How much do removalists cost?
There is no single answer, and anyone who gives you one before asking about your move is guessing. What you pay comes down to how much you are moving, how far it is going, how easy the place is to get in and out of, and when you want it done. The only way to know what your move costs is to have a few movers price the actual job.
Get quotes on my moveOne quote tells you nothing
A single number has nothing to sit against — it might be sharp, it might be twice what the job is worth, and nothing about it tells you which. Two or three quotes on the same move give you the range, as long as every mover is pricing the identical brief.
Describe the move once below. Movers who cover your route price it.
Get quotes on your move
Four questions, about three minutes. It is free and there is nothing to cancel if none of them suit.
What actually drives the price
Six things account for nearly all of the difference between one quote and another. None of them are a secret, and all of them are worth knowing before you compare what comes back.
- 01
How much you are moving
The biggest factor. A studio is a couple of hours and a small truck; a four-bedroom house is most of a day and a bigger crew. Movers price on the volume of what you own, not the number of rooms on the lease.
- 02
How far it is going
A local move across a few suburbs is usually priced by time. Interstate is a different job: the truck is committed for days, so it is priced on volume and route. Prices swing on whether a mover already has a truck heading that way.
- 03
Truck size and crew
Two movers and one truck is the common setup for a small move. Bigger jobs need a larger truck or a third pair of hands. More crew costs more per hour but often finishes in fewer hours, so two quotes can land closer than they look.
- 04
Access at both ends
Stairs, no lift, a lift that has to be booked, a long carry to the door, nowhere to park. Access is what people most often leave out, and what most often makes the day run long. Mention it up front.
- 05
When you move
Demand is not spread evenly. Fridays, weekends and the last few days of the month are when everyone moves, so movers have no reason to sharpen a price. Mid-week and mid-month are easier to book and easier to negotiate.
- 06
Packing and extras
Most quotes cover loading, transport and unloading. Packing, boxes, disassembly, storage between dates and awkward items like pianos are usually priced on top. Two quotes only compare once you know which of these each includes.
Hourly rates and fixed prices
Australian removalists price one of two ways. Neither is automatically better value. They just put the risk in different places.
Hourly
You pay for the time the job takes, usually with a minimum number of hours and often with travel time to and from the depot included. It is the normal way local moves are priced, because nobody can predict traffic, lifts and stairs to the minute.
The risk sits with you: if the day runs long, the price goes up. That is why an accurate description of the access at both ends matters more on an hourly job than anywhere else.
Fixed
One price for the whole job, agreed before the day. It is the normal way interstate moves are priced, and it is common on local moves once a mover has done a proper inventory or an in-home or video survey.
The risk sits with the mover, so the price carries a margin for the day running long. In return you know the number in advance, provided what turns up matches what you described.
Cost questions people ask
Why will you not just tell me a price?
Because any number given before someone knows your route, your date, how much you are moving and what the access is like would be a guess. Movers price those things differently, which is exactly why comparing a few is worth the three minutes. We would rather send you real prices for your move than a made-up one for an average move.
Is it cheaper to move mid-week?
Often, yes. Fridays, weekends and the last few days of the month are when demand is highest, so movers have less reason to sharpen a price. If your dates are flexible, say so when the movers contact you.
Does a quote usually include packing?
Usually not by default. Most quotes cover loading, transport and unloading, with packing, boxes and materials priced separately. Ask each mover what is included, because that is where two quotes on the same job stop being comparable.
Why do moves end up costing more than the quote?
Almost always because something on the day was not in the quote: more to move than described, a lift that was booked out, parking further away than expected, or stairs nobody mentioned. The fix is to be thorough when you describe the job. An accurate quote is better for you than a low one.
Do removalists cover damage?
Cover varies between companies and it is not the same thing as household insurance. Ask each mover what cover they carry, what it applies to, and what the excess is, and get the answer in writing before you book.