How early should I book movers?

It’s best to book your movers at least 1–2 weeks in advance to secure your preferred date. During busy periods like weekends or end-of-month moves, booking 3–4 weeks earlier is recommended. However, if you have any urgent requirements, reach out to us and we will try our best to accommodate them.

How much do movers near me cost?

The cost depends on factors such as the size of the move, distance, number of movers, and time required. Most local moves in Melbourne are charged on an hourly basis, with a clear quote provided before the move. At Yes Movers, our hourly rate starts at $120/hour. We will be sure to offer you a transparent quote at the beginning itself.

What is the cheapest day to move?

Weekdays (Monday to Thursday) are usually the most affordable days to move because demand is lower compared to weekends and end-of-month dates.

What makes Yes Movers the best movers in Melbourne?

At Yes Movers, we stand out for reliable service, experienced removalists, transparent pricing, and careful handling of belongings, ensuring every move is smooth, safe, and stress-free.

How far in advance should you plan a move?

We generally suggest planning your move around 2-4 weeks in advance where possible. That gives you enough breathing room to organize packing, sort out utilities, and lock in your preferred moving date. In Melbourne, weekends and end-of-month slots tend to book out quickly. At Yes Movers, we always try to help with last-minute moves too, but earlier planning usually makes the whole process easier.

What is the hardest room to pack when moving?

From our experience handling over 7000 moves across Melbourne, the kitchen is usually the hardest room to pack. It contains many fragile and oddly shaped items like glassware, plates, and small appliances. We often suggest starting with items you rarely use first. Packing the kitchen gradually makes the process much more manageable.

Is it worth paying for a moving company?

For many people, it really is. Moving involves more heavy lifting and logistics than it first appears. When you work with a professional team like ours at Yes Movers, we handle the loading, transport, and careful placement of your belongings. It usually saves a lot of time and reduces the risk of damage or injury along the way.

What should you not pack when moving?

There are a few items that shouldn’t go into a moving truck. Hazardous materials such as fuel, paint, gas bottles, or strong chemicals are generally unsafe to transport. We also suggest keeping valuables, important documents, medications, and personal electronics with you. That way you know exactly where they are during the move.

Top Places to Get Free Moving Boxes in Melbourne (2026 Updated)

Updated June 2026. Melbourne removalist Yes Movers refreshes this guide every six months with the latest free-box hunting spots, opening hours that work, and tips from our crews who handle 100+ Melbourne moves a week.

When moving house, the first thing that people think about is to find multiple moving boxes, preferably for free. After all, it makes no sense to spend one’s hard-earned money on something that becomes useless once the moving process is completed. Thankfully there are several places where people can find free moving boxes in Melbourne and thus avoid spending big bucks on these vital packing supplies.

Where to buy free moving boxes from?

Investing a little time and effort is all one needs to get just about every kind of free moving boxes for packing different household items. You can visit certain places and bring free boxes home. The top places to commence the box hunting for free boxes in Melbourne include the following.

Check With the Local Grocery Stores

Check With the Local Grocery Stores
The local grocery store is likely to have several empty boxes lying around waiting to be disposed of with trash. So, it is advisable to start enquiring at the local grocery stores about any extra boxes that they might be willing to give away for free. Large grocery store chains often use heavy-duty corrugated boxes to supply fresh produce inventory to their various outlets. Such extra grocery store boxes can come in quite handy for packing heavier or delicate items. So, people should enquire about the availability of free moving boxes while they are doing grocery shopping.

Enquire At Local Bars and Liquor Stores

Melbourne is known for its numerous bars and wine and liquor stores, which makes them the best places to get free moving boxes. People making the move can check the nearby wine and liquor store to get heavy-duty boxes suitable for packing various items. They may also check with both local liquor stores and larger liquor stores supplying to bars to get small and mid-size free moving boxes.

Since most larger liquor stores receive their shipments in bulk, the likelihood of finding large boxes there is also quite high. It is also a good idea to learn about the delivery schedule of the local liquor store to claim the free moving boxes before they are thrown away. You may approach liquor stores live to avail the free moving boxes.

Try With the Local Recycling Centres

The recycling centers are another great place for finding free moving boxes in varying sizes. Visiting the nearby recycling drop-off location can make people hit the moving box jackpot given the large number of boxes sitting around, with most of them having their lids laying on top of them. The recycling centers accept flattened corrugated cardboard, small boxes, paper boxes, and even old moving boxes that have been discarded by users.

So, for people looking for multiple moving boxes spending some time at the local recycling center can prove highly beneficial. However, it is important to check the moving boxes, especially those taken from the recycling room, carefully to ensure that they are not too damaged and can be used to safely pack the things.

Confirm Their Availability from Different Local Stores

Various stores in a neighborhood receive a regular shipment of goods in different types of sturdy boxes. Some of these shops may store the flattened corrugated cardboard boxes for some time before getting rid of them. It is also common for office supply stores to put away empty cardboard boxes in varying sizes. Similarly, big stationary shops handling school supply shipments also use heavy boxes.

Other stores where people are likely to find free boxes suitable for pacing goods may include local dollar stores, hardware stores, or even shoe stores. People can contact the managers of such stores to enquire about finding free boxes or other free stuff such as garbage bags or waste paper to be used for cushioning or other free moving supplies.

Ask Around at Local Restaurants And Coffee Shops

Fast food restaurants and coffee shops need to replenish their pantry with fresh goods almost every day. In most cases, these supplies are often delivered in a simple cardboard box, which these outlets store away after emptying. So asking around at such restaurants and cafes about the availability of a cardboard box is likely to yield positive results.

Enquire From Bookstores

Enquire From Bookstores Both large chain bookstores and locally owned bookstores use double-walled cardboard boxes for handling books. These banker’s boxes are capable of carrying great weight and are used by the stores for delivering books to local schools and other educational institutions. People can also talk to the administrative officers of the local college to enquire about more boxes or other moving supplies such as packing paper, packing tape, etc.

Seek Help from Online Marketplaces And Communities

People may also consider checking their favorite online marketplace such as Facebook marketplace for free boxes. They may also post about their needs on an online community group to enquire about free moving and packing supplies. Seeking help from the online community groups helps to expand their search area and ensures better responses.

Such online searches for free moving boxes help people connect with others who might have recently sifted an apartment complex office or moved their one-bedroom apartment and are looking for ways to get rid of the extra boxes. It might also lead them to garage sales being held in their neighborhood or big box stores where they might find free boxes for the move.

Bunnings Warehouse — the cheapest paid option (2026 update)

If free hunting comes up short, Bunnings sells brand-new moving boxes at every Melbourne store. As of 2026, the small carton (425×305×305mm) is $2.98, the standard moving box (480×320×420mm) is $3.78, and the heavy-duty book box (406×305×305mm) is $4.28. Pack-tape rolls are $2.50. Bunnings stays open until 9pm most weeknights — useful when you realise on the night before the move that you’ve underestimated.

Officeworks — bulk options for office relocations

For office and commercial moves, Officeworks beats Bunnings on bulk pricing. Their archive boxes (390×260×320mm) come in packs of 10 from $35, and their double-walled premium moving boxes are sturdy enough for monitors and printers. Free click-and-collect from every Melbourne Officeworks store. We’ve used these for hundreds of office moves — they survive interstate transit reliably.

Buy Nothing groups + Facebook Marketplace (the 2026 box hack)

The biggest change since this article first ran in 2023: Buy Nothing groups now blanket Melbourne. Search “Buy Nothing [your suburb]” on Facebook and join your local group — moving boxes are one of the most-given items. People who just moved are desperate to pass boxes on within days. Facebook Marketplace also has a free section where Melbourne residents post box bundles every week, often as “pickup today only” lots of 30-50 boxes. We see this most often in inner-east suburbs (Hawthorn, Kew, Camberwell) where rental turnover is highest.

What if you need help with the actual move?

If you’re going DIY, see our 2026 Melbourne moving truck hire guide for honest pricing on rental trucks, or the moving van rental guide for smaller loads. If you’d rather skip the back pain, get a Yes Movers quote — usually back within 30 minutes.

Final Thoughts

Finding free moving boxes can help reduce the cost of hiring the services of a Melbourne moving company quite significantly. So, after deciding how many sturdy boxes are needed, people can start checking the above-discussed places to find free moving boxes. So, happy box hunting for people planning to move their home without spending a fortune on buying boxes that they will no longer need once they have unpacked and settled down.