The ultimate Melbourne removalists price guide
Moving house can involve a lot of uncertainty, particularly regarding costs that can seem to add up quickly. To help out, we’ve put together this handy price guide for removalists in Melbourne to give you a better idea of some of the costs involved in moving house. We’ve also thrown in a few cost-saving tips along the way.
Topics in this article:
Moving locally in Melbourne
First off, when you’re moving ‘locally’ (typically within an 80km radius of your current location), moving services are charged by the hour. The issue with this is that it can be hard to know what you’ll be out of pocket for before the move.
So, let’s break it down a little bit.
The time taken to load and unload a moving truck depends on a few factors:
- What you’re moving – Some items are more complicated than others to move. Early last year I moved with a lot of pot plants. Loading and unloading the pot plants took as much time as the rest of my two-bedroom apartment!
- How much of it you’re moving – This one’s fairly clear cut. The more stuff you have, the longer it takes to move. Check out the table below to get an idea of how long different amounts of stuff takes to load and unload.
- Parking – This is often overlooked by people moving out of apartment buildings. If the truck has to park down the street – the removalists either need to use an intermediary ferry vehicle or carry all your items down the street manually. This can add significant time to your move.
- Property access (ground floor, stairs, elevator) – As you can imagine, it’s quicker to move items out of a ground floor dwelling than needing to go up and down stairs or a lift all the time.
With all of those considerations in mind, here’s a guide for how long a moderately-furnished, ground-floor, out-the-front-parking residence would take to move depending on the amount of stuff being moved.
Local furniture removals prices in Melbourne
|
Residence size |
Total items size | Avg Melbourne removalist price | Time needed for 2 people (loading and unloading) |
|
Studio apartment |
8m3 | $288 | 2 hours |
| 1 bedroom apartment | 15m3 | $547 | 3.8 hours |
| 2 bedroom apartment | 23m3 | $835 | 5.8 hours |
| 3 bedroom apartment | 32m3 | $1166 | 8 hours |
| 4 bedroom apartment | 42m3 | $1540 | 10.5 hours |
| 2 bedroom house | 26m3 | $950 | 6.6 hours |
| 3 bedroom house | 35m3 | $1281 | 8.9 hours |
| 4 bedroom house | 48m3 | $1569 | 12.2 hours |
| 5 bedroom house | 55m3 | $1872 |
14 hours |
Source: Muval
Remember, pricing is usually based on per-hour or per-half-hour of work – so you’ll want to do what you can to help out, or keep an eye out to make sure no one is wasting any time!
There are a few ways to help speed up the job:
- Disassemble furniture before the removalists arrive and also reassemble yourself on delivery.
- Move any items from upstairs to downstairs and better still into a common access area like the garage.
- Be on hand to direct removalists to where each item goes in the new place.
- Have as many items pre-packed or at least pre-bundled as possible, in many cases, it’s the one-off hockey stick or single chair hidden in a separate room that creates another trip back and forwards to the truck.
- Know which items are the most fragile and high risk. View this guide on fragile moving items and how to protect them.
Moving interstate to and from Melbourne
Interstate removalists in Melbourne operate either by truck or by rail depending on your destination. The price of an interstate move is calculated solely 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 measured in cubic metres (m3). There are also additional costs applied for the difficulty of access at pickup and/or drop off locations (steep driveway, elevator access, stairs or no nearby parking). Check out these four things to do before moving interstate.
What is a cubic metre?
A cubic metre is a measurement of volume. One cubic metre is equal to an object that is one metre in height, one metre in-depth, and one metre in width.
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 Sydney and Melbourne
The average cost of moving from Melbourne to Sydney is $115.50 per cubic metre. From Sydney to Melbourne, on average, it is $104.75 per cubic metre.
Interstate removalist prices from Sydney to Melbourne
| Residence size | Price range |
| Studio apartment | $1008 – $1260 |
| 1 bedroom apartment | $1512 – $1890 |
| 2 bedroom apartment | $2352 – $2940 |
| 3 bedroom apartment | $2940 – $3675 |
| 3 bedroom house | $3360 – $4200 |
| 4 bedroom house | $3780 – $4725 |
Source: Interstate removalists from Sydney to Melbourne on Muval
Interstate removalist prices from Melbourne to Sydney
| Residence size | Price range |
| Studio apartment | $1108 – $1386 |
| 1 bedroom apartment | $1663 – $2079 |
| 2 bedroom apartment | $2587 – $3234 |
| 3 bedroom apartment | $3234 – $4042 |
| 3 bedroom house | $3696 – $4620 |
| 4 bedroom house | $4158 – $5197 |
| 5 bedroom house | $5544 – $6930 |
Source: Interstate removalists from Melbourne to Sydney on Muval
Moving between Brisbane and Melbourne
The average cost of moving from Melbourne to Brisbane is $121.40 per cubic metre. From Brisbane to Melbourne, on average, it is $113.69 per cubic metre.
Interstate removalist prices from Melbourne to Brisbane
| Residence size | Price range |
| Studio apartment | $1165 – $1456 |
| 1 bedroom apartment | $1748 – $2185 |
| 2 bedroom apartment | $2719 – $3399 |
| 3 bedroom apartment | $3399 – $4249 |
| 3 bedroom house | $3884 – $4856 |
| 4 bedroom house | $4370 – $5463 |
| 5 bedroom house | $5827 – $7284 |
Source: Interstate removalists from Melbourne to Brisbane on Muval
Interstate removalist prices from Brisbane to Melbourne
| Residence size | Price range |
| Studio apartment | $1091 – $1364 |
| 1 bedroom apartment | $1637 – $2046 |
| 2 bedroom apartment | $2546 – $3183 |
| 3 bedroom apartment | $3183 – $3979 |
| 3 bedroom house | $3638 – $4547 |
| 4 bedroom house | $4092 – $5116 |
| 5 bedroom house | $5457 – $6821 |
Source: Interstate removalists from Brisbane to Melbourne on Muval
Moving between Perth and Melbourne
The average cost of moving from Melbourne to Perth is $178.54 per cubic metre. From Perth to Melbourne on average it is $144.79 per cubic metre.
Interstate removalist prices from Melbourne to Perth
| Residence size | Price range |
| Studio apartment | $1713 – $2142 |
| 1 bedroom apartment | $2570 – $3213 |
| 2 bedroom apartment | $3999 – $4999 |
| 3 bedroom apartment | $4999 – $6248 |
| 3 bedroom house | $5713 – $7141 |
| 4 bedroom house | $6427 – $8034 |
| 5 bedroom house | $8569 – $10712 |
Source: Interstate removalists from Melbourne to Perth on Muval
Interstate removalist prices from Perth to Melbourne
| Residence size | Price range |
| Studio apartment | $1389 – $1737 |
| 1 bedroom apartment | $2084 – $2606 |
| 2 bedroom apartment | $3243 – $4054 |
| 3 bedroom apartment | $4054 – $5067 |
| 3 bedroom house | $4633 – $5791 |
| 4 bedroom house | $5212 – $6515 |
| 5 bedroom house | $6949 – $8687 |
Source: Interstate removalists from Perth to Melbourne on Muval
Moving between Adelaide and Melbourne
The average cost of moving from Melbourne to Adelaide and vice versa is $104 per cubic metre.
Interstate removalist prices from Melbourne to Adelaide/ from Adelaide to Melbourne
| Residence size | Price range |
| Studio apartment | $1002 – $1253 |
| 1 bedroom apartment | $1504 – $1880 |
| 2 bedroom apartment | $2339 – $2924 |
| 3 bedroom apartment | $2924 – $3656 |
| 3 bedroom house | $3342 – $4178 |
| 4 bedroom house | $3760 – $4700 |
| 5 bedroom house | $5014 – $6267 |
Source: Interstate removalists from Melbourne to Adelaide on Muval
Moving between Canberra and Melbourne
The average cost of moving from Melbourne to Canberra is $96.40 per cubic metre. From Canberra to Melbourne on average it is $108.40 per cubic metre.
Interstate removalist prices from Melbourne to Canberra
| Residence size | Price range |
| Studio apartment | $925 – $1156 |
| 1 bedroom apartment | $1387 – $1734 |
| 2 bedroom apartment | $2158 – $2698 |
| 3 bedroom apartment | $2698 – $3373 |
| 3 bedroom house | $3084 – $3855 |
| 4 bedroom house | $3469 – $4337 |
| 5 bedroom house | $4626 – $5782 |
Source: Interstate removalists from Melbourne to Canberra on Muval
Interstate removalist prices from Canberra to Melbourne
| Residence size | Price range |
| Studio apartment | $1040 – $1300 |
| 1 bedroom apartment | $1560 – $1951 |
| 2 bedroom apartment | $2428 – $3035 |
| 3 bedroom apartment | $3035 – $3794 |
| 3 bedroom house | $3468 – $4336 |
| 4 bedroom house | $3902 – $4878 |
| 5 bedroom house | $5203 – $6504 |
Source: Interstate removalists from Canberra to Melbourne on Muval
Moving between Hobart and Melbourne
The average cost of moving from Melbourne to Hobart is $159.77 per cubic metre. From Hobart to Melbourne on average it is $155.53 per cubic metre.
Interstate removalist prices from Melbourne to Hobart
| Residence size | Price range |
| Studio apartment | $1533 – $1917 |
| 1 bedroom apartment | $2300 – $2875 |
| 2 bedroom apartment | $3578 – $4473 |
| 3 bedroom apartment | $4473 – $5591 |
| 3 bedroom house | $5112 – $6390 |
| 4 bedroom house | $5751 – $7189 |
| 5 bedroom house | $7668 – $9586 |
Source: Interstate removalists from Melbourne to Hobart on Muval
Interstate removalist prices from Hobart to Melbourne
| Residence size | Price range |
| Studio apartment | $1493 – $1866 |
| 1 bedroom apartment | $2239 – $2799 |
| 2 bedroom apartment | $3483 – $4354 |
| 3 bedroom apartment | $4354 – $5443 |
| 3 bedroom house | $4976 – $6221 |
| 4 bedroom house | $5599 – $6998 |
| 5 bedroom house | $7465 – $9331 |
Source: Interstate removalists from Hobart to Melbourne on Muval
Moving between Darwin and Melbourne
The route between Darwin and Melbourne is one of the most expensive in Australia. This is due to the total distance, combined with the comparative difficulty with transport up in the remote area of the Northern Territory. The average cost of moving from Melbourne to Darwin is $222.59 per cubic metre. From Darwin to Melbourne, on average, it is $328.10 per cubic metre.
Interstate removalist prices from Melbourne to Darwin
| Residence size | Price range |
| Studio apartment | $2136 – $2671 |
| 1 bedroom apartment | $3205 – $4006 |
| 2 bedroom apartment | $4986 – $6232 |
| 3 bedroom apartment | $6232 – $7790 |
| 3 bedroom house | $7122 – $8903 |
| 4 bedroom house | $8013 – $10016 |
| 5 bedroom house | $10684 – $13355 |
Source: Interstate removalists from Melbourne to Darwin on Muval
Interstate removalist prices from Darwin to Melbourne
| Residence size | Price range |
| Studio apartment | $3149 – $3937 |
| 1 bedroom apartment | $4724 – $5905 |
| 2 bedroom apartment | $7349 – $9186 |
| 3 bedroom apartment | $9186 – $11483 |
| 3 bedroom house | $10499 – $13124 |
| 4 bedroom house | $11811 – $14764 |
| 5 bedroom house | $15748 – $19686 |
Source: Interstate removalists from Darwin to Melbourne on Muval
The cost of ancillary items like packing materials
Don’t forget to factor into your budget packing supplies like packing tape, tape guns, markers, bubble wrap and wrapping paper. These items can be more costly than you realise, so give yourself some time to source cheap materials.
You can get moving boxes for free on Gumtree, but, it can take 7 – 14 days to get enough of the ones you need.
If Gumtree fails but you live near a Bunnings, 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
Things to watch out for in Melbourne that may impact the cost:
- Terrace housing and tight streets sometimes can pose problems with access.
- Try to block off the parking spaces you need on both pickup and delivery one to two days in advance, your body corp can often help with this.
- If you are unable to do this, special permits can be gained for certain locations at a price.
- Otherwise, it’s important to be upfront and honest so you have no surprise additional expenses on moving day.
Timing is everything
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.
How do you find a great removal company that is competitive on price?
Now that you have an idea of how much removal services cost, you’ll need to find yourself a removalist who can do your job. 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 are looking at reviews, keep in mind that any honest company will have some bad reviews. If you’re looking at a company profile with 100% 5-star reviews from a large number of reviewers, proceed with caution! Check out these five helpful tips to choose a trustworthy removalist when moving house.
Online removalist platform Muval helps people find a quality, vetted removalist right across Australia; it’s like CarMechanica which helps you find good mechanics near you, but for removal companies. The process saves you hours of calling companies finding availability and saves you the hassle of being bothered by multiple pushy salespeople. It only takes a few minutes to add your move information, to find companies, compare them, and book online.
Now, if you’re all set with a removalist, you may want to take a look at this excellent collection of 50 top packing tips for moving house and this moving and packing survival kit. It can be challenging to know where to start with organising your new home when moving. Here are 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 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 Melbourne? View properties in some of the most popular suburbs:
- Property for sale in Melbourne (CBD), VIC 3000
- Property for sale in Richmond, VIC 3121
- Property for sale in Burwood, VIC 3125
- Property for sale in South Yarra, VIC 3141
- Property for sale in Brunswick, VIC 3056
- Property for sale in Carnegie, VIC 3163
- Property for sale in Reservoir, VIC 3073
- Property for sale in Pakenham, VIC 3810
Want to learn more about what it’s like to live in Melbourne?
View Melbourne’s top-rated suburbs as well as Melbourne’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
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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.
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2 comments
Different relocation has different prices of moving, Some removalists consider the sizes of your goods, and others check the number of your belongings. You providing an amazing blog about a price guide. Thanks a lot!!
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Congratulations on sharing such valuable knowledge. I cannot find this information anywhere else! Good to learn from your experience, which can help me in business.
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