1300 303 333A Guide to Interstate Moving with Kids
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Split the move into three plans
Interstate moving with kids works better when you separate it into a packing plan, a travel plan and a first-night plan. Keep everything the family needs for at least 24 hours out of the removal load, including medication, documents, chargers, food, water, toiletries, sleepwear and two changes of clothes.
Use the final seven days for the kitchen, bathroom and children’s bedrooms. Pack books, spare linen and out-of-season clothes earlier, so daily life keeps running while loose items disappear.
Give children a job that suits their age
Put collection day, travel days and the first school day on a paper calendar. Younger children can choose which soft toy stays in the car and place coloured stickers on cartons. Older children can photograph cable layouts and label their own boxes.
Keep the choices small and real. Adults still decide what the truck carries and when the family leaves. Explain that packed toys will arrive at the new home, and leave one carton open until the final evening for a favourite item.
Sort school and health records before packing
Contact the new school and ask which enrolment records it wants, when the child can start and whether you need an appointment. Carry original identity and health documents with you and store secure digital copies separately.
Write down medication times and pack more than the drive requires. Prescriptions, glasses, hearing devices and sensory aids belong in the family bag, never in a carton. Discuss any quiet arrival or predictable classroom handover with the school before moving week.
Cut the load before you count cartons
Sort children’s clothes and toys into keep, donate and discard groups before packing. Work through one shelf or drawer at a time, and put sentimental items aside when a decision starts to drag.
Use small cartons for books and dense toys, then larger cartons for bedding. Write the child’s name, room and a contents note on two sides. Number the cartons “room 2 of 6” so you can spot a missing box without opening the stack.
Pack the car for delays, not just distance
Give each child one reachable bag with a drink bottle, snacks, spare clothes, wipes, a jumper and quiet activities. Download entertainment before leaving because reception can drop outside built-up areas.
Before the crew arrives, put car seats, medication and overnight bags in the car or a clearly marked no-load room.
Build the road trip around the children
Brisbane to Sydney is about 900 kilometres and roughly 10–11 hours of driving via the Pacific Motorway and M1. Brisbane to Melbourne is about 1,700 kilometres and roughly 18–19 hours behind the wheel. Those figures exclude meal, toilet and child breaks.
Choose stops before departure and keep each leg realistic for the youngest passenger. On the Melbourne corridor, choose overnight accommodation by how far the family can safely travel. Check the forecast each morning, because Queensland heat and heavy rain change the breaks and driving time.
Keep children clear of the loading path
Moving day has open doors, carried furniture and people walking backwards. One adult needs responsibility for the children, with play and meals away from the route between the home and truck. Arrange care elsewhere if no adult can hold that role all day.
For a unit, confirm the lift booking, loading area and key collection. At a house, clear bikes, scooters and toys from paths and stairs. Children should never enter the truck or climb on stacked cartons.
Make beds before opening general boxes
Set up beds and the bathroom before unpacking toys or kitchen cupboards. Put sheets, pillows, towels, toilet paper and bed fittings in one “first night” carton. Load it late so the crew can unload it early.
Let each child unpack one labelled box in their room. Familiar bedding and a few known objects matter more on the first evening than a fully arranged house. Stop unpacking at a set time and follow the usual bedtime order.
Rebuild the old routine first
Keep meals, bath time and bedtime close to their usual order during the first week. Children may miss the old home one minute and explore the new one the next, so avoid forcing excitement.
Put calls with friends, the next school date and one nearby family activity on the calendar. These fixed points show that ordinary life has started again.
Write a one-page family move sheet
Keep both addresses, accommodation details, school contacts, phone numbers and key holders on one page. Give every adult a copy so nobody relies on one phone with a flat battery.
For a child who uses visual schedules, show the sequence with photos or a checklist for leaving, travelling, arriving and sleeping. Keep headphones, familiar food or communication aids beside the child, with a spare set in the overnight bag where practical.
Give the removalist the awkward details
An interstate quote needs both addresses, a complete inventory and access details at each end. Include stairs, lift restrictions, parking distance, fragile items, dismantling and any storage gap. Interstate work gets a per-job quote, not a local hourly rate.
Primove can pack, load, transport, unload and unpack, or handle only the parts your family needs. Mark the no-load area on collection day so documents, medication and travel bags stay with you.
Check these five things before departure
Count the travel bags, check medication and documents, confirm keys and verify the first-night carton. One adult can inspect every cupboard, balcony, garage and outdoor area while another keeps the children away from the loading path.
A good family move depends on clear plans, realistic driving time and essentials that never enter the removal load. Keep beds, school information and familiar items easy to find, and the first night can follow a recognisable routine while the rest of the home sits in cartons.
Moving can be an incredibly stressful experience, but Primove made it much more manageable. My family and I recently booked them to help us move to a new house; from the beginning, it felt like we had nothing to worry about. The customer service was excellent – the team responded quickly to our questions and requests, despite how busy they were. They also took great care to ensure all our items were transported safely and arrived in the exact condition we left them in. Highly recommend Primove to anyone looking for an efficient, reliable and stress-free move!
Natalie Herber
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