Moving from Sydney to Melbourne: Costs, Tips and Complete Guide

Table of Contents

• Sydney to Melbourne Move: Quick Answers
• How Much Does It Cost to Move From Sydney to Melbourne?
• Two Ways to Move: Shared Truck or Your Own Truck
• 1. Backloading (sharing a truck)
• 2. Dedicated Truck (your own truck)
• How To Choose
• What Makes Your Price Go Up or Down?
• Extra Costs To Plan For
• The Trip: Driving Times and Delivery
• Driving From Sydney to Melbourne
• When Will Your Things Arrive?
• Insurance and Your Rights
• How To Choose Removalists From Sydney to Melbourne
• Your Sydney to Melbourne Moving Plan
• After You Arrive In Melbourne
• How Moving Champs Can Help
• Final Thoughts
• Frequently Asked Questions
• How much does it cost to move from Sydney to Melbourne?
• How far is Sydney to Melbourne by road?
• How long will my furniture take to arrive?
• Is a shared truck cheaper than my own truck?
• Are my things insured during the move?
• How early should I book?
• Can I move just a few items from Sydney to Melbourne?
• Do I need a Victorian driver licence?

Moving from Sydney to Melbourne is a big step. The two cities are about 880 km apart by road. Most people drive down the Hume Highway, which is the main inland road between them.

This guide is here to help you plan. It explains how the price is worked out, what can make it go up, how long the trip takes, and what to do once you reach Melbourne. We use simple words and real examples so you know what to expect.

All prices in this guide are examples, not quotes. Your real price depends on how much you move, when you move and the type of service you pick.

Sydney to Melbourne Move: Quick Answers

• How far is it? About 880 km by road.
• How long is the drive? RACV says the Hume Highway takes at least nine hours to drive. With breaks, plan for a full day.
• How is the price worked out? Most interstate removalists charge by how much space your things take up in the truck. This space is measured in cubic metres (m³).
• What is the starting price at Moving Champs? Interstate removals start from $150 per m³.
• Is my stuff insured? Not always. Removalists in Australia do not have to insure your belongings. You may need your own cover.

How Much Does It Cost to Move From Sydney to Melbourne?

The price of a Sydney to Melbourne move mostly depends on one thing: how much you are moving.

Removalists look at your furniture and boxes. They work out how much truck space it will fill. Then they multiply that space by a price per cubic metre.

A cubic metre is a space 1 metre long, 1 metre wide and 1 metre high. A fridge or a small sofa can take up about this much space.

Simple Price Examples

The table below uses our starting rate of $150 per m³. It shows the base price only. Extras like packing, stairs or storage are not included.

How Much You Move	Base Price At $150 Per m³
10 m³ (a small studio or a few big items)	$1,500
20 m³ (a small flat)	$3,000
35 m³ (a bigger home)	$5,250
50 m³ (a large family home)	$7,500

These are just sums to help you plan. They are not quotes. Two homes with the same number of bedrooms can have very different amounts of furniture.

As a rough guide, many removalists allow about 10 to 12 m³ for each bedroom. But it depends on how full your home is. Our guide on what size moving truck you need explains how to work out your space.

The Best Way To Know Your Real Price

The only way to know your real price is to get a written quote. Give the removalist a full list of what you are moving. Tell them about stairs, lifts and parking at both homes. The more they know, the more accurate your quote will be.

Two Ways to Move: Shared Truck or Your Own Truck

There are two main ways to do interstate moving on this route. Neither one is best for everyone.

1. Backloading (sharing a truck)

With backloading, your things go on a truck that is already making the trip. You share the truck with other people’s belongings. You only pay for the space you use.

Good points:

• It is often cheaper for small and medium moves.
• It works well for a few items or a small flat.

Things to know:

• You usually get a time window, not a set day, for pickup and delivery.
• Your things may be loaded and unloaded more often.

Sydney and Melbourne are big cities with trucks going both ways all the time. This makes backloading easier to find on this route than on quieter routes.

2. Dedicated Truck (your own truck)

With a dedicated truck, the truck is just for you. It picks up your things, drives to Melbourne and drops them off.

Good points:

• You agree on the pickup and delivery dates.
• Fewer people handle your things.
• It suits a full family home.

Things to know:

• It usually costs more than sharing.
• You pay for the whole truck, even if it is not full.

How To Choose

Ask for two quotes on the same list of items: one for backloading and one for a dedicated truck. Then compare them. If your dates are flexible, sharing may save you money. If you have a fixed date to move into your new home, your own truck gives you peace of mind. Our guide on backloading vs a dedicated moving truck goes into more detail.

What Makes Your Price Go Up or Down?

No two quotes are the same. Here are the main things that change your price.

1. How Much You Move: More things means more truck space. Throwing out or selling what you don’t need is the easiest way to save money.
2. Stairs and Access: Stairs, slow lifts, long walks to the truck and hard parking all take more time. Always tell your removalist about these.
3. Your Moving Day: Weekends, public holidays and the end of the month are busy times. Prices are often higher then. A weekday in the middle of the month is often cheaper.
4. Fuel: Some quotes add a fuel charge for long trips. Ask if fuel is already included in your price.
5. Type of Service: A shared truck, your own truck and a full packing service all cost different amounts.
6. Special Items: Pianos, pool tables, spas and big fridges need extra care. Ask if these are in your quote or charged on top.

Extra Costs To Plan For

The removalist’s price is not the only cost of moving. Make a list of these too.

• Packing: Boxes, tape and bubble wrap cost money. You can pack yourself, or pay movers and packers to do it for you.
• Storage: If your Sydney home is empty before your Melbourne home is ready, you may need somewhere to keep your things for a while.
• Insurance: Many removalists do not cover your belongings. You may need to buy your own cover.
• Cleaning: If you rent, you will likely need an end of lease clean to get your bond back.
• Your Own Trip: Fuel, food, a night in a motel, or plane tickets.
• Your Car: You can drive it down, or pay a company to transport it.
• Setting Up: New furniture, power and internet connections, and some takeaway meals in the first week.

The Trip: Driving Times and Delivery

Driving From Sydney to Melbourne

RACV says the Hume Highway takes at least nine hours to drive. It also suggests a 15-minute break for every two hours of driving. With food, fuel and rest stops, most people need a full day.

Tarcutta is about halfway. Some people stop there or stay a night somewhere along the way to make the drive less tiring.

When Will Your Things Arrive?

Your furniture might not arrive on the same day as you.

• With Your Own Truck: it arrives on the dates you agreed with your removalist.
• With a Shared Truck: you get a time window. It can take a few days.

Always ask for the pickup and delivery times in writing. If there is a gap between leaving Sydney and getting your things in Melbourne, plan where you will sleep. A small bag with clothes, chargers and medicine will help.

Insurance and Your Rights

This part is easy to skip, but it is important.

1. Removalists Do Not Have to Insure Your Things: The NSW Government says removalists are not required by law to insure your property during a move. It also says most removalists only have insurance for their truck. It suggests you get your own insurance.

2. Check Your Home and Contents Insurance: CHOICE, a consumer group, says cover for moving house is different with each insurer. Some policies don’t cover damage during the move. Read your policy or call your insurer.

3. Be Careful With Boxes You Pack Yourself: If you pack a box and something inside breaks, the removalist usually won’t pay for it. Ask your removalist how this works before moving day.

4. Look For AFRA Accreditation: AFRA stands for the Australian Furniture Removers Association. Removalists with AFRA accreditation have public liability insurance and can offer transit insurance. Some good, smaller removalists are not members, so it is a helpful check, not the only one.

5. You Have Rights By Law: Under the Australian Consumer Law, a removal service must:

• Be done with care and skill
• Do what you asked for
• Be done in a reasonable time, if no time was agreed.

6. Read Your Contract: NSW Fair Trading says your contract should include:

• what service you are paying for
• a list of all the items being moved
• pickup and delivery addresses, dates and times
• how and when you need to pay
• any storage costs if the move is delayed.

How To Choose Removalists From Sydney to Melbourne

Get at least three written quotes. Make sure each quote lists every charge. Consumer Affairs Victoria says you should not just pick the cheapest quote. Check what each quote includes.

Ask every moving company the same questions:

• Is this a fixed price, or can it change on the day?
• What does the price include? Think about packing, stairs, fuel and storage.
• Is my stuff insured? What is not covered?
• When will you pick up and deliver my things?
• Will your own team do the move, or will you pass it to another company?
• Do you charge extra for travel time?
• Are you AFRA accredited? Where can I read reviews?

It also helps to ask interstate removalists in both Sydney and Melbourne. A Melbourne truck that has just dropped off a load in Sydney may have space for the trip back.

If one quote is much lower than the others, ask why. It may leave out things the others include. Our guide on how to spot a dodgy removalist quote shows the warning signs.

Your Sydney to Melbourne Moving Plan

6 to 8 Weeks Before

• Sort through your things. Sell, donate or throw out what you don’t need.
• Make a list of everything you are moving, room by room.
• Ask moving companies in Sydney for written quotes.

3 to 4 Weeks Before

• Pick your removalist. Confirm your item list, access details and dates.
• Book storage if your move-out and move-in dates don’t line up.
• Check your insurance. Buy extra cover if you need it.

1 to 2 Weeks Before

• Finish packing, or confirm your packing service.
• Book an end-of-lease clean if you rent.
• Pack a bag with clothes, medicine, chargers and important papers.

Moving Day

• Keep valuables like jewellery and passports separate from the load. Consumer Affairs Victoria suggests this too.
• When your things arrive, check them against your list before you sign.

For a full list of jobs, use our moving house checklist.

After You Arrive In Melbourne

• Change Your Driver Licence: VicRoads says you need to change your NSW licence to a Victorian one if you plan to live in Victoria for more than six months.
• Register Your Car in Victoria: You will also need to move your car registration to Victoria. VicRoads says you don’t need a roadworthy certificate if your NSW registration is still current (or ended less than three months before your appointment) and the car stays in your name. Check the VicRoads website for the time limit.
• Update Your Address: Tell your bank, super fund, insurers, Medicare, your work and the electoral roll.
• Need Help Later? If you move again within Melbourne, read our guide to choosing removalists in Melbourne.

How Moving Champs Can Help

Moving Champs offers interstate removals from Sydney starting from $150 per m³. Our trucks range from 2 to 8 tonnes and have hydraulic tail lifts to make loading safer.

We also offer:

• packing and unpacking
• short and long-term storage
• backloading
• small removals and single item moves
• man with a van
• cleaning services.

Please note: Moving Champs does not provide goods-in-transit insurance. We suggest you arrange your own cover before moving day.

To get a price, tell us your pickup and drop-off suburbs, which floor you live on and your move date. You can ask for a free quote on our website or call 0468 001 438.

Final Thoughts

A Sydney to Melbourne move is easier when you know what to expect. The price mostly depends on how much you move, so sorting through your things first is the easiest way to save.

Pick the service that suits you. A shared truck can cost less if your dates are flexible. Your own truck gives you set dates and fewer people handling your things.

Whatever you choose, keep these simple steps in mind:

• Get at least three written quotes.
• Tell each removalist about stairs, lifts and parking.
• Check your insurance before moving day.
• Read your contract before you sign.

With a bit of planning, your move to Melbourne can go smoothly from start to finish.

Frequently Asked Questions