How To Avoid Interstate Moving Disasters

Moving interstate? How hard can it be? Harder than you think. Even if you’re just heading down the road, you’ll still need to do a bunch of planning – and if you’re going interstate, multiply that stress by 100.

Packing, sorting out vehicles, choosing a moving partner, arranging utilities, preparing appliances and furniture – the list goes on. So, if you’re embarking on a long-distance move, this guide is here to help. By following the tips below, you stand a good chance of reducing moving-day anxiety and even saving some money while you’re at it.

At A Glance:

Preparation is everything: Start planning, researching, and arranging everything well in advance.
Work with the right partner: Compare companies, quotes, ask lots of questions, and make sure that your removalists are the right fit for your needs, preferences, and budget.
Pack smart: Start with the non-essentials ahead of time, and pack according to priority with quality materials. Labelling is your friend!
Communicate: Stay in touch with your removalist team, and your new landlord or homeowner. By staying current, you can deal with issues as they happen, and not afterwards.
On the day(s): Make sure your vehicle is up to a long journey, plan breaks or accommodation, and keep your essentials with you.
Unpacking: Be systematic and unpack essentials first. Check your cargo for missing or damaged items.
Be kind to yourself: Moving interstate is a big deal. Stay connected to friends and family, manage your stress, and know that settling in takes time.

Contents

1 Planning And Preparation Tips
2 Choosing The Right Moving Company
3 Packing Success Strategies
4 Coordinating Your Move
5 Preparing For Your Journey
6 Arrival And Unpacking
7 Handling The Emotional Impact Of Interstate Moves
8 Summing Up
9 Experienced Interstate Removalists
- 9.1 Other Interstate Removalist Services

Planning And Preparation Tips

When facing an interstate move, Good planning is your best friend. You’ll save money, stress, and the whole project will seem less daunting the more you get done in advance.

Example Interstate Moving Timeline:

2-3 months: This is when you start thinking about your budget, which moving company you’re going to work with, and the start of your decluttering.
6-8 weeks: Choose your interstate removalists, and whether or not you’ll go for a backloading service, or premium direct. You should also notify your landlord and utility companies, as well as ramping up your packing.
4-6 weeks: Finalise all details with your move, finish packing all non-essentials, notify services such as your banks, insurers, and others.
Within the last month: Plan your travel, prepare your essentials bag (more on that below), clean the property.
1 week before: Finish all packing, re-confirm all details with your mover, and your new landlord (if applicable). Defrost and clean appliances if you’re taking them with you.
Moving day: Do a final check, supervise your interstate moving team, and hit the road to your new home!

Putting together a moving checklist

When you get to packing, you’ll soon realise just how much stuff you have. Books, artwork, electronics, kitchenware, bathroom bits, clothes, shoes…the list goes on. One of the biggest interstate moving mistakes is diving into packing without a checklist. Trust us, you’ll pay the price on the other end with endless hours of unpacking chaos.

We won’t go into the details of a moving checklist here. Instead, we’ll point you in the direction of our very interstate moving checklist, which you can download and use for when the time comes.

Researching Your New Location

Odds are that you have some idea of what’s waiting for you at your new location, but it never hurts to have all the facts. After all, knowledge is power. Here’s what we suggest you nail down before making your final decision on location:

The cost of living: How much does it cost to rent or buy property? What about prices for electricity, water, gas, and Internet? Also look into groceries and transportation costs, and if applicable, childcare and private schools.
What’s the neighbourhood like? See what you can find out about your new immediate surroundings. Research crime rates, check out if there is enough green space, research schooling options, and see how close you’d be to shops, transport links, and medical facilities.
The job market: If you aren’t moving for a specific job, take a look at opportunities within your field and proximity. Consider how long it would get you to travel to the office if you’re working on-site or in a hybrid capacity.
Weather and climate: Research what the typical weather patterns and temperatures look like for the different seasons, and how they might impact your daily life.
Laws and Regulation: Take the time to understand what your taxes would be for your income and property, as well as what you need in terms of vehicle registration.
Healthcare and Education: If travelling with kids, make sure you have a school in mind. Also, knowing which hospitals and clinics are available is important.
Transport: Is your new home well-connected with buses, trains, and major roads? And if important, how far it is from airports.
The community: Is the new location community-focused with regular gathering and events? Also, look into local clubs, hobbies, and activities that align with your interests, or that of your family.

Choosing The Right Moving Company

Your moving partners can make or break a long-distance relocation. If you go with the first one you see, you run the risk of running into issues with cargo, pricing, and poor customer service. Here’s what you need to do when reaching this part of your preparation.

Selection And Vetting

Get recommendations: One of the best ways to choose your interstate removalists, is to talk to friends, family, or colleagues. They will have first-hand experience and will be able to tell you everything about how their move was handled.
Online reviews: Cross check your shortlist with online reviews on Google, Trustpilot, and other review platforms. This will let you get a range of impressions, leading to a more informed choice.
Are they part of AFRA? We recommend that you only move with a company that is a member of the Australian Furniture Removers Association. That way, you can be sure that they meet the standards of a fully regulated body.
Compare Multiple Quotes: Once you have a shortlist of companies, get quotes from each of them to see which prices look good, and what is included – and what will cost extra. Don’t go for the cheapest option: instead look for where the most value lies.
Do they offer backloading? Having options is always good, and if moving interstate, you might want to consider backloading. It’s a more affordable option that splits a team and truck with other shipments heading the same way. However, you’ll need to be flexible on the time and date of arrival, so if you want something specific, go for a Premium Direct service.

Here’s a little more on Avoiding Moving Scams.

Understanding Insurance

Your cargo is going to be travelling a long way, so you’ll want to make sure that you have cover for if the unexpected happens. There are plenty of options, and it may seem complex, so make sure you talk to your removalist team to fully understand the different types, and which ones are included as standard.

Types of Insurance:

Transit insurance: Covers items during transport, with the following general options:
- Total loss only: Covers if the entire shipment is lost.
- Full Cover: Protects against loss and damage to certain items.
Accidental damage insurance: Covers unexpected damage during the move, which is especially important for valuable or fragile items.
Storage insurance: Covers belongings in storage during the move – this is usually included if you opt for storage together with your removalist team.

Existing coverage:

Home and contents insurance: This is unusual and almost certainly limited, but worth checking if your current policy covers moving.
Credit Card Insurance: Some banks offer insurance for purchases, including moving services.

Removalist Coverage:

Standard liability: Basic coverage included by removalists, which is most commonly limited to negligence.
Supplementary insurance: If needed, you can request information about additional coverage offered by your moving team, or a third party.

Policy Details:

Coverage limits: Take the time to confirm that the policy adequately covers high-value items.
Exclusions: Understand what’s not covered, such as items you may have packed up or loaded yourself.
Claims process: See how the claims process will work, including the initial filing.

Valuation and cost:

Inventory: When packing, make a detailed list of your items, and what their estimated values are.
Premiums and excess: See how the premiums balance with the excess (deductible) to see how it aligns with your budget.

Remember: If you’re unsure about anything, talk to your removalists. They should be open and transparent about everything. Make sure you fully understand before signing. If they are being vague, or unwilling to clarify things, consider going with a different company.

Understanding Your Contract

Your contract will contain more than just your insurance, so you’ll want to fully understand everything before signing – or you’ll be held to the agreement even if you don’t want to go ahead with a certain aspect of the service.

Review key sections: Your contract should include a detailed list of what’s included in the service, including packing, loading, transit, unloading – and any extra services such as furniture disassembly, cleaning, and storage.
Prices and payment: See that the agreement has a detailed list of the various costs, and which services they are assigned to – and crucially, any potential extra charges you can avoid. Then, look for clear instructions on when payment should be made, and how.
The delivery window: As previously agreed, your contract should include details on the dates and times of delivery (if not using backloading). This will make sure that you’ll know when your cargo arrives, and when to seek compensation if there’s a delay.
Insurance: As seen above, your contract needs to outline the kind of insurance you have, and what the time limits are for making a claim.
Cancellations and changes: Removalists should have a cancellation policy, which will come with a penalty – so find out what that may be. They may also charge for amendments to the job, which also needs to be outlined.

Important: Always check the fine print to see if there are any hidden fees or admin costs you didn’t know about, such as fees for climbing stairs. Make sure that all parties have signed the agreement, and that you have a copy of the contract. Finally – don’t be afraid to question anything you are confused about.

Packing Success Strategies

Packing is one of the most difficult and time-consuming aspects of an interstate move. It might seem as simple as putting things into boxes, but once you get into it, you’ll see just how much planning and strategy is needed.

First – some general tips:

Don’t forget to label
Distribute weight, with heavy items in small boxes
Seal properly with packing tape
Start well in advance

Packing By Item Type

To avoid a moving disaster, we strongly recommend different approaches for different types of cargo. Here’s what you can do:

Fragile items – ceramics, glassware, electronics, artwork

Materials: Packing paper, bubble wrap, sturdy or original boxes, packing peanuts
How to do it: Wrap each item individually with packing paper or bubble wrap. When placing into boxes, make sure empty space is filled with packing peanuts or padding to avoid shifting. Label the box as ‘fragile’ on all sides.

Textiles and clothing

Materials: Wardrobe boxes, vacuum seal bags, suitcases, duffel bags
How to do it: Wardrobe boxes are handy for hanging formal or delicate clothing. For everything else, fold and pack into suitcases or regular boxes. Vacuum seal bags are useful for bulky items such as bedding, pillows and duvets.

Books and paper

Materials: Packing paper, small and sturdy boxes
How to do it: Use small boxes as books can become heavy, and alternate the spine and open sides for better weight distribution. Fill in gaps with packing paper.

Furniture

Materials: Moving blankets, bubble wrap, shrink wrap, furniture pads
How to do it: Disassemble removable parts such as shelves and legs, and wrap them separately. Then, use bubble wrap or blankets to protect surfaces from scuffs before shrink wrapping or taping doors to prevent them from opening.

Kitchenware – Pots, pans, dishes, cutlery

Materials: Boxes, bubble wrap, packing paper
How to do it: Individually wrap each glass and mug with the bubble wrap. Heavy items like pots should go in the bottom of the box, with dishes stacked vertically to reduce risk of breakage. Wrap cutlery in bubble wrap, grouped by type.

Jewellery and valuables

Materials: Jewellery boxes, tissue paper, zip-lock bags, small padded containers
How to do it: Always keep your valuable with you during the move, packed into small containers, and delicately wrapped in paper and bubble wrap.

Appliances

Materials: Original packaging (where possible), bubble wrap, packing tape
How to do it: Clean and dry your appliances, and where possible use original packaging. If not, wrap the appliance in bubble wrap, and tape up any doors or openings. Put into an appropriately-sized box, with padding to avoid shifting.

Musical instruments

Materials: Instrument case, soft padding, bubble wrap
How to do it: Always use an appropriate instrument case, which can be purchased from a music shop. Wrap the instrument for extra protection, and also wrap up the case itself. For larger instruments, such as a piano, talk to your interstate removalists for specialise advice.

Tip: Ask your moving company about Free Moving Boxes.

Labelling Tips

Labelling your boxes effectively can make the loading and unpacking processes easier, and more organised.

Name and describe with the room name, and short description of the contents. For instance, you can write ‘Bedroom – Electronics’, or ‘Kitchen – Cutlery’.
Colour code by room to help your movers unload in the correct place. For instance, you can use blue for bathroom cargo, yellow for kitchen, and so on. Use coloured stickers to quick and easy visibility.
Use numbers to help you with your inventory. Write down more details in a spreadsheet or notepad, which will help you find specific items for when it comes to unpacking.
Mark important boxes with ‘Unpack First’ labels, for items such as toiletries, essential clothing, or important documents.
Designate fragile items, so that your movers will know when to be extra careful when loading, securing, or unloading.
Label all sides, so that you can see the information no matter which way the box is stacked. Also, draw large, and clear arrows to indicate which way up the box should be.

What To Keep With You During A Move

Don’t pack everything away! There may be times when you need something, and you won’t want to start opening boxes.

Important documents: Legal papers, identification, moving contracts, property documents, financial and medical records.
Valuables: Laptops, jewellery, sentimental items.
Essential clothing, bedding, & toiletries: Things you’ll need within a few days of arrival.
Medication & first aid: Basic first aid kit and prescriptions.
Moving day kit: Water, snacks, tissues, basic tools.
Electronics & chargers: Phones, laptops, tablets, chargers, and power banks.
Cash & credit cards: In your wallet or purse at all times.
Personal & pet items: Anything that your children or pets will need.
Basic kitchen supplies: Such as paper plates, a small pan, and cutlery.

Looking After Important Documents

Paperwork is fragile, and it can be a real moving disaster if they get lost or damaged as some are not so easily replaced.

Organise and categorise your documents by type (such as financial, medical, identification) and store in labelled folders. If possible, use tough and waterproof bags, and keep them with you throughout the whole journey.

We also recommend making digital copies and storing them in a cloud service such as Google Drive or Dropbox. You should also scan and print extra copies just in case.

Coordinating Your Move

Your interstate removalists will be on hand to help with all the logistics, but you’ll still need to be involved and prepared to make sure things go smoothly.

Sync Your Departure And Arrival Times

It’s important that you, your moving team, and the people with the keys for the new property are all on the same page on when you’ll arrive. Of course, unexpected delays can always happen, but here’s how you can mitigate them.

Plan early – We’ll keep banging this drum! Begin your arrangements as early as possible so that other parties can be available when needed.
Leave extra time – Build in extra hours or days between leaving your old home and reaching the new one to account for travel time. Moving interstate is not a small journey, and anything can happen on the way.

Look Into Temporary Accommodation

Research your options – You may need to stop while on the road, or your new property may not be ready on time despite previous agreements. Look into hotels, motels, and places to stay on the road, and at your destination. If you don’t want to leave things to chance, book your accommodation in advance, and make sure that your travel bag has everything you need.

How To Handle Delays

Always plan for delays – and if they don’t happen, great! But, if they do, you’ll be ready. Stay in regular touch with all other parties involved in your move to be informed of any changes as soon as possible. Have a backup plan arranged, with extra cash, food, and supplies on hand if you have to stay in temporary accommodation. And most importantly, stay cool. These things can happen, but if you’re ready for them, you’ll be just fine.

Preparing For Your Journey

Before setting off for any kind of long-distance journey, you’ll want to be fully prepared for any setbacks that can have a domino effect on the entire move – especially if you’ve not set aside ‘buffer time’. Here are three things to think about before making the journey for your interstate move:

Have Your Vehicle Good To Go

If you’re driving to your new home yourself, it’s a good opportunity to have it checked and serviced. Nobody wants a breakdown on the motorway! Check the oil, coolant, brake fluid levels, and the tire pressure. Next, take a look at your spare tire is present and in good condition, and that your brakes and wipers are working. We also recommend packing in some jumper cables and tools, just in case.

Plan Rest Stops Or Accommodation

Moving interstate can involve vast distances, so you’ll naturally want to stop to refuel the car, and yourself. It’s crucial that you have regular breaks for rests, otherwise your ability to drive safely will be impaired. If the drive takes eight hours or more, it’s probably best you stop at a motel to rest up for the night.

Essentials For The Trip

Pack up and secure your driver’s license, vehicle documents, and a road map – just in case your GPS has signal troubles. Also, bring plenty of snacks, water, a change of clothes, toiletries, medication, and entertainment for the road – with plenty of chargers, adapters, or power bricks to keep everything working.

Arrival And Unpacking

So, all that preparation paid off! Your movers brought your cargo, and you made the long journey safe and sound. But, there’s a little bit more work to avoid an interstate moving disaster – and that’s unloading and unpacking. Here’s what to be ready for:

Be There For The Unloading

It’s always best that you’re present for the unloading of your cargo, as you’ll be able to direct your interstate removalists and make sure everything is in good shape. Talk to them about where you want certain boxes, and once again keep an extra eye on fragile cargo.

Prioritise your unpacking

This is where all that diligent labelling comes into play. With all the details on hand, you’ll be able to unpack essential items such as bedding, toiletries, and kitchen supplies first, before tackling the rest. Once the essentials are in their right place, take a systematic approach and go room by room, beginning with the most used spaces, and prioritising accordingly.

Checking For Damage And What To Do Next

If you have electronics and fragile items, inspect them all as soon as you’ve unpacked. If you notice any new damage, document everything with photos and videos, and package up the files with the ‘before’ pictures. Then, get in touch with the moving company (if your insurance is with them), or your chosen third-party provider to begin the claims process.

Handling The Emotional Impact Of Interstate Moves

You may be moving interstate for work, or for family reasons: and while these are certainly happy occasions, the emotional toll that changing your life and environment can be more than expected. Here’s how to keep yourself in a good place ahead of your interstate move.

Acknowledge your feelings: Moving interstate is nerve-wracking, exciting, and sometimes, sad. It’s completely fine to have mixed feelings, and the best thing you can do is to explore them instead of packing them away with your cargo. Talk to friends and family about your concerns.
Stay connected: Moving away doesn’t mean cutting ties. Today, our computers and mobile devices make it super easy to stay in touch and engaged in the lives of friends and family. Don’t be a stranger, as the continuity can really help you feel more secure in new surroundings.
Be prepared: Fear of the unknown is always going to be there, but the more you know about where you’re going, the better. Research your new community, what’s near your new home, activities that fit your interests, and the amenities you’ll need. With a good idea of where you’re going, you’ll feel less at sea.
Give it time: Everyone has a different adjustment period, so keep in mind that you won’t instantly feel at home. Instead, expect that you’ll need time to settle into your new environment, make your home feel more ‘yours’, and to get your daily life in order.

For more on this, take a look at our article on How To Deal With Moving Stress.

Summing Up

If you’re reading this, you got to the end of our guide on how to avoid interstate moving disasters. We hope that the above tips are useful, and that you’re feeling more confident about your move. If we had to give one main takeaway, it’s that preparation is everything. Most interstate moving disasters can be avoided with proper planning, and leaving plenty of time to deal with the unexpected.

Also, remember that your ZOOM interstate removalists are here to help in any way they can. They’ll be here to handle as much of the hard stuff as possible on your behalf, and can advise in other practical matters that come with moving. All you need to do is ask!

Experienced Interstate Removalists

ZOOM-Removals-Guarantees

ZOOM Removals is a leading interstate removalist service provider for homes and offices. Our five-star rated relocation services are renowned across Australia not only for its quality but also for the best prices when compared to other interstate moving companies. Our attentive furniture removalists can move your belongings from Brisbane to all major Australian cities for added peace of mind and a worry-free relocation, including: