Hi, I'm Jasmine. I am a mum of two children under three and a school learning officer. My husband is a high school principal. About eight months ago we were having a chat about potentially moving out of the suburbs of Melbourne to somewhere warmer. We've always loved Queensland and I was thinking maybe around the Gold Coast. As luck would have it, a principal position came up in a remote town in North Queensland. It was much further up than we wanted to go but my husband decided to apply for it and he got it! 

We were officially going to be Queenslanders! Which meant we were in for a massive move ahead. 

Relocating Interstate

After a bit of googling we discovered we had a 30 hour drive ahead of us. We would need to go through two state borders and we were going to need a pretty big truck to transport all of our gear. Not only did we have the typical furnishings of a three bedroom home, but we also recently bought our girls a 10ft trampoline which they had barely had a chance to use yet. We also had a ride-on lawn mower, two surfboards, two large kayaks, and two road bikes, plus our two vehicles among plenty of other bits and bobs. 

Before I started to freak out, I wanted to ensure that the move was 100% going ahead. Once we got the confirmation that it was, we started to search for a perfect property.

We were renting in Melbourne and decided to continue to rent in Queensland as we were unsure of the area just yet. My husband had a contract in place but I was aware that there are plenty of little towns in the area and we wanted to find our forever home after experiencing the areas ourselves. 

After securing a rental the first thing I did was contact Katie at Best Rated Transport. I came across Best Rated Transport on Facebook and after I googled it, I knew they would be able to help me. The thing about Katie and the team at BRT is that they take every move as if it's their own family moving. Katie explained exactly what options we had, whether booking an interstate removalist or opting to do a self-pack with a container. She was also able to get us several different quotes so we knew the price difference and what each entailed when relocating interstate. 

Our best bet was an interstate removalist. With two young kids, we didn't want to worry about loading and unloading the truck and I also didn't want to have a container in the front yard for the kids to get curious about. 

I had no idea exactly how big of a truck we would need but Katie jumped on a video call with me and I walked her through the house. She knew exactly how much space we'd need just by taking a quick look around which, again, reassured me that she knew she stuff.

Best Rated Transport uses an online booking system in which you simply log in and can keep track of your quotes and book everything online. However, I also found that Katie was more than happy to jump on a call just to check I was happy with everything. 

In the days leading up to us relocating interstate, Katie contacted me again just to confirm all was on track and to see if we needed any more help. At that time we were knee deep in packing and dismantling furniture which was a headache and a half! The good thing was we only had to take the items apart - we didn't have to actually move them from the rooms. 

Moving Day came and, as discussed, three movers arrived at our door and started to pack the truck immediately. They had everything they needed - dollies, protective blankets for our valuables and plenty of experience to know exactly how to pack the truck. It took them six hours to pack it while we took the girls to a park and out for lunch nearby to say goodbye to our Melbourne neighbourhood. 

Our move was huge. We needed a 30 cubic metres to travel nearly 3,000 kilometres. We received quotes from five different interstate removalists as well as two shipping container companies and we opted for a company that wasn't the cheapest but was a reputable business. 

Our total move cost was $8,800 to get our items from A to B, plus around $300 for moving supplies like boxes. We also spent around $500 on fuel plus at least $3000 on snacks, meals and motels along the way but it was such a fun experience and a great way to bond as a family before we settled into this new lifestyle. Knowing our stuff was on a truck safe and secure made it so much easier to relax and enjoy this unique opportunity to see the coast of Australia. 

We were able to transport the lawn mower in the truck too (bonus!). We decided to drive our vehicles up ourselves and each take one of our girls with us to make it a bit of a road trip. It took us two weeks to get there and our stuff arrived before we did. 

There were three movers there to help unload the truck while my husband navigated them on where each box and item would go. I went for a lay down with the girls and when I woke up, they were gone and our house was full of boxes, ready for me to sort. 

Relocating interstate is never easy but with Best Rated Transport, I can honestly say I didn't feel stressed at all which is rare because I am normally a big stresser. But we were Queenlanders now and a laid-back moving experience was the perfect way to start our new laid-back life. 

Thanks Katie! 

Experience your own stress-free interstate move

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