Moving costs
How much do removalists cost in Sydney?
By the Outer Space Removals teamUpdated October 2026 7 min read
Most Sydney removalists charge by the hour for a truck and two movers. The rate is only half the story: how long your move takes, how the clock is counted and what’s added on top decide the final bill. Here’s what a move really costs in 2026, and how to keep yours down.
The short answer
Across Sydney, two movers and a truck typically cost between about $115 and $205 an hour in 2026, with most quotes landing around $150–$170. Our own rate is $154/hr Monday to Thursday and $165/hr on Fridays and Saturdays, GST included.
So a small apartment move usually costs a few hundred dollars, and a full family home can run well past $1,500. The ranges below show where most moves land.
What a move costs, by home size
These are the time ranges we see most often for local Sydney moves, priced at our weekday rate of $154/hr (truck and two movers). Where your move lands in the range depends on how much you have, stairs or lifts, and how far the truck can park from your door.
| Home | Typical time | Weekday cost ($154/hr) | Fri–Sat cost ($165/hr) |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Few Items or Studio | 2–4 hours | $308–$616 | $330–$660 |
| 1-Bedroom Apartment | 3–6 hours | $462–$924 | $495–$990 |
| 2-Bedroom Apartment | 5–9 hours | $770–$1,386 | $825–$1,485 |
| 3+ Bedroom Home | 8–11+ hours | $1,232–$1,694+ | $1,320–$1,815+ |
Prefer one number upfront? Get a fixed price in about 5 minutes.
What pushes the price up
- Stairs and walk-ups. Every flight adds time on every trip. A third-floor walk-up can take noticeably longer than the same apartment with a lift.
- Parking a long way from the door. The walk from the truck happens hundreds of times, so 30 extra metres adds up fast.
- Things that aren’t ready. Unpacked boxes, beds not stripped and appliances still connected all run the clock.
- The day you pick. Fridays, Saturdays and the end of the month are busiest, and many removalists charge 10–20% more on weekends.
- Lift waits. In apartment buildings, a shared lift without a booking can add a lot of standing around.
The extras to check in every quote
Two quotes with the same hourly rate can end up hundreds of dollars apart. Ask each removalist about:
- Travel time and call-out fees. Some charge from when the truck leaves their depot until it gets back (“depot to depot”). Others, like us, start the clock when they arrive, with travel to and from you included up to a limit. A flat call-out fee of $100 or more is common.
- Minimum booking. Most have a 2–3 hour minimum. Ours is 1.5 hours, which matters for small moves.
- How time is rounded. Billing in 15-minute steps is fairer than rounding up to the next half or full hour.
- Materials. Blankets and wrap are sometimes charged extra. Boxes can easily add $100–$300 if you buy cardboard.
- Insurance. Check for public liability and goods in transit cover, and how much each covers.
- GST. Make sure the rate you’re comparing includes it.
Hourly or fixed price?
Hourly is usually cheapest when you’re well prepared, have easy access and want to pay only for the time used. A fixed price suits people who want certainty: you know the number upfront, and it doesn’t change if the day runs long.
A good fixed price is based on a proper inventory and the access at both homes, ideally with a short video. Be wary of a fixed price given without those details: it usually has a large buffer built in, or comes with conditions that bring the hourly rate back in on the day.
How to pay less for your move
- Move Monday to Thursday if you can: lower rates and easier parking.
- Be packed before the truck arrives, with boxes taped, labelled and stacked near the door.
- Book a lift and a parking spot close to the entrance at both ends.
- Take beds and tables apart the night before, if you’re comfortable doing it.
- Borrow crates instead of buying cardboard. In Sydney we lend 55L crates for free.
- Get rid of what you don’t need before the move, not after: every item costs time to carry.