Moving House in Australia? Why Your Suburb Changes Everything
Most people think a house move is about boxes, tape and booking a truck.
In reality, your postcode decides half of what your moving day looks like.
A high-rise in Southbank moves very differently to a family home in Tarneit. A narrow terrace in inner-west Sydney is nothing like a new estate outside Brisbane. Same city, completely different moving plan.
If you’re getting ready to move, or even just thinking about it, it’s worth understanding how much your suburb shapes the day. It can save you money, stress, and a few arguments in the driveway.
Same city, three very different moves
Let’s start with a simple picture.
- You’re in a CBD apartment with a lift, loading dock and strict building rules.
- Your friend lives in a leafy inner suburb with tight parking and terrace houses.
- Your cousin has a new build in an outer estate with a wide street and long driveway.
All three are “moving house in Melbourne” (or Sydney, or Brisbane). But removalists won’t treat them the same, and neither should you.
That’s where suburb-specific planning comes in.
Inner-city apartments: lifts, loading docks and time limits
If you live in a high-rise, you already know the building has its own personality.
Most towers in areas like Melbourne CBD, Southbank, Brisbane CBD or inner Sydney will expect you to:
- Book the lift for moving day – often days in advance
- Use a service lift, not the main one residents use
- Move only during set hours (for example: weekdays, no late nights, sometimes no Sundays)
- Protect common areas with blankets or covers
- Bring in removalists who can show public liability insurance
If you skip this and just roll up with a truck, two things usually happen:
- The concierge or building manager sends you away or makes you wait.
- Your removalists end up working around other residents, which takes much longer.
For apartment moves, your “moving day” actually begins two to three weeks earlier, when you email or call the building manager to ask:
- What days and times are allowed for moves?
- Do I need to pay a bond or deposit for the lift?
- Which entrance and lift should the removalists use?
- Where can the truck park, and for how long?
Get this wrong, and you’re paying a full crew to stand around while building rules catch up with you.
Parking and permits: the hidden trap in busy suburbs
In busy inner suburbs and city centres, you can’t assume the truck will “find a spot”.
Some councils offer temporary or reserved parking permits so you can legally take over a stretch of kerb for a few hours. In other places, you might need to work around clearways, loading zones and time limits.
- If your truck can’t park close to the entrance, small problems snowball:
- Every item has to be carried further
- The move takes longer than quoted
- You may be charged extra for time or long carries
- In the worst case, the truck ends up circling while you try to move cars
A simple check a week or two before moving day can make a big difference:
- Look up your local council’s website for parking or event permits
- Stand outside your building or home at the same time of day you plan to move and actually watch the parking pattern
- If you’re in a unit, ask neighbours or the building manager what people usually do on moving day
The goal is straight-forward: leave a safe, legal gap for the truck as close to your door as possible.
Leafy, narrow or heritage streets: charming, but not always easy
Older suburbs have character. They also have:
- Tight, one-way streets
- Cars parked on both sides
- Low trees, awnings and overhead wires
- Front steps instead of ramps
Big trucks sometimes can’t get right to the front door. Removalists may have to:
- Bring a smaller truck and do more trips
- Park around the corner and carry items further
- Use more trolleys and extra crew to keep the job moving
If you live in a terrace or heritage-style home, it helps to:
- Tell your removalists about narrow streets, stairs and small doorways
- Measure your larger furniture and check it against stairwells and hallways
- Move your own car and, where possible, ask neighbours if they can leave a space free
A few minutes of awkward conversation with a neighbour beats a whole day of awkward lifting.
New estates and outer suburbs: distance, driveways and detours
Out on the edges of Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney and other cities, you get:
- Wider streets
- Newer driveways
- Usually fewer parking rules
Sounds easier – and often it is. But new estates bring their own quirks:
- Long walking distances from where the truck can safely park to the front door
- Fresh landscaping you’d rather not drive over
- Street layouts that mean trucks need extra room to turn around or reverse
Here, the trick is to cut down how far items have to be carried:
- Clear your driveway of cars, bins and garden gear
- Show your movers exactly where you want them to park and walk from
- If the house is set back from the road, clear a straight, safe path
Outer-suburb moves are often smoother when the removalist knows in advance they’ll be dealing with long driveways or a lot of walking.
Strata and body corporate rules: same city, different buildings
Even within one suburb, two apartment buildings can have very different expectations.
Some body corporates will:
- Ask for insurance certificates from your removalist
- Only allow moves Monday to Friday during office hours
- Require a refundable bond to cover any damage to lifts or lobbies
- Have a strict process for booking loading docks
Others are more relaxed.
This is why a quick email that says, “Hi, I’m moving out on [date], what’s the proper process?” can save you a lot of back and forth later. Screenshot or print the reply so you have proof of what was agreed, in case staff change between booking and moving day.
The mistakes people keep repeating
Across all of these suburbs and building types, the same issues pop up:
Leaving building approvals to the last minute
You discover on Friday that moves aren’t allowed on Saturdays. Panic follows.
Hoping parking will sort itself out
The truck ends up 50 metres down the street, and the job runs long.
Not warning removalists about stairs or access
The quoted time was based on an easy entry, not four flights and a long carry.
Assuming big furniture will “somehow fit”
Oversized couches, fridges and wardrobes get stuck in stairwells and hallways.
None of these are about bad luck. They’re about missing suburb-specific details in the planning.
How to build a suburb-specific moving plan
You don’t need a complicated system. Just a simple way to match your move to your location.
Here’s a practical approach you can follow:
1. Walk your access route
Start at where the truck will park and walk to your front door, imagining you’re carrying a heavy box. Notice stairs, tight turns, gates, ramps and anything that might slow things down.
2. Check council rules
Search “[your council] parking permit removalists” or similar. If temporary permits are available, see how far in advance you need to apply and what it costs.
3. Talk to your building or property manager (if in a unit or apartment)
Ask about:
- Allowed moving days and hours
- Lift or loading dock bookings
- Any fees, bonds or forms
- Insurance requirements for removalists
4. Tell your removalist everything
When you ask for a quote, mention:
- Suburb and type of property (apartment / townhouse / house)
- Stairs, lifts or long walks
- Street width and parking limits
- Any building rules or time windows
A good moving company will use this information to send the right truck size, crew and equipment. It also means the quote they give you has a better chance of matching the final bill.
Why Big Stuff Movers built a suburb-wise House Moving Checklist
At Big Stuff Movers, we’ve seen all three types of moves, often in the same week:
- A high-rise in the city with a booked lift and strict time window
- A terrace on a narrow street where we had to shuffle cars before we could start
- A new estate home with plenty of space but a very long carry from the truck
What we noticed over time is that most people are not lazy or disorganised. They simply don’t know what they’re supposed to ask about their suburb, council or building.
So we pulled together our experience into a House Moving Checklist that is laid out with suburb-specific thinking in mind. It doesn’t just say “book a mover” and “pack your boxes”. It prompts you to:
- Think about access and parking on both ends
- Check building and body corporate rules before setting a date
- Consider truck size, stairs, lifts and long carries
- Plan around your suburb’s real-world layout, not just your street address
If you’re planning a move anywhere in Australia – whether you’re leaving a city apartment or a house in the outer suburbs – a suburb-wise checklist keeps you ahead of the problems that usually appear on the day.
You can’t redesign your street or change the rules in your building, but you can plan around them. That’s exactly what the House Moving Checklist is built to help you do, step by step, before the truck even arrives.