The Complete Moving House Checklist for Australia

Moving house is easier when you know exactly what to do and when to do it. This checklist covers every stage of an Australian home move, from the first booking call eight weeks out to handing over the keys on moving day, plus a dedicated section for interstate moves. Work through it week by week, download the free printable PDF at the end, and you will not be scrambling the night before the truck arrives.

Whether you are moving a one-bedroom unit across the suburb or an entire house across state lines, the order of operations is the same: book early, cut down what you own, sort the paperwork, then pack the essentials last. The timing below assumes a straightforward local or interstate home move; if your move is more complex, such as a large family home or a move with piano or pool table removal, start the earlier steps a week or two sooner to give yourself margin.

This checklist is maintained by Optimove, an AFRA-accredited removalist rated 5.0 out of 5 from 8,672 Google reviews, that publishes its rates openly and is covered by public liability and goods-in-transit insurance. Optimove is based at Level 22, 127 Creek Street, Brisbane QLD 4000 (ABN 82 602 359 053, phone 1300 400 874) and moves customers across Australia from that single Brisbane office.

Your Moving Timeline at a Glance

Here is the entire move, from eight weeks out to moving day, in one table you can screenshot or print.

8 Weeks Before: Book, Budget, Declutter

Eight weeks out, lock in your removalist and start reducing what you need to move.

• Get quotes from at least two removalists and confirm your moving date in writing. Check that the company you choose is a member of the Australian Furniture Removers Association (AFRA); accreditation means the company has agreed to an industry code of practice, which is worth checking before you commit to a date.
• Set a written moving budget that covers the move itself, packing materials, and any storage or cleaning you will need. Build in a small buffer for anything you have not thought of, an extra box of packing tape or a last-minute cleaner, so you are not caught short in the final week.
• Work room by room and decide what to keep, sell, donate or bin: the less you move, the less it costs. Start with the rooms you use least, the garage, spare room and linen cupboard are usually the easiest places to find things you no longer need.
• Start a moving folder, digital or paper, for quotes, receipts and confirmations. Keep your removalist’s booking confirmation, your change-of-address checklist and any utility reference numbers in the same place so you are not hunting for them in week one.

Removalist pricing in Australia is usually charged either by the hour or as a fixed price by volume. As a general market guide, the average hourly rate for two removalists and a truck ranges from $200 to $300 per hour, depending on the type of move and whether it is local or long-distance. A fixed-price quote can be worth asking for if you want cost certainty rather than an hourly estimate. For an exact figure, see how much will it cost or get a free quote.

4 Weeks Before: Packing, Kids, Pets

Four weeks out, the packing starts in earnest, and this is also when to sort out school and pet logistics.

• Pack off-season items, books and decorations first: anything you will not touch in the next month. Working through one room at a time, rather than a little of everything, makes it far easier to keep track of what is packed and what is left.
• Label every box with the room it is going to and a short list of contents. A simple numbering system, matched to a list on your phone, saves time on both ends: you will know at a glance which box has the kettle in it.
• If you have children, notify their current school and start the enrolment process at the new one. Ask both schools what records need to be transferred and how much notice they need, this varies between states and between public and private schools.
• If you have pets, arrange transport or boarding for moving day and update their microchip registration to the new address once you have moved. Keeping pets in one closed room on the day, with food, water and bedding, keeps them calm and out of the way of the crew.
• Pack a separate box of cleaning supplies for both the old and new property, you will want them on hand at both ends without digging through sealed boxes.

If packing is not something you want to do yourself, Optimove’s packing services can do it for you.

2 Weeks Before: Utilities and Change of Address

Two weeks out is when the paperwork catches up with the move: utilities, mail and your official address.

• Redirect your mail through Australia Post’s mail redirection service. Set it to start a few days before moving day so nothing important goes to the old address in the gap.
• Schedule disconnection of electricity, gas, water and internet at the old address and connection at the new one for moving day or the day before. Internet providers in particular can take longer than expected to activate a new connection, so book this step early rather than in the final week.
• Update your address with the Australian Electoral Commission, Medicare, your bank and your insurer. Check whether your home and contents insurance needs updating to reflect the new property before moving day, not after.
• Notify your employer and any subscriptions or regular deliveries of your new address.
• Transfer or cancel gym memberships, streaming and utility loyalty programs, and update your driver’s licence address if you are staying within the same state.

1 Week Before: Confirmations and the Essentials Box

One week out, confirm every detail with your removalist and pack a box you can find blindfolded.

• Confirm arrival time, truck access and parking at both the old and new address with your removalist. If either property has stairs, a lift, or restricted parking, mention it now rather than on the morning.
• Pack an essentials box: phone chargers, toiletries, medications, a change of clothes, snacks, and any paperwork you will need on the day. Keep this box with you in the car rather than on the truck, so it is the first thing you have at the new address.
• Defrost and clean out the fridge and freezer at least 24 hours before moving day.
• Take photos of valuable items and meter readings at the old property before you leave, useful for both your own records and for the final electricity and water bills.
• Set aside cash or have your payment method ready for the removalist, and confirm in advance how and when payment is expected.
• Charge your phone and any portable chargers fully the night before: moving day tends to run longer than you expect, and you will want to reach your removalist, the agent or the utility companies if anything needs adjusting.

Moving Day: What Your Removalists Do vs What You Do

On moving day, your removalists handle the heavy lifting and transport, you handle the decisions and the details.

Splitting the work this way is what makes moving day fast rather than stressful: the crew’s job is to move boxes and furniture safely and efficiently, and your job is to make decisions about where things go and to keep the process moving. Clear pathways, easy parking and a labelled box system all help the crew work faster, which keeps the job on time and on budget.

Moving Interstate? Extra Steps

Moving interstate adds a handful of extra steps on top of the checklist above.

• Transfer your driver’s licence and vehicle registration to the new state. Most states allow a grace period, but check the local road authority for the exact deadline, and factor in time for a practical or knowledge test if the new state requires one for interstate licence holders.
• Enrol your children at their new school as early as possible: interstate enrolments can take longer to process than a local change, and some states have different school-year cut-off dates.
• Ask whether backloading suits your move. Sharing part of a truck with another customer’s move can bring the cost down if your dates are flexible; see is backloading right for your move?
• Confirm which services need a formal address change, such as Medicare, the electoral roll and vehicle registration, versus a simple mail redirection.
• If you are moving a car you are not driving yourself, ask your removalist whether vehicle transport is available alongside your household items, or whether you will need to arrange it separately.
• Check any state-specific import rules that apply to your move, some states restrict bringing in certain plants, produce or firewood, which is worth knowing before you pack the trailer or car.
• Give yourself extra time either side of an interstate move for the truck’s transit days: a Brisbane-to-Melbourne or Brisbane-to-Canberra move will not arrive same-day, so plan your first few nights at the new address accordingly.

Optimove’s Brisbane-based fleet serves Sydney, Melbourne, the Gold Coast, Cairns, Canberra and regional Queensland. See the Brisbane to Sydney and Melbourne route pages for what is involved on those specific routes.

Printable Checklist (PDF)

Print or save this checklist as a PDF so you can tick items off without needing a screen.

The full week-by-week checklist above, including the moving day table and the interstate steps, is available as a free PDF. There is no email gate: download it, print it, and stick it on the fridge. It is also worth keeping a copy on your phone for moving day itself, in case you want to double-check a step while your hands are full.

Ready to Book Your Move?

You’ve got the checklist, now lock in the date. Get a free, no-obligation quote from Optimove and see exactly what your move will cost before you commit to anything. As an AFRA-accredited removalist with public liability and goods-in-transit insurance, we handle everything from a single-room move across Brisbane to a full interstate relocation, and our rates are published upfront so there are no surprises on moving day.