Whether it be your home or business, moving interstate can be an expensive exercise. So, it pays to plan the move properly by drawing up a budget.
With a proper budget, you can account for every single cost you will incur during the move, so you are not met with any nasty surprises once it’s complete.
The key to producing a good budget is knowing what costs you might be faced with. Which can be difficult if you are not familiar with the logistics of interstate removals.
But fear not! We’ve got you covered.
This guide will highlight some of the main factors to budget for when relocating to another part of Australia.
If you take these into account, you should be able to formulate realistic costing parameters that will be easy to remain within.
Factors To Consider When Moving Interstate
Outlined below are some of the main factors to consider when formulating a budget for interstate moving costs.
What Needs to Be Moved
It follows that the more possessions you need to move, the greater the cost will be for you.
Subsequently, the removalist company you choose will need to know this to ascertain what type of truck and what manpower resources they should allocate for your relocation come moving day.
To reduce the number of items you need transporting, it is a good idea to declutter what you don’t need from your home or office before contacting them.
These items can be sold to help fund your move, donated to charity, recycled or disposed of responsibly at a refuge tip.
Distance To Be Moved
The distance to be moved is another important consideration to include within your moving budget.
Depending on where you are going, this could be a considerable cost. For instance, you would have to factor in multi-day expenses for a 5350+ km move from Jervis Bay in New South Wales to Broome in Western Australia.
Where you are moving to will also determine what kind of vehicle is required, particularly if you have to drive along dirt or winding roads.
Time of Moving
The time of your move will have a bearing on your budget.
Generally, most removal companies offer cheaper rates between Mondays and Thursdays as fewer people move then due to being at work. By contrast, they charge more on Fridays, at the weekend, on public holidays and after normal office hours.
Additionally, moves that take place during the autumn and winter months tend to be cheaper than during the summer and spring. At the same time, you can often get a less expensive rate during the middle of the month, as opposed to the end.
Last-minute moves will usually incur significantly higher costs than those booked well in advance as well.
Packing Costs
Your possessions will need to be packed, and the cost of this will depend on whether you do it yourself or pay a removalist company to do it for you.
Packing it yourself is the more affordable option, and you’ll need to factor in the cost of boxes, materials like bubble wrap, void filler, and scotch tape.
You won’t need to pay for these items if you hire a professional removalist company to help you, although you will, of course, need to cover the cost of their packing service.
Insurance
Most reputable interstate removalist companies will provide you with insurance coverage for transporting your possessions out-of-state.
However, this is often just a basic level of cover. So, you might want to factor in taking out content or third-party moving insurance to protect your possessions against damage.
By doing this, you will be able to get a payout to replace any items that are broken in transit.
Cleaning
If you are moving out of a rental property, you will need to get it cleaned; otherwise, you’ll face losing your bond. Even if you own the home, it is good form and karma to have it cleaned for the new people to move into.
Should time or inclination prevent you from doing this yourself, then you will have to pay for a cleaning service, which will need to be included within your budget.
Travel
It’s not just your possessions that are moving, but also yourself. So, you will need to set aside an amount to cover the cost of your driving or flying to a new home.
This cost should take into account fuel and food while you are on the road. It should also incorporate any accommodation costs you might incur if you are staying overnight somewhere during the journey.
Contingency Amount
In addition to the costs outlined above it is wise to include a contingency amount in your budget. You never know what might go wrong during your relocation, so it is a good idea to have a buffer in place.
A typical rule of thumb is for your buffer to be around 10-20% of your budget. That said, it’s worth remembering that just because you budgeted for this cost doesn’t mean you have to spend it.
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