Changing Nursery During a Family Move: Finding a Place Applying for a Voucher, Settling In
Nursery and moving
First the nursery place, then the moving date
Enquire early
For families with children under six, the nursery (Kita) often decides the moving date. From their first birthday, every child has a legal entitlement to early-years support, and from the age of three until starting school, to a place in a day-care facility (§ 24 SGB VIII). How and when you apply for the place, however, is regulated by the federal states and local authorities – and there are still waiting lists in many places. If you enquire early, you can plan the family move around it.
We plan the transport so that it fits in with nursery life: the children's room goes into the lorry last and comes out first. What a private move with us includes can be found under Private move. If you are moving to another city, you will find the process and prices under Long-distance moves. We give you the fixed price after the survey; your belongings are covered by liability under the German Commercial Code (HGB).
Coordinating the move and the nursery start
A moving date that fits your nursery plan
Once the start date at the new nursery is set, we schedule the move before it – with some buffer for settling in. Call us on 01625978461; you receive the fixed price after the survey. We are based in Berlin and operate nationwide; destinations with their own page can be found under Locations.
Offers available individually, depending on effort, scheduling and the scope of services required.
How we take nursery life into account
Date, routine, children's room
A move with a nursery-age child works best when everyday life is interrupted as little as possible. On request we plan moving day so that your child is still looked after at the familiar nursery in the morning while we load. We pack the children's room last and set it up again first. We give you the fixed price after the survey; your belongings are covered by liability under the German Commercial Code (HGB) – additional insurance is available on request.
Date based on the nursery plan
Packing service
Assembly service
No-parking zone
Six steps to a new nursery place
The change of nursery runs in parallel with the move and has its own deadlines, which vary by federal state and local authority. These six steps help you not to miss any of them.
Know your entitlement
Clarify who is responsible
Apply early
Enquire at nurseries
Give notice at the old nursery
Plan for settling in
Part load for the cot and more
If furniture is coming from the grandparents or from a second household, it is often only a few items – a cot, a chest of drawers and a few boxes. A part load is suitable for this: your goods travel on an existing route, especially on a long-distance move.
Nursery,
children's room, settling in
This part of the series is about families with children of nursery age: when and where to apply for the new place, how to coordinate the timing of the old and new nursery, and how to move the children's room so that the child has familiar things around them in the first nights. Settling in at the new nursery also belongs in the schedule, as it often takes longer than the move itself. For the transport, you will find our services under private move.
Applying for a place
Moving the children's room
Settling in
Questions about changing nursery when moving
Moving the room of a nursery-age child
For children of nursery age, their own room is the most important anchor. Pack favourite toys and the cuddly toy separately so that they are immediately to hand on the first evening, and label the boxes with “children's room” and the child's name.
During a private move, we load the children's room furniture last and set it up first at the new place. That way the bed is already in place on moving day – important if settling in at the new nursery begins a few days later.
Securing a nursery place in the new location
From their first birthday, every child has a legal entitlement to early-years support in a nursery or with a childminder, and from the age of three until starting school, to a nursery place (§ 24 SGB VIII). In Berlin you need a nursery voucher (Kita-Gutschein) from the youth welfare office of your district; you submit the first application no earlier than nine and no later than two months before care begins.
Enquire at several nurseries at the same time; with a long-distance move, settling in is best started only after moving in. What else needs re-registering is covered in the article Re-registering nursery and school.
Moving costs for families: guide prices
| Property | Cost |
|---|---|
| 1 room | from €359 |
| 2 rooms | from €599 |
| 3 rooms | from €894 |
| 4 rooms | from €1,344 |
| House/villa | individual quote |
We charge from €3.80/km for long-distance moves. We give you the exact price after the free survey – ideally as soon as the nursery start date is set.
What makes the move more or less expensive
A large volume means more work and therefore higher costs. The distance, which we charge from €3.80/km, as well as the floor and lift, also have a noticeable effect on the price. A no-parking zone shortens the carrying distances but costs extra – in Berlin the signs must be up at least 72 hours beforehand. Additional services such as furniture assembly or a part load can be added at any time.
Services for moving with a toddler
With a nursery-age child, every free hour counts – these services take work off your hands:
- House clearance: House clearance – for clearing a household
- Furniture transport: Furniture transport – for individual items
- Part load: Part load – cost-saving for small moves
- Private move: Private move – everything from a single source
- Move with assembly: Move with assembly – including furniture assembly
- Office relocation: Office relocation – for your business
Changing nursery on a long-distance move
With a long-distance move, the application process and deadlines often change along with the nursery. We are based in Berlin (Stromstraße 21) and operate nationwide – destinations in the locations overview, more under Long-distance moves.
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