Moving house has got to be one of life’s most financially stressful events, and right now, I’m really feeling it.
The time has come for my family tribe to move. Goodbye seachange – hello city living once again.
So far, I’ve got a house full of boxes and a bunch of quotes that range from the basic service quote of $2,500 to $5,000 for presumably the bells and whistles treatment.
What I’ve discovered is that it isn’t always easy to work out the cost of moving between places, especially when you’re moving interstate.
There are a lot of additional costs involved and frankly not all of them are disclosed upfront.
Here’s what I’ve learnt through my current experience, and by speaking to interstate removalists Wridgways about what questions I should be asking and how to get the best deal.
Let’s look at the average costs
If we look the cost of an interstate move and use Sydney to Melbourne as an example – which is about 900 kilometres in distance, the cost is somewhere between $4,000 and $14,750 depending on how many bedrooms your home has, and how much stuff you own.
For removalists alone, this interstate move without any extra services added on, a 1-2 bedroom home will cost around $2,000 to $4,000, while a 3-4 bedroom home will cost between $5,500 and $7,500.
The more services you add on, the more expensive your move becomes.
It’s good to decide early on exactly what you want added onto your move so you can make an accurate budget. This will allow you to save exactly how much you need and help you to work out areas where you can save money.
Things to consider with removalists
When you move interstate there are a lot of different services you can use to make your move easier. If you can find a moving company who will offer all these services for you this will save you from having to use multiple different companies for one move.
While these services may cost more money, they can also save you a lot of time and effort. If you want to protect your belongings during transit you can get moving insurance, or make sure your pets are protected by using a pet transportation service. If you want your home to be ready for you when you arrive, arrange to have your utilities connected beforehand.
A cheap versus premium removalists
Cheap removalists may seem like a good idea and will certainly save you a pretty penny, but sometimes they can actually end up costing you more.
The lower the cost the removalists, the more likely it is that they might be unaccredited, or won’t have the right training, people-power or equipment. So ask the question!
Also, check what insurances are in place. You want a team that is able to guarantee that they can look after your belongings while in transit and a low cost service may not do this.
If they aren’t insured, this also means you may not be compensated if your goods are damaged.
This can add extra costs to your move and will make the experience much more stressful.
Benefits of a premium mover
Premium removalists will cost more, and sometimes you just might not be able to afford it.
But if you decide on this option, you are more likely to get a higher quality of service and one that guarantees your belongings are looked after every step of the way.
They should also be able to offer you a wider range of services to make your move easier and generally will have the right equipment, vehicles, and premises to carry out interstate moves.
In short, many premium movers are a bit of a one-stop shop for every aspect of your move for you, not just the moving aspect. For me, this includes the assembly of kids beds and Ikea furniture!
To that point, they often provide services such as packing and unpacking, professional cleaning, secure storage facilities, moving insurance, and pet and vehicle transportation.
These will all come at a cost. So ask as many questions as you can up front.
Most importantly, do what is likely to make your life easier and less financially stressful.
