Moving from Sydney to Canberra Help/Tips

Hi everyone, I'm moving from Sydney to Canberra this August and I need a bit of help as I've never moved interstate.

  1. I'm looking for a moving company. I kinda can't pick anyone good right now. I can't tell from facebook marketplace or online which company is good. Could you recommend me one?

  2. I'm looking for a good suburb to live in Canberra, preferrably close to IP Australia. Anyone got any recommendation for good suburb to live in?

  3. Any tips for moving? Like should I try to get the house key at Canberra on the same day as truck arrival there so that I can get my stuff in on the first night without having to sleep on the floor. I guess I have to be here in Sydney for the truck and hand off my key to current landlord, so I can't be waiting at Canberra. I will need to arrive in Canberra and get my key first, the truck's gonna be waiting for me there. How does it work? Can we actually ask the truck to arrive tomorrow after pick up or something? How do people do this? I have no idea.

  4. Would you recommend selling all my stuff here and buy at Canberra or move them to Canberra? I got washing machine, fridge, couch and bed, simple home stuff.

Thanks in advance. Appreciate any tip.

Comments

  • +1
    1. Good luck
    2. Where is IP Australia. Can’t recommend suburbs without knowing where it is.
    3. Arrange you delivery for when you can get in. Otherwise they’ll unload on the footpath and you’ll have to get it inside yourself. Talk to the mover. How are you getting there? You could drive there a bit quicker than the truck - they need rest stops.
    4. Hassle with selling and rebuying vs having to move it. You choose.
  • +1
    1. Syd-Can is a pretty short move compared to other inter-capital moves. I reckon keep your stuff unless you wanted to get rid of / exchange it anyway.
  • +1

    For suburb, anywhere in the Woden Valley will be close, and you'll probably be able to cycle to work. Or Weston Creek. I personally don't think much of Weston Creek but many people like the area and there are a lot of brand new houses and apartments. Woden and Weston Creek will be a little bit expensive. If you want something cheaper look at Tuggeranong area. You may not want to cycle from there unless you're really keen but there are buses and it isn't far too drive (10-20 minutes depending how far south you go). The more south you go the cheaper though may be more expensive right near the Tuggeranong city centre. Don't bother looking north of woden as the closer you get to the lake and the city centre the more expensive it gets. Wouldn't get cheaper again until you're a decent distance away from work.

    Good luck!

  • +1

    Make sure you've got some warm clothes. I used to occasionally pop into Canberra branch and it was nippy in winter.

  • +3

    I think your biggest issue will be securing a rental first. Once you have that, then organise the logistics around that.

    Good luck with the moving company being precise on their pickup and delivery times. Unless you have an absolute buttload of stuff, maybe consider hiring a rental truck and getting friends and family to help you load it up and pay some people down here in Canberra to help you unload.

    • Pretty much, Canberra does have the tightest rental vacancy rate in the country. Who in their right mind would pay $700 for a house in Tuggers or almost $1k in Mawson?

  • +1
    1. Find one with good reviews and then get a quote once you have figured out 2. & 3.

    2. The suburbs around IP Australia in Philip are decent, and you could live close and cycle / walk / bus to work. If you move further South towards Tuggeranong it gets cheaper, towards Lake Burley Griffin it becomes more expensive / upper class - I like Manuka / Kingston / Barton.

    3. Canberra is close enough to Sydney to organise a rental before you move down - go on a house-hunting trip for a weekend to familiarise yourself with the area and then put in applications for places you like. Once you have secured a place and completed step 1. you can talk about the moving arrangements.
      Since Canberra is quite close you could move out in Sydney in the morning and take the keys in Canberra the same afternoon. Alternatively, give yourself some time in between and stay with friends / do a road trip to Canberra or get a Hotel. For moves within the same city movers usually deliver straight away - don't expect this to be the case for Sydney to Canberra (not saying it is impossible though).

    4. Compare the price and hassle of selling and repurchasing with what you would save over the moving cost and if you want new furniture etc. in general

  • +1

    I made a similar move in March 2021. It was hectic but worth it, Canberra is a beautiful city!

    1. I found a moving and end of lease cleaning company using Oneflare. The removalists were really good and made the process super easy for us - https://www.oneflare.com.au/b/softmove-pty-ltd

    2. I work near IP Australia and I live in the north side, in Belconnen. It takes me about 40 mins using Public bus. If you are driving to work you really don't need to live close as traffic isn't bad and everything is nearby (compared to Sydney)

    3. You can ask the removalist to wait until you arrive as they take 30 min to 1 hr more for the trip anyway. Or you can employ an airtasker to collect your keys in Canberra and let the removalist in to set things up. Then you can arrive 1/2 hours later, check everything and pay the removalist.

    4. Moving will cost about 1000-1200 for a 1 bed apartment. You can possibly sell everything on FB marketplace and buy new ones with free delivery but it was too much hassle for me, so I just moved with everything I had.

  • +1

    In Canberra, it's easy to travel anywhere except Tuggeranong, which is like other side of the world (cheap for reason).
    Public transport is hopeless unless you live along the tram. Try Allhomes.com.au for properties.
    Parking is expensive.
    Most government places would pay for relocation cost.

  • Thanks everyone for your great tips! Really appreciate it

  • Try the Blue Mexican, I haven't used them myself but if their truck drivers aren't d-heads on the Hume, I'm sure their service can't be that bad?

    If you're going to work in Philip then Woden/Weston will be the closest. Even if you wander into the less desirable areas like Kambah or Wanniassa on the Tuggeranong side, it's still $700 a week. It's nuts down here at the moment so you might as well spend a little more.

Login or Join to leave a comment