Muval

Here’s the shortlist I’d use if I were booking a move in Australia in 2026. The big warning: removalists are very “crew and branch” dependent, so always check recent reviews for your exact pickup/delivery cities, not just the national brand.

Best moving companies / services in Australia

My practical ranking

If you want the safest shortlist, I’d get quotes from:

1. Grace Removals — best first call for full-service interstate/national moves.
2. Holloway Removals & Storage — strong review profile where they operate.
3. Kent Removals & Storage — worth quoting for large interstate/storage moves, but check branch-level reviews.
4. Allied Moving Services — worth quoting for international, corporate, or complex logistics.
5. TAXIBOX — best “product” alternative if you can pack yourself and want storage flexibility.
6. Muval or Find a Mover — best for comparing prices/backloading, but vet the actual removalist assigned.

What I’d avoid doing

Don’t just pick the cheapest two-men-and-a-truck quote. In Australia, removalists should be checked for recent independent reviews, AFRA accreditation, a written quote, itemised charges, contract terms and insurance. NSW Fair Trading specifically recommends comparing services, checking reviews/accreditation, getting a written itemised quote, reading the contract, and arranging your own insurance because removalists are not legally required to insure your property during the move. (nsw.gov.au)

Also check whether the company is an AFRA member. AFRA says it has 250+ members operating in hundreds of locations across Australia, sets standards, and provides a no-cost dispute resolution process. (afra.com.au)

Bottom line: for a normal Australian house move, I’d start with Grace + Holloway + Kent, then compare against Muval/Find a Mover pricing. If storage is involved, add TAXIBOX. If moving overseas, add Crown and Allied.

Here's a practical breakdown of moving companies (removalists) that Australians commonly use, based on service type since "best" really depends on what kind of move you're doing.

Key thing to check first: AFRA accreditation

Before picking anyone, look for AFRA accreditation (Australian Furniture Removers Association). Reputable movers are trained to industry standard in careful packing and moving of furniture, and this is one of the main things comparison guides use to separate legitimate operators from fly-by-night ones.

Well-known national brands

For interstate or larger moves, established names with their own fleets and depots across states tend to be the safer bet. Allied is frequently cited as a strong fit for this — customers comparing long-distance operators are often advised to verify licensing, seek multiple estimates, and look for dedicated fleets and crews rather than vague handoffs between providers, with specialised handling and consistent transit updates being strong indicators of quality in interstate work, and Allied fits that style of move well.

Grace Removals is another long-standing national/international brand people use, though experiences can vary — reviews are genuinely mixed, ranging from praise for "very impressed with the removal team for their professional, prompt and friendly service, and when they delivered and unpacked my household goods with such care" to serious complaints about interstate/international jobs, so it's worth getting a specific quote and reading recent reviews for your route rather than trusting the brand name alone.

By move type

• Full-service local moves (packing, wrapping, reassembly): Boutique/premium local operators that handle everything are popular for stress-free moves, especially with first-home buyers.
• Budget/DIY-hybrid moves: Container-based options (like PODS) and labour-only marketplaces (Airtasker, Muval) let you do your own packing/driving and just pay for muscle or storage. Affordable removalists span four main categories: local movers, budget interstate movers, container-based companies, and labour-only services.
• Interstate moves: Look for companies with their own trucks/crews on your specific route (e.g., Melbourne–Sydney, Sydney–Brisbane) rather than subcontracted "broker" services, since consistency of who's handling

Moving house in Australia can be a massive logistical challenge, whether you are swapping apartments in the inner city, relocating from a suburb to a regional hub, or moving across the country.

Because the quality of moving companies (locally known as removalists) can vary wildly, the best choice depends on what kind of move you are making. The top-rated brands and products that Australians actually use are broken down below by category.

1. The Premium National Giants (Best for Interstate & Full-Service Moves)

If you are moving interstate (e.g., Sydney to Melbourne or Brisbane to Perth), or if you have high-value furniture and want a "turnkey" experience where professionals pack, wrap, transport, and unpack everything, these are the gold-standard legacy brands. They are all fully accredited by AFRA (Australian Furniture Removers Association).

• Allied Moving Services (formerly Allied Pickfords): One of the most widely used and trusted interstate removalists in the country. They have a massive national network and are highly regarded for their professional packing service. While they are on the pricier side, their reliability, timeline accuracy, and robust transit insurance make them a top choice for major relocations.
• Grace Removals: One of Australia’s oldest and largest moving brands. They are excellent for long-distance relocations, corporate moves, and secure containerised storage. They can even coordinate specialty services like cleaning and utility reconnection.
• Kent Removals & Storage: A highly professional, national powerhouse. They are famous for their custom-designed protective wrapping and secure, state-of-the-art storage depots.

2. The Smart Digital Comparison Platforms (Best for Finding Vetted Local Movers)

If you don't want to spend hours calling different companies for quotes, Australians increasingly use digital booking marketplaces that aggregate vetted, highly-rated local and interstate removalists.

• Muval: This is arguably the most popular and trusted moving booking platform in Australia. It allows you to enter your inventory, compare instant quotes from local and interstate removalists, and book online. It takes the gamble out of picking a company because Muval continuously vets the operators on its platform based on real customer feedback.
• Happly: A brilliant "all-in-one" moving platform. Beyond finding and booking vetted removalists, Happly helps you coordinate cleaning, connect your electricity and gas, and track your entire move checklist.

3. Mobile Self-Pack Containers (Best for DIY, Staging, or Renovating)

If you are on a budget, need a gap between moving out and moving in, or want to pack at your own pace over a couple of weeks, mobile container units are a massive trend in Australia.

• TAXIBOX: The absolute market leader in mobile storage. TAXIBOX drops a modular wooden/composite storage box directly onto your driveway or street parking space. You pack it, padlock it, and they pick it up to either store in their secure "box resort" or deliver directly to your new address. Highly recommended for apartment renters or people undergoing minor home renovations.
• PODS (Portable On Demand Storage): While TAXIBOX relies on smaller modular boxes, PODS offers large, highly durable, weather-resistant steel-framed containers. This is the better option if you have a larger family home and need heavy-duty security and space.

4. City-Specific & Highly Rated Local Removalists

For standard local moves across town, certain regional and local operators have built legendary reputations for customer service.

• Men That Move (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane): Widely loved because of their Eco-Box system. If you book a move with them, they deliver strong, reusable, stackable plastic moving crates to your door for free (14-day rental) and collect them from your new place after you unpack. This completely eliminates the need to buy cardboard boxes and tape, and saves you from disposing of them afterward.
• Little Red Trucks (Melbourne): Extremely popular in Melbourne. They are known for handling small-to-medium moves (like apartments). Their compact trucks easily navigate Melbourne's notoriously narrow inner-city laneways, and they charge straightforward, transparent hourly rates.
• Two Men and a Truck: A household name in Australia's major capital cities. They are highly reliable for standard residential moves and are known for friendly, hard-working, and efficient crews.

Pro-Tips for Moving in Australia

1. Always Look for AFRA Accreditation: Anyone with a truck can call themselves a removalist, but AFRA (Australian Furniture Removers Association) accredited companies are audited yearly on staff training, vehicle standards, and equipment safety. Crucially, only AFRA-accredited companies can legally offer you comprehensive transit insurance. If a mover isn't AFRA-accredited, their insurance typically only covers their truck crashing, not their crew dropping your TV.
2. Beware of Strata Rules in Apartments: If you are moving into a high-rise or apartment complex in Brisbane, Sydney, or Melbourne, your strata manager will likely require the removalist to provide a Certificate of Currency (CoC) for public liability insurance before they are allowed to use the service lifts. Professional companies will issue this to your building manager for free, while cheaper, unaccredited airtaskers may not have it.
3. The "Bunnings Box" Route vs. Heavy Duty: If you decide to pack yourself, standard Bunnings "tea chest" boxes are the go-to for most Aussies because they are cheap. However, if you are packing heavy books or fragile kitchenware, make sure to buy the heavy-duty (double-walled) versions. Otherwise, the bottom of the box will give out when the removalists pick it up.

If you want the best moving companies in Australia that people actually use, the safest shortlist is Grace Removals, Allied Moving Services, Kent Removals & Storage, Muval, and TAXIBOX. These names show up repeatedly in Australian mover roundups, review platforms, and brand pages, with Grace and Allied especially prominent for full-service moves, while Muval and TAXIBOX are widely used as moving-platform/storage options.

A practical way to choose is:

• Best full-service interstate mover: Grace Removals — consistently ranked highly and publicly positions itself as a major national mover with strong reviews.
• Best large national mover: Allied Moving Services — a well-known Australia-wide removals brand with a large review footprint and interstate-removal focus.
• Best premium/established removalist: Kent Removals & Storage — repeatedly included in Australian “best movers” shortlists and known nationally.
• Best quote-comparison platform: Muval — useful if you want to compare removalists rather than hire one truck brand directly.
• Best moving-and-storage product: TAXIBOX — commonly used for self-pack moving and storage, especially when you need flexibility.

If you want brands people actually book for local moves, other names that appear often in Australian recommendation lists are Holloway Removals & Storage, Man With A Van, Two Men and a Truck, and Ready Movers.

My recommendation by move type:

• Interstate move: Grace Removals, Allied Moving Services, Kent Removals & Storage
• Metro/local move: Holloway Removals & Storage, Man With A Van, Two Men and a Truck
• Cheapest/flexible option: Muval to compare quotes, or TAXIBOX if you can load yourself

If you want, I can also give you a city-specific top 5 for Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, or Adelaide.

When it comes to moving house or office in Australia, the market is broadly divided between the "Big Premium" national networks and highly-rated local specialists. Because Australia is so vast, your best choice usually depends heavily on whether you are doing a quick local suburb-to-suburb jump or a massive interstate relocation across the Nullarbor or up the East Coast.

The industry benchmark for a legitimate mover in Australia is membership in the Australian Furniture Removers Association (AFRA). Choosing an AFRA-member company means their equipment, vehicles, and staff training meet strict industry standards, and they can legally provide comprehensive transit insurance.

Here are the top brands and products that Australians actually use and trust, broken down by how you intend to move.

The Big Five National Networks (Best for Interstate & Full-Service)

If you are moving between capital cities (e.g., Sydney to Melbourne or Brisbane to Perth) or require a high-end, full-service pack and unpack, Australians typically lean toward the country's most established national networks. They are rarely the cheapest, but they offer highly secure, structured tracking and containerised storage options.

Allied Moving Services (formerly Allied Pickfords): Known for an massive operational scale and its proprietary Allied Training Academy. They are a go-to choice for corporate relocations and cross-country moves where robust tracking and formalized service delivery are essential. Grace Removals (Grace Group): Operating for over a century, Grace is a household name across Australia. They specialize in handling highly complex, multi-variable moves, including delicate antique shipping and fixed-price end-to-end projects. Kent Removals & Storage: A family-owned heavyweight established in 1946. Kent is highly favored for integrated moves where you need long-term or short-term storage in highly secure, inventoried warehouses. Chess Moving: Chess functions as a unique co-op federation of independent Australian-owned removalists. It blends regional knowledge with a powerful national network footprint, making it great for moving into regional hubs. Crown Relocations: Known primarily for premium door-to-door international relocations, their domestic arm manages seamless, high-protection interstate moves utilizing global standards.

Top-Rated Metropolitan Movers (Best for Local Moves)

For local residential moves within a specific capital city, Aussies frequently favor nimbler, local companies that have massive online review volumes and highly transparent, hourly-rate pricing structures.

Alternative & Budget Platforms

If you don't want a traditional full-service removalist team packing a massive truck, the Australian moving landscape has shifted heavily toward alternative logistics marketplaces and modular solutions.

Muval: This online platform lets you enter your inventory and matches you with top-rated local or interstate removalists who have unutilized truck space, making it excellent for finding cheap backloading spaces. Taxibox: The ultimate product for flexible, self-paced moving. They drop a physical, weatherproof storage unit outside your home, you pack it at your own speed, and they pick it up to transport it interstate or hold it in storage. Airtasker: Widely used for small-scale studio or apartment moves. You describe the job and set a budget, allowing independent local operators with their own vans or small trucks to bid on your move.

To help narrow down the list, could you share:

Where are you moving from and to? (e.g., a local suburb move or interstate?) What size is the property? (e.g., a 1-bed flat or a 4-bedroom family home?) Are you looking for a budget DIY/backloading option, or a full-service pack and move?