Brisbane house removalists, room by room

Every house move has two inventories. One is your furniture. The other is the house itself: the front stairs, the hallway turns, the slope of the driveway and the distance from the door to the truck. As house removalists in Brisbane, we plan around both, because the second one decides how long the day takes.

Brisbane is still a city of houses. In the 2021 Census, separate houses made up 62.6 per cent of occupied private dwellings in the City of Brisbane, and townhouses and semi-detached homes another 11.3 per cent. Many are Queenslanders: high-set timber homes with verandahs and a staircase to the front door, a style that sets Brisbane's suburbs apart from other capital cities. Alongside them are brick homes, split-level houses on sloping blocks and townhouse complexes, each with its own way in and out.

Brisbane Moving Company is based in Slacks Creek and moves households across Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Logan, Ipswich, Redlands and Moreton Bay. Our crews wrap, load and place your furniture with care, and we tell you what the move will cost before you book.

If you value a careful, well-organised crew over the lowest number on a quote, we are built for you.

Not every household needs the same help. Most house moves fit one of three shapes, and you can change your mind as the plan firms up.

Moving only

You pack and label the cartons; we do the heavy work. Our crew dismantles beds and larger pieces where needed, wraps furniture in quilted blankets and stretch wrap, loads the truck, then delivers and places everything in the room you choose. Basic reassembly is included. This suits organised households with time to pack in the weeks before.

Packing and moving

Our packing team packs the whole house, or just the rooms you would rather not tackle: usually the kitchen, glassware, books and anything fragile. Packing can be scheduled ahead of moving day, so the truck is loaded from a house that is ready to go.

Packing, moving and unpacking

The most complete option. We pack, move, then unpack cartons into the rooms you nominate, assemble basic furniture and take the used cartons and packing materials away. It suits families on a tight timeline and professionals who would rather spend the weekend settling in than unwrapping plates.

Whichever you choose, the scope and the charges are written into your quote before you book, so the crew arrives knowing exactly what the job includes.

A Queenslander rewards a careful crew. The front staircase is often the only way in for large furniture, the verandah has to be crossed before you reach the hallway, and doorways in older homes can be narrower than modern furniture expects. Add a sloping block and the walk from the front door to the truck can be the longest part of every trip.

Here is how we plan for it:

• Measure the tight spots. Tell us about narrow halls, tight stair turns and small doorways, and measure your largest pieces. A sofa that came in through the back stairs may need to leave the same way.
• Dismantle before it binds. Bed frames, dining tables and modular pieces come apart before they are carried, rather than being forced around a corner.
• Match the crew to the carry. Our standard crew is two to three movers, with more available. A long carry or a steep driveway can justify an extra pair of hands, so the truck is loaded faster and more safely.
• Plan the truck position. Where the truck can stand matters on a narrow street or a steep drive. If the truck cannot use your driveway, an inaccessible-driveway charge applies, and we confirm it at quoting rather than on the day.
• Flag the heavy pieces. Items over 90kg, such as solid timber sideboards, marble-topped tables and gym equipment, are assessed individually. Pianos are moved as a piano removal, subject to an access assessment.

Moving out of a high-set house? Clear the space under the house early. Bikes, tools and outdoor furniture stored underneath can easily add a load that nobody counted.

Furniture is most at risk at three moments: going through a doorway, going up the ramp and riding in the truck. Our crews wrap and secure every piece with equipment that is included in the hourly rate at no extra charge:

• Quilted moving blankets and furniture pads for timber, glass and upholstery
• Large stretch wrap to hold doors and drawers closed and keep fabric clean
• Flat dollies and hand trolleys for whitegoods, cabinets and stacked cartons
• Ratchet straps to hold the load still in transit
• Bubble wrap and dish packing paper on request
• Tools for basic dismantling and reassembly

Appliances are moved for $48 including GST per item. Empty, defrost and dry fridges and freezers before moving day, and check your washing machine's manual for transit bolts. Anything plumbed in or hard-wired, such as a fridge with a water line or a built-in oven, needs a licensed plumber or electrician to disconnect it first. Licensed trade work is not part of our service.

Some things should travel with you, not on the truck: passports, jewellery, cash, medication, laptops and the keys to both homes. We also do not move hazardous goods, so gas bottles, fuel, chemicals and other flammables need to be used up or disposed of before the day.

The right date is the one that leaves room for something to run late. A few local factors are worth weighing up.

• Storm season. Severe thunderstorm activity in Queensland typically peaks between October and December. If you are moving in late spring or summer, have a covered place to stage cartons, such as a garage or the space under the house, and keep old towels handy at the new place.
• Heat and humidity. Brisbane has a humid subtropical climate. On summer moves, an early start is easier on everyone, and anything going into storage should be completely dry before it is packed.
• Weekends and public holidays. Weekend and public holiday moves are available, subject to availability, and any additional charges are confirmed before you book.
• Tight deadlines. Settlement or a lease end on short notice? We take urgent and last-minute moves, subject to availability.

Renting? In Queensland, the exit condition report (Form 14a) is completed after you have removed your belongings and cleaned, then compared with the entry condition report. The Residential Tenancies Authority also recommends taking photos. Leave enough time between the truck leaving and the keys going back to do both properly.

House removals are charged by the hour, with the numbers on the table from the start. Our hourly rates are $125 to $169 per hour + GST, depending on the type of move and truck size, for a moving truck, two professional movers and all standard equipment. Additional movers and larger trucks are available for bigger homes, with the charges confirmed before booking.

Travel is charged depot-to-depot or as a call-out fee, depending on the job and location. These items carry $48 including GST each where they apply:

• Appliances, per item
• Heavy items over 90kg, per item
• Apartment stairs, per flight
• Each additional pick-up or drop-off location
• Each extra trip between loading and unloading
• A driveway the truck cannot access
• Hoisting, per item

Piano relocation is $149 including GST, subject to an access assessment. Parking and permit costs are passed on where they apply, and waiting time is chargeable if delivery cannot be completed in a timely manner, for example when the keys to the new home are not yet available. A deposit secures your date and the balance is due on completion. Every line is on our pricing page.

How to keep the hours down

Because you pay for time, preparation pays for itself. Have every carton packed, taped and labelled before the crew arrives. Strip the beds and empty the drawers of fragile furniture. Keep a clear path from each room to the front door, and reserve a space for the truck as close to the entrance as you can. Decide in advance what is not coming, so no one carries it out and back in again.

A move is the right time to let things go, because everything you leave behind is something you do not pay to carry. Work through the garage, the shed and the space under the house a few weeks out, then decide where each thing goes.

• Disposal. Our junk removal service collects old furniture, mattresses, appliances and household clutter. You pay for the time involved plus a disposal fee based on actual weight and type, from a minimum of $95 including GST. Recyclable items go to recycling facilities where practical.
• Storage. Furniture that will not fit the new place yet can go into a storage unit. We handle storage pick-ups and deliveries, so it can come out again when you are ready.
• Single items. Passing a dining table to family, or collecting a new sofa? Our furniture removals service covers single items and small moves.

Downsizing from a family home to an apartment or townhouse? Measure the new rooms before you decide what to keep; a floor plan with your largest pieces sketched in shows quickly what will fit. Our apartment removals page covers lifts, loading docks and building rules if your next home has them.

Whether you are moving a few streets within Bulimba or across the river from Hawthorne to St Lucia, a local move gets the same planning as a long one. Our suburb guides for areas such as Ascot, Paddington and Clayfield cover the local access details.

We also move households between Brisbane and the Gold Coast in both directions, and across Logan, Ipswich, Redlands and Moreton Bay. Heading further? See long-distance removals for regional Queensland, or interstate removals for a move to another state.

When you request a quote, our sales team aims to call you back within five minutes during business hours (8am to 6pm, Monday to Saturday). For an accurate quote, have both addresses ready with the type of home and any stairs, your preferred date, a room-by-room list of large items, an approximate carton count and anything heavy, fragile or awkward. Tell us if you want packing, unpacking or junk removal, and we will build it into one plan.

Local removalists in Brisbane, suburb to suburb

Plenty of house moves never leave the city: a unit in New Farm to a family home in Wilston, or a Queenslander in Bardon to a townhouse across the river. As local removalists in Brisbane, we plan these with the same care as a long journey, because on a short move most of the day is spent at the two addresses, not on the road.

If your move crosses the river, remember that not every bridge takes a truck. The Eleanor Schonell Bridge between St Lucia and Dutton Park carries only buses, pedestrians and bicycles. Our northside and southside guides cover the suburbs on each bank.

Our local movers work on the same hourly basis as every house move. Comparing Brisbane movers? Check what the hourly rate includes, not just the rate. Ours covers blankets, pads, trolleys, straps, stretch wrap and basic dismantling and reassembly, with any extras confirmed before you book.