How to Save Money on Moving Homes in Switzerland

Whether for lower rents, more living space, work, education, a change in your family status, or the termination of rental agreements by landlords, moving homes is something that many people in Switzerland must face from time to time. These simple suggestions from moneyland.ch can help you save between hundreds and thousands of francs on moving homes in Switzerland.

1. Get rid of unnecessary stuff

One of the most common moneywasters, when it comes to moving homes, is paying to transport things that you do not really need or want. You can avoid that cost by getting rid of your unneeded possessions before you move, rather than after.

2. Find your keys

Take time to review your rental agreement to see how many keys were provided to you when you moved in. If one or more keys are missing, take time to search the house before you pack. In many cases, “lost” keys eventually turn up in a handbag or coat pocket. Think about all of the places where you may have left a key, such as with a friend or family member.

When you lose a key, the landlord will normally have to replace the affected lock. You, as the person who lost the entrusted key, are liable to cover the costs. If the lost key is the key to your front door, or if the key is part of a larger lock system that includes the apartment building entrance, for example, the costs of replacing all the affected locks can be very high.

Giving yourself plenty of time to locate all your keys before you move can save you between hundreds and thousands of francs. Note: If you have personal liability insurance, costs associated with lost keys may be covered (see tip 12).

3. Use free packing materials

If you live near a supermarket or another company that is likely to produce a lot of identical cardboard boxes as waste, consider asking them if you can collect their unused boxes. It can also be worth checking second-hand sites like Anibis, Ricardo, and Tutti, as people often give away used banana boxes or other moving boxes for free. While the cost of new cardboard moving boxes is not very high (typically between three and four francs per box), getting free boxes can still save 50 to 100 francs, if you have a lot of stuff to pack.

If you use a moving service, they may lend you moving crates at no extra cost.

4. Ask family and friends for help

Hiring professional movers often makes sense if you have a lot of very heavy or delicate items to move. But moving companies in Switzerland typically charge upwards of 1000 francs. If your stuff primarily consists of items that are easy to handle, consider asking friends and family whether they might consider helping you with the move. Make sure to ask several weeks before the move to give people time to plan.

5. Save on waste disposal

Waiting until moving day to get rid of unnecessary stuff often puts you under pressure to simply pay to dispose of your waste at a dump. Depending on the location and the weight of your unwanted items, the cost of disposal can run into the hundreds of francs.

But this can be largely avoided by sorting and getting rid of stuff well ahead of the move. Unwanted furniture, sports equipment, and many other kinds of goods can be sold second-hand or given away (on websites like Anibis or Tutti, for example). Paper, cardboard, textiles, metal, glass, and many other materials can be disposed of using free recycling services. The more things you can sell, give away, or get rid of for free, the less likely you are to need paid waste disposal services.

6. Be your own professional cleaning service

Spending a weekend scrubbing an oven or removing mold or limescale from the bathroom walls is not most people’s idea of fun. But if you are willing to roll up your sleeves and do the obsessive final cleaning required by Swiss landlords, you can cut out the cost of hiring a professional cleaning service (typically between around 650 and 1200 francs).

If you prefer to use a professional moving service, Take the time to get multiple quotes and compare offers. It also helps to review feedback from other customers (in online forums, for example).

7. Cut the cost of transporting your stuff

Start planning the transportation for your move early. Make a list of your friends, family members, co-workers, clubs, or employers who may be willing to lend you a van for the move.

If you need to rent a van, planning early will give you time to compare prices and take advantage of early-bird offers. You can find useful saving tips for car rentals here. If you rent a vehicle for the move, take time to consider the amount of stuff you have to transport and the distance you need to travel. Paying more for a larger van that can transport all or most of your stuff in one trip can, in many cases, work out cheaper than taking multiple trips with a smaller vehicle.

Should you prefer to use a professional moving service, make sure to get many different quotes and compare offers. There are a number of online portals (like Movu and Comparis) that facilitate the process of getting multiple quotes from a number of moving companies. Be sure to read the fine print of each offer and be on the lookout for hidden fees.

8. Do not buy things you already have

A common mistake among movers is to spread out the items that they need on a daily basis across all of their packing boxes. This inevitably results in them having to go out and rebuy many things they already have - both during the move and throughout the typically-lengthy unpacking process. You can easily avoid this extra spending by having one box in which you place all of the items that you are likely to need over the next days or weeks before you have fully moved into your new home. Typical everyday items include toiletries, cooking utensils, stationery, toys, phone or laptop chargers, electrical extension cords and multiple plugs, electrical appliances, and household cleaning supplies.

9. Cut the cost of furnishing your new home

If you plan to get different furniture to match your new home, it helps to begin looking for the furniture you want before your moving day. Getting a headstart gives you time to find the best deals for the furniture you want, and take advantage of special offers. Collecting furniture on your moving day using the same borrowed or rented van lets you avoid having to pay to have the furniture delivered to your home. You can find useful tips for saving on furniture here.

10. Be alert when making the final inspection

When you hand over your rented home back to the landlord, the landlord or property managers will perform a final inspection together with you. Make sure to bring a copy of the records of damages that you recorded when you moved in, plus records of existing damages that you reported to the landlord immediately after moving in.

Carefully compare the record of the final inspection with that of the original inspection before you sign it. Take time to learn about liability for rental damages before the inspection. If you feel insecure, or if the value of the property and potential damages is very high, it can be worth having an expert accompany you during the final inspection. Swiss renters associations offer this service for a fee. You can also ask your personal liability insurance provider if they offer this service to customers. Alternatively, you may have a friend with a good knowledge of Swiss home rental conventions who is willing to accompany you.

11. Check the correctness of the final accounting

Do not just assume the correctness of the final accounting of costs you must pay for damages, cleaning. Landlords and property management companies sometimes erroneously charge you for costs that you are not responsible to pay for.

Always review the final accounting carefully:

• Extra costs for cleaning are generally only acceptable if the record of the final inspection states that additional cleaning is required, or if your rental agreement specifies that you are responsible to pay for professional deep cleaning after moving out.
• Charges for heating and utilities should reflect your share of the costs incurred while you were actually renting the property. They also have to account for seasons. The norm in Switzerland is for the heating bill to be calculated from September to June, as heating is not required during July and August. As per Swiss renters’ association conventions, the percentage you are liable for starts at one percent in September, and increases each month thereafter, reaching 100 percent by May. The more winter months you spent in your rented home before moving out, the higher your share of the heating bill will be.
• You are only liable to pay the residual value of the damaged item. You can find detailed information in the guide to liability for rental damages.

Do not sign the final accounting or the deposit release form if you are not sure that the charges are correct. In the best case, you can save thousands of francs by disputing incorrect charges.

12. Use your personal liability insurance

If you have personal liability insurance, it is important to claim insurance benefits. Financial liability for damages to rented homes – including lost keys – is generally covered by Swiss personal liability insurance. File a claim to your personal liability insurance provider and attach the final accounting you receive from your former landlord. In addition to paying out a benefit for covered costs, the insurance will often also inform you about errors in your landlord’s claims.

If you do not yet have personal liability insurance, it can be beneficial to get it well ahead of your move. Pay attention to possible qualification periods. You can compare Swiss personal liability insurance offers here.

Claiming personal liability insurance benefits for damages to your rental home can save you hundreds or even thousands of Swiss francs. The benefits depend on the cost of damages and the size of your insurance deductible.

13. Pay down a deposit instead of using insurance

If you have enough money to pay down the security deposit for your new rental home, then using a security deposit account is cheaper than using security deposit insurance. You can find detailed information in the guide to security deposit accounts vs. insurance.

Depending on the size of your rent, the required deposit, and how much interest you would earn with a security deposit account, opting for an account instead of insurance can save you hundreds of francs per year.

If you do not have enough savings to put down a deposit, make sure to compare rental deposit insurance offers to find the most affordable coverage. Note that not all landlords give you this option.

More on this topic:
Compare security deposit insurance offers now
Swiss security deposit accounts compared
How to get cheaper rental housing in Switzerland
Checklist for moving homes in Switzerland