What does hiring professionals cost compared with doing it yourself?

Doing it yourself, you pay for tools, materials and helpers, but above all with time. With a move with assembly you pay for working time, which depends on the type and number of pieces of furniture. We quote the exact price after the survey; you can then see which furniture you would rather handle yourself.

Who is liable for damage?

If you commission dismantling and reassembly, the removal company is liable under § 451e HGB at €620 per cubic metre of cargo space; for expensive items, additional insurance makes sense. If you take apart or carry things yourself, liability does not apply to that extent (§ 451d Abs. 1 Nr. 3 HGB).

Can I do part of it myself?

Yes, and that is often the best solution. You take apart simple furniture such as bedside tables, chairs or small shelves, and we take care of the wardrobe, kitchen and transport. Tell us beforehand what you will do yourself, so that it is clearly separated in the quote.

What does the team bring along?

Cordless screwdrivers, suitable bits, protective blankets, straps and bags for screws. Your existing assembly instructions and a layout plan for the new flat are helpful. It is best to have any spare parts that belong to your furniture ready.

How long does a move with assembly take?

For a typical flat we usually plan dismantling, transport and reassembly on the same day. When doing it yourself, reassembly alone often drags on into the weekend. Kitchens or a great many wall fittings can make a second day necessary with us too.

Does the team also connect the cooker?

No. The electric cooker and hob belong in the hands of a qualified electrician , and gas appliances may only be connected by the network operator or a registered installation company (§ 13 NDAV). We dismantle and reassemble the kitchen furniture; you plan the connection appointment in parallel.

What about friends as helpers?

Friends are cheaper and often motivated, but rarely have time on a weekday, and there is no liability under the HGB for damage. A good mixed approach: friends carry boxes, and a removal firm takes care of the heavy and complicated furniture.

Can I commission just the assembly?

Yes. If you do the transport yourself and only need help with taking apart or assembling, furniture assembly is also available without a move. For furniture that you transport yourself, the fitter is then not liable for transport damage.

When do I report damage?

Externally visible damage no later than the day after delivery, damage that is not visible within 14 days (§ 451f HGB). So check the furniture while the team is still there, and take photos.

Do you also handle assembly for long-distance moves?

Yes. We are based in Berlin (Stromstraße 21) and also reassemble at the destination for moves to other cities; the day is stated in the quote. You will find routes from Berlin under long-distance moves .

STRESS-FREE MOVING

A Move with Assembly with Professionals: The Advantages

Q: Can I deduct the costs from my tax?

With a privately motivated move, 20% of the labour costs reduce your income tax, up to a maximum of €4,000 a year for household-related services (§ 35a EStG). You need an invoice and must pay by bank transfer. In detail: Deducting moving costs from tax .

Do it yourself or hire someone? What a move with assembly by a removal firm gives you – and when doing it yourself is the better choice.

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FROM BERLIN-MOABIT

Yourself or hire someone?

Moving with assembly: what hiring professionals gives you – and what it costs

An honest comparison

Unsere Firma is based in Berlin-Moabit (Stromstraße 21) and takes care of dismantling, transport and reassembly if you would rather not do the screwing yourself.

Many pieces of furniture can be taken apart yourself with a cordless screwdriver and a little patience. So the question is not whether you can do it, but whether it is worth it. With a move with assembly by a removal firm you mainly buy three things: time on moving day, clear liability for damage and a process in which dismantling, transport and reassembly are done by the same people. For a one-room flat with a few simple pieces of furniture, doing it yourself can be cheaper; with wall units, kitchens and lots of beds, the calculation quickly tips the other way.

The most important difference is a legal one: if you commission dismantling and reassembly, under § 451a HGB it is one of the removal company's duties, and the statutory liability of €620 per cubic metre of cargo space applies to damage to your furniture (§ 451e HGB). If you take apart and carry things yourself, you bear the risk yourself. Then there is the tax advantage: labour costs with an invoice and bank transfer can reduce your income tax under § 35a EStG. What we take on is on the page move with assembly.

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Compare with a real price

Fixed price after a survey – then do the maths yourself

Whether hiring professionals is worthwhile can only be judged with a concrete price. After a survey we quote a fixed price for your move with assembly in which dismantling, transport and reassembly are listed separately. You can then compare which furniture you would rather handle yourself. Phone: 01625978461.

Quotes available individually based on workload, scheduling and the desired scope of services.

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WHAT IT GIVES YOU

Four advantages of hiring professionals

And where it comes at a price

We are based in Berlin-Moabit (Stromstraße 21) and, for a move with assembly, take care of dismantling, transporting and reassembling your furniture. The advantages over doing it yourself are concrete, but they cost money – which is why an honest comparison is worthwhile. We are liable for damage to your belongings under § 451e HGB at €620 per cubic metre of cargo space; for expensive furniture, additional insurance makes sense.

Clear liability

With commissioned dismantling and reassembly, the company is liable under the HGB; if you take apart and carry things yourself, you also bear the risk.

One day instead of three

Dismantling, transport and reassembly happen on the same day; when doing it yourself, furniture often sits in pieces in the hallway for days, because nobody has the energy left to assemble it in the evening.

Tools and materials

The team brings cordless screwdrivers, bits, protective blankets, straps and bags for screws – you do not have to buy, borrow or hunt for anything.

Tax deduction

With a private move, 20% of the labour costs reduce your income tax (§ 35a EStG) – with an invoice and bank transfer.

TO BE HONEST

When doing it yourself makes sense

Not every piece of furniture needs a fitter. With a move with assembly you can handle individual items yourself and commission the rest.

Simple furniture

Many customers take apart bedside tables, chairs, small shelves and beds without a storage drawer themselves – this saves paid working time and is perfectly doable with a cordless screwdriver.

Wall unit and kitchen

For large wardrobes with sliding doors, loft beds and fitted kitchens, hiring professionals is almost always worthwhile – this is where most of the work lies.

Carried yourself = your own risk

For furniture that you take apart or carry yourself, the removal company is to that extent not liable (§ 451d Abs. 1 Nr. 3 HGB) – the risk then lies with you.

Helpers from your circle of friends

Friends are cheaper but rarely available on a weekday – and there is then no liability under the HGB for damage.

No specialist work

The cooker and gas appliances are connected neither by a layperson nor by the furniture fitter, but by a qualified electrician or an installation company.

Mixed approach

You take apart the simple furniture, we take care of the wardrobe, kitchen and transport: this split noticeably lowers the fixed price.

FOR SMALL LOADS

Hire someone for just one wardrobe?

A shared load as an in-between solution

If you transport most things yourself but cannot get one heavy piece of furniture into your car, you can send it with a shared load: it travels on the same tour as other orders. You get a time window instead of a fixed appointment; reassembly at the destination is agreed separately.

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DECISION GUIDE

Calculate,
decide, combine

How to find the right split

Whether hiring professionals for a move with assembly is worthwhile depends on your furniture, your time and your risk. If you want to do the screwing yourself, you will find instructions in the article Dismantling and assembling furniture; if you only want to hand over the assembly, book furniture assembly. On tax deduction there is the article Deducting moving costs from tax.

Sort your furniture

Divide your furniture into three groups: simple (take apart yourself), heavy or complicated (hire someone) and no longer needed (sell or dispose of). This list is the basis for a fair fixed price and for your comparison.

Weigh up time and risk

Be honest with the maths: how many hours will dismantling cost you, how many reassembly, and who will help with carrying? When doing it yourself, nobody but you is liable for damage – with expensive furniture that is the strongest argument.

Invoice and tax

With a private move, commissioned work can be partly deducted from tax under § 35a EStG if there is an invoice and you paid by bank transfer. With cash payment the advantage is lost, as it is with helpers without an invoice.

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MoabitLocation: Stromstraße 21

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FAQ

Frequent questions

Do it yourself or hire someone: costs, time, liability and tax compared.

With a few simple pieces of furniture, often not – many people manage those themselves. With wall units, kitchens, loft beds or a lot of furniture it is usually worthwhile, because dismantling, transport and reassembly are done in one day and the statutory liability applies to damage. It is best to compare with a concrete fixed price after a survey.

DIY or hiring professionals: a direct comparison

Doing it yourself saves the fee for dismantling and reassembly, but you pay with time: a large wardrobe with sliding doors can easily cost an inexperienced person half a day, a kitchen more. On top of that come tools, protective blankets, straps and helpers who need to have time on a weekday. Furniture often sits in pieces in the new flat for days after the move, because nobody manages to assemble it on the evening of moving day.

With a move with assembly by a removal firm it is different: dismantling, transport and reassembly run as one process, usually in one day. Whoever takes it apart also puts it back together and knows which screw goes where. The price is set as a fixed price after a survey. The disadvantage is obvious: it costs more than doing the work yourself. That is why a mixed approach pays off – simple furniture yourself, difficult pieces commissioned.

Liability and tax: the underrated advantages

If a joint breaks or a mirror falls over while you are taking things apart yourself, you bear the damage yourself. If you commission dismantling and reassembly, under § 451a HGB it is one of the removal company's duties; the statutory liability of €620 per cubic metre of cargo space applies to damage to your furniture (§ 451e HGB). For very expensive items that is not always enough, in which case additional insurance makes sense. There are exceptions, for example with furniture in defective condition (§ 451d HGB) – so raise old furniture that has often been taken apart beforehand.

The second advantage is in your tax return: with a privately motivated move, 20% of the labour costs reduce your income tax, up to a maximum of €4,000 a year for household-related services (§ 35a EStG). Requirements are an invoice and payment by bank transfer. If you pay friends in cash, you cannot deduct any of it.

This is how our prices are made up

1-room: from €339 – ideal for students and singles
2-room: from €599 – for couples and small households
3-room: from €884 – for families
4-room: from €1,344 – for larger households
House/villa: individual quote as needed
Long-distance move: from €3.85/km for longer distances

We are happy to discuss details during a free survey.

What does the price of your move depend on?

Key criteria are the moving volume, the distance (from €3.85/km) and the floor, with or without a lift. A reserved parking restriction zone ensures a smooth process. If required, we add furniture assembly or a shared load to the move.

Service overview for your move

We make sure your move – large or small – runs smoothly.

Furniture transport: furniture transport as the base service.
Move with assembly: move with assembly as the complete package.
Part load: part load for small budgets.
Home move: home move for private households.
Company move: company move for businesses.
Clearance: clearance to prepare the move.

Compare for long-distance moves too

We are based in Berlin (Stromstraße 21) and also take care of dismantling and reassembly for moves to other cities – where doing it yourself is often particularly arduous. Destinations can be found in the locations overview, and routes from Berlin under long-distance moves.

Furniture & Assembly

Beste Umzug Redaktion

August 4, 2026

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