Moving Interstate in Australia

Australians are always on the move, and whether it be for work or pleasure, interstate moves are a common occurrence in everyday life down under.

For anyone who’s moved house before, the moving process is known to be tricky and full of its own challenges, and on top of that, you add the interstate challenges into the fold.

It’s quite the dilemma, but thankfully we love helping Aussies get out of their binds with a little bit of help. So, whether you’re moving from Sydney to Brisbane or Melbourne to Adelaide, here’s how you can move homes interstate with ease.

Preparing The Move

Before setting the task of interstate travel, it’s best to settle the regular moving issues first. To put it down to basics, moving house is all about getting items from A to B, the former being your current living area, and the latter your new home. 

However, there are nagging little things that should be sorted out before preparing that first cardboard box full of valuables for the move.

For instance, informing whom you’ll have to notify of your change of address is an aspect of moving that is often forgotten even amongst the most experienced movers (it’ll make your life with Australia Post a lot easier later).

Renters will also need to sort out potentially receiving their bonds back from their condition report, as well as prepare a clean-out of the current rental before worrying about how they’ll decorate the new house.

For further details on how to tackle these moving house tasks, see our posts on the topics here:

• Preparing an End-of-lease Cleaning Checklist
• Condition Report – Everything you need to know
• Change of Address Checklist – Who needs to know when moving house?

Mode of Transport

Now comes the portion of interstate travel that causes the most stress, how you’ll get from point A to point B.

There are three main choices regarding the mode of transport you’ll take to move interstate. These choices are typically between air travel, road, and rail.

Moving interstate by road is the most common method, as it proves to be one of the more convenient and more affordable options. Travelling by road allows you to move more items than you would by air, especially if you’re hiring the services of a removalist company. 

Interstate removalists allow the chance to make the trip in one go and prevent backloading so you can start unpacking quicker once the big move is done. These interstate removals will also provide packing boxes and packing materials on top of the moving service, so it may not be a bad idea to go the removal company route.

Travel by air is considered the most expensive way to move, but also the quickest. Air travel is perfect for those with cash left over and can be planned well in advice with flight times, so for those in need of fast travel over long distances, a plane might be the ticket. 

Another benefit of air travel is you can move Australia-wide through this method, saving you the trouble of going city-to-city to get to the new location. However, be cautious of any lost luggage and consider investing in some transit insurance.

Finally, travel by rail may seem unconventional, but the travel method proves to be quite useful. Rail travel will typically include shipping containers that will hold your furniture and appliances, travelling from city to city interstate via freight trains.

Ultimately, the choice depends on the affordability of moving costs, where your new address is and where you’re currently residing. For instance, it will prove rather difficult to travel by car if you’re moving from Canberra to Darwin or Perth.

Packing For Travel

Now it’s time to bust out the bubble wrap and moving boxes and start packing your life one box at a time.

A great way to start is by determining what should be taken to the new home across Australia and what isn’t worth the hassle.

Consider asking yourself, when was the last time you used this item? Will you ever use the item again? Am I holding onto it purely for nostalgic reasons? Tough questions will need to be asked as you look to declutter your home and make the big move easier while also being able to save money.

Another incredibly useful tip when packing is to prepare a moving checklist detailing the upcoming weeks of packing, being sure to not leave the packing until the last minute.

This checklist should encompass all aspects of packing and moving as a whole, which we’ve already got you started on with our great Moving Checklist below, as well as some packing tips to get more in-depth with your fragile items and packing materials:

• MyConnect Moving Checklist (with downloadable PDF)
• How To: Pack your Life into a Cardboard Box
• Decluttering your Home Before a Move

Utility Connection

Once you’ve decided on how you’ll tackle the move interstate and are all packed and ready to go, don’t forget that you’ll need to get all your utilities connected for your new home! Luckily, we know a thing or two about utilities.

At MyConnect, we’re a team of Aussies who will look after your connection needs… and the best bit about our service is that it’s free!

Here are three other ways we can make your life easier:

• We save you time and bring peace of mind – all your utilities are connected in 1 call.
• We have the best service providers – so you’ll only select from Australia’s #1 service providers.
• We’re a 100% Australian-based service – we’ll lay out the plans available, and who you choose is your call.

Connecting electricity is a big hassle on your own, so let’s help make the process stress-free and take the hard work off your shoulders. If you’re still unconvinced, we have over 1800+ Google reviews from happy customers who were in your position in need of excellent service, so get connected today!

All residents from Victoria, Queensland (QLD), NSW, and South Australia can get connected today.

If you need help getting your utilities connected sorted, please call MyConnect on 1300 854 478 or use the Get Connected form here! If you’re unsure about using a utility connection company, this post here can assist you.