Case Study: Why a Small Melbourne Apartment Move Can Cost as Much as a House Move

When someone calls us to move a small apartment, we often hear the same opening line:

“It shouldn’t take long, we don’t have much!”

And if you’ve been blessed with a fantastic apartment layout, then this can be true. But apartment moves have a way of surprising people – even when there isn’t much furniture.
Two recent Melbourne moves prove it: one small apartment took 14 hours, while another similar move wrapped up in record time.

Same city. Same size home. Very different outcomes.

Why Can Apartment Moves Take Just as Long as House Moves?

Because in apartments, access and preparation matter as much as furniture volume.
Tiny hallway? Shared lift? No loading bay? Half-packed boxes? That’s where the time goes.

Let’s walk through two real examples – one stressful, one smooth.

Case Study #1: The “Quick Apartment Move” That Was Anything But

This move was a two-bedroom apartment in an inner-city building. No huge furniture. No piano. No storage unit full of gym equipment. On paper, it looked like a breeze.

But the building had other plans.

The challenges they couldn’t control

Once we arrived, we noticed:

• A lift and stairs to reach the truck – no straight trolley route
  
  
• Long, narrow corridors
  
  
• Two very slow lifts shared by the whole building
  
  
• Zero loading bay access
  
  

So far, not ideal, but manageable. These are common obstacles for Melbourne apartment moves.

Where things really went wrong

The controllable stuff became the real issue.

There was no street parking reserved, so we had to park a short walk away and trolley every box down the street. Then we discovered no elevator booking, meaning we spent the day waiting for lifts, watching them stop on every other floor.

Inside the apartment, the real time-killer hit: only half the home was packed. Bags open, cupboards still full, loose items everywhere. The walkways were cluttered, and we even had to wipe furniture down before moving it – not unsafe, just slow.

Halfway through, the customer understandably decided to ask us to pack everything too. We did (gladly) but by then, time was already slipping away.

To top it off, we later learned many of the items being moved were things they planned to throw out anyway.

The result

What could have been a straightforward half-day move turned into:

• 14 hours
  
  
• A very long day for everyone
  
  
• A much larger bill than expected

Nobody did anything intentionally wrong, they simply underestimated the job. Apartment moves look small, but lack of preparation magnifies every challenge.

Some people don’t mind paying for us to take over completely, which is perfectly fine. But if you’re trying to keep the cost down… preparation is everything!

Case Study #2: The Apartment Move Every Removalist Hopes For

A week later, we moved a customer from a Melbourne CBD apartment into storage – same job size, totally different day.

What this customer did right

They booked the loading bay and goods lift weeks in advance and double-checked the height clearance with us (A+ move).
When we arrived, everything was packed, taped, and labelled. Walkways were clear. No random loose items. No last-minute surprises.

The loading bay was only a few metres from the lift, and we had exclusive use of it, so every load went straight from the apartment to the truck with no interruptions.

The result

Smooth, safe, and fast.
We finished so far ahead of schedule that the customer laughed and said:

“I thought this would take all day!”

No stress. No drama. And yes – a much smaller bill.

What These Two Moves Teach Us

Some apartment factors are outside your control:

• Lift quantity and speed
  
  
• Corridor layout
  
  
• Parking availability
  
  
• Distance to truck
  
  

But others can completely change the outcome:

Actions that save hours (and serious money)

• Reserve parking or ask building management to assist
  
  
• Book the lift early
  
  
• Declutter ahead of time
  
  
• Pack everything securely before moving day
  
  
• Tape and label all boxes
  
  
• Keep walkways clear
  
  
• Throw out unwanted items before we arrive
  
  
• Check lift and loading bay height (usually 3m+ needed for trucks)
  
  

Apartment moves don’t have to be stressful – but they do reward preparation.

Final Word

A small apartment doesn’t automatically mean a small move.
With the right planning, your move can be fast, efficient, and budget-friendly, just like our dream CBD job.

And if life gets busy and you'd rather have us handle everything? We do that too – no judgment, just support.

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