A Step-by-Step Survival Guide for A Cheap Interstate Move

The way we talk about a cheap interstate move is a lot like the way we talk about the impending apocalypse:

• Do you have a plan?
• How about a plan B?
• Mapped out your route yet?
• Got a truck TAXIBOX?
• Weapon of choice? (Duct tape is a classic)
• Thought about which one of you is least likely to survive?

To survive your first interstate move, you have to prepare. While you can’t predict the future, you can at least prep for it.

Make the CUT

Once you’ve got your NORMAL move stuff over and done with — got your utilities shut off and said bye to mum — you’ve got to get into the logistics.

You’re not moving over to the next suburb, you’re crossing borders, so your mate’s ute isn’t going to cut it this time (unless he happens to be a proper saint). Which means two things: one, that you probably can’t bring all your fruits, veggies, and pot plants, and two, you’re going to have to start making some serious cuts to the rest of your stuff. 

Start by figuring out:

• What stays
• What goes
• What you’ll give away to that friend that never seems to have any furniture
• What you might need to switch up in your new city (the couch from your big Perth place might not squeeze in to your tiny Sydney apartment) 

Purging doesn’t have to be painful. Take it in your stride. Hand-me-down furniture you were guilted into keeping? Gone. If your mother-in-law packs on the guilt extra thick… store it until you figure out what else to do with it. 

Make some space and save yourself the hassle of overpacking a TAXIBOX by keeping only the good stuff, then put it all into our Storage Calculator to see how much you’ve saved. When you unpack on the other end, it’ll be like opening a Christmas present of everything you own.  

Prepare the Landing Zone

Don’t take the leap before you really get to know each other — spend some time with your new city. You don’t want to haul your life interstate just to decide you like your hometown better anyway. Keep yourself from getting your heart broken by getting to know where you want to live:

• Plan a trip before you move (it’s for research, aka, a guilt-free holiday)
• Read a guide or two on your city of choice, whether it’s Melbourne, Sydney Brisbane, the Gold Coast, or Adelaide
• Find out which suburb suits you so you don’t have to move twice (every city on earth is clicky)
• Coordinate your flights to match up with your moving dates (and whether you need to book a hotel)

Ditch the Truck and Trailer Rentals

We can already tell you what your friends are going to tell you – hire your own truck and do it yourself, just get a trailer, it’s cheaper – take it from us. Don’t.

Truck and trailer rentals are cheap until you go pick up the keys. From there, the fun begins:

• Excess insurance the rental guys guilt you into buying
• Last-minute booking fees
• Petrol adding up (not your truck’s fault — you try lugging a whole life’s worth of stuff 1000s of kms)
• Taking a weekend of penalty rates off to do the drive

Add all that together, then multiply it by the 15 hours you’re going to spend on the road, stressing over the security of your stuff whenever you pull over to stretch your legs. Get your stuff sent up separately and you can save on petrol, stress, and all the other excess. 

Time It Right Move When No One Else Wants To 

Don’t give in to peer pressure; the hottest time to move is when it’s not hot. By avoiding peak periods, you’ll be doing you and your wallet a favour (and if you’re getting movers, they’ll thank you too). Keep these pointers in mind before you book your spot: 

• Everyone moves over the weekend, try booking mid-week (the prices are better)
• Booking ahead can get you a better deal (and save you from last minute booking stress, when everything’s booked out already) 

Remember — TAXIBOX prices competitively basically all year round, so if you book with us, you can scratch this off your list. You won’t have to do the move in one day, either. Get a TAXIBOX delivered straight to your place and take your time to load.

Once You’ve Booked, Pack Your Bags (and Boxes)

We hate to say it, but this is a big move; you’ve can’t just throw your fragiles into the “misc” box and hope for the best. 

If you want to pack like a pro, remember:

• Not everything can be misc! Categorise your boxes by room and label them based on when they need to get unpacked: non-essential, pretty important, absolutely critical 
• If everything’s fragile, nothing’s fragile – don’t overpack your boxes and wrap things up properly
• There’s no time for fumbling around for your essentials: set a box aside with all your must-haves (that’s medication, toiletries, chargers, and a change of clothes)
• You can’t dry a cardboard box that was once wet, so don’t take the boxes from when your mum last moved twenty years ago – buy proper packing supplies instead

And Finally, Set Yourself Up

Now, you’ve nearly made it. All you have to worry about now is the finishing touches. 

Set things up ahead of time so you can settle in as soon as you land:

• Set up your Netflix watchlist as soon as you get there: transfer over your internet beforehand
• Register your change your address wherever you have to
• Redirect your mail so you don’t miss any of the important stuff 
• If you’ve still got a landline, say bye-bye or start memorising your new number
• Don’t pay bills in two places — transfer over your utilities ahead of time

All done? Elevate your feet into the upright position and treat yourself. You’re in a new city, enjoy it! Order pizza and start exploring tomorrow.  

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