Radical clear-out and sale
Planning: your strongest lever
1. muck out radically
Every kilo and every cubic metre costs money. Do you really need that wobbly coffee table from your student days? Sell things in good condition in the classifieds or organise a small flea market. This will put fresh money directly into your moving budget and reduce the required transport volume enormously.
2. set the date anti-cyclically
Almost everyone changes their flat at the end of the month or at the weekend. This is exactly when car hire companies charge the highest prices. Make your appointment for a Tuesday or Wednesday in the middle of the month. You can often save up to forty per cent on van hire.
3. involve the tax office
Are you changing your place of residence for professional reasons? Then deduct the costs from your tax bill as income-related expenses. But the state also helps out with purely private changes. You can easily claim handyman services and haulage costs as household-related services.
Misappropriation and creative packaging
Packing materials: Clever organisation instead of expensive purchases
4. open the cardboard hunt
New moving boxes eat a huge hole in the budget. Ask your local supermarket for banana boxes. These things are extremely sturdy and can easily hold heavy books. Alternatively, many people give away their used packing materials on local online marketplaces as soon as they have finished unpacking themselves.
5. misappropriation of own inventory
Why transport air? Fill your wheeled suitcases, travel bags, laundry baskets and rucksacks with clothes or books. Each full suitcase saves you a whole box.
6. towels beat bubble wrap
You don't need to buy expensive bubble wrap to protect your plates and glasses. Simply wrap your fragile crockery in T-shirts, towels and bed linen. This provides excellent protection for your belongings and you have also wrapped your textiles.
The balance between friends and professionals
Transport and manpower: spare your nerves, keep your budget
7. avoid transporter traps
Compare car hire prices early on. Make sure you pay attention to the kilometres included. A seemingly cheap offer will ruin you financially if you have to pay extra for every kilometre you drive. Also check the amount of the insurance excess - a small scratch can happen quicker than you think.
8. apply for a no-stopping zone yourself
A parking ticket or a blocked van in the second row costs nerves and money. Simply apply for the no-stopping zone directly at the local public order office. This only costs a fraction of what online agencies charge for this service. You can borrow the signs from the local building yard.
9. making the helper deal fair
Friends like to lug around pizza and beer. But communicate clearly in advance what you expect. Are the boxes already packed? Does the furniture need to be dismantled? The better prepared you are, the quicker the work will go and the less likely things will break.
10. use modular professional help
Sometimes you save money at the wrong end if you do everything yourself. It's better to leave bulky or very expensive pieces of furniture to the professionals. You pack your boxes yourself, but book specialised companies for the heavy transport. If you are moving around Lake Constance, for example, with its narrow streets, you often use partial services from Maier removals. The experts manoeuvre the truck safely to its destination and carry the heavy sofa through the narrow stairwell while you take care of the small items. This prevents expensive damage to your furniture and walls.
Savings through tariff change and contract review
Contracts and formalities: Kill hidden costs
11. avoid double rents
Talk to your current landlord in good time. They will often accept a new tenant so that you can get out of the contract before the statutory cancellation period expires. Use social media to find suitable candidates for your old flat.
12. master the bail juggling
The new deposit is due, but the old one has been delayed? Ask the new landlord if you can pay the deposit in three monthly instalments. You have the legal right to do this anyway. Alternatively, a rental deposit guarantee will bridge the financial gap until you get your money back from the old landlord.
13. critically examine renovation clauses
Don't reach for the paint bucket straight away. Many clauses on cosmetic repairs in old tenancy agreements have long been legally invalid. Check your contract carefully or have it checked by the Tenants' Protection Association. Often you don't have to paint the walls at all.
14 See tariffs as an opportunity
A change of location is the perfect time to clear out old contracts. Is your electricity supplier or internet provider charging absurdly high prices? Compare the current tariffs at your new address. In most cases, a new customer contract offers a big switching bonus.
15. take catering into your own hands
Feeding ten hungry helpers at the delivery service quickly goes over the 100 euro mark. Cook a huge pot of chilli con carne the evening before or prepare a large pasta salad. It fills everyone up, only costs you a fraction of the price and ensures a good atmosphere during the break.
Your new start without an empty account
Moving house always costs energy. However, it's up to you to decide how much of a strain it puts on your wallet. Set your priorities wisely, compare prices and don't be afraid to call on local expertise such as that of Maier removals precisely where your own limit has been reached. So you enter your new home with a smile - and a healthy bank balance.
