Moving checklist: what to do and when

Contents

1. 01

   8 weeks before: contracts and dates

   Anything with a notice period comes first.

   • Give notice on the old tenancy — the statutory period in Germany is three months to the end of a month; your contract may differ. In writing, with proof of receipt.
   • Agree the handover date for the old flat and the key handover for the new one. Leave at least two to three days in between so the final clean has time.
   • Ask a removals company for a quote and arrange the survey. Saturdays and month ends book out first.
   • Request leave for moving day and the day after.
   • Check whether your employer covers moving costs, or whether the Jobcenter or social services are responsible — they need several estimates in advance.
   • Children: enquire about school, nursery or after-school care at the new address; waiting lists are long.
   • Read the renovation clauses in the old tenancy: what has to be painted, what only cleaned on handover?
2. 02

   4 weeks before: organisation

   Now the plan becomes a booking.

   • Check the removals quote and book. Make sure the survey, fixed price and insurance cover are in it.
   • Have the parking permit applied for, at both addresses. Towns in the Rhine-Main region need one to two weeks.
   • Sort out: what does not come along is sold, given away or disposed of. Register bulky waste with the town or book the clearance with the move.
   • Order boxes and materials or have them delivered — as a rule of thumb 20 boxes per room.
   • Set up mail forwarding with Deutsche Post; it runs from moving day and can be booked for up to twelve months.
   • Sign up for or transfer electricity, gas and internet for the new flat. Internet often needs two to four weeks' notice.
   • Inform your contents and liability insurers of the new address; contents insurance usually covers both flats during the move.
   • For office moves: draw up a room plan with numbered workstations and plan the IT move separately.
3. 03

   2 weeks before: packing begins

   Start with what you will not need before the move.

   • Pack the cellar, attic, books, seasonal clothes, decoration and guest room — everything you can do without for two weeks.
   • Label every box on two sides: room in the new flat plus contents. Numbering helps with counting.
   • Make an inventory of valuable items and document them with photos — for the insurance.
   • Measure furniture and check it fits through the stairwell and doors of the new flat. What does not fit gets disassembled.
   • Important documents, jewellery, cash and medication go in a separate bag that you transport yourself.
   • Tell the neighbours; in apartment buildings reserve the lift for moving day if possible.
   • Arrange the meter-reading appointment with the landlord for the handover.
4. 04

   The last week

   Now every day counts.

   • Eat down the fridge and freezer; defrost and dry them 24 hours before the move.
   • Fit the transport bolts to the washing machine — without them the drum is often damaged after the journey.
   • Arrange plants, pets and children for moving day; all three are better off somewhere else that day.
   • Check that the no-parking signs are up: at least three full days beforehand, or the zone does not apply.
   • Pack a first-night box: bedding, towels, toilet paper, chargers, coffee, tools, light bulbs.
   • Have cash or a card ready for tips and small items; the removals invoice itself is paid by bank transfer.
   • Pack the last boxes, empty furniture, secure or remove drawers.
5. 05

   Moving day

   If everything is prepared, the day is the easiest part.

   • Photograph the electricity, gas and water meters in both flats, with meter numbers.
   • Walk the crew leader through both flats: what is fragile, what is heavy, what goes where.
   • Stay reachable but out of the way. One contact per address is enough.
   • In the new flat have the beds assembled first, then the kitchen, then the rest.
   • Go through the handover report together: has everything arrived, is anything damaged? Note visible damage immediately.
   • Empty the old flat and check for forgotten things: cellar, attic, letterbox, key rack.
6. 06

   After the move: handover and re-registration

   Two weeks, then it is really done.

   • Final clean of the old flat — cleaned, not just broom-clean, if the tenancy requires it. Photos of every room.
   • Flat handover with report, all keys and meter readings. Deposit: the landlord usually has three to six months to settle.
   • Register your new address with the Einwohnermeldeamt within two weeks — you need the landlord's confirmation (Wohnungsgeberbestätigung).
   • Re-register the car, update the registration document and insurance.
   • Tell the bank, health insurer, employer, tax office, broadcasting licence, subscriptions, online shops and clubs the new address.
   • Cancel the old electricity and gas contracts, check the final bill.
   • Have the empty boxes collected or pass them on.
   • After four weeks: is forwarded mail arriving? Who is still writing to the old address?

• Home removalsFlat or house, within the region or nationwide. With a survey, a fixed price on request and a fixed crew.
• Parking permitWe apply, put up the signs and take them down. So the van is outside your door, not three streets away.
• Full-service moveYou hand over the keys, we do the rest: pack, carry, assemble, dispose, clean.
• Move-out cleaningThe old flat cleaned for handover, the new one before you move in — the day after the move, by our own cleaning team.