Does the BAföG office cover moving costs for students?

No, BAföG has no separate grant for moving costs; your needs are calculated as a flat rate. If you do not live with your parents, this includes a housing allowance of currently €380 a month (§ 13 (2) BAföG). If you move out of your parents' home or change address, tell the BAföG office immediately, because the amount depends on it.

How do I find affordable moving helpers as a student?

Ask fellow students and friends early and plan a stand-in in case someone cancels. For heavy furniture, lots of stairs or if nobody has time, you can also book carriers only and drive yourself – more under Moving help . Whether there are special conditions for students, we clarify when you enquire.

What is a part load and is it worth it for students?

With a part load , your belongings travel in one vehicle with other jobs, and the costs are shared. For students with a few pieces of furniture, this is an alternative to a self-driven van, especially over a long distance. The moving company is liable for transport damage under the HGB (up to €620 per m³).

Do I need a rental agreement for a van?

Yes. You conclude a rental agreement with the rental company, usually leave a deposit and need a valid driving licence; with class B you may drive vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes gross vehicle weight (§ 6 FeV). Many rental companies require a minimum age or a few years of driving experience. Pay attention to free kilometres and the excess – more in the article Hiring a van .

How do I re-register my address after the move?

Within two weeks of moving in, at the registration authority (§ 17 BMG), whether you are moving within the same city or to another city. You must bring your ID card or passport and the landlord confirmation (Wohnungsgeberbestätigung) from your landlord (§ 19 BMG).

When is the best time for an end-of-semester move?

The semester break is particularly well suited to a move, as there is less exam stress and moving companies often offer more flexible dates. If you plan early, you can benefit from a fixed price and avoid waiting times. It is best to book your preferred date several weeks in advance.

How do I pack books and study documents safely?

Books belong in small, sturdy boxes, because they quickly become very heavy. Transport your study documents, laptop and hard drive separately in a bag that you carry yourself. Especially with a DIY move: heavy boxes go at the bottom and against the back wall of the van, so that nothing slides when braking.

Do I need a parking restriction zone for the removal van?

Often yes, especially in city centres. In Berlin you apply for the no-parking zone at the road traffic authority (Straßenverkehrsbehörde) of the district office; expect around four weeks' processing, and the fee starts at €21. The signs must be up at least three full days beforehand. Other cities have their own responsibilities and deadlines. On request we apply for the no-parking zone for you.

How do I give notice on my shared-flat contract in time?

Check the type of contract. As a tenant you usually give notice by the third working day of a month, effective at the end of the month after next (§ 573c BGB), in writing with a signature (§ 568 BGB). If several people are named in the contract, usually all of them give notice together; as a subtenant you give notice to the main tenant. Match the moving date to the end of the tenancy.

What does a long-distance move to another city cost for students?

That depends on distance and moving volume; we charge for the route from €4.20/km (see the overview “Our moving prices” above), and we quote the fixed price after the survey. Compare it with the hire, kilometres, fuel and return trip of a self-driven van. For a small volume of belongings, a part load is often cheaper. More under Long-distance moves .

Are my belongings insured during my student move?

If you hire us, we are liable for transport damage under the German Commercial Code (HGB) with up to €620 per cubic metre of belongings (§ 451e HGB); additional insurance is available on request. With a DIY move this liability does not exist – then your household contents insurance counts, and with a hire van its insurance with an excess.

DIY OR PROFESSIONAL

A DIY student move: van driving licence and no-parking zone

Hire a van, ask friends, drive yourself – or go with a moving company after all? What a DIY student move really involves.

Get a quote

Our services

Customer service01625978461

Google · 119 reviews

(5,0/5)

Monday – Friday09:00 – 17:00 Uhr

Red box van on a paved square in front of trees

FROM BERLIN-MOABIT

Self-organised

Driving yourself is not always cheaper

Doing the maths honestly

Unsere Firma Organising a student move yourself: van up to 3.5 t with a class B licence, hire costs, deposit, helpers, no-parking zone and liability compared with a moving company.

Many students organise their first move themselves: hire a van, ask a few friends, buy the pizza. With a class B driving licence you may drive vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes gross vehicle weight (§ 6 FeV) – that is enough for a shared-flat room. On top of the hire charge, however, come kilometres, fuel, a deposit with the rental company and often an excess in the event of damage. If you add all this up honestly, it is best to compare it with a fixed price after a survey.

Time and risk are also decisive: with a DIY move you are liable yourself for damage to the hire van and in the stairwell, and if a helper drops out, you are two hands short. A moving company is liable for transport damage under the German Commercial Code (HGB) (§ 451e: €620 per m³). We are based in Berlin (Stromstraße 21) – more about our student move and about moving help if you drive yourself and only need carriers.

Sofa wrapped in stretch film, cushions and stacked moving boxes in an empty flat

50,-DISCOUNT

NO-OBLIGATION ENQUIRY

PERSONAL ADVICE

Compare before you hire the van

A fixed price after a survey as a cross-check

Work out the costs of a DIY move and get a quote for comparison. Call us on 01625978461: we survey your room and then quote a fixed price – then you can see in black and white whether the hire van and helpers are really worthwhile.

Offers available individually, depending on effort, scheduling and the scope of services required.

Two movers in red T-shirts lift a film-wrapped piece of furniture into a lorry

FOR SELF-DRIVERS AND EVERYONE ELSE

What we take on – fully or in part

Complete or carriers only

Not everyone needs the complete move. If you drive yourself, we can take over just the carrying; if you do not fancy a hire van, we come with a vehicle, blankets and tools. On request we apply for the no-parking zone and dismantle and reassemble furniture. For transport damage we cause, we are liable under the HGB (§ 451e: €620 per m³). We are based in Berlin-Moabit; on Google we are rated 5.0 from 119 reviews.

Moving help

You drive, we carry: carriers for the stairwell and loading, even without our vehicle – more under Moving help.

Complete move

Vehicle, team, blankets and straps come from us – you neither have to hire a van nor organise friends.

No-parking zone

Even with a DIY move you often need a no-parking zone. We apply for it on request; in Berlin processing takes around four weeks.

Assembly service

We dismantle and reassemble loft beds, wardrobes and desks – often the part that takes longest in a DIY move.

CALCULATING A DIY MOVE

Six costs that come up in a DIY move

The hire price for the van is only part of the bill. These six items belong in any honest comparison with a moving company.

Vehicle hire

Daily rate plus kilometres, often with limited free kilometres. At weekends and at the end of the month, vans are quickly booked up.

Driving licence

Class B allows up to 3.5 t gross vehicle weight. Many rental companies also require a minimum age or a few years of driving experience.

Deposit and excess

With a hire van you usually leave a deposit; in the event of damage you pay the excess, unless it has been reduced.

Fuel and return trip

Fill up the tank on return, several hours' driving on a long route. Also allow time for the return trip to the rental company.

Helpers

Friends are happy to help, but do not always turn up. Plan a stand-in, drinks and food – and clarify beforehand who pays for any damage.

Parking zone

Without a parking space outside the door, carrying becomes expensive. In Berlin around four weeks' processing, signs at least three full days beforehand.

THE THIRD OPTION

Part load instead of a hire van

No driving yourself, no whole vehicle

Between a DIY move and a complete move there is the part load: you do not hire a van; instead, your belongings travel along with other jobs. Especially over a long distance, where hire van, fuel and return trip become expensive, this is often the cheapest solution for a few pieces of furniture.

Open cargo space of a red lorry with wrapped furniture, panels and boxes

OVERVIEW

DIY
move or moving company?

Costs, time, risk

In this part we compare a self-organised student move with a van and friends against a move with a company. It covers driving licence, hire costs, helpers, no-parking zone and liability – and the mixed forms in between. What to look out for regarding vehicle size is explained in the article Hiring a van: size and driving licence.

Doing the maths

Add up hire, kilometres, fuel, deposit, helpers and no-parking zone – then a student move, private move or small removal can be compared honestly.

Handing over part of it

Carriers only, furniture assembly only, packing service only or the complete furniture transport – you decide what you do yourself.

Long distances

The further you go, the more a part load or long-distance move pays off instead of a hire van with a return trip; for single items a furniture taxi is enough.

Mover in red workwear pushing a sack truck with a box towards a stack of boxes

MoabitBased at Stromstraße 21

Google 5.0 (119 reviews)

Two movers in dungarees carry moving boxes through a bright flat

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about DIY moves and moving companies

Answers on costs, BAföG, helpers, part load, vans, registration, no-parking zones, notice and liability.

That depends on quantity, route and floor. The overview ‘Our moving prices’ above lists the starting prices by number of rooms; a shared-flat room is usually at the lower end. We quote the binding fixed price after the survey – compare it with all the costs of a DIY move, not just the van hire.

Organising a shared-flat move: what students should bear in mind

A shared-flat move brings particular challenges, as several flatmates often have to be coordinated and notice periods in the tenancy agreement observed. Plan the moving date early with your flatmates and clarify who is responsible for which communal rooms. The fair division of furniture bought together should also be settled before the move to avoid arguments.

It is best to use a checklist so that notice, re-registration and the handover report are dealt with in good time. Our private move service helps you bring all your household goods safely and punctually to the new shared flat, so that you can concentrate fully on your studies.

A long-distance move for your studies: drive yourself or be driven?

If you move to another city for your studies, you face the question of whether a hire van is worthwhile over a long distance. On top of the hire charge come kilometres, fuel, a deposit and a return trip to the rental company; plus a long day behind the wheel after loading. With a class B licence you may only drive vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes.

We carry out long-distance moves throughout Germany from Berlin; for transport damage we are liable under the HGB with up to €620 per m³. It is best to compare the total of all the costs of a DIY move with our fixed price after a survey. That way you arrive rested at your new place of study and can take care of enrolment and registration.

Our moving prices

With us, small moves are possible from €365 – this applies to 1-room flats. Larger households pay correspondingly more: 2 rooms from €594, 3 rooms from €889, 4 rooms from €1,309. For a house or a villa there is no flat rate, but always an individual quote. If you are moving further away, you pay from €4.20/km for long-distance moves. The quickest way is a free survey.

What makes a move expensive or cheap

Volume of household goods
Distance (from €4.20/km)
Floor and lift
Need for a parking restriction zone
Additional services: furniture assembly, part load

Our services at a glance

You can book these services with us:

Office move - Office move: moving solutions specifically for businesses.
Private move - Private move: the move for private individuals and families.
Furniture transport - Furniture transport: transport of individual pieces of furniture.
Move with assembly - Move with assembly: including furniture assembly on site.
Part load - Part load: cost-effective groupage transport.
House clearance - House clearance: clearance of flats and houses.

From Berlin – complete or as support

We are based in Berlin (Stromstraße 21) and carry out moves in Berlin and from there to other cities – as a complete move or with carriers for your DIY move. You will find destinations with their own page in the locations overview, and long distances under Long-distance moves.

Guides & Tips

Beste Umzug Redaktion

September 25, 2026

Back to Blog

Guides & Tips Moving Tips

Moving timeline for working people: from giving notice to re-registering