Moving in Germany: the complete handbook to costs, timeline and checklist

What a move really costs

Moving is one of the biggest and most expensive cuts in life. Every year more than eight million people in Germany move, around ten percent of the population (as of 2024). And each of them goes through the same process: cancel the old flat, look for a new one, organise the move, register, furnish. At every one of these steps you can save money or lose it.

The biggest mistake is to reduce the move to the removal firm's bill. Transport costs are only one part. Add the boxes, fuel and toll, feeding the helpers, the final clean of the old flat, the forwarding service and often a new first-time furnishing. Add that up and you quickly land on a four-figure sum.

A realistic range for the whole package: 400 to 5,000 euros, depending on the size of the flat and the distance. A do-it-yourself move with a rented van starts at around 150 to 700 euros for a small flat. A removal firm charges roughly 400 to 1,500 euros for a local move, and 900 to 3,500 euros for a move over 200 kilometres. An entire house with over 120 square metres runs to between 2,000 and 5,000 euros (as of 2026).

The table below shows what a removal firm in Germany typically costs. The values are realistic reference prices of a Hamburg firm and cover a complete package of transport, two to four helpers and standard services (as of July 2026):

Besides distance, the biggest price driver is the volume in cubic metres. Removal firms internally charge 25 to 50 euros per cubic metre for a city move and 50 to 80 euros for moves over 100 kilometres (as of 2026). As a rule of thumb, one square metre of floor space corresponds to roughly 0.3 to 0.5 cubic metres of goods. Decluttering beforehand therefore saves directly on the most expensive lever.

On top of that come the smaller items: moving boxes cost 2 to 5 euros each depending on quality, a complete material set with wrapping paper and tape runs to 50 to 150 euros. The final clean of the old flat costs 2.50 to 7 euros per square metre, so around 200 to 560 euros for 80 square metres. If you are on the road, diesel in 2026 costs between 1.85 and 2.15 euros per litre, and the extension of the toll to vehicles over 3.5 tonnes plus the CO2 charge pushes the price of a move up by around 250 euros on average (as of 2026).

The moving-cost calculator estimates your budget by flat size, distance and scope, while the household-budget calculator fits the whole thing into your monthly finances. For the unexpected buffer, the rainy-day calculator is worth a look.

Removal firm or do it yourself

The most expensive decision is between professionals and doing it yourself. Both have their place, and the line can be drawn fairly clearly.

In favour of doing it yourself is above all the price. A rented van costs 80 to 250 euros, plus the boxes, fuel and feeding the helpers. Anyone moving a small flat over a short distance often comes in well under 500 euros. The prerequisites: enough time, a few strong friends and the appetite for loading, driving and carrying yourself.

In favour of the removal firm is everything that is heavy, far or time-critical. Professional removal companies work with trained staff, bring a tail lift and stairs tractor, pack everything on request and take liability for damage. They pay off reliably from three rooms, over 50 cubic metres of goods or distances beyond 100 to 200 kilometres (as of 2026).

If you choose the firm, get at least two to three fixed-price quotes and watch out for services, liability and seasonal surcharges. Many firms bill weekends and public holidays 10 to 20 percent more than weekdays, and in the summer high season the calendars are full (as of 2026).

When most people move

The timing decides not only on your nerves but also on the price. In Germany the high season is clearly in summer. July and the late summer take the lion's share, because the school year changes and leases classically start on 1 July or 1 September. The peak month is July, the low point is February (as of 2024).

The advantage of the high season is the larger choice of empty flats and the smooth school change for children. The downside: full calendars and higher prices at the removal firms. If you are flexible, you will find the cheapest offers between November and February, and you can move on a weekday instead of a weekend (as of 2026).

If you move with children, set the notice period so the move is done before the school year starts at the end of August. With three months' notice that means: give notice by the end of May at the latest. For the removal truck, apply to the road traffic authority for a parking ban zone / special-use permit — this is fee-based and requires about two weeks' lead time. A resident parking permit for the new address costs 10 to 360 euros a year depending on the municipality (as of 2026).

Working out the move or notice date cleanly

Anyone who wants to lay out the interlocking system of notice period, handover protocol and move-in date cleanly is helped by two tools: the date calculator works out deadlines and back-calculations for section 573c of the Civil Code, the calendar-week calculator sets the date for appointments and viewings.

The timeline: eight weeks to your new home

A move needs lead time. If you start eight weeks in advance, you have time for almost everything and can avoid the expensive rush. This roadmap takes you from cancellation to registration:

Cancelling, registering, changing addresses

The legal part sounds dry but costs the most if you miss it. Three points are essential.

Cancelling the old flat. As a tenant the notice period is three months to the end of the month, regardless of how long you have lived there, regulated by section 573c of the Civil Code. The cancellation must be in writing, so with your own signature, and reach the landlord by the third working day of a month to become effective at the end of the month after next. A shorter period is only allowed if it benefits you (as of 2026).

Overlapping rent payments are the classic: according to the German Tenants' Association, double rent affects about one in three people who move (as of 2026). Before that, you hand over the keys only when the new flat is ready. The old lease ends cleanly on the day you move in, and the handover protocols of both flats are signed.

Registration. Within two weeks of moving in you must register at the residents' registration office, regulated by section 17 of the Federal Registration Act. You need your ID card and the landlord's confirmation of residence. Registration itself is free, but if you miss the deadline you risk a fine of 25 to 1,000 euros (as of 2026).

Change your address everywhere. The forwarding service of Deutsche Post costs private customers around 31.90 euros for six months. Important: since 2024 the post only forwards letters, no more parcels. Beware of third-party providers that charge three to four times as much for the same service; if you pay more than 35 euros, you almost certainly did not book directly with the post (as of 2026).

You have to re-register the broadcasting fee of 18.36 euros a month yourself, that does not happen automatically through the residents' registration office (as of 2026). Your electricity contract is also not switched over by itself: either you take it with you, or you cancel with a six-week notice period for a move if the supplier does not deliver at the new place. Photograph the meter readings for electricity, gas and water on moving-out and moving-in day for the bill. For the car: within the same registration district a change of address is enough, for a new district a full re-registration is needed, online through the i-Kfz procedure (as of 2026).

How the move gets cheaper on tax

A move is not only a cost factor, it can also save money. Two paths lead into the tax return.

Work-related move. If you move because of a transfer, a new job or a clearly shorter commute, the costs count as income-related expenses under section 9 of the Income Tax Act. Since March 2024 a moving-cost lump sum applies: 964 euros for the person entitled, 193 euros if there was no flat of your own before the move, and 643 euros for each further person in the household. In addition there are real costs such as double rent for up to six months (as of 2026).

Private move. For a classic move without a job reason, section 35a of the Income Tax Act applies. Then 20 percent of the pure labour costs of the removal firm can be claimed as domestic services, at most 4,000 euros in tax relief per year. Tradesman services such as dismantling and building an integrated kitchen come separately with 20 percent and up to 1,200 euros. Important: you need an invoice and non-cash payment, cash does not satisfy the tax office (as of 2026).

Liability and insurance when moving

When damage occurs, the question of liability quickly arises. The removal company's statutory liability as carrier lies under section 451e of the Commercial Code at 620 euros per cubic metre of loading space. For 30 cubic metres of goods that is around 18,600 euros. Only the current value is ever compensated, never the replacement price, and the limit only falls away in cases of intent, recklessness, missing disclosure or an agreed value declaration (as of 2026).

If you are moving valuable furniture, electronics or antiques, this basic cover is often not enough. Then a separate transit insurance is worth it, whose premium is based on the value of the goods and for an average household lies in the double-digit euro range. Also check whether your contents insurance covers the transport (as of 2026).

Packing and moving day

Moving day itself becomes relaxed if you packed cleanly beforehand. A realistic range for an average household: 20 to 40 moving boxes, depending on how much you sort out. Heavy things like books belong in small boxes, crockery is wrapped individually and laid upside down, clothes happily travel in bin bags or wardrobe boxes (as of 2026).

Every box gets its room and contents, best with a number in the packing plan. And in the survival bag for the first 48 hours goes everything you need immediately: ID, lease, keys, cash, medication, charging cables, a change of clothes and toiletries (as of 2026).

In the new flat you move in a fixed order: first the bedroom so you can sleep somewhere at night, then kitchen and bathroom, last the living room. A classic mistake almost nobody knows: the fridge is always transported upright and stands still for at least 24 hours after the move before being switched on, otherwise the coolant can damage the compressor (as of 2026).

Furnishing the new flat

If you are moving into an empty flat, you either save hard or invest, depending on the plan. Not everything has to be new on the first day. Urgent in the first few days: bedding, shower curtain, towels, basic kitchenware and a few lamps. In the first weeks comes the toolkit, in the first months the rest up to furniture and decor (as of 2026).

If moving out and moving in overlap, a transition week helps with a temporary flat or storage for the furniture, which costs around 50 to 150 euros a month. A small buffer of 500 to 1,000 euros in a savings account for bridging takes the pressure off (as of 2026).

The first-furnishing calculator lists what a new flat really needs and what it costs, from the bed to the first coffee machine. Together with the household-budget calculator you can see whether the move including furnishing fits into the budget, and the inflation calculator shows how prices for furniture and household goods will develop in the coming years.