Moving from Sydney to Melbourne: a practical guide

Sydney to Melbourne is the most travelled interstate removal route in Australia. At 878 km, it is long enough to need proper planning and short enough that most households arrive within three days. Here is how our coordinators plan it.

Step one: choose a dedicated truck or a backload

A dedicated truck carries only your belongings. It is loaded in Sydney, driven by a two person team and delivered straight to your door, usually on day two or three. It costs more, but you get a fixed pickup date and a tight delivery window.

A backload shares space on a scheduled truck. You pay for the cubic metres you use, which usually saves 30 to 45 percent. Pickup falls within a window of a few days and delivery can take 5 to 10 days. Backloads suit apartments, students and anyone who can stay with friends for a week.

Step two: work out your volume

Interstate prices are based on volume, so the most useful thing you can do before requesting a quote is decide what is not coming. Melbourne apartments are often smaller than Sydney homes, and a bulky three-seater that fitted your Ryde living room might not fit a Fitzroy terrace.

• Measure large furniture and compare it with your new floor plan
• Sell or donate items that cost less to replace than to move
• Use our calculator or send a room-by-room inventory
• Ask for a video survey if your home is three bedrooms or larger

Step three: book access at both ends

In Sydney, check whether your street needs a council standing permit or whether your strata needs a lift booking. In Melbourne, the City of Melbourne, Yarra and Port Phillip councils all issue temporary parking permits for removal trucks, and some require a week or more of notice.

Book Melbourne lift times for the afternoon of day two with a backup morning on day three. Your coordinator will confirm which one to use once the truck is on the road.

Step four: pack for the road

Interstate loads spend longer on the road and pass through more temperature change than local moves. Use double-wall cartons, fill empty space in boxes so contents cannot shift, and keep liquids sealed in plastic tubs.

Anything you would be devastated to lose travels with you, not on the truck.

Keep passports, jewellery, medication, work laptops, pets and plants with you. Aerosols, gas bottles, paint and fuel cannot go on the truck at all.

Step five: moving week timeline

• Seven days out: confirm pickup date, finish packing non-essentials, redirect mail
• Three days out: defrost the freezer, drain washing machine hoses, confirm permits
• Moving day: walk the crew through, check the inventory list, keep the essentials box with you
• Delivery day: check each item off the inventory before signing, note any damage

What does it cost?

As a sample guide, a dedicated two bedroom Sydney to Melbourne move sits between $4,100 and $4,900, and a backload of the same home between $1,890 and $2,490. Your route page lists the full price guide by home size.

Moving interstate is a big change, but it does not need to be chaotic. With a clear inventory, booked access and one coordinator tracking the truck, the Hume becomes just a long drive.