What the movers wouldn't take in Main Beach

A friend in Main Beach gave me Clear Out's number, and I sat on it for a fortnight before ringing. We were moving to Brisbane for my partner's job, and the removalists quoted by the cubic metre. Suddenly half of what we owned didn't seem worth paying to move.

Old bikes, a busted pram, a washing machine we were replacing, a pile of moving boxes from the last move and an outdoor setting held together with cable ties.

Main Beach is a mix of low-rise older units, waterfront towers and marina businesses, and getting things out isn't always simple. Narrow driveways and time-limited parking mean we bring smaller trucks where needed.

I half expected to be put on hold, but it was the bloke who'd actually be doing the job. He asked about stairs and parking, which made me think he'd done this a few times.

Two of them turned up right on time in a tipper truck. Before they lifted anything, they walked the route from the pile to the truck and pointed out a couple of spots where they'd put down protection.

Timing was tight because the removalists were due at noon. The crew loaded in the order that cleared the driveway first, so the big truck could still back in when it came.

When they were done, they swept up and walked me around to check. I paid the price we'd agreed, and that was it. The whole thing took less time than I'd spent worrying about it.

My advice to anyone in the same situation is not to wait as long as I did. The relief was worth more than the cost.