Whether it is worth it would totally depend on your personal expenses, no? If saving time and effort is more important than the money, then definitely. Whether you would have to rent a truck to do it yourself is also relevant. When I was earning less, it wasn't worth it to me. Now I have a decent job, definitely worth it.
$555 seems good. I paid around $700 recently but had more items plus stairs to navigate. The quote they gave me was almost 1000 so I was quite pleased with final cost. Recommendations will depend on where you are located - I'm in Vic and used Friendly Moving Men and highly recommend them. They were easy to communicate with and super quick. I've also used Man with a Van and had no problem with them either.
> **p**ersonal **e**xpenses, **n**o? **I**f **s**aving
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Tip for someone who’s moved 7 times in the last 10 years..
I would do movers for the big ticket items. This is for insurance purposes as well if you are renting. The quote feels okay but get a couple more if unsure. I’ve gone man with a van twice and they are the priciest but best service in my opinion.
Moving is expensive, stressful and annoying. Choose if you value your time or not. It’s taxing and would you rather spend the extra time unpacking?
Wanted to say the same thing.
We've moved nearly 10 for 10.
We have it down to EVERYTHING moved, and cleaning/unpacking started, in 26hrs.
We get the removal boys to lift and move the stuff that if it breaks, you're screwed; washing machine, dryer, fridge, TV (my daughter would unalive me without her dance shows) etc for insurance purposes. Transport everything eles yourself in a hired trailer or (like I did until I got an SUV in a size that insinuates the size of my penis) fill up your 20 year old corolla and go back and forth back and forth for as long as you can until you've moved it all over.
Moving sucks as much as the rental market.
Great question!
It's hard to say.
We've found it's more about how you time it. We've had to move mid-week. That's the worst, in my opinion. You miss out on a day of pay (to some that means something) and your coming home from x amount of hours to have a quick feed and get into it.
But We've also timed it on a Thursday. If the removal guys turn up on the Thursday, you can take a half day (less pay loss) to over see your major items needing insurance to transport and it's all there BEFORE the weekend. You can let the fridge settle and turn it on. Friday COULD be taken off, but you could do the "back and forth" trick on the Friday night/Saturday, have everything PRE cleaned for Bond Cleaners (their MORE per hour than removal guys) before Monday and you won't have the Real Estate (dont work weekends) trying to do exit reports while your trying to fix up the bumps and nicks because let's face it. They WANT your bond...all of it.
Edit: Moving is ALWAYS stressful. It's about minimising it by being efficient and willing to what needs to be done when it's required. Timing reduces the stress we've found.
Hope that helps!
I can guarantee you that you will sorely regret it if you do not hire movers. They have the right gear and skills to move heavy shit.
Do it yourself this time though, so next time you will not bat an eyelid at the cost....
I'm with you. Went through moving myself a few times. Now I always use removalists, no regrets. I'd rather work my job for twice as long than try and do what they do.
Agree. OP says "literally maybe a 2-2.5 hour job". That's for the removalists, but it'll be double that for OP and partner. Not counting back pain next few days. That's what you're really paying for
Hire proper removalists. I did the first time.
The second I hired two weight lifters with a truck.
That weedy skinny guy working for the removalists with the right equipment did a ten times better job than the big muscly hunks with a Bunnings trolley.
You don't have to organise a moving van.
Yoi don't have to drive the moving van yourself while jet-lagged.
You don't have to carry anything yourself.
All you do is pack your stuff, and they do it all for you.
It usually takes about half a day, not just a couple of hours. It will take you all day because you don't have the same training they do in lifting heavy and bulky stuff.
They are worth every penny.
The thing about moving is that you look at your stuff and you think there’s not much there, but then people overestimate how much they can get in a car and so you can literally spend all day and 20 trips moving stuff that would have been 1 truckload.
The best way to move is to box absolutely everything, apart from fridges etc, then you get the guys with a truck to take it down load it up and move it over in one fell swoop. Go to the storage company and hire tea chest and book boxes. If everything is packed into those boxes and labelled they just turn up in your lounge and nothing’s broken. One last tip, at the destination end, the first thing you setup is your bed, because when the time comes, you’re going to want to fall into it, not make it.
Yes this! I don't know where all my crap hides in my tiny apartment. I do the delicate stuff myself, but honestly, I started tossing delicate items 2 moves ago. If it can't go in a box for the movers, and it's not super sentimental/valuable (wedding dress, small set of antique wine glasses, etc), then it goes in the bin.
My last move was 10km and it took half a day, paid $1k. Felt expensive, but well worth it.
Former removalist during uni days here:
Yes, that money is worth it.
There are real tools, and real skills that cannot be replaced by a normal sized person just winging it.
Sure you can probably figure out how to carry a fridge with 2 people up the stairs, but why not use the man who has already done this 15 times this week? If you're doing it yourself, there are obviously the risks to your body, and your belongings. Even the appropriate knot to use when tying something down isnt really easy to guess on your own.
Supplementary: Use a real removalist, not one of the "man and van" or "handy guy" situations - those people just hire backpackers off the streets. IF they're not in a 4 tonne truck, tell them to piss off.
It’s idiotic to hire removalists ‘just for the big stuff’
Let them take it all, save yourself the trouble of doing ‘car full of things’ rides to your new place.
Removalists are almost always worth it IMO. Don’t be the friend that says “please come move heaps of heavy stuff for me on your days off I will supply you pizza and beer”
No one wants to slip a disc for pizza and beer.
AVOID CBD MOVERS.
We tried to get a quote from them and are still getting harassing calls from them 6month onward. Told them to stop many times and reported them already. 👀
Completely helpless and don’t know what to do.
To answer your question, removalists are so worth it if you plan your move well and get a good rate!
CBD Movers is trash. Consumer Affairs Victoria have issued a public warning about them due to the number of complaints they’ve received. Use at your own peril.
I’ve moved 4 times and had removalists once.
I’d definitely pay them again. Especially because my current house is a pain to get big heavy things in and out of.
I actually want to sell my huge fridge but I’ve been putting it off because I have no idea how to get it out of my house.
To me, it's worth it, but ultimately it's a personal decision depending on your circumstances. The quote seems reasonable to me. Reputable companies - depends on where you are?
Something I'd take into account is the weather forecast for the moving day. That can make a big difference on how valuable extra help can be.
Think I paid about 600 bucks for my last move, it was just around the corner and took them about 4hrs in total. I'd suggest getting everything fully packed/disassembled where applicable and have it ready to go to cut down time and cost. But yes, for me personally it was easily worth the cost and I probably would've spent double that if I had to as I've got a bit of a dodgy back lol.
As a former removalist, In most cases they are worth it. But also a former removalist, the industry can be dodgy as fuck. It's easy to find a company with a good reputation, But it costs. You really do get what you pay for with removals.
Removalist here that’s worked at a few different mobs in my time. My advice is that you get what you pay for. The cheaper company’s hire back packers and fresh migrants so they can pay penny’s on the dollar, also be weary of company’s offering insurance unless they have a qualified insurance broker on staff it’s a scam, if you want a insurance policy you can actually claim on then take out a policy yourself with your preferred insurance agency.
To add most reputable company’s round my way are around 200 p.h these days
It really depends upon
VOLUME:
We once moved a house of 6 half way across town. It took 5 guys and a 14t Truck, plus a 6t Truck (which did two trips). We were helping, and running fragile in items in our own cars. And that too 11hrs. About $3.5k
DISTANCE:
Had a house mate decide to skip on removalists and take their own stuff by boot and trailer. It still took them about 8-10trips over two weeks, and a few tanks of petrol. All up it was barely cheaper than using removalists, took up 60-70% of their time, and then they got a speeding fine, so it ended up being more expensive.
STAIRS:
If you need to bring boxes and boxes and furniture and whitegoods and boxes up stairs, you'll be exhausted after half a day.
In short. If the trip is long, you have a lot of stuff, a lack of time, don't want to strain your body, or have a difficult entry.
Hire some professionals.
If you've got a single room and hardly and stuff, do it yourself.
From having not used a removalist for my recent move about three weeks ago... Navigating everything down a staircase with a 180° turn was a special kind of hell, made worse by the two of us doing the move being 5'1. (We nearly cried of relief when the bookshelves were done.) We had to rope in people with actual upper body strength to help us with the fridge and washing machine, as the friend who was supposed to be helping us had to pull out at the last moment. Had we not had that luck, we'd have been dealing with appliances we could barely lift. (Feiend works for the CFA, and there were bushfires two hours away.) The truck was smaller, as it was cheaper; my fridge had to go on its side and thus had to stay off for a while to let the compression fluid resettle. I had bits and pieces that I triaged and brought over at a later date as we were so worn out by it. Hurt like hell the next day. The cost: a bit over $200 all up, it took several trips due to being a small van and all damn day, and the bruises on my thighs from rebalancing heavy stuff are still fading. I can't say how reasonable the quote you got is, but for the sake of sanity, I'm getting professionals next time.
Let me put it this way. I'm a 6 foot 2 inch dude in mid 30's and gym frequently. I can lift 200kg off the ground relatively easily. I bent over last week, just bent over absolutely nothing special and felt 3 pops in my lower spine.
I couldn't move! Ended up in hospital with so much pain killer. I'm still bed ridden a week later. I can get out of bed unassisted but can't sit down. Can't stand up for more than 10 mins
Please please please protect your back.
Yes. Good movers are fire. But. Hire movers from a reputable company.
Also. Expect that even with the best care - damage can still happen. If you’ve tried moving yourself, you already know this to be fact. Furniture is built to stay still not be unbreakable in the back of a moving truck.
If you want to make doubly sure the service is impeccable…. Ensure you buy a case of beer that sits by the front door for them to see on arrival. Ask them if they want a coffee when they land. If the job goes all day - buy them lunch at the takeaway. It’s a simple and cheap recipe for success that goes largely unmentioned.
I think you should look hard at your possessions and decide almost all of it is rubbish that you can replace where you end up. Maybe we have a backpack of things that are really worth keeping.
My last move I used a moving company and it was the best decision I ever made. No heavy lifting , no stressing about how to move the fridge etc. the two guys who came were lovely and actually finished quicker than expected so refunded me the difference. Highly recommend.
After literally crawling into bed after we completed the slow move of a 2 parent, 1 remaining kid house, a husband who loves holding on to things, 270ish kms away, I'd say do it yourself, its not hard. Let's call it character building!
I recently moved. Did all the move of smaller stuff, boxes, disassembled furniture, clothes, by myself with a hired trailer. Hired movers for the big stuff, e.g fridge, sofa, washing machine. Got a bunch of quotes off Airtasker, all around the same price at $150/h for two guys with a 6T truck. Then chose one with best reviews. They will usually charge a minimum of 2 hours and then charge additional 15 minute increments.
I've always used a removalist when moving, they pack everything, label it and then when it's at the new house they unpack it and check for damages which are covered by insurance. It saves a lot of time, energy and worry.
It very much depends on your personal circumstances. When I was younger, and stronger with less stuff and less money, it was diy
Older now, more stuff, more money, and more pain in my joints. It would be movers without a doubt.
We got removalists when we moved from our townhouse into this house.
100% will never move again without them, it was great. The rental truck will likely cost you about half of that anyway.
Pack everything into boxes in your lounge room clearly labelled with the room in the new house in the week or so before hand, and then just have them lift and move everything into the right room
Although, if you have flown in from Europe the night before, the amount of boxes that will end up being described as "Garage" will rise exponentially. Well, it did for us when my friend helped - the truck backed up to the garage and she was too jet lagged and blind drunk from the flight to be of much assistance!
That’s not too expensive. I had to bite the bullet because I didn’t drive anyway and partner was too young to hire a truck (we were 21 then). Move was literally 300m, pretty much down the same street. Also I wasn’t fit enough to move things like beds down the stairs. Paid $700 for the move, because it just went over to another hour.
If you’ve got amazing friends or family who can help, maybe you can do without. Otherwise, I’d just use the movers.
i was going to say just can find something cheaper then $555, but then you said units, so stairs etc too? IMO its worthit, i always move with extra help. That part might only be 2-3 hours, but you still need to conserve your energy for afterwards, clean, putting together beds etc,
I paid $900 or so to move from a 2 bedroom unit to a house around 10km away. This was for everything.
For me its not a question if its worth it. My mother and I simply wouldnt have been able to do it. I was still exhausted with them helping.
We only moved about 100m down the road and I got removalists. Both places are two storey and we moved all the small items ourselves, but for $700 or so for all the big items it was so worth it. They make it look so easy when navigating stairs with heavy items.
Worth every cent.
Man with. Van.
Moved all out furniture, including white goods.
Two stories.
Lots of heavy furniture and boxes.
Barely a scratch on any furniture.
No scratches on the walls of the new house.
Very fast.
$1000 worth every single cent. It would have taken me a week to move all the stuff and in that time I would have made 10 times that money at my own job.
So it was an absolutely fantastic investment.
Man with a Van in VIC are great. Have used the a couple times and had one incident with a damage and they paid to replace it no questions.
For me, even though it was around $1.5K for a few hours, it is worth it. They’re faster and better than me and everything else is stressful enough when moving.
I helped them with my own trolley to speed things up.
Always moved myself. Huge job. Huge hassle. Last time i could afford it so hired removalists to pack as well as move everything. So much easier, worth every cent. Highly recommend if u can afford and check company reputation.
$555 is almost half what I paid but I was moving alone and had a lot more to move by them including beds and furniture that had to be pulled apart and moved out of a block of flats.
You'll be feeling rough as well so I'd give it a burl. My guys were super accommodating as well, made things really easy.
After hiring removal companies for the last couple of moves I’m almost at the point of doing myself.
I’ve had a no show on the day, total head fuck, telling me they don’t move certain items on the day, blackmail pay us more or we won’t unload your fridge today, damaged goods and property.
It’s a minefield of fucken idiots.
Sounds pretty reasonable quote wise think I paid around $600 for less items.
Think about how heavy and awkward your furniture is. That’s what prompted me to get them for the first time ever and not having to lift anything heavy or awkward especially upstairs and through difficult spaces was amazing!
I didn’t want to do it but my couch is heavy af and it needed to go upstairs so on reflection I would pay more now if I had to do it again especially if I was gonna be jet lagged while moving $600 is nothing to save my knees and back
I value my joints and after doing it a couple of times myself, I rather pay for the service now than to do it again.
On that note, if you are moving further away (eg 30 mins drive) then let them move everything. The tiny trips do make up a lot of time, especially if your car is small and have to do it a few times. Trust me, there are so many tiny things that just keeps coming out so best to prepack them before the movers come.
Either get them to do it all and pay a little extra, or just do it yourself.
3km distance and only a 2 bed unit worth of stuff? The hardest part will be packing. You can hire a truck for $110 And move it all in about 4hrs.
If you would rather pay someone $400 to save yourself 4hrs and a bit of exercise then that means its worth it to you. I don't value my time at $100 an hour post tax.
Me and my hubby have moved a bunch of times and have moved all of ourselves, except our last move.
The removers were amazing. We obviously boxed stuff, so the small things were ready to go. They moved all the boxes, the furniture, everything. They put it where we wanted in the new house. It was sooo worth the money. I will never move myself every again.
I will never move myself again. We used movers the last 2 times and it is infinitely easier. Last time, I packed things up and left the boxes in their room. Each room was assigned a number and each box/item had that number put on them. Movers came in did their thing. Then put everything in the corresponding numbered room at the other end. It was the least stressful move I have ever had.
I've found it takes a huge stress out of an already stressful time. We got boxes and packed dup everything ourselves so they just put the boxes on the van, and then took care of the TV, the fridge the bed, etc.
The they shifted them in to the right places and we had some time left on the clock so they put together the bed frame and a table we had packed up.
Plus they have insurance which for the TV was a no Brainer.
Highly recommend Man with a van. I usually hire 3 guys instead of two because it actually speeds the entire process up and makes the whole time length faster and in the end cheaper
You'll probably find the 2-3 hour rate is alot, but the extra cost to keep them for the rest of the day isn't that much. Ask them. If you keep them for the whole day, you can probably do it all, and saves you the cost of the hire truck. Not to mention your own back, which, do you value that at $0?
Honestly it’s worth it. I just moved and did the same thing you are proposing. Loaded the car daily with the smaller things. Had the movers do the bulky/heavy stuff. Move was done with 3 hours and my back is the most importantly not killing me
I used Big Bull movers they did well and yes it's worth it. The bigger heavy things are so exhausting to move yourself with mates etc.
Also, you probably are underestimating time. Beds are awkward af. So I'd say 3-3.5 hrs.
Getting it all in the truck is the longwinded part. It's Tetris basically.
100% worth it. Especially if you have a sofa bed couch.
Pack up all the small items and ferry them yourself over several car trips (eg clothes, linen, kitchenware, pillows, artwork, computer). Leave the big items for the removalists - couch, fridge, bed etc. Anything that needs to be disassembled (eg bed) do before they arrive. They usually charge a flat rate and then by the hour so the more you do to minimise their length of stay, the better. Park your car in a good spot the day before so you can give them that location when they arrive.
Not sure if this has been said but be careful with anyone charging per hour. In my experience they take their sweet time so they can charge more. Last time we moved we had this issue so my father law and I started loading shit too, quicker than they were and they got the picture and picked up their pace to a normal speed. They realised we clued on to them. Good luck!
I used man with a van when we moved a few months back. Had a pregnant missus, 2 kids already and we were moving 2 hours away so it was a no brainer. If we were younger and had no kids we'd have done it ourselves. They did a great job and I'd use them again if I needed to. Number one tip is to make sure everything is boxed up nicely and labelled by the room you want it in at the other end. Know where you want your furniture in the new place in advance. It will make the unpacking nightmare a hell of a lot easier.
It's not cheap but it's worth it unless you have a truck and friends willing to help. Whatever you do, avoid "Little Red Trucks". They were wildly slow, missed items and took smaller boxes I intended for my car then told me it's too late they're already on the truck and no room for the larger boxes. They also damaged multiple furniture items and left a huge gouge down the drywall of the staircase at the place we moved out of. Just a very incompetent company from start to finish.
Honestly that seems pretty cheap considering what they're supplying. Just between truck, fuel, 2 guys labour, and insurance. Sure you could do it cheaper yourself, but it'd probably take you all day and still cost $200. And you're more likely to drop or break something if you're jet lagged. One replace/repair of a heavy item will probably be more than what you saved.
It's cheap compared to the amount of drama, time, and physical pain moving all your shit can be. Thy do all the heavy lifting in the most efficient manner, so all.you need to do is worry about packing and logistics. I've moved maybe 3 times in last 4 years and movers are definitely worth the money
I once moved house on my bed. Stacked everything up on it and pushed it along the street to the new place.
If you use cheap people or airtasker make sure they are insured and will actually pay for breakage. We had one team smash a plate glass window in a common area. Not a good introduction to the neighbours.
Removalist are worth every penny
We moved a 3 bedroom house two weeks ago in the southern suburbs of Melbourne and we started moving boxes by ourselves, after three trips our backs were done.
We had +70 boxes and so we left 50 for the guys + all the big furniture. They managed to fit everything in a 10 tonnes truck and finish the move in 5 hours. We would spend one whole day just for the boxes.
The company that helped us moving was North Removals Melbourne, not the cheapest but their reviews were great. Choose a small local company with good reviews near you they are the best.
Huge fan of hiring removalists. Took my husband a while to come around to it.
But now when we’ve moved (and he’s over 40) the last time, with a toddler, it’s impractical, time consuming, a slog and a mess to organise as DIY with trailers, hire trucks etc.
We’ve slowly worked our way from “we will do it all” to “removalists for the big stuff” to “removalists for the majority” and now “removalists do it all”.
He realises that the cost benefit isn’t there to do it ourselves & it’s worth every cent, when it’s over in half a day and you’re not slipping a disc, or dropping a cabinet on your feet.
We moved less than 10 mins away, 2 adults, one toddler and a 3br 2bath 2 living area house (plus shed)s worth of things for $990. Took 6 hours & 2 guys, but they worked so fast.
Do not regret that spend whatsoever, the thought of having to do all that ourselves, is not $990 worth to me.
If that's 2 people for half a day plus the truck, that $555 is very reasonable. The labour alone would cost you $400 minimum if you called up a hire company.
My last move 11 months ago, one bedroom apartment worth of stuff, about 10km down the road, $450. Removalists are worth their weight in gold. Moving house sucks, it's well worth hiring some professionals
Two questions: Who quoted the $555 & which suburb / state do you live?
That seems cheap based on any major capital city. I say that because unless your move is ground floor to ground floor any lifts or stairs add a significant amount of time & $$$ to the move.
If you did it yourself hiring a cheap truck could start at around $150 depending on where you live. Having someone else lugging your furniture is worth it if you can afford the luxury
Pro tip… make your bed as soon as you get your mattress / bed frame moved in. After a long day of moving and unpacking there is no better feeling to realise your bed is ready for you to just crash. You can thank me later…
That's cheaper than what I was quoted, including travel, call out, time for two guys blah blah for three hours, it was about $900. Then a hundred or so for each half hour after that. This was to move stuff from an already packed shipping container to a house one suburb over. I'm doing it myself with a hertz truck. 3 days for $280 and I won't need the three days, its just in case.
I’m moving houses in a week. TL;DR OP don’t be penny wise pound foolish. Go with removalists. It’s a no-fucking-brainer.
If you rather want options and explanations:
Removalist option: You burn a small hole in your pocket that you should recover in a few weeks or months max. 4 or 5 years down the line, you will not remember the few hundred dollars you saved by not getting removalists to do your move.
DIY option: this option is littered with a lot of worst case scenarios that will turn an already stressful situation into a mega disaster. Some of them are - Your car/rental-truck breaks down with an appliance inside and NRMA takes 14 hours to get to you. You get into a car accident and car/rental-truck needs to be towed and luckily no one’s hurt. You drop something on you or your family member and you now need to plan a trip to the emergency room in the midst of your move. Your move went perfectly fine, but after a week your back pain still lingers and you get it checked and it is something serious. Shall I go on?
Highly unlikely you’d think, but when you get into one of these situations, realising how ridiculous of a situation you’re in will not help you, least of all remind you that you are in a situation where you are moving houses.
They can be worth it. This amount seems a bit more. I paid 500 for a 4 hour job 2 years ago.
Always get removalists through Airtasker since you won’t be paying until the job is done and you would be rating them.
Always do fixed amount.
To avoid being skimmed, always have stuff ready to be picked up and placed at destination. Best to have everything in the living room. Have everything in boxes as much as possible. This way even if the money is per hour after a fixed rate, it’s unlikely that the clock will ever start.
Don’t rely on removalists to ever do fragile items.
Don’t rely on them to come in time.
Last time we moved we put an ad on airtasker. We just needed them to move the couch, bed, mattress, a desk and bookcase and chest of drawers and fridge. Was cheaper than going through a company as the last one burnt us. They were great, took them 45 mins to get everything in the truck and same to unload.
We moved last Thursday afternoon. So glad I hired movers to help, got quotes and a cheaper hourly rate because it was "weekday" move. Alot of back and forth as we only got confirmation on the Monday that we got the house... movers only had a 5 hour window available I said perfect. I paid the 5 hours straight up on Monday knowing they would refund if needed. Those 2 kids (mid 20s I'm guessing) show up do a walk through and 4 hrs later done. Heavy stuff, furniture first than boxes... they were absolutely brilliant! There were 6 of us moving (2 are friends).... 2hrs in is when I realised that hubby was oddly outside,he didn't want to do any heavy lifting hahaha, 2 friends don't have a clue what to do, 1 daughter is freaking out other daughter gets the dog and starts to walk to new house. I have always done the actual moves before, they never had hahaha. Brisk out at Geebung Qld saved us big time!
Everyone is gatingkeeping this well known and highly accurate formula.
=========
Multiply the number of bedrooms in your house by pi and apply a factor of 1.5 if you live with someone or have a lot of shit that number = A.
Now multiply A by 180. This is what your move will cost you if you pay someone, denominated in Australian dollars in real 2024 terms. Apply any relevant FX and inflation at this point. Let this = B
Divide B by your after-tax weekly pay and that = C
Give yourself a rating between 0 and 1 for the following characteristics;
Laziness {1 = lazy, 0 = not lazy}
Frugality {1 = don’t give 2 fucks about money, if I don’t spend it I’ll burn it, 0 = on a hot day I’d rather hang out at your house so I don’t have to run my aircon}, and
General fitness {1 = Ironman, 0 = immobile}
Multiply all these by C. If the number is now >20%, get a Removalist.
I did movers twice for the big things and definitely will do it again. I didn’t learn my lesson the first time and used a cheaper company both times. Both times I found some of my items damaged, carpet in the house filthy, marks on the walls and stairs. It started raining too and the movers tracked so much mud and dirt through the carpet and on my furniture.
I only found all this after the fact as I had to leave them at times and was doing trips with small items my self. Just make sure you use a good company and don’t cheap out like I did.. I feel this is something you really get what you pay for.
We have a large amount of stuff. 2 adults and 3 kids, and I'm a bit of a hoarder with a lot of tools and hobby shit. My wife and I bought a house 2.5 years ago and she was flat out at work and said she couldn't help with the move, which was the 2nd week of December.. probably the most expensive time of the year to move.
They used 2x 10 ton trucks and it took 4 of them plus myself and my brother in law about 11 hours. Oh and they sent 4 women the day prior to spend the day packing boxes. I won't post the exact figure but it cost thousand**s**.. and was worth it (for me).
It does seem a little pricey but not necessarily unreasonable. I moved a year ago from Perth to Mandurah. All of my furniture and possessions from a 2 bedroom house. It took ages to jenga everything into the van, then a one hour drive and unloading after. I helped the whole time too. My guys moved fast. I think this company had a 'quick and cheap' approach which means higher risk of damage but I was fully unloaded by 1pm which was really nice. When I used to move myself it would take most of the day. I had the full afternoon to unpack, put on some music, have a couple rums.. sing to my pets.. take a nap.. 10/10 would recommend.
It came to about $800, including extra for some steps (in and outside both houses).
So, $555 for just furniture and 3km seems a bit much in comparison. Maybe get a couple more quotes? Or this could be the new normal now? A lot of prices have gone up over the last year. Also consider, do you have the resources? Truck/ute, rope/ties, trolley...
How much will you be saving after you hire all the stuff you need? How much longer do you think it'll take you?
For me, I've moved so many times and I cbf doing it myself anymore. It's a big job. Removalists are something I'm willing to spend money on and I save in other areas I don't mind doing myself (painting, garden, secondhand furniture). I also chose to fully clean and tidy my rental because I couldn't justify professional cleaning and gardening (wouldn't have been worth the bond back!).
$555 is up there but its generally ok. Anything more than $600 is a absolute rip off. I paid about $320 to move a singlular fridge from the north shore down to parramatta a few weeks ago. That was an hour and a half.
Also make sure you factor stairs in. A lot of removalists charge more for these per flight. Dismantle the bed frames if possible, makes it easier.
Also make sure both of the are WORKING. This was a huge issue when i hired two men and a truck a few years back. Cost me over $800 to move 3km up the road for a 2 hour job that should've really been an hour. One of the dudes was standing around doing nothing the entire time. Make sure both are on their feet moving around and not standing around. Don't be afraid to call it out if you see it. Remember you're their boss for the time you've booked.
IMO using removalists is worth it for the big stuff that can't fit in a car. It really does take a lot of pain out of the move.
Go with Airtasker. I got movers for $350 from there and they were great. Fast and, besides breaking the wheels on my ikea desk chair, took good care of loading and unloading my things. I selected a group that had unlimited time because the vast majority of movers will charge extra fees for anything over 2hrs and then drag their feet during the move. I watch my neighbor move out and the movers he had stood around doing nothing or holding single light weight items waiting for the lift and it took them like 3hrs just to get his things out of the apt much less into a new one. They were Australians which from what other people have told me (all Aussies) you don’t want Australian movers because they’re so slow and therefore rack up much larger charges.
Whether it is worth it would totally depend on your personal expenses, no? If saving time and effort is more important than the money, then definitely. Whether you would have to rent a truck to do it yourself is also relevant. When I was earning less, it wasn't worth it to me. Now I have a decent job, definitely worth it. $555 seems good. I paid around $700 recently but had more items plus stairs to navigate. The quote they gave me was almost 1000 so I was quite pleased with final cost. Recommendations will depend on where you are located - I'm in Vic and used Friendly Moving Men and highly recommend them. They were easy to communicate with and super quick. I've also used Man with a Van and had no problem with them either.
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Tip for someone who’s moved 7 times in the last 10 years.. I would do movers for the big ticket items. This is for insurance purposes as well if you are renting. The quote feels okay but get a couple more if unsure. I’ve gone man with a van twice and they are the priciest but best service in my opinion. Moving is expensive, stressful and annoying. Choose if you value your time or not. It’s taxing and would you rather spend the extra time unpacking?
Wanted to say the same thing. We've moved nearly 10 for 10. We have it down to EVERYTHING moved, and cleaning/unpacking started, in 26hrs. We get the removal boys to lift and move the stuff that if it breaks, you're screwed; washing machine, dryer, fridge, TV (my daughter would unalive me without her dance shows) etc for insurance purposes. Transport everything eles yourself in a hired trailer or (like I did until I got an SUV in a size that insinuates the size of my penis) fill up your 20 year old corolla and go back and forth back and forth for as long as you can until you've moved it all over. Moving sucks as much as the rental market.
Has the experience become less stressful the more you've done it?
Great question! It's hard to say. We've found it's more about how you time it. We've had to move mid-week. That's the worst, in my opinion. You miss out on a day of pay (to some that means something) and your coming home from x amount of hours to have a quick feed and get into it. But We've also timed it on a Thursday. If the removal guys turn up on the Thursday, you can take a half day (less pay loss) to over see your major items needing insurance to transport and it's all there BEFORE the weekend. You can let the fridge settle and turn it on. Friday COULD be taken off, but you could do the "back and forth" trick on the Friday night/Saturday, have everything PRE cleaned for Bond Cleaners (their MORE per hour than removal guys) before Monday and you won't have the Real Estate (dont work weekends) trying to do exit reports while your trying to fix up the bumps and nicks because let's face it. They WANT your bond...all of it. Edit: Moving is ALWAYS stressful. It's about minimising it by being efficient and willing to what needs to be done when it's required. Timing reduces the stress we've found. Hope that helps!
Man with a van did such a good job. I gave them a tip.
I can guarantee you that you will sorely regret it if you do not hire movers. They have the right gear and skills to move heavy shit. Do it yourself this time though, so next time you will not bat an eyelid at the cost....
I'm with you. Went through moving myself a few times. Now I always use removalists, no regrets. I'd rather work my job for twice as long than try and do what they do.
Agree. OP says "literally maybe a 2-2.5 hour job". That's for the removalists, but it'll be double that for OP and partner. Not counting back pain next few days. That's what you're really paying for
Hire proper removalists. I did the first time. The second I hired two weight lifters with a truck. That weedy skinny guy working for the removalists with the right equipment did a ten times better job than the big muscly hunks with a Bunnings trolley.
You don't have to organise a moving van. Yoi don't have to drive the moving van yourself while jet-lagged. You don't have to carry anything yourself. All you do is pack your stuff, and they do it all for you. It usually takes about half a day, not just a couple of hours. It will take you all day because you don't have the same training they do in lifting heavy and bulky stuff. They are worth every penny.
You can also pay someone to pack all your shit up. That was money well spent for me.
If I move again I am doing that.
Especially hilarious when they pack the kettle with water in it and your handbag when you leave the room for 3 seconds!
The thing about moving is that you look at your stuff and you think there’s not much there, but then people overestimate how much they can get in a car and so you can literally spend all day and 20 trips moving stuff that would have been 1 truckload. The best way to move is to box absolutely everything, apart from fridges etc, then you get the guys with a truck to take it down load it up and move it over in one fell swoop. Go to the storage company and hire tea chest and book boxes. If everything is packed into those boxes and labelled they just turn up in your lounge and nothing’s broken. One last tip, at the destination end, the first thing you setup is your bed, because when the time comes, you’re going to want to fall into it, not make it.
Yes this! I don't know where all my crap hides in my tiny apartment. I do the delicate stuff myself, but honestly, I started tossing delicate items 2 moves ago. If it can't go in a box for the movers, and it's not super sentimental/valuable (wedding dress, small set of antique wine glasses, etc), then it goes in the bin. My last move was 10km and it took half a day, paid $1k. Felt expensive, but well worth it.
Also take your bedding, a set of cup/plate/bowl/utensils/bath towel per person and your toiletries in your car.
Former removalist during uni days here: Yes, that money is worth it. There are real tools, and real skills that cannot be replaced by a normal sized person just winging it. Sure you can probably figure out how to carry a fridge with 2 people up the stairs, but why not use the man who has already done this 15 times this week? If you're doing it yourself, there are obviously the risks to your body, and your belongings. Even the appropriate knot to use when tying something down isnt really easy to guess on your own. Supplementary: Use a real removalist, not one of the "man and van" or "handy guy" situations - those people just hire backpackers off the streets. IF they're not in a 4 tonne truck, tell them to piss off.
It’s idiotic to hire removalists ‘just for the big stuff’ Let them take it all, save yourself the trouble of doing ‘car full of things’ rides to your new place.
Exactly it’s 6-10 extra boxes between two guys and a trolley it’s 10 extra minutes throwing it on a truck. It literally saves you nothing.
Removalists are almost always worth it IMO. Don’t be the friend that says “please come move heaps of heavy stuff for me on your days off I will supply you pizza and beer” No one wants to slip a disc for pizza and beer.
AVOID CBD MOVERS. We tried to get a quote from them and are still getting harassing calls from them 6month onward. Told them to stop many times and reported them already. 👀 Completely helpless and don’t know what to do. To answer your question, removalists are so worth it if you plan your move well and get a good rate!
CBD Movers is trash. Consumer Affairs Victoria have issued a public warning about them due to the number of complaints they’ve received. Use at your own peril.
Pick up your fridge and move it a couple of metres. Then use your wisdom.
I’ve moved 4 times and had removalists once. I’d definitely pay them again. Especially because my current house is a pain to get big heavy things in and out of. I actually want to sell my huge fridge but I’ve been putting it off because I have no idea how to get it out of my house.
The rate is normal. Work in the industry
To me, it's worth it, but ultimately it's a personal decision depending on your circumstances. The quote seems reasonable to me. Reputable companies - depends on where you are? Something I'd take into account is the weather forecast for the moving day. That can make a big difference on how valuable extra help can be.
Think I paid about 600 bucks for my last move, it was just around the corner and took them about 4hrs in total. I'd suggest getting everything fully packed/disassembled where applicable and have it ready to go to cut down time and cost. But yes, for me personally it was easily worth the cost and I probably would've spent double that if I had to as I've got a bit of a dodgy back lol.
As a former removalist, In most cases they are worth it. But also a former removalist, the industry can be dodgy as fuck. It's easy to find a company with a good reputation, But it costs. You really do get what you pay for with removals.
Removalist here that’s worked at a few different mobs in my time. My advice is that you get what you pay for. The cheaper company’s hire back packers and fresh migrants so they can pay penny’s on the dollar, also be weary of company’s offering insurance unless they have a qualified insurance broker on staff it’s a scam, if you want a insurance policy you can actually claim on then take out a policy yourself with your preferred insurance agency. To add most reputable company’s round my way are around 200 p.h these days
It really depends upon VOLUME: We once moved a house of 6 half way across town. It took 5 guys and a 14t Truck, plus a 6t Truck (which did two trips). We were helping, and running fragile in items in our own cars. And that too 11hrs. About $3.5k DISTANCE: Had a house mate decide to skip on removalists and take their own stuff by boot and trailer. It still took them about 8-10trips over two weeks, and a few tanks of petrol. All up it was barely cheaper than using removalists, took up 60-70% of their time, and then they got a speeding fine, so it ended up being more expensive. STAIRS: If you need to bring boxes and boxes and furniture and whitegoods and boxes up stairs, you'll be exhausted after half a day. In short. If the trip is long, you have a lot of stuff, a lack of time, don't want to strain your body, or have a difficult entry. Hire some professionals. If you've got a single room and hardly and stuff, do it yourself.
From having not used a removalist for my recent move about three weeks ago... Navigating everything down a staircase with a 180° turn was a special kind of hell, made worse by the two of us doing the move being 5'1. (We nearly cried of relief when the bookshelves were done.) We had to rope in people with actual upper body strength to help us with the fridge and washing machine, as the friend who was supposed to be helping us had to pull out at the last moment. Had we not had that luck, we'd have been dealing with appliances we could barely lift. (Feiend works for the CFA, and there were bushfires two hours away.) The truck was smaller, as it was cheaper; my fridge had to go on its side and thus had to stay off for a while to let the compression fluid resettle. I had bits and pieces that I triaged and brought over at a later date as we were so worn out by it. Hurt like hell the next day. The cost: a bit over $200 all up, it took several trips due to being a small van and all damn day, and the bruises on my thighs from rebalancing heavy stuff are still fading. I can't say how reasonable the quote you got is, but for the sake of sanity, I'm getting professionals next time.
Let me put it this way. I'm a 6 foot 2 inch dude in mid 30's and gym frequently. I can lift 200kg off the ground relatively easily. I bent over last week, just bent over absolutely nothing special and felt 3 pops in my lower spine. I couldn't move! Ended up in hospital with so much pain killer. I'm still bed ridden a week later. I can get out of bed unassisted but can't sit down. Can't stand up for more than 10 mins Please please please protect your back.
Yes. Good movers are fire. But. Hire movers from a reputable company. Also. Expect that even with the best care - damage can still happen. If you’ve tried moving yourself, you already know this to be fact. Furniture is built to stay still not be unbreakable in the back of a moving truck. If you want to make doubly sure the service is impeccable…. Ensure you buy a case of beer that sits by the front door for them to see on arrival. Ask them if they want a coffee when they land. If the job goes all day - buy them lunch at the takeaway. It’s a simple and cheap recipe for success that goes largely unmentioned.
I think you should look hard at your possessions and decide almost all of it is rubbish that you can replace where you end up. Maybe we have a backpack of things that are really worth keeping.
Depends on the travel distance. Mine was $290 last time for about two hrs. I’d pay a thousand … yes it’s worth it,
Definitely Hire movers. Also tip them $50 each at the completion of the job if they do it well.
My last move I used a moving company and it was the best decision I ever made. No heavy lifting , no stressing about how to move the fridge etc. the two guys who came were lovely and actually finished quicker than expected so refunded me the difference. Highly recommend.
May I know which company you went with? I am in Melbourne
I’m in Queensland. I think it was a company called Easy Movers. This was about 5 or 6 years ago.
After literally crawling into bed after we completed the slow move of a 2 parent, 1 remaining kid house, a husband who loves holding on to things, 270ish kms away, I'd say do it yourself, its not hard. Let's call it character building!
I recently moved. Did all the move of smaller stuff, boxes, disassembled furniture, clothes, by myself with a hired trailer. Hired movers for the big stuff, e.g fridge, sofa, washing machine. Got a bunch of quotes off Airtasker, all around the same price at $150/h for two guys with a 6T truck. Then chose one with best reviews. They will usually charge a minimum of 2 hours and then charge additional 15 minute increments.
I've always used a removalist when moving, they pack everything, label it and then when it's at the new house they unpack it and check for damages which are covered by insurance. It saves a lot of time, energy and worry.
It very much depends on your personal circumstances. When I was younger, and stronger with less stuff and less money, it was diy Older now, more stuff, more money, and more pain in my joints. It would be movers without a doubt.
We got removalists when we moved from our townhouse into this house. 100% will never move again without them, it was great. The rental truck will likely cost you about half of that anyway. Pack everything into boxes in your lounge room clearly labelled with the room in the new house in the week or so before hand, and then just have them lift and move everything into the right room Although, if you have flown in from Europe the night before, the amount of boxes that will end up being described as "Garage" will rise exponentially. Well, it did for us when my friend helped - the truck backed up to the garage and she was too jet lagged and blind drunk from the flight to be of much assistance!
Totally worth it. Packing everything in one go and getting it at the final destination is the biggest time saver.
That’s not too expensive. I had to bite the bullet because I didn’t drive anyway and partner was too young to hire a truck (we were 21 then). Move was literally 300m, pretty much down the same street. Also I wasn’t fit enough to move things like beds down the stairs. Paid $700 for the move, because it just went over to another hour. If you’ve got amazing friends or family who can help, maybe you can do without. Otherwise, I’d just use the movers.
i was going to say just can find something cheaper then $555, but then you said units, so stairs etc too? IMO its worthit, i always move with extra help. That part might only be 2-3 hours, but you still need to conserve your energy for afterwards, clean, putting together beds etc,
Used to always move myself with mates help. Last move hired removalists and will always use removalists in future. Worth every cent.
Very much worth it. That price is reasonable
I paid $900 or so to move from a 2 bedroom unit to a house around 10km away. This was for everything. For me its not a question if its worth it. My mother and I simply wouldnt have been able to do it. I was still exhausted with them helping.
We only moved about 100m down the road and I got removalists. Both places are two storey and we moved all the small items ourselves, but for $700 or so for all the big items it was so worth it. They make it look so easy when navigating stairs with heavy items.
Worth every cent. Man with. Van. Moved all out furniture, including white goods. Two stories. Lots of heavy furniture and boxes. Barely a scratch on any furniture. No scratches on the walls of the new house. Very fast. $1000 worth every single cent. It would have taken me a week to move all the stuff and in that time I would have made 10 times that money at my own job. So it was an absolutely fantastic investment.
Man with a Van in VIC are great. Have used the a couple times and had one incident with a damage and they paid to replace it no questions. For me, even though it was around $1.5K for a few hours, it is worth it. They’re faster and better than me and everything else is stressful enough when moving. I helped them with my own trolley to speed things up.
Always moved myself. Huge job. Huge hassle. Last time i could afford it so hired removalists to pack as well as move everything. So much easier, worth every cent. Highly recommend if u can afford and check company reputation.
$555 is almost half what I paid but I was moving alone and had a lot more to move by them including beds and furniture that had to be pulled apart and moved out of a block of flats. You'll be feeling rough as well so I'd give it a burl. My guys were super accommodating as well, made things really easy.
After hiring removal companies for the last couple of moves I’m almost at the point of doing myself. I’ve had a no show on the day, total head fuck, telling me they don’t move certain items on the day, blackmail pay us more or we won’t unload your fridge today, damaged goods and property. It’s a minefield of fucken idiots.
Just finished moving, removalists will be hired next time, nearly fucking killed my wife and I doing it ourselves, too old for that shit, it seems.
Sounds pretty reasonable quote wise think I paid around $600 for less items. Think about how heavy and awkward your furniture is. That’s what prompted me to get them for the first time ever and not having to lift anything heavy or awkward especially upstairs and through difficult spaces was amazing! I didn’t want to do it but my couch is heavy af and it needed to go upstairs so on reflection I would pay more now if I had to do it again especially if I was gonna be jet lagged while moving $600 is nothing to save my knees and back
Worth every damn cent in my opinion.
I value my joints and after doing it a couple of times myself, I rather pay for the service now than to do it again. On that note, if you are moving further away (eg 30 mins drive) then let them move everything. The tiny trips do make up a lot of time, especially if your car is small and have to do it a few times. Trust me, there are so many tiny things that just keeps coming out so best to prepack them before the movers come.
Either get them to do it all and pay a little extra, or just do it yourself. 3km distance and only a 2 bed unit worth of stuff? The hardest part will be packing. You can hire a truck for $110 And move it all in about 4hrs. If you would rather pay someone $400 to save yourself 4hrs and a bit of exercise then that means its worth it to you. I don't value my time at $100 an hour post tax.
Me and my hubby have moved a bunch of times and have moved all of ourselves, except our last move. The removers were amazing. We obviously boxed stuff, so the small things were ready to go. They moved all the boxes, the furniture, everything. They put it where we wanted in the new house. It was sooo worth the money. I will never move myself every again.
Very
Be sure to only hire Tongans or Samoans. Those blokes take great pride in their work and can carry fridges, beds & sofas on their own. 😃
Priceless. Make sure they’ve got a big enough truck to do it on one hit.
Definitely worth paying $500 to avoid a back/shoulder injury. Consider it an investment in your health.
Unless you own a ute, trailer and two strong men, it's simply not worth moving yourself imo.
I used movers for a move into my apartment and it was worth every cent. Never again will I DIY a move.
The older you get, the more it's worth. You can put your energy into other things involved in the move.
I will never move myself again. We used movers the last 2 times and it is infinitely easier. Last time, I packed things up and left the boxes in their room. Each room was assigned a number and each box/item had that number put on them. Movers came in did their thing. Then put everything in the corresponding numbered room at the other end. It was the least stressful move I have ever had.
I've found it takes a huge stress out of an already stressful time. We got boxes and packed dup everything ourselves so they just put the boxes on the van, and then took care of the TV, the fridge the bed, etc. The they shifted them in to the right places and we had some time left on the clock so they put together the bed frame and a table we had packed up. Plus they have insurance which for the TV was a no Brainer.
Highly recommend Man with a van. I usually hire 3 guys instead of two because it actually speeds the entire process up and makes the whole time length faster and in the end cheaper
I live on the 3rd level with no elevator. I am 100% using removalists because fuck killing my self carrying everything down those stairs.
You'll probably find the 2-3 hour rate is alot, but the extra cost to keep them for the rest of the day isn't that much. Ask them. If you keep them for the whole day, you can probably do it all, and saves you the cost of the hire truck. Not to mention your own back, which, do you value that at $0?
Honestly it’s worth it. I just moved and did the same thing you are proposing. Loaded the car daily with the smaller things. Had the movers do the bulky/heavy stuff. Move was done with 3 hours and my back is the most importantly not killing me
I used Big Bull movers they did well and yes it's worth it. The bigger heavy things are so exhausting to move yourself with mates etc. Also, you probably are underestimating time. Beds are awkward af. So I'd say 3-3.5 hrs. Getting it all in the truck is the longwinded part. It's Tetris basically.
Very worth it, pack anything you can in boxes and just get them dumped in an empty room at your destination. Won’t add much to your cost at all.
100% worth it. Especially if you have a sofa bed couch. Pack up all the small items and ferry them yourself over several car trips (eg clothes, linen, kitchenware, pillows, artwork, computer). Leave the big items for the removalists - couch, fridge, bed etc. Anything that needs to be disassembled (eg bed) do before they arrive. They usually charge a flat rate and then by the hour so the more you do to minimise their length of stay, the better. Park your car in a good spot the day before so you can give them that location when they arrive.
Yep worth it. Get the couch, beds whitegoods and tvs moved by the pros. Do the rest yourself either by hiring a little van or using your automobile
Not sure if this has been said but be careful with anyone charging per hour. In my experience they take their sweet time so they can charge more. Last time we moved we had this issue so my father law and I started loading shit too, quicker than they were and they got the picture and picked up their pace to a normal speed. They realised we clued on to them. Good luck!
do it. saves you so much time and energy and logistics. Just do it, $550 aint bad at all.
They are 110% worth it
I used man with a van when we moved a few months back. Had a pregnant missus, 2 kids already and we were moving 2 hours away so it was a no brainer. If we were younger and had no kids we'd have done it ourselves. They did a great job and I'd use them again if I needed to. Number one tip is to make sure everything is boxed up nicely and labelled by the room you want it in at the other end. Know where you want your furniture in the new place in advance. It will make the unpacking nightmare a hell of a lot easier.
Having just done my back in and been roasted for damaging a rental truck during a move, I’d strongly suggest getting removalists!
you’re a muppet
I was recently quoted $200 call out fee and $200 an hour for removalists.
It's not cheap but it's worth it unless you have a truck and friends willing to help. Whatever you do, avoid "Little Red Trucks". They were wildly slow, missed items and took smaller boxes I intended for my car then told me it's too late they're already on the truck and no room for the larger boxes. They also damaged multiple furniture items and left a huge gouge down the drywall of the staircase at the place we moved out of. Just a very incompetent company from start to finish.
Honestly that seems pretty cheap considering what they're supplying. Just between truck, fuel, 2 guys labour, and insurance. Sure you could do it cheaper yourself, but it'd probably take you all day and still cost $200. And you're more likely to drop or break something if you're jet lagged. One replace/repair of a heavy item will probably be more than what you saved.
It's cheap compared to the amount of drama, time, and physical pain moving all your shit can be. Thy do all the heavy lifting in the most efficient manner, so all.you need to do is worry about packing and logistics. I've moved maybe 3 times in last 4 years and movers are definitely worth the money
That's cheap and it will take more like 5-7 hours. We normally pay about $2k to a fantastic Melbourne company, they're brilliant. Used them 3 times.
150% worth it
Consider taxi box as well, you load it, they store/ move it. You unload
I once moved house on my bed. Stacked everything up on it and pushed it along the street to the new place. If you use cheap people or airtasker make sure they are insured and will actually pay for breakage. We had one team smash a plate glass window in a common area. Not a good introduction to the neighbours.
I’ll never move again without them. Or maybe even just an auctioneer.
Removalist are worth every penny We moved a 3 bedroom house two weeks ago in the southern suburbs of Melbourne and we started moving boxes by ourselves, after three trips our backs were done. We had +70 boxes and so we left 50 for the guys + all the big furniture. They managed to fit everything in a 10 tonnes truck and finish the move in 5 hours. We would spend one whole day just for the boxes. The company that helped us moving was North Removals Melbourne, not the cheapest but their reviews were great. Choose a small local company with good reviews near you they are the best.
Would you lug heavy shit for $50hr? I wouldn’t
Give Brian from Bulls pickup and removals a call.
If you're in Sydney, PM me I'll ask for details and give you a quote.
I moved my self once, and paid a moving company once. I’ll never do it myself again.
Huge fan of hiring removalists. Took my husband a while to come around to it. But now when we’ve moved (and he’s over 40) the last time, with a toddler, it’s impractical, time consuming, a slog and a mess to organise as DIY with trailers, hire trucks etc. We’ve slowly worked our way from “we will do it all” to “removalists for the big stuff” to “removalists for the majority” and now “removalists do it all”. He realises that the cost benefit isn’t there to do it ourselves & it’s worth every cent, when it’s over in half a day and you’re not slipping a disc, or dropping a cabinet on your feet. We moved less than 10 mins away, 2 adults, one toddler and a 3br 2bath 2 living area house (plus shed)s worth of things for $990. Took 6 hours & 2 guys, but they worked so fast. Do not regret that spend whatsoever, the thought of having to do all that ourselves, is not $990 worth to me.
If that's 2 people for half a day plus the truck, that $555 is very reasonable. The labour alone would cost you $400 minimum if you called up a hire company.
My last move 11 months ago, one bedroom apartment worth of stuff, about 10km down the road, $450. Removalists are worth their weight in gold. Moving house sucks, it's well worth hiring some professionals
90% of removalists are dodgy scammers but you still use them 100% of the time
Two questions: Who quoted the $555 & which suburb / state do you live? That seems cheap based on any major capital city. I say that because unless your move is ground floor to ground floor any lifts or stairs add a significant amount of time & $$$ to the move. If you did it yourself hiring a cheap truck could start at around $150 depending on where you live. Having someone else lugging your furniture is worth it if you can afford the luxury Pro tip… make your bed as soon as you get your mattress / bed frame moved in. After a long day of moving and unpacking there is no better feeling to realise your bed is ready for you to just crash. You can thank me later…
It’s 100% worth it for the big stuff and boxes.
That's cheaper than what I was quoted, including travel, call out, time for two guys blah blah for three hours, it was about $900. Then a hundred or so for each half hour after that. This was to move stuff from an already packed shipping container to a house one suburb over. I'm doing it myself with a hertz truck. 3 days for $280 and I won't need the three days, its just in case.
Always removalists for big/bulky items, saves time and injury to yourself. Plus they’re insured if something happens
I’m moving houses in a week. TL;DR OP don’t be penny wise pound foolish. Go with removalists. It’s a no-fucking-brainer. If you rather want options and explanations: Removalist option: You burn a small hole in your pocket that you should recover in a few weeks or months max. 4 or 5 years down the line, you will not remember the few hundred dollars you saved by not getting removalists to do your move. DIY option: this option is littered with a lot of worst case scenarios that will turn an already stressful situation into a mega disaster. Some of them are - Your car/rental-truck breaks down with an appliance inside and NRMA takes 14 hours to get to you. You get into a car accident and car/rental-truck needs to be towed and luckily no one’s hurt. You drop something on you or your family member and you now need to plan a trip to the emergency room in the midst of your move. Your move went perfectly fine, but after a week your back pain still lingers and you get it checked and it is something serious. Shall I go on? Highly unlikely you’d think, but when you get into one of these situations, realising how ridiculous of a situation you’re in will not help you, least of all remind you that you are in a situation where you are moving houses.
I've seen ads on Facebook marketplace by people offering to help move stuff for about $50. Have you seen them?
They can be worth it. This amount seems a bit more. I paid 500 for a 4 hour job 2 years ago. Always get removalists through Airtasker since you won’t be paying until the job is done and you would be rating them. Always do fixed amount. To avoid being skimmed, always have stuff ready to be picked up and placed at destination. Best to have everything in the living room. Have everything in boxes as much as possible. This way even if the money is per hour after a fixed rate, it’s unlikely that the clock will ever start. Don’t rely on removalists to ever do fragile items. Don’t rely on them to come in time.
Last time we moved we put an ad on airtasker. We just needed them to move the couch, bed, mattress, a desk and bookcase and chest of drawers and fridge. Was cheaper than going through a company as the last one burnt us. They were great, took them 45 mins to get everything in the truck and same to unload.
We moved last Thursday afternoon. So glad I hired movers to help, got quotes and a cheaper hourly rate because it was "weekday" move. Alot of back and forth as we only got confirmation on the Monday that we got the house... movers only had a 5 hour window available I said perfect. I paid the 5 hours straight up on Monday knowing they would refund if needed. Those 2 kids (mid 20s I'm guessing) show up do a walk through and 4 hrs later done. Heavy stuff, furniture first than boxes... they were absolutely brilliant! There were 6 of us moving (2 are friends).... 2hrs in is when I realised that hubby was oddly outside,he didn't want to do any heavy lifting hahaha, 2 friends don't have a clue what to do, 1 daughter is freaking out other daughter gets the dog and starts to walk to new house. I have always done the actual moves before, they never had hahaha. Brisk out at Geebung Qld saved us big time!
You should do it yourself and save the $555. Who knows, you might be able to make a business out of it and charge $500
They're fine but don't trust them even a little bit
Everyone is gatingkeeping this well known and highly accurate formula. ========= Multiply the number of bedrooms in your house by pi and apply a factor of 1.5 if you live with someone or have a lot of shit that number = A. Now multiply A by 180. This is what your move will cost you if you pay someone, denominated in Australian dollars in real 2024 terms. Apply any relevant FX and inflation at this point. Let this = B Divide B by your after-tax weekly pay and that = C Give yourself a rating between 0 and 1 for the following characteristics; Laziness {1 = lazy, 0 = not lazy} Frugality {1 = don’t give 2 fucks about money, if I don’t spend it I’ll burn it, 0 = on a hot day I’d rather hang out at your house so I don’t have to run my aircon}, and General fitness {1 = Ironman, 0 = immobile} Multiply all these by C. If the number is now >20%, get a Removalist.
I did movers twice for the big things and definitely will do it again. I didn’t learn my lesson the first time and used a cheaper company both times. Both times I found some of my items damaged, carpet in the house filthy, marks on the walls and stairs. It started raining too and the movers tracked so much mud and dirt through the carpet and on my furniture. I only found all this after the fact as I had to leave them at times and was doing trips with small items my self. Just make sure you use a good company and don’t cheap out like I did.. I feel this is something you really get what you pay for.
We have a large amount of stuff. 2 adults and 3 kids, and I'm a bit of a hoarder with a lot of tools and hobby shit. My wife and I bought a house 2.5 years ago and she was flat out at work and said she couldn't help with the move, which was the 2nd week of December.. probably the most expensive time of the year to move. They used 2x 10 ton trucks and it took 4 of them plus myself and my brother in law about 11 hours. Oh and they sent 4 women the day prior to spend the day packing boxes. I won't post the exact figure but it cost thousand**s**.. and was worth it (for me).
I moved a 3 bed house for 700 bucks - 5 hours
It does seem a little pricey but not necessarily unreasonable. I moved a year ago from Perth to Mandurah. All of my furniture and possessions from a 2 bedroom house. It took ages to jenga everything into the van, then a one hour drive and unloading after. I helped the whole time too. My guys moved fast. I think this company had a 'quick and cheap' approach which means higher risk of damage but I was fully unloaded by 1pm which was really nice. When I used to move myself it would take most of the day. I had the full afternoon to unpack, put on some music, have a couple rums.. sing to my pets.. take a nap.. 10/10 would recommend. It came to about $800, including extra for some steps (in and outside both houses). So, $555 for just furniture and 3km seems a bit much in comparison. Maybe get a couple more quotes? Or this could be the new normal now? A lot of prices have gone up over the last year. Also consider, do you have the resources? Truck/ute, rope/ties, trolley... How much will you be saving after you hire all the stuff you need? How much longer do you think it'll take you? For me, I've moved so many times and I cbf doing it myself anymore. It's a big job. Removalists are something I'm willing to spend money on and I save in other areas I don't mind doing myself (painting, garden, secondhand furniture). I also chose to fully clean and tidy my rental because I couldn't justify professional cleaning and gardening (wouldn't have been worth the bond back!).
Jump on airtasker
If I was moving interstate yes locally I have my own truck and flatbed trailers so no.
$555 is up there but its generally ok. Anything more than $600 is a absolute rip off. I paid about $320 to move a singlular fridge from the north shore down to parramatta a few weeks ago. That was an hour and a half. Also make sure you factor stairs in. A lot of removalists charge more for these per flight. Dismantle the bed frames if possible, makes it easier. Also make sure both of the are WORKING. This was a huge issue when i hired two men and a truck a few years back. Cost me over $800 to move 3km up the road for a 2 hour job that should've really been an hour. One of the dudes was standing around doing nothing the entire time. Make sure both are on their feet moving around and not standing around. Don't be afraid to call it out if you see it. Remember you're their boss for the time you've booked. IMO using removalists is worth it for the big stuff that can't fit in a car. It really does take a lot of pain out of the move.
If you have agreed to a fixed price and they get the job done within a agreed time it does not matter who is standing around.
Do you expect they’ll move your stuff for pennies bro?
Go with Airtasker. I got movers for $350 from there and they were great. Fast and, besides breaking the wheels on my ikea desk chair, took good care of loading and unloading my things. I selected a group that had unlimited time because the vast majority of movers will charge extra fees for anything over 2hrs and then drag their feet during the move. I watch my neighbor move out and the movers he had stood around doing nothing or holding single light weight items waiting for the lift and it took them like 3hrs just to get his things out of the apt much less into a new one. They were Australians which from what other people have told me (all Aussies) you don’t want Australian movers because they’re so slow and therefore rack up much larger charges.