One of the most commonly asked questions we receive on a daily basis is the question “how much will my move cost? Whilst the cost of a move varies depending on a large range of factors, we thought we would put together some information for you to help give you an estimate of the cost of your move when moving within Sydney.

The cost of moving in Sydney, i.e. the cost of using a removalist in Sydney depends on a number of factors including but not limited to:

• the size of your property and how much furniture you have. Obviously a large house is going to take longer to pack up, transport and unpack than a small apartment. In terms of furniture, some properties are sparsely furnished and some are full. If you are living in a 4 bedroom house but only 2 of the bedrooms have furniture in them, let us know when requesting a quote. The same goes the other way round, if you are living in a 2 bedroom apartment but all the rooms are packed with furniture and you also have items in the garage, let us know when requesting a quote. This will help Hire A Mover allocate the right number of movers to your job and also the right truck size. The information upfront we have about your specific circumstances, the better prepared we can be on the day.

• if all your goods are packed and ready to go. Often our removalists will turn up to a property in Sydney and the customers are not fully prepared for the move. By being fully prepared, we mean having everything packed in boxes with the boxes labelled for which room they belong in. Also having all furniture disassembled will save the removalists having to do this when they arrive. The more loose items you have that have not been packed into boxes, the more time it will take to load these into the truck as it will involve more trips between your property and the truck. Also loose items are a lot harder to stack in the removal truck than moving boxes.

• the distance between your two properties. Obviously the closer your two properties are, the quicker the drive will be for the removalists. It is important to remember that removal trucks need to drive slower on the roads and trips take longer than a car. Traffic is another factor to take into account, depending on when your move starts and how long it takes to pack, it is best to try and avoid peak hour traffic. Our Sydney moving teams generally start at 8am which means by the time they have packed up your property and are ready to hit the road after the peak hour has finished.

• parking for the truck at both properties. If you have parking out the front of your property or there is a loading dock where the truck can park, it is important to let the movers know before they arrive. Parking is difficult in most areas of Sydney and if you can reserve a parking spot for the truck at your properties, that is going to save the guys a lot of time. The longer the distance between the truck and your property, the longer the walk for the movers. Remember that on a typical move, the movers may do anywhere between 30 and 100 trips between the property and the truck, you can save hours by having the truck parked close to your property. If there is street parking, some customers will put out orange safety cones to keep the spots free until the truck arrives. If you have a loading dock underneath your building, you should check that the clearance is at least 3.2 metres as this is the minimum clearance a Sydney removal truck will require. Larger trucks may require up to 3.7 metres in clearance.

• whether there are lifts or stairs at your properties. If you have a lift, the movers have to double handle all your goods. The reason for this is that they need to move it to the lift, load it into the lift, and then unload it from the lift and then onto the truck. So instead of picking it up once, they have to now pick it up three times. Same goes for the unload. If the lift is small, it will limit how much furniture can fit into each trip. Also if you are up on a high level or the lift is slow, it can easily add a couple of hours onto the loading/unloading time.  If you do have a lift at either of your properties, it may be best to request an additional removalist to come on the day as this will help reduce the move time and will end up saving you money overall. The same applies if you have stairs at your property, if you have stairs at either property, especially when it is more than one set, we recommend requesting an additional man to come on the day to help speed the move up. You should also understand that if you have 3 or 4 sets of stairs, the movers can slow down over the course of a day as they begin to tire.

Taking into account the above factors and any issues that may arise on the day, we are still able to provide you with some estimated moving times based on typical properties. Please note any of the above factors will increase the times we have listed below. These estimates are averages based on the move times of moves we have undertaken over the past few years in Sydney.

How long will an average move in Sydney take?

Generally, it takes 1 hour to load 10 cubic metres and 1 hour to unload 10 cubic metres.

A typical studio/1 bedroom unit takes between 2-4 hours.

A typical 2 bedroom apartment/house takes between 4-6 hours.

A typical 3 bedroom apartment/ house takes between 5-8 hours.

A typical 4 bedroom house takes between 7-10 hours.

Your move may indeed be quicker than the above mentioned times. If access is really good, everything is packed and ready to go, and you are only moving down the road then your move may be quicker. Please note with Hire A Mover there is a 2 hour minimum on every move so even if you were just moving one piece of furniture, you would still pay the 2 hour minimum plus whatever travel fee you were quoted. From our years of moving people,  even to this day we find it difficult to give people a close estimate of how long their move will take. We have been shocked to witness some 2 bedroom apartments taking 11 hours, and some 4 bedroom houses taking 4 hours. As mentioned above, every property is different and every move is unique. Rest assured our movers will work as quickly and as professionally as possible, keeping in mind our goal is to take care of your goods to avoid damage or injury.

Based on the above average moving times, see below for the costs based on our recommend number of removalist and trucks.

How much will a Sydney removalist cost for an average move?

The below pricing has been based on Hire A Movers normally hourly rates which are $180 an hour including GST for 2 men and a truck. The rate for 3 men and a truck is $240 an hour. If you are moving within 30km of the Sydney CBD, there is normally a once-off travel fee of $90 for a 2 man job and $120 for a 3 man job. These stated prices include GST.

A typical studio/1 bedroom unit that takes between 2-4 hours with 2 movers and a truck would cost between $450 and $810.  This includes a $90 call out/travel charge assuming you are moving within the local metro area.

A typical 2 bedroom apartment/house that takes between 4-6 hours with 2 movers and a truck would cost between $810 and $1170. This includes a $90 call out/travel charge assuming you are moving within the local metro area.

A typical 3 bedroom apartment/house that takes between 5-8 hours with 3 movers and a truck would cost between $1320 and $2040. This includes an $120 call out/travel charge assuming you are moving within the local metro area.

A typical 4 bedroom house that takes between 7-10 hours with 3 movers and a truck would cost between $1800 and $2520. This includes an $120 call out/travel charge assuming you are moving within the local metro area.

Are these costs cheap or expensive or average in Sydney?

You will always be able to find lower hourly rates, as well as higher hourly rates. This does not mean that the overall cost of your move will be cheaper. It is important to remember that inexperienced movers will take significantly longer to move your goods than professional movers will. One reason for this is the experience required to load a truck properly – to ensure no damage during transit. Inexperienced movers are also more likely to damage your furniture so it is important to assess this risk and take this potential cost into consideration when choosing a Sydney removalist based on price alone. We are also fully insured with both Goods in Transit insurance and Public Liability insurance (PLI), which gives you extra piece of mind in the rare event there is any damage.

We always recommend looking at reviews on Facebook and Google. Every removalist company will have some negative reviews, that’s just the nature of the industry, however it is important to look at the overall majority of the reviews. Also it is important to question a company with only 5 star reviews, to ensure the reviews are legitimate.

Are you moving shortly? We would love to help, please fill out our online quote form here or give us a call on 1300 358 700!