Removals to Canberra and the Australian Capital Territory

Average removal time to Canberra and the ACT from the UK

Sea freight to Canberra and the ACT will take around 6-9 weeks with a full-load container (FCL) or 8-12 weeks for a shared/groupage service. You will also need to allow additional time for customs clearance.

Usually, it will take 2-4 days for our packers to load a container.

What is the cost of international removals to Canberra and the ACT?

The cost of removals to Canberra and ACT will depend on many factors such as the volume of goods you are sending, and whether you use air freight or sea freight service.

To receive a guideline price for moving to Canberra and the ACT you can use our international removals cost calculator, or you can book a home or video survey for a more accurate quotation.

How to buy a property in Canberra and the Australian Capital Territory 

The ACT experienced record property price increases during the pandemic. This time last year houses in some areas were fetching well over a million AUD. However, Canberra is one of 3 capital cities expected to experience a significant drop in property prices during 2024.  Predictions are that falls could be anywhere between 8 – 11% over the course of the year.

Depending on your finances, amenities requirements, and lifestyle preferences, options for buying a property in Canberra are quite diverse. You can buy either by private treaty or auction.  View our comprehensive guide to Canberra and ACT housing.

As of February 1st, 2024, the Canberra mean house price is A$951,054, a fall of 1.2%.  Units are A$600,970, a fall of 0.4%.

If you are looking to ship items to Australia, we provide an expert service for moving to Australia.

Where to live in Canberra?

Although real estate in Canberra can be pricey, particularly in affluent suburbs like Red Hill, there are more budget-friendly areas.  Suburbs around the city centre (Civic etc) tend to have a lot of units and apartments. Manuka and Kingston have a reputation for being ‘café suburbs’ so if you like your coffee…

Colourful Dickson, Braddon and Turner are also close to the CBD and more affordable than some other areas in the vicinity.  Ainslie is an older suburb with easy access to the university, botanical gardens and Black Mountain.  Woden, Belconnen, Tuggeranong (‘Nappy Valley’) and Gungahlin (the new Tuggeranong) are also good options.

Canberra is Australia’s ‘bush capital’, which may be a pro if you fancy living in a city with a large country town vibe.  But it’s also a LONG way to the nearest beach so beach lovers may rule Canberra out of contention.

However, whilst Canberra and the ACT may be small in stature, they do offer plenty of bang for your buck in terms of things to do and see. That’s a pro for most people. As the nation’s capital, there is a lot of heritage-related culture on offer – including the Australian War Memorial and museum and Parliament House etc.

Unemployment rates in the ACT are below the national average and the federal government is by far its biggest employer.  Furthermore, due to the high number of public servants that call Canberra home, it’s generally considered a very educated city, with education facilities to match.

Foodies will also love Canberra’s dining scene because it is world-class.  As are its shopping, cultural and entertainment amenities. Canberra’s weather can also be a bit ‘fresh’ in winter but the summers more than makeup for it.

Canberra however is expensive, which is probably its biggest con at the moment.  Prices have sky-rocketed over recent years, to the point where it now competes with Sydney for the title of Australia’s most expensive place to live! As a trade-off – traffic jams are almost unheard of, and the city was planned from the start to be easy to navigate.

Where to live in Australian Capital Territory? 

Most of the ACT outside Canberra is covered by the Namadji National Park so towns are few and far between.  There are a handful – Hall, Naas, Tharwa, Uriarra and Williamsdale.

Queanbeyan is often thought of in association with the ACT but it is in fact just over the border in NSW.  However, if you’re looking for a bigger ‘metropolis’ outside Canberra that is still ‘kind of’ part of the ACT, this may be it.

Outside of those ‘major’ towns, there are a few smaller settlements like Rocky Crossing and Glendale Crossing.  Hume and Royalla are right on the ACT/NSW border.

The ACT has one of the lowest unemployment rates and highest average incomes of any Australian state or territory.  The most in-demand skills are:

• Software and applications programmers, and
• ICT business and systems analysts

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Canberra is generally regarded as a highly educated city.  Top ACT schools based on their NAPLAN results:

• Telopea Park School
• Lyneham High School
• Alfred Deakin High School
• Canberra High School
• Campbell High School
• Mount Stromlo High School
• Amaroo School
• Melrose High School

Canberra has 5 universities and TAFEs, 3 of which are highly regarded by international students.

• Australian National University.
• The University of Canberra.
• Canberra Institute of Technology.
• UNSW Canberra (campus)
• Australian Catholic University (campus)

Several other universities also have campuses in Canberra.  In addition, there are specialist tertiary institutions including Royal Military College, Duntroon and the Australian International Hotel School.

Don’t let the ACT’s small size fool you into thinking there isn’t much to do here!  Some of the art galleries, museums, and exhibitions are the best in Australia.  Here’s our pick:

• National Gallery of Australia
• National Museum of Australia
• National Portrait Gallery
• National Library of Australia
• Australian War Memorial
• Lake Burley Griffin
• New Parliament House
• Museum of Australian Democracy
• Questacon
• Mount Ainslie lookout
• National Botanic Gardens
• National Arboretum
• National Zoo and Aquarium
• Royal Australian Mint
• Jerrabomberra Wetland