Moving house is exciting. A new street, a new layout, maybe even a new suburb.
But between the boxes and the bills, your budget can take a hit fast.
Here’s the good news. A few smart decisions before your movers arrive can shave real dollars off your final bill, without you lifting a single sofa yourself.
We’ve helped Perth homeowners move over 15,000 times, and we’ve seen exactly what makes a move quick and affordable, and what makes it drag on (and cost more).
In this guide, you’ll find seven practical, no-nonsense tips you can start using today. Some take five minutes. Others take an afternoon. All of them help keep more money in your pocket.
Let’s get into it.
1. Pack Your Items Properly
This is the one tip most people underestimate, and it’s often the easiest to fix.
When boxes are packed properly, your movers can lift, stack, and load them quickly. When they’re not, everything slows down. Because most removalists charge by the hour, slower loading means a bigger bill.
So what does “packed properly” actually look like?
- Box and stack items neatly, so nothing shifts or spills mid-move
- Avoid overpacking boxes , an overloaded box risks damage, and it risks delay
- Label every carton clearly, ideally by room
This last point matters more than you’d think. When your movers know a box belongs in the kitchen, not the spare room, they can place it straight away instead of asking you or guessing. Multiply it by every box in your house and you’ll see how much time it saves.
2. Move During the Week
Here’s a simple truth about the removal industry: weekends are busy, and busy days cost more.
Because so many people want to move on a Saturday, weekday moves are often more affordable. If you can take a day off work, even one, you could save more than the cost of a day’s leave.
Imagine trading a Tuesday at your desk for a cheaper, quieter moving day with less traffic and more parking outside your new place. For a lot of homeowners, it’s well worth it.
3. Disassemble Furniture and Unplug Appliances
Your movers are fast. But dismantling a bed frame or draining excess water from a washing machine adds time onto your move.
Wherever it’s safe to do so, take apart larger furniture and prepare your appliances before your team arrives. Think bed frames, wardrobes and dining tables, plus unplugging and draining anything like a washing machine or fridge.
It sounds like extra work upfront, and it is, but it’s work you control, on your own time, for free. Compare it to paying an hourly rate for the same job.
4. Clear Your Halls and Doorways
Before moving day, walk through your home the way your removalists will.
Are the hallways clear? Can a couch fit through the doorway without squeezing past shoes, boxes or furniture still waiting to be moved? Clearing a path might seem like a small thing, but it makes a real difference.
Because when the route is clear, your movers can carry large items straight through, quickly and safely. When it’s not, every trip takes longer.
5. Declutter Before You Pack
Here’s a question worth asking before you pack a single box: do you actually want to move this?
Every item you take with you adds time, weight and boxes to your move. Because most removal costs are based on time (not distance alone), fewer items almost always means a smaller bill.
Before your move, go room by room and set aside anything you no longer need. Old clothes, broken appliances, furniture too big for your new space. Sell it, donate it or bin it, and let your movers focus on what matters.
We’ll explain more on how this affects your quote in the next section.
6. Get an Accurate, Obligation-Free Quote Upfront
Surprise costs are one of the most stressful parts of any move. So the earlier you get a clear picture of what your move will actually cost, the more control you have over your budget.
A good removalist will walk you through pricing before moving day, not after. At Fox Removals, our quotes are transparent and fixed, with no hidden fees, so you know exactly what you’re paying for.
Because pricing is based on crew size and time, it also pays to ask what size team your move actually needs. A two-person crew suits many smaller homes. Larger homes, or moves with bulky items like pianos or pool tables, may need three. Getting this right from the start means you’re not paying for more (or less) than the job requires.
7. Book Early, Especially Outside Peak Times
Moving season in Perth tends to follow a pattern: end of month, and warmer months, get booked out fastest.
If your moving date is flexible, booking early gives you more choice, and sometimes better rates. It also means less stress, because your date is locked in well before boxes start piling up in the hallway.
The Bottom Line
Moving house will always come with a price tag. But how much you pay often comes down to a handful of decisions you make before your removalists even knock on the door.
Pack smart. Move on a weekday if you can. Take apart what you can, clear the path, declutter what you don’t need and get your quote sorted early. None of these steps take a professional to complete, only a little planning.
This is the difference between an overpriced move and a well-planned one.
Ready to put these tips into practice? Get an obligation-free quote from Fox Removals and let our experienced, in-house team handle the heavy lifting safely and efficiently, and without any surprises.