‘Less stressful and more affordable’: Moving house gets modern makeover

When borders locked down during COVID-19, people were still allowed to move interstate. However, no one knew the rules about what you could and couldn’t do.

Muval created the only central place you could get all the information to answer the basic question “can you move?” Our site was updated daily with information on border closures, permits, average wait times and more.

This was a huge opportunity to source new customers as we became the trusted authority on moving during the pandemic. We learned to never let a good crisis go to waste! Muval really benefited from the dramatic spike in interstate migration during COVID-19, and we have done really well to maintain those peak levels post pandemic.

How are current economic conditions affecting you?

The cooling effect of interest rate rises on the property market has impacted the moving industry as a whole, with migration trends now returning to their pre-pandemic levels.

But we are also seeing a steady flow of local moves as record inflation and rental rises force people to re-evaluate where they live.

While inflation has generally made people more price conscious, our service provides multiple price options, so Muval has been well received by those undertaking ‘cost-of-living’ moves. Overall, consumer sentiment is a bit uncertain.

I think generally people are waiting to make big life plans (that might involve a move) until there is more certainty in the economy.

How do you ensure the company runs a tight ship financially?

As a start-up Muval was “bootstrapped” for a number of years (financed only from existing resources). So being conservative with spending is ingrained in the company’s DNA.

We ensure we track investments in growth to ensure they deliver appropriate revenue multiples.

What motivates you to stay passionate about the business?

We operate in a massive market that is almost untouched by technology. The tech that we’ve built to address the problems in moving is impressive, and there’s plenty more market share that we can capture.

What is your advice to small business, judging from what you have seen first hand?

Don’t listen to unsolicited advice from strangers.