Tipping Movers 101 (How Much To Tip Movers & Why)

• January 25, 2021
• Bill Chen

Last updated on October 30, 2023

So, you’ve completed a house move. Everything went without a hitch – nothing was broken en route, no dramas, no stresses, sweet as a nut. You’ve already used the best removalists North Sydney or the Eastern Suburbs has to offer, and it was great. But one question remains: do I need to tip, and how much?

Tipping is an often overlooked and underappreciated thing in Australia. We don’t really do it here – that is more of an American and continental European custom. However, we do still have a culture of offering tips in some situations, such as hospitality or where there may be a cash-in-hand transaction and your server or contractor has gone above and beyond. 

With removalists, there is no set rule. Some removalists will do the job for cash in hand and for a very low price. These removalists don’t usually have costs like insurance, or providing packing materials and they often don’t take the same care in your belongings. It is often part of the custom that if these types of movers have done a good job for you, they might warrant a tip of some sort. 

When using the more certified, but still cheap removals Sydney has available, you don’t have to tip at all. Well, at least not in the form of extra money! Your business itself is enough, but if you want to do something a little extra, providing a cold drink or a light snack will go down a treat! 

It is important to truly appreciate what a high-quality, dedicated removalist does for you. It’s not just simply putting in the elbow grease to ensure your stuff arrives safely at your new home, it’s ensuring you avoid injury, avoid breaking your things, and possibly most importantly, stay as de-stressed as possible in an otherwise highly stressful time period. 

Not to overcook the pudding, but when a good removalist does their job right, they will be so good that you might not even notice or remember them. Subconsciously we only really remember the bad experiences – so when you have a good removalist, who offers quality advice on things like moving with pets or tips on moving with liquids, they are worth their weight in gold. And remember, most of the often quite sizable fees you’re paying to the company don’t make their way down to the individual movers – due to overheads such as insurance, trucks, etc as mentioned before. 

Most good movers will never ask you or think twice about getting a tip. That’s generally not what they are in it for. But sometimes, on those long, hot, unrelenting Sydney summer days, it would go down well for a glass of icy cold water! Or if you’ve backloaded your move, or scheduled for later in the day, when the movers may have already been packing and unpacking for several hours, maybe a quick sandwich or snack would really hit the spot and be most appreciated. 

The biggest tip about tipping movers that I can give you from my experiences, however, is not about money, food, or drink. It’s about attitude. I get it, I’ve said many times how stressful moving can be. But the best thing you can give your removalists is a smile, a positive attitude, and appreciative gratitude towards them. You’d be surprised how little this happens, and it can really make someone’s day – including yours!