The big picture
A move is an admin project wearing a moving box
Most people pack the boxes and forget that the hard part of moving is not the lifting, it is the timing. Bonds, mail redirection, utility connections and a booked removalist all have deadlines that creep up while you are busy taping cartons. Miss them and you arrive to no power, a redirected-too-late mail trail and a removalist who is fully booked. Tell the countdown how many weeks you have, and it will show you what is due right now and where to start.
The idea that makes moving cheap and calm: almost every avoidable cost and headache comes from a missed deadline, not from the move itself. A late removalist booking means a worse price or no truck. A late mail redirection means lost letters. A power connection arranged on moving day means a first night in the dark. Work backwards from your move date, do each task in its window, and the move looks after itself.
Where moves go wrong
Three things people leave too late
Forget the boxes for a second. These are the three deadlines that quietly cost the most when they slip, and the pages that fix each one.
Utilities
Leaving electricity, gas and internet to moving day means arriving to a dark, offline home. The NBN especially needs weeks of lead time. Book connections early, and compare retailers while you are at it.
Connect your utilitiesMail redirection
A redirection is a safety net that has to be ordered ahead to be active in time, and it only buys you breathing room to update your real address everywhere it matters.
Set up mail redirectionRemovalist booking
Good removalists fill up fast, especially at month-end and the end of the financial year. Booking late means a worse price, a worse slot, or no truck at all.
Book a removalistExplore the moving vertical
Everything you need, grouped by what you are doing
From planning the move to connecting the new place, renting smart and booking a removalist, every guide is independent and written for the Australian market.
Plan your move
Moving checklist
Every task sorted by deadline risk, so the things that lose you money come first.
Organise your move
Size the resources first: how many boxes, how big a truck and how many helpers you really need.
Moving house guide
The backwards timeline that works out your deadlines from moving day, not from today.
Moving tips
Pack for loading speed, not for neatness, and shave hours off the truck.
Moving boxes
How many cartons a one, two or three-bedroom move actually needs.
Connect your new home
Connect your utilities
The connection timeline for electricity, gas, water and internet, and what to line up first.
Connect internet (NBN)
Why the NBN is the one connection to book weeks ahead, not on moving day.
Connect gas
Whether your new place even has gas, and if connecting it is worth the supply charge.
Connect water
Who pays for water at a rental versus a home you own, and what you actually arrange.
Transfer your internet
Moving with Telstra, Optus or TPG? When to transfer your plan and when to switch.
Renting and buying
Renting in Australia
Bonds, leases and your tenant rights, explained for Australian renters.
First-time renter
How to win the rental application and avoid the costly first-lease mistakes.
Rental bond
Who holds your bond in each state, the caps, and how to get all of it back.
Buying a house
The real upfront cost of buying your first home, beyond the deposit.
Saving a deposit
How much cash you genuinely need to buy, and practical ways to get there faster.
Removalists
Removalists by city
Compare removalists and what drives the price of a move in your capital city.
Choose a removalist
How to compare quotes properly and spot the price drivers before you book.
Interstate removalists
How a long-haul move is priced, and where the big interstate costs hide.
Sydney removalists
What really drives the price of a Sydney move, from access to stairs.
Melbourne removalists
What drives the price of a Melbourne move and how to keep it down.
Brisbane removalists
What drives the price of a Brisbane move and when to book for the best rate.
Keep exploring
Sort the services that move with you
A move is the moment to reset your home services, not just relocate them. Compare internet, mobile and energy for the new address before you settle in.
Common questions
A Selectra expert answers your moving questions
Six to eight weeks out is the sweet spot for most household moves. That window lets you book a removalist before the good ones fill up, set up an Australia Post mail redirection in time, and arrange utility connections so the power is on the day you arrive. The countdown above sorts the tasks for whatever timeframe you actually have, even if that is only a week.
Electricity is the non-negotiable one, and it is worth comparing plans rather than defaulting to the previous occupant's retailer. Then gas if your new place has it, water (which you usually arrange only if you own), and internet. The NBN connection is the one to book weeks ahead, because a technician appointment can be slow, while electricity can often be connected within a business day or two.
Aim for three to four weeks for a local move and four to six weeks for an interstate one. End of month, school holidays and the end of the financial year are the busiest periods, so the earlier you lock in a date the better the price and the more choice you have. Always compare at least two or three quotes on the same inventory.
Set up an Australia Post mail redirection so it starts on or just before your move date, and order it at least a week ahead so it is active in time. A redirection is a safety net, not a fix: it buys you time to update your address with banks, your employer, the electoral roll, Medicare and every subscription, which is the task most people leave too late.
You have to arrange a connection at the new address, but you do not have to stay with whoever supplied it last, and you usually should not. Moving house is the natural moment to compare every retailer that supplies your new address against the reference price and start fresh on a better deal, rather than inheriting a default plan you never chose.