Moving house in New South Wales

Moving house can be exciting, but often we can get swamped by the scale of the task, and it turns into a nightmare. Smaver is here to help you minimise the stress, hassle and cost so you enjoy a smoother move.

The Greater Western Sydney area is one of the fastest-growing in the country, meaning the considerations (and costs) when moving in Sydney can also grow.

While Sydney dominates any discussion of NSW, there are other considerations for those making a sea or tree change to the beautiful regional areas of NSW.

As a guide, here are broad costs for a 3-bedroom local move in Greater Sydney:

• Hiring a moving van or truck for one day costs between $150 and $220
• Hiring two people with their own truck on Airtasker will cost a minimum of around $440
• Professional removalists will cost around $600-$800, depending on a wide range of factors.

If you’re moving within Greater Sydney, you have a range of options depending on factors including your budget, the distance you’re moving and whether you can get friends and family to help. If moving to a regional area or interstate, you have further considerations and options.

Read our guide on whether you should go DIY or call in the pros – it will help you weigh up the positives and negatives of each option.

The Service NSW website is a great resource to help manage your move; it has links to important government departments covering licence, vehicle and even pet registrations.

You can change your address in one go for your MyServiceNSW Account as well as your driver licence and vehicle registrations. Visit Service NSW for more details.

Our handy guide, Avoid unnecessary fines or costs – Change your address with these key organisations, has a list of other important organisations you should update with your new address.

NSW drivers need Compulsory Third Party insurance (or CTP), before they can register a vehicle. In NSW, CTP insurance is known as a Green Slip, and it can protect you from being financially liable if you injure yourself or someone else while driving. A Green Slip is mandatory – it’s illegal to drive or register your car without one.

Unlike other states in Australia where CTP insurance is purchased from one state-owned insurer, NSW drivers can get their Green Slip from a list of providers. With several providers to choose from, you can compare plans to find one that suits your needs and budget.

Note that you must buy Compulsory Third Party (CTP) insurance (a Green Slip) as a separate step before registration.

The basic requirements for moving house are the same for buyers, investors and renters. However, those buying a home (to live in or as an investment) need to factor in important settlement requirements which are explained in our handy guide, Property settlement – How it works, and traps to avoid.

Moving house is just the first step. Our guide, Eight ways to settle into your new neighbourhood sooner, has great tips that will turn you into a local before you know it.

There can be slight differences between the road rules from state to state, so whether you’ve just moved to NSW or lived here for a while it’s always worthwhile to brush up on them. Don’t forget to update the address on your drivers licence and car registration. If you’ve moved interstate you will need to apply for both.