herrchook

There's a distinct possibility that we may be moving to Sydney due to work commitments. I love living here in Melbourne, and yes, I know I'll love living in Sydney too but having already uprooted my girls once, the thought of doing it all again is just filling me with dread.

Anyway, that's for us to work I guess. However, I know there's a few of you on here who've made an interstate move. How was it? Any hints or tips? Can anyone recommend a good removalist for interstate work? We have a quote from Grace but believe it or not, it's about the same it cost to get our stuff shipped here from the UK!

LINZI

Hi Herrchook

I don’t know if i will be much help but we moved from Queensland to New South Wales with my husbands company we didn’t pay for the removal of our things but cost wise Grace removals was the best but it was the insurance that bumped it up quite high but out of a few quotes we got they seemed the best and more professional.
My Daughter was 12 when we moved down here and she has just started high school in January so im not sure on your children’s age but she has settled in well and made friends she has done really well
Forgot to add the move went really well no problems, once you have done the big move from the uk it seems to be alot easier to move around!

Good Luck in what you decide

Gems

Sorry no real help with the move.

Just wanted to say, Ive moved my kids around a fair bit.
We came via another country before settling in Australia.

Kids usually do better than you think with move. I also found once they had done one big move it seamed easier for them to do it again.
My kids were toddler to older teens.

Dont stress too much regarding the kids they may be fine.

J

Dreamy

We moved from Qld to NSW at the end of last year. It was a company move and we had to get quotes from their two preferred removalists - Grace and Kent.

Kent were cheaper on the actual quote, but their insurance bumped them up to around the same as Grace, so we were allowed to use whichever one had impressed us the most - we went with Kent (the bloke from Grace just didn't seem very interested, which was a bizarre attitude I felt) - they were excellent, both pre-move, during the move, and post-move.

It was very expensive - but as we didn't have to pay it, we weren't overly bothered

Like you, we were worried about the move as we'd settled in so well in Qld. I was more worried than when we'd emigrated in the first place! Eldest two were just finishing Year 12 so they were quite simple. Youngest was due to start Year 11 (well, he would have in Qld, but he's doing Year 10 again in NSW because of their different age groups) and moaned like buggery about having to start his 3rd High School. But he's settled in really well, as have we all, and we love it immensely in the mountains.

Good luck with it!

ABCDiamond

We did the Sydney to Brisbane move in 2002, and the road removal is about the same as shipping from UK to Australia.

Look for a backhaul, and you may get the rates down a bit. We did that with a QLD removalist, and got a small discount.

We moved when our child was 6, so from year 2 to year 2, wasn't really a problem.

I think the worst age to move them would be about age 11 or 12, but that is from personal experience, from Manchester to London.

Keith&Lol

We moved from NSW to Adelaide, but we were lucky as the family that were moving into our house the hubby drove the removalist truck for us as he used to do it for a living, the rental of the truck was $2.200 and he drove it to Adelaide and back to NSW for 2 free weeks rent. But the original quote came in at $4,250 with pickfords and that was with backloading....

mark213

About the same from Perth to BNE. Work paid for it though which was lucky. Included 2 cars and cats.

Pain doing it but thats for work. We will probably go back sometime, but expect it will be on our dollar so hiring a truck looks like the option.

herrchook

What's backloading and backhaul?

ABCDiamond

That's were a removal company does a job say from Brisbane to Sydney, and may return empty to Brisbane.

If they can get a job from Sydney back up to Brisbane, it increases their income for the total trip. They will often reduce the cost due to fuel costs etc already covered by the first job.

siamsusie

We moved from Karrtha WA-Perth-Tasmania. Company paid for us but cant praise Crown Removals Perth enough. Very professionally carried out, would definately use them again

Susie

Gems

Ive also read on Aus parenting forums. Some of the Aussies get a shipping container dropped off at the house and you pack it yourself.
Then they come and collect it on agreed day and drop it off at new address.
Again you unpack the container.
This is supposed to a much cheaper option. Must work as I regularly see containers outside peoples houses on my estate.

Maybe worth googling this way of moving.

Gems

discobay

I moved from Brisbane to Perth last year and chose Kent. I also got quotes from Grace and Wridgways. Kent did a price match as they were last to come around. The guy seemed to be the friendliest but after I had paid he stopped returning my calls and emails. When the container arrived in Perth no one rang me - I rang them. Apart from being the cheapest they did get me cheap car transportation quotes. Their prices were better than any I could find myself. I still had to deal with the transportation company myself but I saved some money.

Yes interstate transportation costs are high and that is probably due to higher fuel and labour costs.

It's a difficult decision and though it is great that you think of your children's feelings at the end of the day your move is for the family as a whole (or do you find the weather Melbourne s**ks too?).

ABCDiamond

I recall looking into this in 2002, and it was cheaper, but the container would have gone by sea from Sydney to Brisbane.