Moving House Checklist for Australia

Moving house in Australia involves a handful of genuinely separate tracks — removalists, utilities, bond/lease, insurance, and admin — that are easy to leave until they collide in the same final week. Here's the big picture, in roughly the order it actually needs doing.

6-8 weeks before

• Start getting removalist quotes, especially if you're moving interstate — long-haul routes run on schedules and book out well ahead. See our guide on removalist costs.
• If you're renting, give notice according to your lease terms.
• Start researching your new area — electricity market rules, council services, and school zones all vary by state and even by council.

3-4 weeks before

• Book your removalist once quotes are compared.
• Arrange your electricity, gas, and internet connection for the new address — see our guide on connecting utilities when you move, since the process (and whether you can even switch retailer) depends on which state you're moving to.
• Set up Australia Post mail redirection, timed to start on your actual move date.
• Start decluttering and packing non-essentials — see our room-by-room packing checklist.

1-2 weeks before

• Confirm your removalist booking and access arrangements at both properties.
• Update your address with myGov, the AEC, and Centrelink if relevant — see our full change-of-address checklist for the complete list and legal deadlines.
• Book pet transport if you're flying an animal interstate, since airline cargo capacity is limited — see our guide on moving with pets.
• Confirm your new home or contents insurance starts on the right day.

Moving week

• Finish packing everything except daily essentials.
• Do your final clean if you're leaving a rental, and take dated photos before you hand back the keys — see our guide on end-of-lease cleaning and bond.
• Pack an open-first box with essentials for the first night.
• Keep pets contained and away from open doors on moving day itself.

After you've moved

• Update your driver's licence and vehicle registration with your new state's transport authority if you've moved interstate — this one has real, state-specific deadlines. See our guide on moving interstate.
• Register with a new GP, and enrol children at a new school if needed.
• Do a final sweep a month later for anything still going to your old address.

Common mistakes

• Leaving the electricity/internet connection until the final week, when a technician visit (if needed) often can't be booked in time.
• Treating vehicle registration and driver's licence as a "get to it eventually" task after an interstate move — several states have deadlines as short as two weeks.
• Assuming the same checklist applies regardless of state — bond authorities, electricity markets, and registration deadlines are genuinely different depending on where you're moving to and from.

This is a general overview — see the linked guides above for the full detail on each stage, and check your own lease, insurer, and state authority for anything specific to your situation.