What is a Removalist? Do You Need One?

There’s no doubt that moving house is a daunting task. The joy of a new home often comes with the headache of physically packing up and moving all of your belongings. It’s quite a mammoth task indeed.

Most of us are likely to have that one horror story, either from your own experience or one of a friend’s, where when moving house everything has gone wrong. From the packing, through to underestimating how much stuff you have and how long it takes to move. Or even things getting broken en route.

That’s where removalists come in. So what exactly is a removalist? Some might call them magicians, who handle getting all of your worldly possessions from A to B safely and unpacking them while they’re at it.

What is a removalist?

As well as rescuing you from the pain of packing and moving, removalists are professional movers who can look after everything from packing up your home, transporting all of your belongings and unpacking them in your new home.

How much does a removalist cost? 

Like any service, cost will vary depending on your needs, where you’re moving from and to and how much stuff you have.

Many removalists charge by the hour, whereas interstate removalists tend to charge by cubic metres or by the amount of items/boxes you have.

On average, you can expect the cost of moving to fall somewhere between $300 and $3,500.

“Quotes are likely to range from $75 to $300 an hour – and may or may not include insurance or packing materials – so you really need to clarify all this when you get a quote,” says Higpages.com.au.

“For around $250 an hour, you can include premium insurance to cover damage caused during packing and unpacking your belongings.”

Many removalists feature calculators on their websites, to help you add up the cost of your move. The final fee will depend on how many rooms are included and whether heavy or awkward items are included.

Higpages.com.au says you can expect to be charged in the region of:

• $110/hr for moving small items, using 2 movers and taking 2 – 3 hours
• $125/hr for a 1 bedroom apartment, using 2 movers and taking 3 – 5 hours
• $175/hr for a small 3 bedroom apartment, using 3 movers and taking 4 – 6 hours
• $245/hr for a large 3 bedroom home, using 4 movers and taking 6 – 8 hours
• $315/hr for large family home, 4+ bedrooms using 5 movers and taking 7 – 9 hours

How do I find a removalist?

Finding a good removalist that suits your needs can take time.

To make things easier, you can use a home moving service like connectnow who can provide you with free quotes for removalists, as well as cleaners. What’s more, they can also sort your electricity, gas, internet and pay TV connections in one simple phone call – all part of their free* service.

When it comes to booking your removalist, you’ll need to share the size of the move (e.g. a one-bedroom apartment, a four-bedroom house), any stairs or elevators involved, and any vital access information (i.e. no parking, a long driveway and so on).

If getting removalists, try and do your research. Photo: Getty Images/iStockphoto

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What should I ask the removalist?

Packing up and moving all of your possessions from one place to another is a mammoth task, and leaving the responsibility of all of your worldly belongings in the hands of someone else isn’t a decision you should take lightly.

Make sure you check their reputation, read reviews and ask questions – including does their service include insurance. 

Before booking a removalist, make sure you understand what the quote includes. Does it include packing and unpacking, insurance or pet transport? Does it encompass all the rooms in your home or will you need to pay more than what’s been quoted?

When it comes to insurance, it pays to know what it covers in case something does go wrong.

What can a removalist do?

Removalists tend to offer a variety of levels of service, from the basic and simple task of transporting your things from A to B through to a premium package where they handle everything from packing your house up to unpacking it at the other end. The common services, ranging from basic through to premium, tend to include:

1. Providing the appropriate size and amount of packing boxes, tape and so on

It might sound simple but getting the right supplies for the job makes moving much more seamless.

From the right number of boxes to the right size of boxes, removalists know what’s what, and this can be the difference between all of your belongings arriving safely or things being overstuffed and breaking en route.

2. Transporting your belongings to your new home

This is the most common task removalists are booked for – the transporting of your stuff to your new home. This usually includes the removalists entering your current home, loading the truck, driving to your new home and unloading your belongings.

3. Optional packing and unpacking service

If you want the removalists to take care of the packing and unpacking, you can book them to do that as well. This is a great idea if you have a lot of precious items as they are experts in how to safely pack things to ensure they arrive safely at your new place.

Packing and unpacking services include just that. The company will take care of packing up everything in your home and unpacking things and putting them away in your new home.

4. Optional cleaning services

Some removalists even offer cleaning services, so as you move out of one place they can clean it behind you and also clean the new place before you move in. This is something you can expect from the more premium removalist services.

5. Storing your items if needed

Oftentimes people have to move out of their current place before their new place is ready to move into. If this is the case for you, enquire with your removalist about storage options. Many, especially those who offer interstate moving, have services where they can store your items if need be.

6. Insurance for your belongings while in transit

Now this is an option you are going to want to make sure you ask about and check that it’s included in your booking.

Insurance is a good way to protect yourself from lost or damaged items in transit. If you are transporting a lot of valuable items – or simply items that have a lot of sentimental value – it pays to make sure the removalist company has adequate insurance.

*While connectnow’s services are free to you, standard service provider connection fees and charges may still apply.

Before you move: Connect your gas and electricity online