Moving Furniture Interstate – A Comprehensive Guide

When moving interstate in Australia, among your foremost concerns would probably be figuring out the best way to move from one state to another – safe pet transport, interstate vehicle transport and all. You’ll also be mulling over moving furniture interstate safely during your long-distance relocation.

How to move interstate without a hitch? While there are dedicated pet and car relocation services you could use, you still might want to know the best way to move cross country with all your furniture. After all, you wouldn’t want your custom furniture to get damaged along the way. There are also pieces you value greatly, not because they’re expensive but because they’re considered family heirlooms.

So, if you need help moving furniture interstate, this comprehensive guide should provide you with enough ideas to ensure a smooth process of moving from Perth to Sydney, or elsewhere in the country.

How to Move Furniture to Another State

Knowing how to move furniture to another state safely and efficiently beforehand is crucial, as it can get expensive or become a hassle when you’re pressed for time. Therefore, plan for it accordingly and make sure you include it on your moving checklist.

Try to cover all the bases and be as detailed as possible – just like on your change of address checklist.

If selling some or all your furniture is out of the question, then consider the following steps to prepare your furniture for an interstate move:

1. Take an inventory of your furniture.

Make a list of all the items you have to prepare. By getting these details together, you’ll be able to calculate how much time you need to disassemble furniture and which ones you can prepare ahead of your move. For example, you can take apart most of your home office furniture before your moving date, but you’ll probably need to leave the beds for later.

2. Get your packing supplies together.

Aside from cartons or cardboard boxes, packing tape and bubble wrap, make sure you have other furniture moving supplies with you, including moving blankets, plastic stretch wrap, furniture pads, sofa and mattress covers, and corrugated cardboard sheets. You can purchase these online or at a local hardware store, or you could also check with your removalists.

3. Take measurements of passageways.

Before you begin dismantling furniture, you need to find out first which items can be moved intact through doorways, hallways, lifts or down the stairwells. If there are furniture pieces you can move without the need for disassembly, then you can save yourself some valuable time.

However, there might also be large pieces like couches or sofas that are too bulky and cannot be dismantled, so you may need to remove doors before being able to transport them. In the meantime, you might also want to remove the table legs of your dining table to minimise the risk of them getting broken during your move.

4. Have the required tools and equipment on hand.

After taking stock of the items that have to be dismantled before your move, you should look into getting the tools and equipment you need to facilitate disassembly.

You’ll need tools to remove legs, doors, frames and tabletops. Also, keep several large resealable bags and a permanent marker on hand. You’ll need these to put any small parts like handles and screws safely together and to have them properly labelled. You can use furniture blankets to protect fragile, breakable or valuable items. Just wrap them carefully and seal with a few rounds of packing tape, and then label accordingly.

During your move, you can rent a dolly with straps for moving heavier pieces. Of course, if you’re working with trusted interstate removalists in Perth, they’ll have the right equipment to move your furniture safely and easily.

5. Start disassembling your furniture.

Now, it’s time to prepare the furniture pieces you have to disassemble. Furniture dismantling can be time-consuming, so make sure you do it early in the day or while you’re feeling energetic.

Below is a list of furniture pieces that you should consider disassembling:

• Tops and legs of all tables
• Knobs, handles and other removable parts from drawers, desks and dressers
• Cushions and legs of couches and chairs
• Bedframes, including the footboard and headboard
• Large bookshelves

To prevent the loss of smaller pieces or parts, put these inside resealable bags and label accordingly. Then tape each bag to the underside of the furniture piece it belongs. Avoid using tape in sections or on wooden furniture that can get damaged when you remove the tape. Also, if assembly instructions or manuals are still intact, include these with the furniture.

Also, dedicate time to properly wrapping each piece. Use bubble wrap to protect delicate items, like glass tabletops, lamps and ceramics. Use plastic wrap to protect upholstered pieces, such as sofas and mattresses. For wooden furniture, place moving blankets or furniture pads before the plastic wrap layer so the latter doesn’t come into direct contact with the wood.

6. Clear passageways.

A few days prior to moving day, make sure all doorways and entryways are clear and free from all clutter. If an internal door needs to be detached for the move, it would be better to work on getting that out of the way the day before the move.

During moving day, prop the doors wide open and use a door stopper to keep them open. Doing so will make it easier to move your furniture and prevent it from hitting any items and getting damaged.

Removalists can also take care of this on moving day. They will also have the right equipment to move your furniture safely and properly.

Interstate Furniture Moving Options

Determining the best way to ship belongings across the country depends on your budget and how much of your possessions you need to transport. There are different interstate moving options you can choose from:

• Moving interstate by air: Relocating by air is the fastest method of moving interstate – which is also why it’s the most expensive. If you need to move as soon as possible because of a job or offer, act quickly to get the best flight schedules and prices.
• Moving interstate by road: If you have the luxury of time and plan your move as early as possible, moving interstate by road could easily be the most affordable, simple and easy way of relocating elsewhere. If you have only a few possessions, you can use your own vehicles for your move. Of course, you can also hire the best cross state movers in Perth to help you relocate your belongings.
• Moving interstate by rail: A less popular though viable option is moving by rail. You can hire high-cube shipping containers to transport all your possessions – including your furniture. In fact, one container can easily accommodate the contents of a small house or two-bedroom apartment. Containers are transported via freight train and are supported by trucking services on both ends of the process.

Moving Heavy Furniture Interstate – What to Consider

If you have large, bulky or big-ticket pieces, transporting belongings interstate can become more challenging. However, there are specialist removalists of pianos, spas and other big items you can always talk to. You can also check with the removalist you are considering, as they might also have experience transporting belongings interstate that include big-ticket items.

With their professional input, it’ll be easier for you to weigh your options and see whether it would be a wiser move to sell those items and just buy new ones in your new place.

Other Optional Interstate Moving Services

Aside from interstate furniture removals, most removalists also offer other optional interstate moving services. These include:

• Storage: This provides you with a convenient long- and short-term storage to keep your belongings secure until you’re ready to get your things back.
  • Learn about storage cost and prices in Australia

• Packing: Get the professional assistance you need in preparing and packing your things in time for your impending move.
• Car Transport: This facilitates the secure and organised transport of your car, motorbike, trailer, boat or any other vehicle to your destination.
• Pet Transport: Ensure the safety and comfort of your fur baby through a seamless pet transport facility.
• Transit Insurance: Ensure your belongings get the cover they need with transit insurance whether you’re moving by land, sea or air.
• Cleaning: Accomplish a very important condition on your bond clean checklist by hiring professional cleaning services delivered by your chosen removalist.

Costs for Moving Furniture Interstate

The costs of moving interstate vary greatly, as there are several factors you’ll have to consider in your calculations:

• What is the distance between the place of origin and your destination?
• The number of contents – are you moving possessions from a one, two or three-bedroom home?
• Will you be doing the packing yourself? Do you plan to DIY most moving tasks, or will you require additional services, such as car or pet transport?
• Are you planning to move by air, rail or road?

These are some of the most important considerations you need to make when budgeting for an interstate move. Depending on your situation and the services required, a good starting budget would be $3,500. Make sure you give yourself an allowance to accommodate unforeseen miscellaneous expenses. And don’t forget to include the travelling costs for yourself and your family.

➜ For accurate moving interstate costing, get a removal quote now.

Cheapest Way to Move Interstate

‘What’s the cheapest way to move interstate?’ you might ask.

Aside from hiring affordable long-distance movers, there are things you can do to save on your interstate move:

• Sell your old stuff and then buy replacement items at your destination. However, this may not be applicable to people who own cherished family heirlooms or valuable, one-of-a-kind items.
• Hire and drive a truck yourself. One downside of this arrangement is that you’ll have to take care of loading and unloading your possessions.
• Opt for backloading, where your things are loaded onto a truck that’s returning to a location that also happens to be your destination. This arrangement is perfect for smaller moves. You should also keep in mind that you could share the truck space with someone else, plus you need to be flexible and consider the schedule of the truck.
• Rent a trailer if your vehicle is equipped to pull one. However, prepare yourself for the long drive and fuel costs.
• Borrow a truck or trailer from a friend or relative to save on hire fees. But again, doing this comes with certain responsibilities. Make sure to return it with a full tank, and remember you owe a favour.

A word of caution – taking the DIY route can be a costly undertaking, as you may need to take a leave of absence from work. You also have to prepare for possible miscellaneous expenses, such as restaurant meals and hotel stays, as you’ll be travelling alone and will need to rest in between.

But when it comes to cheap movers who promise a lot of free services, it’s best to take such claims with a grain of salt, as they tend to overpromise and underdeliver.

The better alternative would be to entrust some or all of your moving needs to the professionals – interstate removalists who have an enviable track record of service.

Final Tips on Moving Interstate

So far, we’ve been able to share lots of tips on moving interstate, including preparing furniture for an impending move. Of course, we all know that planning is key in any house move, whether concerns local, interstate or international removals. And to minimise the stress of relocation, implement these additional tips:

• Check out your new home prior to relocating.
• Set up utilities in your new place.
• Come up with a realistic moving budget.
• Declutter and give stuff away if you can.
• Conduct a background check on your prospective removalist.
• Create a packing checklist.
• Inform everyone of your change of address, including your bank, insurer, etc.
• Obtain a new driver’s licence in your new place.

You can also talk to our highly recommended interstate removal experts at Relocations WA to iron out the details of your interstate move. Get in touch today!