Founder, Hartmann Removals
Published 17 September 2026
Updated 17 September 2026
A Sydney move goes smoothly when the right things happen in the right order — book too late and you lose your date, pack too late and move day turns into chaos. This is the whole run, week by week, from eight weeks out to the moment you hand back the keys.
You don’t need eight weeks to move well, but if you have them, this is how to use them. If you’ve got less, start wherever you are on the timeline and work forward — the order matters more than the lead time.
8 weeks out: set the budget and start decluttering
The move hasn’t started yet, but two things save you the most money now.
Work out the budget. Get a rough number so nothing surprises you later. Our guide to what a Sydney move costs in 2026 breaks down the hourly rates and what drives the total, and how many movers you actually need helps you picture the crew.
Start decluttering, room by room. This is the single biggest lever on the final bill: you pay to move what’s on the truck, whether you love it or haven’t touched it in two years. Sort as you go — keep, donate, sell, bin — and the move shrinks with it.
6 weeks out: book the removalist and any storage
Book your removalist. Good crews and trucks book out weeks ahead, and end-of-month and October–February peak dates go first. Booking now locks your preferred date; you confirm the detail closer in. See how far in advance to book for the full picture.
Book storage if there’s a gap between homes. If settlement dates don’t line up or the new place isn’t ready, storage collected from your door beats scrambling later.
Decide who packs. If you’d rather not, professional packing is from $60/hr + GST per packer — most people book the kitchen and wardrobes and do the rest themselves.
4 weeks out: book strata lifts and source boxes
Book the strata lift at both ends. If either building is strata-managed — and most Sydney apartments are — you’ll need to book the service lift or loading dock through building management, often with a bond. Popular windows go early, so lock it in now and confirm the time in writing.
Tell your landlord or agent. If you’re renting, give written notice per your lease.
Source boxes and materials. Double-wall boxes for the heavy stuff, wardrobe boxes for hanging clothes, butcher’s paper and bubble wrap for the fragile.
3 weeks out: book internet, cleaning, and start packing
Book your internet. This is the one people leave too late. NBN technician slots book out, so book the new-address activation now — a week offline after a move is the most-regretted mistake in Sydney.
Book the end-of-lease clean. If you’re renting, book a bond clean for the day after your move-out, not move day itself.
Start packing. Out-of-season clothes, books, spare linen, decorations, the hallway cupboard — anything you won’t need in the next three weeks.
2 weeks out: change your address and confirm utilities
Work through your change-of-address list. Licence and rego (14-day deadline), the electoral roll, Medicare, your bank and super, your pet’s microchip, your toll tag. Our NSW change-of-address checklist has the full list grouped so it takes about two hours.
Confirm electricity and gas. These need about five business days — schedule disconnection for the day after move-out and connection for move-in day.
Packing ramps up. By now most of the house except the kitchen, bathroom and daily essentials should be boxed and labelled.
1 week out: the day-by-day countdown
The final week has its own rhythm, and it’s worth following day by day — confirm the booking, wind down the kitchen and freezer, label every box by its destination room, and leave the essentials for last. Our week-before day-by-day checklist walks through all seven days, and can I pack my own boxes covers doing it properly.
If access is tight at either end, it’s also the week to flag it — stairs and difficult access don’t cost extra with us, but telling the crew ahead makes the day faster.
The day before
- Defrost the fridge and freezer — prop the door open with a tea towel so it dries out
- Pack an essentials box per person: chargers, toiletries, a change of clothes, medications, the kettle and two mugs
- Confirm the arrival window and the parking at both ends
- Charge everything — the power is off at both places at some point on the day
- Early night — move day starts at 7am for most crews
Move day
The crew arrives in a 30-minute window we confirm the evening before. Walk them through both homes, point out anything fragile or valuable, and keep kids and pets clear of the load path. Do a final sweep — every cupboard, the balcony, the letterbox, under every bed — before you sign off.
One rule that saves bonds: hand back your rental keys after the end-of-lease clean, not on move day. Book the move for the day before the lease ends and the clean for the last day, so you’re not rushing the handover.
The short version
If you only remember three things: declutter early (it’s the biggest saving), book the removalist, the strata lift and the internet three to six weeks out (they book out and can’t be rushed), and do your change-of-address admin two weeks out (before the fortnight disappears). Everything else has room to move.
When you’re ready, get a quote in under a minute — book the date early, work back through this timeline, and move day becomes the easy part.