Moving House With a Fridge: The 24-Hour Rule and Other Things Nobody Tells You
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If your fridge was laid on its side or back during the move, don't plug it in straight away. Stand it upright and leave it for several hours — ideally 24 if it travelled flat — before switching it on. Skipping this is one of the most common ways people kill a fridge that was working perfectly the day before.
Why the waiting rule exists
The compressor sits at the bottom of the fridge and contains lubricating oil. When the unit is tipped or laid down, that oil can migrate out of the compressor and into the refrigerant lines.
Switch it on before the oil has drained back and the compressor runs without proper lubrication, and can push oil into places it shouldn't be. It may fail immediately, or — more commonly and more annoyingly — it works for a few weeks and then dies, long after you've connected the two events.
The guide: transported upright, a couple of hours is generally fine. Laid on its side or back, leave it standing upright for a full 24 hours. If in doubt, wait longer — waiting costs nothing.
Prepping it before the move
- Run down the contents in the week before. Don't do a big shop three days out.
- Empty it completely and take out or secure all shelves and drawers — loose glass shelves shatter in transit.
- Defrost the freezer at least 24 hours ahead. A frost-caked freezer holds litres of water that will end up on your floors.
- Clean and dry it thoroughly. A sealed damp fridge grows mould fast, and a fridge that sits closed for a few days smells genuinely awful when reopened.
- Wedge the doors slightly open if it'll be off for more than a day. A rolled towel works.
- Tape the cord to the back so nobody trips on it.
- Measure the new kitchen's fridge space — width, depth and height, plus door swing clearance. Measure it before moving day, not on it.
Is it even worth taking?
Worth asking honestly before you pay to move it.
Take it if: it's under about eight years old, efficient, in good condition, and it fits the new kitchen.
Leave it if:
- It's over about twelve years old — you're paying to relocate something that costs $150–$300 a year more to run than a modern equivalent
- It doesn't fit the new space, which is more common than people check
- The new place already has one
- The seals have gone or it's been struggling
- The move involves stairs at both ends — the labour cost often approaches the value of the fridge
A removalist charging by the hour to carry a dying fridge down two flights and up another two is a genuinely bad use of money. More on that decision.
Don't leave it behind for someone else to deal with
If you're renting and you leave a fridge in the property, it comes out of your bond at the agent's contractor rate — reliably more than a booked pickup. And it can't go on the nature strip without a booked council collection; that's illegal dumping and it's fineable.
Book the pickup for two or three days before your final inspection. Full end-of-lease guide.
Moving-day checklist for the old one
Collection is kerbside only. Please arrange for your items to be outside at the kerbside before pickup. Collections run Monday to Friday, 6am–4pm.
- Emptied and defrosted the day before
- Unplugged, cord coiled
- Meltwater mopped up
- Doors can stay on — we don't need them removed
- Booked for a date before handover, not after
Frequently asked questions
How long exactly should I wait before plugging it in?
Transported upright: a couple of hours. Laid down: 24 hours standing upright. Longer never hurts.
Can a fridge be moved on its side at all?
It's done regularly, but upright is always better. If it must lie down, lay it on the side opposite the compressor discharge line where possible, and observe the 24-hour rule.
My fridge smells after being closed for a week.
Clean it with a bicarbonate solution, dry it thoroughly, and leave the doors open with a bowl of bicarb inside for a day or two.
Can you collect the old fridge on moving day?
Yes, Monday to Friday, 6am–4pm, subject to availability. Name the date when you book and arrange for the old fridge to be outside at the kerbside before pickup.
Not taking it with you?
$80 for a small–medium unit or $150 for a large one, collected in 24–48 hours, degassed and recycled.