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Moving Mistakes Australians Make

Table of Contents

Moving Mistakes Australians Make During Migration Uptick

Why More Australians Are Moving in 2025

Lifestyle Migration Is at an All-Time High

The post-pandemic shift in how and where we live continues to gain momentum in 2025. More Australians—especially professionals aged 25 to 44—are on the move, driven by lifestyle goals, work flexibility, and soaring inner-city costs. In particular, regional migration trends have surged, with South East Queensland leading the charge.

But with this spike in movement comes a wave of poor planning. The number of avoidable relocation issues has also grown. In fact, many first-time or young movers underestimate the complexity of moving—and it shows. That’s why it’s important to highlight the most common moving mistakes Australians make so that you can avoid the stress, delays, and financial waste that come with them.

Top 5 Moving Mistakes Australians Make

It’s Not Just About Booking a Truck

As relocation rates rise, so too do the risks of getting things wrong. Here are the five most common pitfalls—and how to avoid them:

1. Underestimating Time
Far too many people leave packing or planning until the week—or day—before the move. This leads to rushed packing, damaged items, forgotten appointments, and high stress.

2. DIY Disaster Syndrome
Australians love a hands-on approach, but when it comes to moving heavy or fragile items, DIY often causes more harm than good. Breakages, injuries, and lost time are the usual results.

3. Choosing the Wrong Movers
Picking the cheapest quote without checking insurance, reviews, or timelines can lead to cancelled bookings, missed deadlines, or hidden charges.

4. Skipping Essential Prep
Not measuring access points, forgetting to notify utilities, or leaving out essentials in overnight bags all create avoidable day-of chaos.

5. Poor Packing Techniques
Flimsy boxes, unlabelled bags, and overpacked containers lead to broken valuables and slow unloading. Many moves run hours over schedule due to bad packing.

These are the kind of moving mistakes Australians make that can turn an exciting life chapter into a frustrating ordeal. But every one of them is avoidable—with the right support.

What Young Professionals Often Overlook

Short Notice + Big Expectations = Trouble

Many younger Australians, especially in the 25–44 bracket, are driving this migration wave—but also making the most mistakes. They’re tech-savvy, time-poor, and often relocating due to career shifts or lifestyle change. But short lead times and last-minute decisions don’t pair well with successful moves.

One of the biggest missteps? Believing a self-managed move will save money. In reality, the cost of hiring a van, buying boxes, taking time off work, and replacing broken items often outweighs the price of hiring professionals.

That’s where Brisbane Removalists can help. Our comprehensive packing and unpacking services ensure everything is packed securely, clearly labelled, and moved efficiently.

Moving mistakes Australians make article image of our qualified moving team

How Brisbane Removalists Helps You Avoid These Pitfalls

We’ve Seen Every Mistake—So You Don’t Have To Make Them

Whether you’re relocating within Brisbane or tackling a long-distance relocation in QLD, Brisbane Removalists has the experience and systems to keep your move on track.

We offer:

  • Full and partial packing and unpacking services using quality materials

  • Secure furniture storage for short or long-term periods

  • Flexible scheduling for weekend and short-notice moves

  • Trusted moving services regional Australia, covering areas like Gympie, Bundaberg, Ballina, and more

  • Furniture dismantling and reassembly so your move is seamless

Our team is trained to identify and solve moving issues before they arise. From access point checks to packing timelines, we take the stress out of the equation—so you can focus on settling into your new space.

Planning Ahead: A Smarter Way to Relocate

Take the Pressure Off with a Pro Checklist

Want to avoid last-minute chaos? Here’s what the smartest movers do:

  • Book their removalist 2–3 weeks in advance (especially in peak seasons)

  • Use a timeline-based checklist

  • Label boxes by room and priority

  • Schedule disconnects and reconnects with utilities at least one week prior

  • Choose a mover who offers packing, storage, and backup plans

These proactive steps eliminate the majority of moving mistakes Australians make—and if you’re working with Brisbane Removalists, we’ll help guide you through each one.

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Useful Resources to Help You Prepare

Know Before You Go

If you want to dive deeper into best practices for moving, take a look at our most-read support articles:

Both are packed with real-world advice to help you move smarter—not harder.

Learn from Others: Avoiding Common Moving Pitfalls

Insights from Experienced Movers

While we’ve discussed several common moving mistakes Australians make, it’s beneficial to explore additional perspectives to ensure a smooth relocation. An insightful resource is the article “Avoid these 5 common moving mistakes” by Find a Mover. This piece highlights frequent errors such as underestimating the time required for packing and neglecting to declutter before the move.

By understanding and addressing these common pitfalls, you can enhance your moving experience. Brisbane Removalists is here to support you every step of the way, offering professional packing and unpacking services, secure storage solutions, and expert advice to help you avoid the moving mistakes Australians.

More about us, your one-stop place to go for all your removalists needs & more

For more than a decade now, Brisbane Removalists, experts in moving homes, have offered a wide variety of services. These services which include furniture storage, have helped out many clients and just some of these clients wanted to have their say. You can read what they said on our Reviews page.

To find out how our transparent systems work view our video.

Below, is a list of many of our services we offer to help you with your moving, packing and storage needs.

In an effort to help out more

We love to help our clients with not just our professional and reliable services, but with all the helpful information we can.

If you decide when decluttering for your move that you just have way too much stuff, consider donating through a registered charity. 

So in that spirit, here are a few links to some recognised charities.

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Read Our Reviews

Excellent
Brisbane Removalists4.7
Based on 783 reviews
Tania
5 days ago
The fact that this is the 5th time using Brisbane Removalists to help us move during renovations of various businesses speaks volumes for the quality of the service. Erick and Sebastian were great, and we'll be calling on BR in a few months' time to help us move into our new building. Thank you BR!
Response from the owner:HI Tania, we love return customers...thank you for the lovely review. I will let Erick and Seb know you gave them a 5-star review. They love to see their names in lights! They are a super team. We will talk soon by the looks of it! We will have to give you shares in the company soon! Eileen :)
Hamish Strahorn
5 days ago
Awesome company to deal with, moving is naturally stressful though everyone from the office to the removalist were spot on. Can’t recommend enough.
Response from the owner:Thanks Hamish...this is the best to start the day with! Thank you for taking the time to write this. We appreciate the recommendation. I will let the team (Vanderson, Jorge and Juan) know that you loved their work. Really happy you got direct entry. Made life easier for you. Enjoy your new home. I hope the unpacking is fun! Eileen
John Sadleir
2 weeks ago
I would like to extend my sincere thanks to everyone involved in our recent move for the outstanding service provided. From the very beginning, commencing with Antje and then through to Eileen, the entire process was handled professionally, efficiently, and with genuine care. Communication throughout was excellent, and it made what can often be a stressful experience feel seamless and well organised. A particularly special mention must go to the two young men Giovanni & Alex who carried out the actual move. They were absolutely amazing, arriving on time, working efficiently without wasting a moment, and maintaining a professional, polite, and respectful manner throughout the entire day. Nothing was too much trouble for them, and they truly embodied everything one hopes for in a removalist team. Please pass on my heartfelt thanks and appreciation to them both. Thank you again for such an excellent experience. I very much look forward to working with you all again for the next move Part 2 of the move: Thank you again to the team at Brisbane Removalists, especially Gio and Alex, for another wonderful job with our move to Gympie. Again, the whole process and execution was seamless; a job extremely well done. This was the second move in ten days that we entrusted to Brisbane Removalists, and once again the service was exceptional from start to finish. Gio and Alex were absolutely fantastic — professional, courteous, hardworking and incredibly efficient. Nothing was too much trouble, and they handled everything with great care and respect. Moving is stressful, but your team made it easy and worry-free, and that is very much appreciated. It is a credit to the culture you have created within your business. Please pass on our sincere thanks to Gio and Alex. They represented Brisbane Removalists brilliantly, and we would not hesitate to recommend your company to anyone looking for a reliable and professional removalist service. Thank you once again. It has been an absolute pleasure dealing with you.
Response from the owner:Hi John, thank you for this wonderful review. We really appreciate that you took the time to leave us a review. I am sure it is the last thing anyone feels like doing after a move to be honest, so it is even more special to us when someone takes the time to do this. I have let Gio and Alex know that they have their names in lights! They are fantastic and true superheroes. We are thrilled it went to well. We look forward to part 2! See you soon. Eileen and the team.
Brooke James
2 weeks ago
Brisbane Removalists helped us out on a same day booking to move house and store our belongings! The service was great and communication was even better. Very reliable company and we would book with them again
Response from the owner:Hi Brooke. Thank you for this lovely review. Glad we could help out. Love to hear that we made you feel that you could rely on us. We have been doing this a very long time, and we do our very best to keep everyone sane on move day!! In your case it was 2 days! I will let Vanderson, Javier and Jorge know that they were true superheroes! Enjoy your new home. Eileen
Chris Jordan
2 weeks ago
If I could give more stars, I would have. This company was great and got us out of a real bind. On the morning of our move, a Removalist we'd booked, cancelled on us. We were in a panic and didn't know what to do. Finding Brisbane Removalists was the best thing. From my initial phone call where they said they have a team that will be able to do it. After moving some things around, we got a call saying they were on their way. The crew then called advising us of the ETA. The crew, Erick and Sebastián were amazing, they packed the truck with professional and ease. They told us their estimated time of arrival at the destination, and then called again to let us know when they were getting close. From there, they again unpacked the truck with great care and professionalism. The fact that they called letting us know any updates was great, as the one that cancelled wouldn't take our calls and would only deal by text message. They probably knew they would get a spray so didn't want to hear it. While Brisbane Removalists weren't our first choice, they should have been and if you are moving, look no further than this business. Thank you to all the team at Brisbane Removalists, you helped us immensely getting us out of a bind.
Response from the owner:Hi Chris, Thank you for such a glowing review. This is music to our ears. I am so glad we could help you out, when you had your back against the wall. It is really stressful. I have already sent this on to Antje who sorted this for you and to Seb and Erick our superheroes -they will be thrilled with such a wonderful testament. We do try and keep you updated and reassured especially when this has happened to you, so you have confidence that we will indeed turn up. We get that you will be super nervous. We NEVER not turn up to a job and if something does go wrong with a truck or there is an incident (and this can happen); we find a solution for you and keep you up to date. This is an essential part of the service we offer. We wish you all the best in your new home and hope your stress levels can return to normal. Happy landing and new adventures. Kind regards, Eileen and the team.
Sharnee Wells
3 weeks ago
Gio and Jose were legends!! Made the move so easy and seemless.
Response from the owner:So happy to hear this, Sharnee. I will let our superheroes know that they are legends. Enjoy your new home and surroundings. Cheers, Eileen and the team.
Rob Li (RobLi)
1 month ago
This company BRISBANE REMOVALISTS is reputable with great reviews but i wanted to warn others - Do NOT confuse this company with BRIS REMOVALISTS who are a complete rip off & scam & I believe they are hoping that people will confuse the 2 companies like me. They have numerous 1 star google reviews all with the same terrible experience, they are late, inexperienced, damage furniture, refuse to unload truck until you pay extiorional amounts (I had a 4.5hr job plus depot to depot travel of 1.5 hours each way & was forced to pay 13 hours plus double the actual km & made up danger fee). They were abusive on the phone & threatening. You have to pay to a personal bank account (S Taylford) not a company, don't accept credit cards, no ABN on any email (& website ABN is a company now deregistered Capital removals). I hope that the other business with similar name
Response from the owner:Hi Collette, it is really sad what happened to you and I hope you were able to recuperate some of this money through Fair Trading. Unfortunately, this is not a one-off event for us. We regularly get phone calls from very upset clients who have read our reviews, googled us to book and have ended up with the wrong company. It is very difficult to do anything about this as we cannot trademark our name as 'Brisbane' and 'Removalists' are too generic. We have also had bad reviews, not meant for us, for this same reason. It is very easy to confuse the two. I am hoping that you were able to get financial recourse from this job as we worked out that you were being charged $650/h in the end based on the hours taken, which is beyond belief. :( Eileen
Krystle Lander
1 month ago
Very impressed with this company. Head office is all over everything. The two separate teams we had were both excellent. Price very competitive.
Response from the owner:Hi Krystle, thank you for such a lovely shout out! This is great to hear. We do try very hard to do our best for everyone. Glad your move went really well. Enjoy your new home and surroundings. Thanks so much for taking the time to actually write this. I will let the teams know you appreciated them. Sorry we were not able to give you the same team back. Eileen
Chris B
2 months ago
Where do I start? Whats one of the most anxious times in life - moving...! Do you know whats not? Entrusting Brisbane Removalists with the move. I've moved (way too) many times in my life - and this was, by far, one of the "best" moves i have done. Alex and Giovanni were outstanding - from the moment they arrived, to when they drove off - nothing was an issue - all strategically taken care of - no bumps, no scratches, no dents nothing (a far sight better than previous where fridges were dented and washing machine trashed without so much as a sorry). What made it 100 times better was their attitude - laughter, fun and legit enjoyed themselves - even for a Saturday morning! Thank you Brisbane Removalists and a MASSIVE thank you Alex and Gio! Chris B
Response from the owner:What a gorgeous review Chris. It was lovely enough that you took the time to ring but to also write this has made my day and I am sure Alex and Gio will be thrilled. I am glad we could make your move full of fun and laughter. I hope you enjoy your new home and that you do not need to move again any time soon - we will of course be happy to help but who needs the stress of moving! Take care Chris - Eileen and the team. :)
Greg Simmons
2 months ago
I had a move yesterday 31/03/2026 , I had multiple addresses over half of Brisbane. I had 2 really nice people turned up Kevin and Jeff . They were on time , everything was great work. Jeff and Kevin were very polite, could not help me enough. Great work and for me over in short time in peak hour traffic. This is my second move with Brisbane Removalists, I will be using them again.
Response from the owner:Hi Greg, Thanks for the review. Kevin and Jeff will be very happy to see this. We will put them on your upcoming move if we can. Love to hear that the teams are the superheroes we hold them to be. It is a tough job to do day, in day out, but they always do it with a smile. We are very grateful to have such great young men on our teams. We will chat soon. Eileen
greg simmons
2 months ago
I thought the Brisbane Removalists did a great move . The company keeps in touch, first move in a long time I didn't have to chase the movers . The removalists that did the move were, on time, moved quickly and carefully. No breaks or losses , and where finished a lot sooner than I thought it would have taken.
Response from the owner:Good afternoon, Greg, thanks for the lovely review. Glad your small move went perfectly. Always tricky with risky objects but our superheroes did the job! Thanks for taking the time to review us. Eileen and the team.
Alana van Prooije
2 months ago
This is my second time using their service and it was so easy and quick. Guys came on time, took care of all the heavy lifting and moved us to our new place within half a day. Thanks :)
Response from the owner:Thank you Alana...We love return customers! It means we are doing something right! Thanks for your lovely words. We wish you all the best in your new home and a lovely Easter. Till next time??? Eileen
Christine Stewart
3 months ago
I chose Brisbane Removalists because of the positive reviews. If you want efficient and friendly, you can't go wrong. I mean, who sings when they're lugging heavy furniture? These happy guys, that's who! I would recommend them to anyone. And if you want to feel as though you're in good hands from the get go, Eileen is your person. So helpful.
Response from the owner:Hi Christine...thank you for such a lovely review. Love it! Our superheroes can even sing....that I did not know! I am thrilled your move went well and that you enjoyed our services. I hope you settle well and quickly and those boxes disappear quickly! Happy landing!!!! Eileen
Ramiro Lafuente
3 months ago
Great experience! Very efficient crew, job done on time and as planned, I would definitely recommend them!
Response from the owner:Hi Ramiro, lovely to hear this. Glad we could help you on the start of a new adventure. I will let the two Sebs and Louis know that you thought they were superheroes. Happy landing in your new home. Eileen and the team.
Tracey E
3 months ago
Excellent service - from our first phone call to the completion of a small move across town, all members of the team were great to work with.
Response from the owner:Awww Thanks Tracey. You were a pleasure to move! I am glad Erick's team could help you. I will let them know you appreciated them. Thanks for taking the time to write a review especially for such a small move. We appreciate this. Have a lovely evening. Eileen
Caz B
3 months ago
Had a great experience with the guys from Bris Removalists (shout out to Juan & Sebastien!). They did a great job, were lovely guys & very friendly (& patient lol!). Love that a local Brissy business is being supported & when you call you're speaking to one of the owners (thanks for your help Eileen!). Wouldn't hesitate to use again, thanks BR!
Response from the owner:Hi Caz, love to hear that we made your move a breeze. Juan and Seb are wonderful and full of life. I think you have to be patient in this job - it is not for the faint-hearted and it means a lot to us when we know that our teams are appreciated for all the hard work they do. Really appreciate your support for our business and what we are trying to achieve here. Enjoy your new home and the wonderful adventures this brings. Eileen and the team at BR
KERRIE CONNORS
3 months ago
Amazing service. I would recommend in a heartbeat. They took such care with our house items and were lovely to deal with. Thank you!
Response from the owner:Hi Kerrie, lovely to hear such praise. I will let Jose and Giovanny know that you thought they did an awesome job. I wish you well with the next adventure and we will be there to help if you need us again. I hope they managed your tricky drive. Eileen and the team at BR
Karyn Beers-Daniel
3 months ago
The guys were great. On time, friendly and no nonsense. Picked up our household of furniture and delivered it safely to our new home. Highly recommend.
Response from the owner:Hi Karyn, thank you so much for your review. Super to hear that our teams are efficient and made your day as stress-free as possible. I hope you settle well in your new home and enjoy making new friends and connections. Take care, Eileen and the team from BR
Sarah Mackay
3 months ago
Very prompt, friendly and took care when handling items. I would definitely use Brisbane Removalists again!
Response from the owner:Thanks Sarah. We appreciate the lovely feedback. Wishing you the best for the next step/adventure. I will let Breno and Elton know. See you on the one then! :) Eileen and team.
William Borbasi
3 months ago
In a word, brilliant, hardworking and knowledgable, did the job, with good humour and a big attention to detail, could not give bigger recommendation of Hallei (may have gotten the spelling wrong but one strong and pleasant individual) and his team mate the ever optimistic and energetic Thomas ... great guys and so was their their helper in the initial upload ... can't recommend them strongly enough ..
Response from the owner:Good morning, William, it is lovely to come into the office with this to start the day. Thank you so much for taking the time to review us. It is really valuable in supporting our business, so we thank you! I will let Javier, Thomas and Jhon know that you appreciated their energy and great attitudes on top of their superpowers! We wish you all the very best in your new home and hope that it ticks all the boxes. It was lovely dealing with you throughout the process. Settle well and enjoy the next step in the adventure that life is! Eileen, Thomas and our superhero team.