Tips for Moving Homes in Switzerland

Moving homes is usually a big, expensive, and time-consuming project. This guide helps you to navigate the maze of tasks and maintain a good overview throughout the move.

Points are listed in the order which they typically have to be completed in. Things which have to be done earlier appear higher up on the list.

1. Give notice on your old house or apartment

Home rentals can be ended on regular termination dates. You have to give notice ahead of time in keeping with the required notice period. You can find both the termination dates and the notice periods in your rental agreement. In Switzerland, many home rental contracts can be terminated at the end of March and at the end of September, and require you to notify your landlord that you want to move out at least three months before.

If you find someone who is willing to take over your lease, then there is no need to stick to either the available termination dates or the minimum notice periods. Swiss law only requires you to provide your landlord with one offer from a prospective tenant. The person who wants to take over your rental agreement has to be willing and able to accept the existing terms and conditions. It is very important that they are capable of meeting the rental payments. Whether or not the person actually takes over your rental agreement is irrelevant. As long as they meet all of the criteria, your landlord has to accept your notice of termination and end your rental contract.

Always send in your notice of termination by registered mail. In your letter, ask your landlord to send you written confirmation that they have received your notice.

It is also possible to get your landlord to agree to an early termination of the contract. Depending on the situation, your landlord may be willing to end the contract without you having to either provide a subsequent renter or keep to termination dates and notice periods.

2. Get your debt collection register statement

As soon as you are ready to begin looking for a new home, you should order a copy of your debt collection register history from your regional debt collection office. Ideally, the statement should not have any debt claim entries at all. The debt collection guide from moneyland.ch explains how to have entries removed from your debt collection history. Because prospective landlords may request copies of your debt collection register statement early on in the application process, getting your statement before you begin house hunting makes sense.

3. Find the right house or apartment

Most homes are listed on real-estate websites. Properties in high-demand areas or with low rents typically attract large numbers of applicants, which increases your competition and lowers your chances of being approved. Your chances are generally much better when you apply for homes which have not yet been advertised online. For example, if you know someone who is moving and you like their old house or apartment, you could offer to take over their lease. Unless the landlord has already begun advertising it, your chances of being able to rent the home are much better than they would otherwise be. You can find more about how to boost your chances of being approved for rental homes in Switzerland here.

4. Start getting rid of unnecessary items early on

The longer you live in one place, the more unnecessary things you tend to accumulate. If you have not used something in several years, there is a high chance that you will never use it. Moving presents a great opportunity to get rid of things you do not need.

Beginning the decluttering process as early as possible is recommended. It is easy to underestimate the effort required to clear out a house or apartment. Starting early enough gives you time to find people who want the things you no longer need. You can find useful tips for converting unwanted items into money here.

If you have bulky items (like furniture) which you want to get rid of, then doing this early means those items will not be in your way when it comes time to move. Take time to find out what options your municipality provides for getting rid of bulk rubbish well ahead of your move.

5. Start collecting boxes

You will want to find moving crates or banana boxes before you even begin getting rid of stuff. Ask your friends and family whether they have any boxes left over from moving which you can reuse for your upcoming move. Used moving boxes are sometimes offered for free on classified platforms like Tutti. Alternatively, you can also buy moving boxes (at furniture stores or online, for example).

6. Sign your new rental agreement

Once your application for a new home has been accepted, your future landlord will send you a rental agreement by mail. You should carefully read this and, if you agree to the terms and conditions, sign it and send it back. If you notice anything in the contract which you were not aware of (a ban on pets or no included parking, for example), you should contact the landlord or property manager for clarification before you sign.

Make sure that the landlord receives the contract before the agreed-on moving in date. You will not normally be given the key to your new home until the landlord has the signed contract. Posting the contract as priority or “A” mail is recommended.

7. Pay in your rental deposit

Landlords generally require a security deposit. The deposit can be as high as the equivalent of three monthly rents. The money is normally deposited into a special rental deposit account at a bank. Security deposit insurance can provide an alternative, if your landlord accepts it. If you have enough money to cover the deposit, using a rental deposit bank account is much cheaper.

You can generally only move in to the house or apartment once the deposit is paid down or the insurance policy becomes active. For that reason, it is important to make sure that this happens before the move in date.

8. Make a moving plan

You generally have two options: Either you move your stuff yourself – with or without the help of friends, or you hire a moving company. Services which moving companies typically provide include taking apart and putting together furniture, and transporting boxes and furniture. Optional services may include packing and unpacking boxes, and cleaning your old house or apartment. Make a clear agreement with the moving company about which services you will use well before the move actually happens.

You can request quotes for a move directly from moving companies. Alternatively, you can get quotes using online services like Movu and Renovero.

There are two different billing systems which are commonly used: hourly fees, and fixed fees. When hourly fee models are used, you are billed based on the number of hours required to complete the tasks. With fixed fee models, you pay a flat fee for the full job.

Both systems have advantages and disadvantages:

• Fixed fee: With a fixed fee, you receive the services you need for the quoted price. You normally do not have to count on paying any additional costs. However, it may happen that a moving company could charge additional fees on top of the agreed fixed fee. This could happen if, for example, the moving company provides additional services which are not covered by the fixed fee. The disadvantage of the fixed fee model is that movers may take less care when handling your things because they are under pressure to finish the job within the allotted time.
• Hourly fee: The advantage of the hourly wage model is that movers are not in a rush to get the job over with, because you are paying for whichever amount of time they need to do the job. This can help prevent movers from becoming careless due to time and money constraints. The downside of this model is that you do not know how much you will have to pay until the job is done. If the move ends up taking longer than expected, you could end up paying much more than quoted estimate.

If you use a moving company, you should take care to choose the company carefully. Make sure that they have insurance against possible damages. Online ratings from customers can also provide a good reference point. A label from the Swiss Movers Association (SMA) can also be useful as it indicates that the company meets certain standards. Perhaps surprisingly, many moving companies require that you pay in cash on the day of the move.

9. Review subscriptions and services

A new home is also a new beginning, and moving presents the perfect opportunity to rethink your needs. That also applies to subscriptions, products, and services. Reviewing and optimizing these things can save you a lot of money.

• Is my mobile plan still the cheapest and best option for my needs? Mobile plans are regularly offered on promotion, and chances are you may find a better deal.
• Do I have the right home Internet plan? Do I still need a home phone or a TV plan?
• Do I have the right credit card? The credit card comparison on moneyland.ch makes it easy to find the most suitable offer.
• Do I have the right bank account or bank package? The moneyland.ch bank account comparisons make it easy to find out.
• Do I still read the newspapers and magazines I subscribe to? Or should I consider suspending my subscriptions?
• Do I have any gym, pool, or other sports subscriptions which I will no longer be able to use after moving further away?
• Do I have club memberships which I will no longer be able to benefit from after moving further away?

If there are conditions attached to terminating your unneeded subscriptions, you can use the notice period calculator on moneyland.ch to find out when you can suspend your subscriptions.

10. Inform your health insurance provider

Inform your Swiss mandatory health insurance provider about your move. You can generally remain insured by your existing insurer. The only exception to this rule is if they do not operate in the region you are moving to, in which case you will have to move to a different health insurance company.

The premium you pay is based on the region you live in. You can find out how much you will pay in the region you will be moving to using the health insurance comparison on moneyland.ch. Alternatively, you can ask your health insurance provider how high your insurance premiums will be.

Once you have moved, it is worth comparing mandatory health insurance premiums to see if you could save money by changing to a different offer in the next calendar year. The same insurer could be relatively cheap in one region, but expensive in another.

You can only change your health insurance at the end of the year, unless you use the standard model with the lowest deductible (300 francs for adults), in which case you can also switch on July 1.

If your income is relatively low, you should take time to get informed about health insurance premium reductions in your prospective future home. Each canton has its own rules with regards to how high premium reductions are, who is eligible, and how to apply.

11. Measure your furniture

Whether or not your furniture will fit in your new house or apartment is another important thing to consider. In many cases, you have to make compromises.

You should obtain the floor plan of your new apartment, and record the measurements of all of your items of furniture. Sometimes, floor plans only show square meters, but do not show exact measurements. If you are allowed to enter your new home before the move, you can take measurements yourself. This can also be done during the initial home viewing. Take note of where windows and doors are located, and the directions they open in. Ideally, draw a map of where you want to place different furniture.

12. Inform the post office about your change of address

Make sure to inform the post office about your change of address. The Swiss post recommends doing this at least four days before your move, but there is no harm in informing them about your change of address even earlier than that.

Instructing the post office to forward mail to your new address is a smart move. The post charges a flat fee for this service, regardless of the number of letters you receive at your old address. The fee is 35 francs for six months, 45 francs for 12 months, and 55 francs for 18 months. You pay an extra flat fee of 15 francs per additional person whose mail needs forwarding. These prices apply if you submit the instruction online. You pay an additional 12 francs if you submit it at the counter.

Forwarding instructions placed with the post office also apply to private companies like Quickmail, which delivers brochures and customer magazines on behalf of many retailers and insurance companies.

The post office’s online portal also gives you the option of informing bigger companies like Coop, Migros, and health insurance providers about the change of address. If you have newspaper or magazine subscriptions, make sure to contact them and inform them about the change of address. Daily newspapers in particular are often delivered by an early delivery service and not by the post office.

13. Suspend your electricity contract

Inform the power company which supplies electricity to your old home well ahead of your move. Give them the date on which you will be handing over the house or apartment. Forgetting to inform the power company about your move can result in costly surprises. In some cases, the power company could continue charging your old home’s electricity bill to you, even though you no longer live there.

Normally your new landlord will inform the power company when you move in. But contacting your prospective power supplier yourself as well can be beneficial, in some cases.

14. Register in your new municipality

If you move to a different municipality, you will need to deregister from your old municipality, and register in your new one. Some municipalities let you deregister online (check the municipal website for information on this). You have to register in your new municipality within 14 days of moving in. You may be charged fees for registration and deregistration in some cases.

15. Prepare for moving day

Moving days are often very stressful. Avoid underestimating the challenges which the actual move can bring. Many people find it helpful to have a friend around for moral and material support. That is true even if the bulk of the work is being done by a moving company. Preparing plenty of drinks and snacks for your helpers ahead of time can make the whole moving experience more pleasant.

If you use a moving company which requires payment in cash, make sure to prepare the money for the payment ahead of time.

16. Clean your old house or apartment

In Switzerland, your old landlord or property manager will expect you to thoroughly clean the property before handing it over. Because a very detailed cleaning is required, it can be helpful to hire a professional cleaning company to do the job. That is especially true if you have to hand over your old home on the day of your move, when you will likely be busy in your new home. Agree on a handover time in advance, and make sure that someone from the company is there when the handover occurs.

The cost of a final cleaning varies depending on the property type and size, and on the fees charged by individual cleaning companies. According to Vipany, a Swiss online platform for getting quotes, having a 2.5 room apartment cleaned ahead of a handover will cost you between 640 and 850 Swiss francs.

17. Update your address information

Many companies let you update your address information in their online portals.

This list can help you get started:

• Your employer
• Banks
• CRIF and Intrum Justitia (the major Swiss credit bureaus)
• Credit card issuers
• Health insurance companies and other insurance providers
• Telecom service providers
• Online shops and mail order companies
• Loyalty programs (like Migros Cumulus and Coop Superpoints)

If you set up a forwarding address at the post office, mail sent to your old address will generally be delivered to your new address. Take note whenever you receive a letter which is addressed to your old home, and contact the sender to update your address.

18. Report any problems in your new home to the landlord

You should begin systematically searching for possible problems (like damages) in your new home as soon as you move in. Some issues are easy to miss. For example, you may only notice that a power socket does not work when you eventually try to use it.

It is important that you report issues to the landlord within a few days of moving in. You can send them a list of the problems by email, if they are prepared to send you a confirmation of receipt. Otherwise, you can send the list of damages by registered mail.

19. Adjust your household insurance

Are you moving from a larger to a smaller home and have to let go of a lot of furniture and other stuff? Or did you buy new furniture for your new home? It is important that the coverage of your household insurance matches the actual value of your personal property. You should not be underinsured or overinsured. Check your household insurance cover after moving, and adjust it to match the new reality.

20. Terminate unused cable TV connections

Many homes in Switzerland have cable TV connections. But you do not necessarily need these. If you watch TV from an Internet-based broadcaster like iWay, Swisscom, Teleboy, or Zattoo, you generally do not need a cable TV connection. The same applies if you do not use a TV plan at all. In these cases, you only need a cable connection if you use a cable TV company like Quickline or UPC for your home Internet connection.

You pay fees for cable TV connections even if you do not use them at all. Many landlords simply add these fees to the supplementary charges which you pay along with your rent. Otherwise, you receive a bill from the cable network operator. Legally speaking, you are under no obligation to pay for a cable TV connection which you do not need. If the charge is included in your supplemental rental charges (check your rental agreement or invoices), you have to ask your landlord to suspend the connection. If the cable company bills you directly, you have to send your notice directly to them.

21. Get the waste disposal options in your new municipality or district

If you move to a new municipality or district, you should get familiar with the waste disposal schedule for that area. In Switzerland, how and when different kinds of waste are collected or disposed of varies completely between municipalities. Garbage disposal charges are often levied through the sale of special garbage bags which must be used for general waste collected by garbage trucks. Larger municipalities in particular often have their own special garbage bags (the Zürisack in Zurich is one example). In some areas, there regional garbage bags which are used for multiple municipalities (the KEBAG garbage bags in the Solothurn and Oberaargau region is one example of this). In other municipalities, you have to buy special stickers which can be placed on regular garbage bags to show that duties have been paid. Regular garbage may be collected once or twice per week, depending on the municipality.

Collection of paper and cardboard for recycling also varies between municipalities and districts. In some areas, paper and/or cardboard collections only occur several times per year, while other locations have weekly collections. Some condominiums have special waste bins for paper and cardboard, so you do not have to store these at home until collection days.

Many municipalities offer waste disposal schedules which give you a clear overview of the collection dates for various kinds of waste. Some even offer a reminder service (via app or SMS, for example).

More on this topic:
Damages to rental homes: Who pays for what?
Repairs in rental homes: Can you stop paying rent?
Rental deposit insurance: Important tips
Buying a home in Switzerland: Things to consider
Housing in Switzerland: Rent or buy?
Subletting your rental home in Switzerland: Tips and guidelines