DIY Move: Full Cost Breakdown

If you’re about to move to a new apartment, house, city, or state, you’re probably asking yourself how much to budget for. Moving costs can vary widely depending on whether you hire professional removalists or take the DIY route. While hiring movers offers convenience, a DIY move can save you significant money—if you plan it right.

In this guide, we’ll break down the full cost of a DIY move, from truck rentals and packing supplies to hidden expenses you might not have considered. Whether you’re moving across town or interstate, we’ll help you understand what to expect and how to keep costs under control. Let’s dive into the details and make your move as affordable and stress-free as possible!

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DIY Moving Costs: What to Budget For

A DIY move is quite simple to manage and doesn’t need much! Here are the main expenses you’ll need to factor into your budget:

1. Truck Rental

The biggest cost is the rental truck. The precise cost varies depending on the size of the truck, distance, and rental duration. Be mindful of hidden costs with truck rentals, especially if you’re moving interstate or one-way. Some companies charge extra for returning the vehicle, so what you end up paying is quite different from the advertised rate.

If you’re looking for affordable moving truck rental without nasty surprises, request a quote from us. We offer affordable one-way moving truck rental services and our prices include everything important for a stress-free move:

1. Door-to-door delivery: We deliver the truck to your old address and pick it up from your new address!
2. Insurance: All of our trucks come with standard insurance and a standard damage liability of $5000. This can be reduced by upgrading to one of our premium insurance cover packages.
3. 24/7 Roadside Assistance: Our trucks are always roadworthy and ready to go for your next move, however, we appreciate that sometimes things can go wrong. It is for this reason we team up with Isuzu, so our customers have the peace of mind that their truck can get to their destination as planned. It’s a 24/7 service provided at no extra cost. 
4. Drivers Licence Okay: You can drive our 3-tonne trucks with your standard Australian car licence!

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2. Packing Materials

Unless you’ve already collected boxes from online deliveries, you’ll probably have to go out and buy some proper moving boxes, as well as bubble wrap, packing tape, and protective blankets for furniture.

Tip: Facebook Marketplace and other online platforms are good places to find these things cheaper than when buying new!

Things you don’t need to budget for when planning a DIY move – at least not when renting one of our moving trucks – are a trolley or ropes to load and secure the truck’s cargo space. All of our trucks come with a trolley, ropes, and they also have a handy tail lift. Installed at the back of a truck, the hydraulic tail lifts are designed to facilitate the handling of heavy goods from ground level to the level of the vehicle bed/cargo space, or vice versa.

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Delivered to your Door!  We Drop Off – You Move – We Pick Up

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3. Fuel

Calculate fuel costs based on the distance of your move and the truck’s fuel efficiency. All of our moving trucks use diesel fuel only. And remember: with all car or truck rentals, the vehicle must be returned with the amount of fuel equal to that at the time of the commencement of the rental.

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4. Insurance

Technically, insurance is optional but recommended to cover potential damage or accidents during the move. As mentioned above, when renting with us, you’re already insured and you can reduce your liability further by choosing one of our premium insurances. For more information, visit our T&Cs.

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5. Tolls and Permits

If your move involves toll roads or requires parking permits for the truck, there might be some additional costs for tolls and permits. Usually this doesn’t amount to much, so you can just assign a lump sum fee to it in your budget.

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6. Helpers

Wth a DIY move you don’t have to hire a removalist company. However, it’s usually good to have an extra pair of hands for loading/unloading. Budget for pizza and drinks for your mates!

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7. Cleaning Supplies

Last but not least, it’s good to budget for cleaning your old home or preparing your new one. This cost applies to a DIY move as well as a full-service removalist. If you’re returning your old home to the landlord, you’ll have to clean up the place before saying goodbye.

By accounting for these expenses upfront, you can avoid surprises and ensure your DIY move stays within budget.

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Can I Save Money With a DIY Move?

Yes, you can save a significant amount of money if planning a DIY move and in comparison to a full-service removalist. This is especially true for interstate moves, say from Sydney to Melbourne, or Melbourne to Logan, where professional removalist costs can quickly add up.

Here’s how a DIY move can help you save:

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1. Lower Truck Rental Costs

Renting a truck is often much cheaper than hiring a full-service removalist. For example:

• A full-service move from Sydney to Melbourne for a 3-bedroom house might cost around $4,500.
• Renting a 4.5-tonne truck for the same move could cost $1,000–$1,500, depending on the rental company and distance.

By driving the truck yourself, you eliminate labour costs and only pay for the vehicle and fuel.

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2. No Packing Fees

Full-service removalists often charge extra for packing your belongings. With a DIY move, you can:

• Pack your items yourself, saving on labour costs.
• Source free or cheap packing materials (e.g., used boxes from local businesses, friends or 2nd-hand boxes purchased online).

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3. Flexibility and Control

One big advantage of a DIY move is that it allows you to:

• Choose your own schedule and move at your own pace.
• Avoid peak moving season surcharges that removalists often apply.
• Make multiple trips if needed, which can be cheaper than hiring a larger truck or removalist team.

Last, you are also saving on your own transportation or hotel fees. Since you’re arriving with your belongings, you won’t need to book temporary accommodation or a hotel to bridge the time while your belongings are in transit. This is a common issue with backloading, where your items typically take time to arrive at your new address. Secondly, you won’t need to book an extra flight or rental car to make the journey to your new home.

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4. No Hidden Fees

Professional removalists may include hidden fees for services like stairs, long carry distances, or bulky items. With a DIY move, you only pay for what you need (e.g., truck rental, fuel, and packing supplies).

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5. Use of One-Way Rentals

At Mobile Truck Rental, we offer one-way rentals, where the truck is delivered to your doorstep and picked up at your new location. This eliminates the need to return the truck, saving you time and money!

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Real-Life Cost Comparison: DIY vs Removalist

Let’s compare the costs of a DIY move versus a full-service removalist for a 3-bedroom house move from Sydney to Melbourne:

Expense	DIY Move	Full-Service Removalist
Truck Rental	$1,000	Included
Fuel	$200	Included
Packing Materials	$150	$500+
Insurance	Included	Included
Total	$1,350	$4,500+

As you can see, in this sample calculation, a DIY move can save you over $3,000 for the same move! The precise amount you can save entirely depends on your scenario, of course. Generally speaking, how much money you ultimately save when compared to a removalist, depends on a number of key factors such as:

• The amount of furniture/equipment you are transporting
• The distance you require your items to be transported
• The time required to complete the move; this includes the time taken to load, transport and unload your equipment. Some removalists may also choose to include the time taken to travel from their headquarters to your premises as well
• The time of year and time of week that you’re looking to move. Removalist companies typically charge much more in the holiday seasons, and extra expenses will be incurred for those looking to move on a weekend as opposed to a weekday

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When Is a DIY Move Not Worth It?

While DIY moves are more cost-effective than a hiring a removalist, they are not for everyone. They may not be the best choice if you’re moving a very large household (e.g., 4+ bedrooms), you have limited time or physical ability to pack and lift heavy items, or you’re moving extremely long distances (e.g., Perth to Sydney) and prefer the convenience of professionals.

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DIY Moving Costs: Some Final Thoughts

Based on our experience in the moving and truck rental industry, a DIY move can save you a significant amount of money, especially for smaller households or interstate relocations. By renting a truck, packing your own belongings, and managing the move yourself, you can keep costs low while maintaining control over the process.

Many of our customers are very happy with their DIY moving experience, be it because they saved money or for the adventure of driving from city to city or interstate. Check out our testimonials page to read what people say!

If you’re considering a DIY move, Mobile Truck Rental makes it easy with affordable trucks delivered straight to your door. Contact us today for a quote!