Interstate removals

[Diddy]

Hey guys, I'm currently ivestigating costs for moving from the mid north to the Sunshine Coast and am getting some big numbers ($4,000 - $5,000) for removals from some of the bigger companies, even though we don't have that much stuff.

Does anyone have some tips on what can be done/who to talk to, to make things a bit cheaper?

[gadj1976]

Hire a 2 tonne truck from Budget or similar. It's about 120 bucks a day, which you can drive yourself. I know it's a long trip, but it will depend on how much money you want to save vs inconvenience of driving yourself.

They'll slug you for 'drop off' but it will still be shizenloads cheaper than someone else moving your stuff.

[Footy Chick]

Removalist companies charge the earth.

They wanted to charge me $350 to move one airconditioner from Ballarat to Adelaide!

[smac]

Sell it all and buy new stuff when you get there. Certainly won't cost any more and save a lot of hassle packing/unpacking.

[Mr Beefy]

Hire a 2 tonne truck from Budget or similar. It's about 120 bucks a day, which you can drive yourself. I know it's a long trip, but it will depend on how much money you want to save vs inconvenience of driving yourself.

They'll slug you for 'drop off' but it will still be shizenloads cheaper than someone else moving your stuff.

I think they will also charge you a rate per km.

[Psyber]

Sell it all and buy new stuff when you get there. Certainly won't cost any more and save a lot of hassle packing/unpacking.

I'm beginning to think I should have done that.
It cost me about $6500 to move everything from the Dandenong Ranges outside Melbourne to the Adelaide Hills, and that was doing all the packing of small items myself.
Increasingly I'm finding as my lifestyle changes I need different large items anyway, but it was a bit hard soon after my wife's death to part with things she'd loved.
I'm glad I decided to, and managed to, sell her grand piano in Melbourne before the move though - I knew I'd have trouble finding a house to accommodate it.

Basic tip - if you use a removal firm take out full insurance with no excess - something will be damaged.
The quotes for my claim list total over over $3000 already in scuffed furniture and the frames of artworks - all the "professionally" packed stuff.

[Booney]

My mother-in-law ( ) has moved to Cairns and back in the last few years. They found that hiring a 20ft container and packing it themselves then trucking it to the other end and then unpacking it themselves has been the cheapest way.

Look into this?

[Diddy]

Not yet Booney, thanks for that.

The hiring a truck option worked out to be $3800, or about $1600 if I can get it driven back to Adelaide.

[Iron Fist]

could you not drive up, un pack and drive home then fly back??
take an extra week but, 3 days at $120 and a $400 flight, still saving another few hundred!