Planning the move properly

1. With or without?

If you choose not to direct moving operations yourself but instead to rely on the professional help of experienced relocation companies, you should obtain quotations for the job in good time. But beware of cheap offers! What appear at first to be really attractive quotes often hide lots of subsequent ‘extra’ costs. Our 5-point check will help you to identify a good relocation company:

2. Household effects

Relocating to a new area is always a good opportunity to consider exactly which items really should go to the new house. There might not be a suitable place for some pieces of furniture, while some items must be extended or redesigned, for example the kitchen units, a bookcase or a wardrobe. Everything that is no longer required can be sold or can be collected by the special collection service or taken to the dump for bulky waste items.

Of course you can also store your furniture at DONATH if you just need some extra space for a while. Everything is equally safe and sound, for as long as you want, whether in one of our special long-term furniture stores or in our modern self-storage (german homepae) locations that you can access at any time.

We are happy to advise you:

+49 (0) 61 74 – 92 93 00

3. Handing over the property

Various different formalities must be dealt with when moving house, such as the timely termination of the rental agreement, the terms of which will be described in one of the clauses. It is also important to let the utility companies know in good time so that the meters can be read on the last day. In addition, arrangements must be made with the owner of the property for the handover of the keys. It has proven to be helpful in the past to run a sort of pre-check so that all these points can be cleared in good time. Our relocation team will be happy to take over this task for you.

4. Packing the boxes

For everyone who is enthusiastic about packing their own boxes, we strongly recommend that you start well in advance. We have prepared some useful notes for you in our Moving Checklist – “how to pack”:

5. The day of the move

It is highly recommended to take a day off work on moving day. Depending on their age, it can be better to bring the children to other family members, to the kindergarten or to friends for the day. And pets should also be properly cared for on that day. Essential items for the first night in the new house should be in separate luggage (a case or roll-on) so that you don’t have to search long and hard through dozens of boxes for them late at night. These include things like bed linen, cosmetics, medication, the charger for the mobile ‘phone as well as fresh towels and some fresh clothing. And to keep up everyone’s strength during the day, sufficient alcohol-free drinks and a few tasty snacks are very welcome. Keep a box of tools and a First Aid kit handy in case they are needed.

6. In the new house

Of course, with a new house comes a new address, and the list of people who have to be informed where you will be in future is long. Apart from family and friends, it is also essential to inform:

• the registration office
• the TV license administration service
• the bank
• insurance companies
• your mobile telephone provider
• your newspaper and magazine delivery service.

The same applies to club memberships, fitness studios and video hire shops whose contracts must be either updated or canceled. Sometimes it can take quite a while before everybody who needs to know is actually informed about the change, so to avoid the situation that your post does not reach you, you can apply at the Post Office for it to be forwarded to your new address.

You can find out how to make an application for a forwarding request in Germany with the following German link: www.umziehen.de/nachsendeauftrag.