Cheapest way to move house

Here’s what the numbers actually show:

• Local move hourly rates: $120-$200/hr for two movers and a truck (multiple sources confirm)

• Up to $250-$300/hr for larger crews (confirmed by multiple sources)

• Interstate one-bedroom: $1,200-$2,500 (confirmed by Best Rated Transport)

• Weekend premiums: 10-30% more (confirmed)

• Backloading saves 30-50% (confirmed)

• Stair fees, access fees, etc. (confirmed)

Here’s the full breakdown.

Hiring a removalist to help with moving house sounds straightforward until you see the bill. Removalist rates in Australia range from $111 to $200 per hour for a standard two-person team and truck, and a large family home with four or more bedrooms can run $300 per hour with five movers. Planning an interstate move? A one-bedroom apartment costs around $1,200 to $2,500 to move interstate. For a three-bedroom house, you’re looking at several thousand more.

But here’s what those numbers don’t account for: a growing number of Australians don’t need a truck and a team of lifters. They’re renters in apartments or share houses. Students finishing a semester. Young professionals flying interstate for a new job. Their entire life fits into 10, 15, maybe 20 boxes. No piano. No wardrobe to disassemble. No dining table.

If that sounds like you, there’s an alternative most people overlook entirely: packing your belongings into boxes and shipping them via a tracked parcel courier, door to door. With rates starting from $4.90 per box up to 25 kg through Aeros Couriers, you can send a box interstate for roughly the cost of a takeaway coffee. This article walks through how it works, who it suits, how to pack properly, and how to book – so you can figure out whether a courier move could save you hundreds (or thousands) on your next move.

• Removalists charge $120 to $200+ per hour – and that’s before weekend premiums, stair fees, and minimum hour charges push the total higher than expected.

• If your belongings fit into boxes, you’re overpaying for a truck – courier shipping starts from $4.90 per box (up to 25 kg) and includes door-to-door tracking.

• This approach suits renters, students, and anyone flying interstate – you send boxes ahead, arrive lighter, and skip the truck entirely.

• Good packing is the key to a smooth courier move – heaviest items at the bottom, gaps filled to stop shifting, and every box clearly labelled with the delivery address.

• Insurance is included at no extra cost – Aeros covers up to $500 per consignment, whereas removalist insurance is often an add-on you pay extra for.

• Reward points reduce your costs over time – every dollar spent on shipping earns points redeemable against future bookings.

Why removalists cost more than most people expect

Removalist quotes can feel like reading the fine print on a phone plan. The advertised hourly rate is only the starting point – what you pay depends on a stack of variables that aren’t always obvious upfront.

How removalist pricing works

Most removalist companies price their services by the hour for local moves, with a two-person team and truck typically running $120 to $200 per hour and a minimum charge of two to three hours applying regardless of how quick the job is. That minimum is the part that catches people off guard. If your studio apartment takes 90 minutes to clear, you’re still paying for two or three full hours.

Need a third mover for heavy furniture or awkward stairwells? Three movers cost $140 to $250 per hour. A large four-bedroom home with five movers can hit $300 per hour and take seven to nine hours. And for interstate moves, most removalists charge a flat rate based on volume, distance, and route rather than hourly, which means the pricing formula changes entirely depending on how much space your stuff takes up in the truck.

The hidden cost multipliers

The base rate rarely tells the full story. Stairs, narrow hallways, long driveways, and lack of parking all add time and cost. Most removalists charge $50 to $80 per flight of stairs – so if you’re on the third floor of a walk-up, that’s an extra $150 to $240 just for stair access.

Then there’s timing. Weekend and holiday moves cost 20 to 30% more, and prices increase around peak seasons like school holidays and the December/January period because of higher demand. End of financial year is another spike. Fuel levies ranging from 5% to 12% of the total bill are added by some companies, and with fuel prices bouncing around in 2026, this fee can swing your cost by $30 to $80.

What about backloading?

Backloading – sharing truck space with other moves going the same direction – can save 30 to 50% on interstate moves, but dates are less flexible. The only catch is you need flexible dates because the truck is already on a schedule. If you can wait, it’s a legitimate way to reduce the bill. But if your settlement date is locked in and your new lease starts on a specific day, backloading can become a stressful gamble.

All of this circles back to one question: if your move is mostly boxes – clothes, books, kitchenware, electronics – why are you paying for a truck and a crew of lifters you don’t need?

When shipping your boxes via courier makes sense

Sending parcels instead of booking a removalist isn’t for everyone. But for the right person, it cuts the cost of moving house by an order of magnitude.

The ideal profile

You’re a good fit for a courier move if you’re a renter in an apartment or share house with limited furniture. Students leaving campus housing, professionals relocating interstate who plan to fly rather than drive, and anyone selling or leaving behind large furniture before moving all fall into this group. The practical test is simple: if your belongings can fit into standard moving boxes, a courier can move them for you.

This approach works especially well for staggered moves. You can send boxes ahead before settlement day, fly or drive with just a suitcase, and unpack at your own pace once you arrive. No coordinating truck access on both ends. No rush to unload before the meter runs out.

Courier move vs. removalist – which one fits your situation?

Use this table to figure out which approach makes sense for your move.

The sweet spot for courier shipping is the move where 80% to 100% of what you own can go into a box. If you’re keeping a bed frame, a fridge, and a couch, you’ll still need a removalist for those items – but you can still send every box via courier and shrink the removalist job to a one-hour furniture-only run.

How much does it actually cost to ship boxes when moving house

This is where the numbers get interesting. Removalists charge for truck space, labour hours, and travel time. Courier pricing is built around individual parcels, which means you only pay for what you send.

Real pricing breakdown

Aeros Couriers rates start from $4.90 to send a box up to 25 kg. A standard 1 kg parcel from Sydney to Melbourne ranges from around $7.46 upwards depending on the speed of service you choose. The exact price for each box depends on a few factors: parcel weight and dimensions, delivery zone (metro vs. regional), service speed (standard road vs. express), and whether you want door-to-door or depot collection.

All prices are shown upfront before you commit, displayed ex GST with no hidden fees. There’s no need to call for a quote or wait for an email – you get an instant number on screen.

Sample shipping costs for a typical one-bedroom move

This table gives you a rough idea of what a box-by-box courier move looks like in practice.

A one-bedroom move might total 10 to 15 boxes. At an average of $10 to $15 per box, you’re looking at $100 to $225 for the whole move. Compare that to the $1,200 to $2,500 an interstate removalist charges for the same one-bedroom apartment.

Insurance is included

Aeros includes insurance up to $500 per consignment at no extra cost. That’s a meaningful difference from removalists, where insurance is recommended as most removalist companies include only basic coverage, and it usually only protects goods while inside the moving vehicle. With courier shipping, your items are covered from pickup to delivery without paying for an insurance add-on.

Reward points that reduce future costs

Every dollar spent on shipping with Aeros earns reward points redeemable against future bookings. If you’re doing a staggered move over a couple of weeks, or you’re likely to send parcels again in the future, those points stack up and lower your effective cost over time.

What courier shipping doesn’t cover well

To be upfront: courier shipping is not a replacement for a removalist if you have large, assembled furniture. Items that exceed the courier’s maximum dimensions, anything requiring disassembly, and very heavy single items like a washing machine or sofa won’t work. This is a box-and-parcel solution. For everything that fits in a box, it’s hard to beat on price.

How to pack your boxes the right way for courier shipping

Boxes sent via courier travel through more handling touchpoints than items loaded onto a removalist’s truck and driven door to door. Your boxes will be sorted, scanned, and transferred between vehicles. Good packing isn’t optional – it’s the difference between everything arriving intact and a cracked plate at the bottom of a box.

Weight distribution

Put the heaviest items at the bottom of each box and lighter items on top. No single box should exceed the courier’s weight limit – with Aeros, that’s 25 kg per box. Books are the classic trap here. A large box full of hardcovers will blow past 25 kg fast. Use small boxes for books and split heavy items across multiple boxes rather than cramming them into one.

Internal packing

Every gap inside a box is space for items to shift, collide, and break. Fill voids with clothing, towels, bubble wrap, or packing paper. Wrap fragile items individually – plates should be wrapped and stood vertically (not stacked flat), glasses should be wrapped and nestled into soft material.

The shake test is your best friend: pick up the sealed box and give it a firm shake. If you hear anything moving, open it and repack. If it’s silent, you’re good to go.

Box labelling

Every box needs the full delivery address written clearly on the top and at least one side. Add your return address in case of any delivery issues. Mark “Fragile” on boxes containing breakable items – and mean it when you do. Overusing fragile labels reduces their effectiveness, so save them for boxes that genuinely need careful handling.

What to keep with you

Some things shouldn’t go in a courier box. Valuables like jewellery and cash, important documents (passport, lease, ID), daily medication, and anything you’ll need in the first 24 hours at your new place should travel with you. Ship everything else ahead and you’ll arrive with nothing to carry but a suitcase.

Where to source boxes cheaply

Liquor stores, supermarkets, and bookstores often have sturdy boxes they’re happy to give away. Wine carton boxes with dividers are especially good for glassware. If you want uniform sizes that stack well, you can buy purpose-made moving boxes from most hardware stores or packaging suppliers. A set of 20 boxes typically costs between $40 and $80 – still a tiny fraction of a removalist bill.

How to book and track your shipment with Aeros Couriers

Once your boxes are packed, the booking process takes a few minutes.

Getting a quote and booking

Head to the Aeros website and get an instant quote online. You don’t need to create an account. Enter your box dimensions and weight, the destination postcode, and choose your preferred service speed. Pricing appears on screen before you commit to anything – what you see is what you pay (all prices displayed ex GST).

If you have multiple boxes, you can quote and book each one individually or look into the business account option. Business accounts unlock reduced rates and priority handling, which makes them worth considering if you’re shipping 10 or more boxes in a single move or planning a staggered move over several weeks.

Tracking your shipment

Once your boxes are picked up, active parcel monitoring lets you follow each one from collection to delivery. You’ll know where your belongings are at every stage – no guessing, no waiting for a removalist to call you back with an update. This is especially useful for interstate moves where transit takes a few days and you want confirmation that everything is progressing.

If you’re not home for delivery

The first redelivery attempt is free with Aeros if the recipient isn’t home. That’s a meaningful saving compared to other courier services that charge redelivery fees from the first missed attempt. If you’re coordinating arrival dates and there’s a chance you won’t be at the new address when a box arrives, this gives you a buffer without an extra cost.

The bottom line

Moving house doesn’t have to mean booking a truck you’ll only half fill and paying for labour hours you don’t need. If your belongings can fit into boxes – and for a lot of renters, students, and solo movers, they absolutely can – shipping them via a tracked courier service is cheaper, simpler, and more flexible than a traditional removalist.

Aeros Couriers rates start from $4.90 per box up to 25 kg, every shipment includes insurance up to $500, and you can track each box from pickup to delivery. For a one-bedroom move that might cost $1,200 or more with a removalist, you could ship the same belongings for under $250.

Pack your boxes well, label them clearly, keep your valuables with you, and send everything else ahead. You’ll arrive at your new place lighter, less stressed, and with a lot more money left in your pocket.

FAQ

How much does it cost to move house using a courier service?

With Aeros Couriers, rates start from $4.90 per box up to 25 kg. Your total cost depends on the number of boxes, the weight of each one, and the distance between pickup and delivery postcodes. A typical one-bedroom move of 10 to 15 boxes might cost between $100 and $225 shipped via courier – a fraction of what a removalist charges for the same job.

Can you really move house by sending parcels?

Yes, and it works well for renters, students, and anyone whose belongings are mostly clothes, books, kitchenware, and small appliances. If it fits in a box, you can send it via parcel courier. Large furniture like sofas, beds, and fridges still needs a removalist, but stripping the job down to furniture-only items can save significant money on the overall move.

How do I pack boxes for courier shipping when moving house?

Keep each box under 25 kg (the Aeros limit). Place heavy items at the bottom and fill all gaps with clothing, bubble wrap, or packing paper so nothing shifts in transit. Write the full delivery address on the top and side of each box, add your return address, and mark fragile boxes clearly. Do the shake test before sealing – if it rattles, repack.

How long does it take for boxes to arrive when moving house via courier?

Metro-to-metro deliveries typically take one to five business days depending on the service speed you select at booking. Express options are available for tighter timelines if you need boxes to arrive faster. Regional and remote destinations may take slightly longer, and the estimated transit time is shown during the quoting process before you book.

Is my stuff insured when I send boxes via courier instead of using a removalist?

Aeros includes insurance up to $500 per consignment at no extra charge. This covers loss or damage during transit. If you’re shipping higher-value items and want additional coverage beyond the $500 standard inclusion, you can arrange supplementary cover at the time of booking. By contrast, many removalists offer only basic coverage as standard and charge extra for full transit insurance.