How to Move House with a Shipping Container: Complete Australian Guide
Moving house with a shipping container is a cost-effective and easy way to relocate. Instead of trying to pack an entire home in a single day, you have time to load your belongings, lock the container, and let the transport professionals handle the journey. It works particularly well for interstate moves, regional relocations, or when your moving dates don’t line up perfectly.
That’s exactly why more families in Australia are choosing shipping container hire over traditional removal methods. But how does it all work? Let’s start with the first step.
1. Book a Shipping Container Service
First of all, you have to choose a suitable shipping container hire service. The better the planning at this stage, the smoother your move will be from beginning to end.
When you contact us, we’ll ask a few simple questions:
- Where are you moving from?
- Where is your new home?
- Roughly how much are you moving?
From there, we recommend a suitable container, organise delivery to your property, and schedule transport around your preferred moving dates. Whether you’re relocating between capital cities or moving to a regional area, we coordinate the logistics so you don’t have to juggle multiple transport providers.
Our container moving services operate right across Australia, and because we stock containers in every capital city and several regional centres, we’re able to arrange delivery quickly. If your nearest depot doesn’t have the exact container available, we can usually source one within a few days.
Which Shipping Container Should You Choose for Your Home?
Most people only need to answer one question here: Do you need a 20ft or a 40ft container?
Let’s understand this by the table below.
Home Size | Recommended Container |
1–3 bedroom home | 20ft shipping container |
4+ bedroom home or large family home | 40ft shipping container |
While home size is a good starting point, it’s not the only thing we consider. Large outdoor furniture, workshop equipment, gym gear, or the need for temporary shipping container storage can all affect which option makes the most sense.
2. Pack Your Household Goods
Packing your shipping container properly is one of the easiest ways to protect your belongings during the move. The goal isn’t to fit everything inside as quickly as possible. It’s to create a stable load that stays secure from the moment we collect it until it reaches your new home.
One mistake we see quite often is people loading boxes wherever they fit. It might seem quicker at the time, but it’s also one of the biggest reasons furniture gets scratched or boxes get crushed during transit.
A better approach is to build a solid foundation.
- Load heavy furniture and appliances first.
- Spread the weight evenly across the container.
- Stack lighter boxes on top and fill empty gaps to stop items from shifting.
Use moving blankets, bubble wrap and tie-down straps wherever possible. If you’re transporting fragile items like mirrors, TVs or glass furniture, give them a little extra protection. Australian roads can cover thousands of kilometres, so a well-packed container is always worth the effort.
How Long Do You Have to Pack?
This is where self-pack removals really shine. Unlike a traditional removalist truck that’s idling in your driveway on a tight schedule, you’re not racing the clock.
At Fernandos Half Price Removals, we give you up to three days to load your container, so you can pack at your own pace instead of scrambling. (If three days are not enough, then we also extend the time)
That extra time makes a genuine difference. You can finish one room at a time, clean as you go, and skip the last-minute panic that usually comes with moving house.
3. Transporting the Container to Your New Home
Once everything’s packed and the container’s locked, that’s our cue to take over.
We’ll collect the container from your property and transport it via the most efficient route for your move: road transport, rail transport, or a mix of both for longer interstate freight runs. Some moves may even involve a leg of sea freight, depending on the destination.
Because your belongings stay inside the same sealed container for the entire journey, there’s far less handling than you’d get with traditional furniture removal, where boxes get loaded and unloaded multiple times along the way.
4. Unload at Your Own Pace
When your container arrives, there’s no need to unpack everything straight away.
We’ll place the container at your new property, giving you the freedom to move in at your own pace. You can set up the bedrooms first, organise the kitchen the next day, and unpack the rest when you’re ready.
How Long Do You Have to Unload?
Just like packing, you unload within 1 to 3 days
If your settlement has been delayed or your new home isn’t ready yet, that’s not a problem either. We can arrange secure shipping container storage until you’re ready for delivery, giving you one less thing to worry about during an already busy move.
Packing Tips Before Hiring a Shipping Container Service
A successful move starts before the container even arrives. Spending a little time preparing now can save you hours later and help keep your belongings in great condition throughout the journey.
Create an Inventory List
Instead of trying to remember what’s inside every box, write down each room and the items you’re packing. Numbering your boxes or adding simple labels like Kitchen 1 or Bedroom 2 also makes unpacking much easier.
An inventory list is especially helpful if you’re using container storage before moving into your new home or organising transit insurance, as you’ll always know exactly what’s inside your container.
Protect Furniture and Fragile Items
Wrap furniture with blankets, protect glass with bubble wrap, and use sturdy cartons that can handle stacking. If you’re packing electronics, keep them upright where possible and fill any empty spaces inside boxes so nothing moves around during transport.
One thing many people overlook is moisture. During long-distance shipping container removals, temperature changes can create condensation inside the container. Using moisture absorbers and keeping ventilation points clear can help protect timber furniture, mattresses, and other items that don’t like damp conditions.
Disassemble Large Furniture
If it can be safely taken apart, it’s usually worth the effort. Pulling off table legs, bed frames, or shelving units frees up usable space and makes it much easier to secure everything properly for the trip. Just pop screws, bolts, and fittings into labelled bags so reassembly at the other end doesn’t turn into a scavenger hunt.
Drain Fluids from Machinery
Moving a lawnmower, generator, or other powered equipment? Always drain the fuel and oil before it goes anywhere near the container. It’s safer, it helps avoid leaks, and it protects everything else packed nearby. If there’s a battery involved, disconnect it as an extra safety precaution before moving day.
Why Choose Fernandos Half Price Removals?
If you’re weighing up shipping container hire Australia-wide, working with an experienced, Australian family-owned business makes the whole process a lot less exhausting.
At Fernandos Half Price Removals, we’ve been helping Australians moving house with a shipping container for over 20 years. We offer flexible shipping container hire with genuine Australia-wide coverage, making it straightforward to move between cities, out to regional towns, or interstate.
From delivering the container to your door, through to arranging transport by road and rail and secure storage solutions when you need them, we take care of the logistics while you stay in control of your own packing checklist.