from Brisbane to Sydney
| Residence size | Price range |
| Studio apartment | $957 – $1,197 |
| 1 bedroom apartment | $1,436 – $1,795 |
| 2 bedroom apartment | $2,234 – $2,792 |
| 3 bedroom apartment | $2,792 – $3,490 |
| 3 bedroom house | $3,191 – $3,989 |
| 4 bedroom house | $3,590 – $4,487 |
| 5 bedroom house | $4,787 – $5,983 |
Source: Interstate removalists from Brisbane to Sydney on Muval
Interstate removalist prices from Sydney to Brisbane
| Residence size | Price range |
| Studio apartment | $1,072 – $1,341 |
| 1 bedroom apartment | $1,609 – $2,011 |
| 2 bedroom apartment | $2,502 – $3,128 |
| 3 bedroom apartment | $3,128 – $3,910 |
| 3 bedroom house | $3,575 – $4,468 |
| 4 bedroom house | $4,022 – $5,027 |
| 5 bedroom house | $5,362 – $6,703 |
Source: Interstate removalists from Sydney to Brisbane on Muval
Moving between Brisbane and Melbourne
The average cost of moving from Brisbane to Melbourne is $105.87 per cubic metre. From Melbourne to Brisbane on average is $132.29 per cubic metre.
Interstate removalist prices from Melbourne to Brisbane
| Residence size | Price range |
| Studio apartment | $1,270 – $1,587 |
| 1 bedroom apartment | $1,905 – $2,381 |
| 2 bedroom apartment | $2,963 – $3,704 |
| 3 bedroom apartment | $3,704 – $4,630 |
| 3 bedroom house | $4,233 – $5,292 |
| 4 bedroom house | $4,762 – $5,953 |
| 5 bedroom house | $6,350 – $7,937 |
Source: Interstate removalists from Melbourne to Brisbane on Muval
Interstate removalist prices from Brisbane to Melbourne
| Residence size | Price range |
| Studio apartment | $1,016 – $1,270 |
| 1 bedroom apartment | $1,525 – $1,906 |
| 2 bedroom apartment | $2,371 – $2,964 |
| 3 bedroom apartment | $2,964 – $3,705 |
| 3 bedroom house | $3,388 – $4,235 |
| 4 bedroom house | $3,811 – $4,764 |
| 5 bedroom house | $5,082 – $6,352 |
Source: Interstate removalists from Brisbane to Melbourne on Muval
Moving between Brisbane and Adelaide
The average cost of moving from Brisbane to Adelaide is $141.43 per cubic metre. From Adelaide to Brisbane on average is $150.57 per cubic metre.
Interstate removalist prices from Brisbane to Adelaide
| Residence size | Price range |
| Studio apartment | $1,358 – $1,697 |
| 1 bedroom apartment | $2,037 – $2,546 |
| 2 bedroom apartment | $3,168 – $3,960 |
| 3 bedroom apartment | $3,960 – $4,950 |
| 3 bedroom house | $4,526 – $5,657 |
| 4 bedroom house | $5,091 – $6,364 |
| 5 bedroom house | $6,789 – $8,486 |
Source: Interstate removalists from Brisbane to Adelaide on Muval
Interstate removalist prices from Adelaide to Brisbane
| Residence size | Price range |
| Studio apartment | $1,445 – $1,807 |
| 1 bedroom apartment | $2,168 – $2,710 |
| 2 bedroom apartment | $3,373 – $4,216 |
| 3 bedroom apartment | $4,216 – $5,270 |
| 3 bedroom house | $4,818 – $6,023 |
| 4 bedroom house | $5,421 – $6,776 |
| 5 bedroom house | $7,227 – $9,034 |
Source: Interstate removalists from Adelaide to Brisbane on Muval
Moving between Brisbane and Perth
The average cost of moving from Brisbane to Perth is $201.25 per cubic metre. From Perth to Brisbane on average is $189.81 per cubic metre.
Interstate removalist prices from Brisbane to Perth
| Residence size | Price range |
| Studio apartment | $1,932 – $2,415 |
| 1 bedroom apartment | $2,898 – $3,623 |
| 2 bedroom apartment | $4,508 – $5,635 |
| 3 bedroom apartment | $5,635 – $7,044 |
| 3 bedroom house | $6,440 – $8,050 |
| 4 bedroom house | $7,245 – $9,056 |
| 5 bedroom house | $9,660 – $12,075 |
Source: Interstate removalists from Brisbane to Perth on Muval
Interstate removalist prices from Perth to Brisbane
| Residence size | Price range |
| Studio apartment | $1,822 – $2,278 |
| 1 bedroom apartment | $2,733 – $3,417 |
| 2 bedroom apartment | $4,252 – $5,315 |
| 3 bedroom apartment | $5,315 – $6,643 |
| 3 bedroom house | $6,074 – $7,592 |
| 4 bedroom house | $6,833 – $8,541 |
| 5 bedroom house | $9,111 – $11,389 |
Source: Interstate removalists from Perth to Brisbane on Muval
Moving between Brisbane and Canberra
The average cost of moving from Brisbane to Canberra is $109.75 per cubic metre. From Canberra to Brisbane on average is $134.97 per cubic metre.
Interstate removalist prices from Brisbane to Canberra
| Residence size | Price range |
| Studio apartment | $1,054 – $1,317 |
| 1 bedroom apartment | $1,580 – $1,976 |
| 2 bedroom apartment | $2,458 – $3,073 |
| 3 bedroom apartment | $3,073 – $3,841 |
| 3 bedroom house | $3,512 – $4,390 |
| 4 bedroom house | $3,951 – $4,939 |
| 5 bedroom house | $5,268 – $6,585 |
Source: Interstate removalists from Brisbane to Canberra on Muval
Interstate removalist prices from Canberra to Brisbane
| Residence size | Price range |
| Studio apartment | $1,296 – $1,620 |
| 1 bedroom apartment | $1,944 – $2,429 |
| 2 bedroom apartment | $3,023 – $3,779 |
| 3 bedroom apartment | $3,779 – $4,724 |
| 3 bedroom house | $4,319 – $5,399 |
| 4 bedroom house | $4,859 – $6,074 |
| 5 bedroom house | $6,479 – $8,098 |
Source: Interstate removalists from Canberra to Brisbane on Muval
Moving between Brisbane and Darwin
The average cost of moving from Brisbane to Darwin is $301.35 per cubic metre. From Darwin to Brisbane on average is $154.83 per cubic metre.
Interstate removalist prices from Brisbane to Darwin
| Residence size | Price range |
| Studio apartment | $2,893 – $3,616 |
| 1 bedroom apartment | $4,339 – $5,424 |
| 2 bedroom apartment | $6,750 – $8,438 |
| 3 bedroom apartment | $8,438 – $10,547 |
| 3 bedroom house | $9,643 – $12,054 |
| 4 bedroom house | $10,849 – $13,561 |
| 5 bedroom house | $14,465 – $18,081 |
Source: Interstate removalists from Brisbane to Darwin on Muval
Interstate removalist prices from Darwin to Brisbane
| Residence size | Price range |
| Studio apartment | $1,486 – $1,858 |
| 1 bedroom apartment | $2,230 – $2,787 |
| 2 bedroom apartment | $3,468 – $4,335 |
| 3 bedroom apartment | $4,335 – $5,419 |
| 3 bedroom house | $4,955 – $6,193 |
| 4 bedroom house | $5,574 – $6,967 |
| 5 bedroom house | $7,432 – $9,290 |
Source: Interstate removalists from Darwin to Brisbane on Muval
Moving between Brisbane and Tasmania
The average cost of moving from Brisbane to Tasmania is $174.92 per cubic metre. From Tasmania to Brisbane on average is $177.47 per cubic metre.
Interstate removalist prices from Brisbane to Tasmania
| Residence size | Price range |
| Studio apartment | $1,679 – $2,099 |
| 1 bedroom apartment | $2,519 – $3,149 |
| 2 bedroom apartment | $3,918 – $4,898 |
| 3 bedroom apartment | $4,898 – $6,122 |
| 3 bedroom house | $5,597 – $6,997 |
| 4 bedroom house | $6,297 – $7,871 |
| 5 bedroom house | $8,396 – $10,495 |
Source: Interstate removalists from Brisbane to Tasmania on Muval
Interstate removalist prices from Tasmania to Brisbane
| Residence size | Price range |
| Studio apartment | $1,704 – $2,130 |
| 1 bedroom apartment | $2,556 – $3,194 |
| 2 bedroom apartment | $3,975 – $4,969 |
| 3 bedroom apartment | $4,969 – $6,211 |
| 3 bedroom house | $5,679 – $7,099 |
| 4 bedroom house | $6,389 – $7,986 |
| 5 bedroom house | $8,519 – $10,648 |
Source: Interstate removalists from Tasmania to Brisbane on Muval
The cost of ancillary items like packing materials
Don’t forget packing supplies like packing tape, tape guns, markers and wrapping paper. These items can be more costly than you realise, so give yourself some time to source lower-cost materials if you are looking to save money.
You can get moving boxes for free on Gumtree, but, it can take quite a while and also a lot of time driving around to find the ones that you need.
Don’t forget delivery fees as well if you don’t have the ability to do a pickup. This is why Bunnings is popular as you can get all of your materials from there and if you pick them up yourself you’ll save around $10 – $20 on delivery fees. Check out Bunnings’ range here.
How much do boxes cost?
| Residence size | Estimated cost of boxes |
| Studio apartment | $60-$80 |
| 1-2 bedroom apartment | $99-$110 |
| 3-4 bedroom house | $150-$200 |
Source: Muval’s ultimate moving box price guide
Brisbane moving watch outs!
- Moving to inner-city suburbs or even newly established estates with tight streets can create the need for special permits for parking.
- Try to block off the parking spaces you need on both pickup and delivery one to two days in advance.
- If you are unable to do this, special permits can be gained via the city council and usually will come at a cost.
- Otherwise, it’s important to be upfront and honest so there are no surprises on moving day as the last thing you want is to be left with items to move and not enough space in the van to move them.
Timing is everything regardless of which city you live in
Moving is a seasonal business, with most people looking to move between October and February. Prices during these times can skyrocket, and availability becomes sparse. So, if you can, try to schedule your move outside of this busy season. March and April are typically the cheapest months to move. Brisbane and surrounding areas are becoming more and more popular, so, it can be a good idea to also book well in advance to get the best deal as well as securing the space you want.
How to save time on looking for the right removalist for your needs
Now that you have an idea of how much removal services cost for your next move, finding a removalist in Brisbane can be a bit of a nightmare as there are just so many. So, where do you start? You can search Google, but reviews can be faked and it’s hard to know which companies you can trust. If you’re looking at a company profile with 100% 5-star reviews from a large number of reviewers, proceed with caution!
Online removalist platform Muval helps people find quality vetted removalists right across Australia. The process saves you hours of calling around companies finding availability and saves you the hassle of being bothered by multiple salespeople. It only takes a few minutes to add your move information, find matched companies, compare them and book online.
Now, if you’re all set with a removalist, you may want to check out these articles 50 top packing tips for moving house, seven jobs to complete before moving day and six time-saving tips to get organised after moving.
Disclaimer: Please note, the prices and space estimates noted in this article should only be used as a guide and not a concrete indication of exactly how much your move will cost or how much space is required. All prices shown in this article do not factor in complexities that may arise in your personal situation like availability of your desired move dates, access constraints of your property, or heavy/difficult items like pianos or pizza ovens.
Looking for a home in Brisbane? View properties in some of the most popular suburbs:
- Property for sale in Brisbane (CBD), QLD 4000
- Property for sale in Paddington, QLD 4064
- Property for sale in Fortitude Valley, QLD 4006
- Property for sale in Woolloongabba, QLD 4102
- Property for sale in New Farm, QLD 4005
- Property for sale in Fig Tree Pocket, QLD 4069
- Property for sale in Tarragindi, QLD 4121
Want to learn more about what it’s like to live in Brisbane?
View Brisbane’s top-rated suburbs as well as Brisbane’s local forums and discussions to get all your questions answered. Here’s a helpful guide on how to find the best suburb for you.
Written by:
James Morrell, CEO and Co-founder of Muval
Share this article
Muval is an online price comparison and booking platform for the furniture removals industry. Muval believes that life’s big moves should be celebrated, not dreaded. The first step in that process is finding a quality, vetted removalist that you can trust. Head to muval.com.au to find out more.
Find the
latest properties
to hit the market
