In short: moving from the UK to Australia costs roughly £1,200 for a small shared load, £4,500 to £8,000 for a 20ft container (2 to 3-bed), and £7,500 to £12,000 or more for a 40ft container (4-bed and up), door to door. Major-port cities sit at the lower end; far-north, island and remote destinations cost more once the extra sea or road leg is added.
These are indicative market ranges; a free match gives a firm, partner-confirmed price. We are not a removal company.
| Destination type | Shared / part-load | 20ft (2 to 3-bed) | 40ft (4-bed+) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Major-port cities (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide) | £1,200 to £4,000 | £4,500 to £7,500 | £7,500 to £11,000 |
| Near-port, short road leg | £1,400 to £4,500 | £4,800 to £8,000 | £8,000 to £11,500 |
| Far-north or island (Cairns, Hobart, Launceston, Mackay) | £1,600 to £4,200 | £5,200 to £8,200 | £8,500 to £12,000 |
| Remote inland (Darwin, Alice Springs, Kalgoorlie, Karratha) | £1,800 to £4,500 | £5,500 to £8,800 | £9,000 to £12,500 |
Indicative market ranges, door to door, confirmed by your partner mover after a survey. We are not a removal company.
What does a move from England to Australia cost? We help households across the United Kingdom understand indicative removal company prices, then match one vetted removalist for a firm figure.
The honest answer to "what does it cost?" is "it depends on how much you send." A removal to Australia is priced by volume, so a few boxes might be a couple of hundred pounds, while a full four-bedroom house can run to eleven thousand or more. Most family moves land somewhere in the middle. Knowing where you sit on that scale is the first step to a sensible budget.
There are really three ways to ship. Boxes by sea or air for the smallest loads, a shared container where you pay for the space you use, and a sole-use 20ft or 40ft container for a whole home. As your load grows, the cheaper option flips: shared wins for small moves, a sole-use container wins once you can nearly fill one.
Whichever route fits, the quote itself isn't the whole story. Insurance, Australian customs, port handling and the final delivery to your door can sit outside a headline price, so two quotes that look different may actually cover different things. We'll come back to those extras below.
We're a free matching service, and not a remover ourselves. Tell us your home size and where you're heading, and we introduce you to one FIDI-certified mover who surveys the job and gives a firm, written price you can hold up against the guide figures here. No fee, no obligation.
Free matching. One FIDI partner. No catch. No fee.
Volume leads everything. The more cubic metres you ship, the bigger the container and the higher the cost, which is why a good clear-out is the cheapest decision in the whole move. Sell, donate or bin what you won't want in Australia, and you stop paying to send it across the world.
After volume comes access. If a container lorry can't reach your door, the crew loads a smaller shuttle and transfers your goods at a depot, which adds time and cost. The same goes at the Australian end, where a delivery far inland from the arrival port adds a road leg. Your mover prices both ends at the survey.
Timing matters too. Shipping rates rise and fall through the year, so a flexible sailing date can save money, while a fixed, peak-season move costs more. Put those together, volume, access, destination and timing, and you can see why a survey beats an online guess every time.
Here is the quick version, smallest to largest. Each links to a fuller page if you want the detail.
These bands bring the methods together by the size of home you're moving. Treat them as a planning guide, not a quote, since your volume and access decide the final number.
Shared or 20ft container
About £1,800 to £5,000
Part load to a small sole-use box.
Shared or 20ft container
About £3,500 to £6,500
A typical 20ft fit.
20ft or 40ft container
About £5,500 to £9,000
Depends how full it is.
40ft or high-cube container
About £8,000 to £11,000+
Whole house, garage and garden.
The shipping quote is the headline, but a few other costs can sit alongside it, and a cheap-looking price sometimes leaves them out. Knowing them upfront means no nasty surprises, and it lets you compare quotes properly. Always ask whether a price is full door-to-door or stops at the port.
Your removal is paid in pounds, but life in Australia is paid in Australian dollars, code AUD, so a move means juggling two currencies. Plan the exchange before you go. The airport gives the worst rates, so set a specialist like Wise or XE against your bank, and consider an AUD account opened from the UK. As the GBP to AUD rate shifts daily, check XE.com near the time you transfer. To be clear, we match removals and we don't exchange currency.
This guide is maintained by Darren Benjamin, who has run International Removals Companies since it launched in 2010 and has over 20 years in the logistics industry. Since 2013 he has also been Secretary and Manager of a UK removal company, a role verifiable on Companies House. In practice that means matching people moving abroad with the right certified mover, and knowing the customs and shipping detail behind an international move to or from Australia.
Our partner movers hold the industry's recognised credentials, including FIDI FAIM Certified (audited by Ernst and Young), BAR Overseas, IAM, EUROMOVERS and FEDEMAC membership. You can read more about who we are and how we vet partners on our about us page.
Most household moves land somewhere between about £1,800 and £11,000. A few boxes can be a few hundred pounds, a one-bed runs roughly £1,800 to £5,000, a three-bed around £5,500 to £9,000, and a four-bed house £8,000 to £11,000 or more. The figure follows how much you ship, so a survey is what turns the range into a real price.
Sending less. For small loads, shipping boxes by sea is the cheapest entry point, then a shared container where you pay only for the space you use. A sole-use container costs more but suits a whole house. The single biggest saving is decluttering, since you pay by volume either way.
Four things mainly: how much you ship, the access at both ends, your Australian destination port, and the time of year. A big load, a tricky street needing a shuttle, a regional delivery far from port, or a peak-season sailing all push the price up. Shedding volume and being flexible on dates bring it down.
As a guide, a three-bedroom home runs about £5,500 to £9,000, usually in a sole-use 20ft or 40ft container depending on how full it is. A larger or well-stocked three-bed tips towards a 40ft. Your matched mover measures the volume at a survey and confirms which container fits and what it costs.
Sometimes, so check what each quote includes. Marine insurance, Australian customs clearance, port and quarantine handling, and delivery from the port to your door can be separate lines. A quote that looks cheap may stop at the port, while a slightly higher one covers everything to your new home. Compare like for like.
For a smaller load, yes. With a shared container you pay only for the space your goods take up, so it beats a sole-use container you can't fill. Once you have most of a house, a sole-use 20ft or 40ft works out better value per cubic metre, and it is quicker because it sails when sealed.
Often. Shipping demand and rates rise and fall through the year, so a flexible sailing date can shave money off. Being relaxed about the exact collection day, and avoiding the busiest periods, gives your mover room to find a better-priced slot. Ask whether moving your dates a little would help the price.
It depends on the quote. A full door-to-door price covers collection, shipping, Australian customs clearance and delivery to your address. A cheaper port-to-port price may leave clearance and the final leg to you. Always ask whether the quote is door to door, so you know exactly what you are paying for.
We run a free matching service and aren't a remover. Tell us your home size and destination, and we connect you with one vetted FIDI-certified mover who surveys the job and gives a firm, written price. You can compare it against the guide figures here. You pay us nothing, and there's no obligation.
A cheap quote that hides costs helps nobody, which is why we only match you with FIDI FAIM-accredited movers. FIDI FAIM is the international moving industry's quality standard, awarded after an independent Ernst and Young audit of more than 200 criteria and renewed every three years. It covers how firms quote and handle claims, not just how they pack, so the price you're given is one you can trust.
International Removals Companies has matched movers since November 2010, free of charge. DATACONTEXT (UK) LTD, company 07425576, ICO ZB022743. Norman House, Saint Saviours Estate, Abbey Street, London, SE1 3DH. Working Member of AGM Group since 2010.
Send your home size and big items, your UK collection postcode, your Australian delivery address and your rough dates. We pair you with one FIDI-certified partner who surveys the job and gives a firm, written price, with no guesswork.
Get a Removals PriceFree matching. One FIDI-certified mover. DATACONTEXT (UK) LTD, since November 2010.
We connect removals enquiries for Australia with one vetted FIDI-certified partner mover, and explain the costs in plain English. DATACONTEXT (UK) LTD, company 07425576, ICO ZB022743. Norman House, Saint Saviours Estate, Abbey Street, London, SE1 3DH. Working Member of AGM Group since 2010.
All figures are indicative. Prices, insurance and customs are confirmed by your partner mover before booking.