A mover wrapping a framed painting at a table while the homeowner talks with him over a cup of tea
THE PACE IS SET BY THE HOUSE, NOT THE CLOCK

The straight hourly picture, first

Before anyone lifts anything, you get the honest arithmetic: which crew, the realistic hours range, and what would move it up or down. Long-tenure houses hold more than their bedrooms suggest, under stairs, in roof spaces, in the third shed; we've learnt to ask about all of it up front, so the picture you plan around is the picture you get.

The rates are the same three tiers as every job we do: $250, $350 or $500 an hour by crew size. A full estate usually wants the four-mover crew and both trucks; a downsize into an Avalon apartment often suits three. We'll tell you which, and why, before you decide anything.

How we work a long-tenure house

  • Room by room, labelled as we go. Nothing gets swept into anonymous boxes. Kitchen stays kitchen; the study's drawers keep their order.
  • Three destinations, kept separate. Most estate moves split three ways: to the new home, to family, to charity or sale. We load and mark them separately so nothing crosses over.
  • The fragile things get the slow treatment. Framed photos, china that came out twice a year, the clock. Paper, board and blankets, the old way.
  • You set the pace. One long day or three short ones. If a room needs an hour of deciding before it can be packed, the crew works elsewhere. Nobody hovers.
FOR FAMILY COORDINATING FROM AWAY

A lot of estate moves are run by a son or daughter two suburbs or two states away. We're used to it: photos before and after, phone updates at the points you choose, keys handled like a weekender job. You don't have to be here for this to be done right.

The hillside part, handled quietly

Plenty of these houses sit up the stair runs the rest of this site talks about, places that were a young family's climb in 1975 and are the reason for the move now. The access planning happens the same way as any difficult-access move; we just fold it in without making it one more thing for you to manage.

When it helps, start with a conversation

If you're weighing up whether it's a downsize, a partial clear-out or a full estate move, that's exactly the callback to book. No obligation, and you'll come away with the picture in plain numbers. The long-tenure house guide covers what usually surprises people, before you ring anyone at all.