Moving to Essen: costs process & districts

Rüttenscheid is regarded as Essen's trendy neighbourhood, with numerous cafés, boutiques and the well-known Rüttenscheider Straße – ideal for young professionals, though flats there are correspondingly in demand. Families, on the other hand, value the green district of Bredeney near the Baldeneysee with its spacious villas. If you prefer things quieter and more historic, Werden has a special atmosphere with its university feel and abbey ensemble. Idyllic Kettwig on the Ruhr charms with half-timbered houses and village character, while Frohnhausen and Altendorf offer multicultural, affordable residential areas with good infrastructure.

For students at the University of Duisburg-Essen or the Folkwang University of the Arts, it is worth looking at Holsterhausen and the city centre, where many shared-flat rooms are on offer. If you want to live on a budget, you will find options in Altenessen or Katernberg, where rents are usually lower. Whichever Essen district you choose, we plan your move precisely around local conditions.

Essen is home to the headquarters of numerous large corporations such as E.ON, RWE, Evonik Industries and Aldi Nord, which gives the city a high degree of economic stability. Its central location in the Ruhr area allows short commuting times to Düsseldorf, Dortmund or Cologne, which makes Essen particularly attractive for commuters. As holder of the title "European Green Capital 2017", the city also scores with an exceptionally high proportion of green space and recreational areas such as the Grugapark.

Culturally, Essen impresses with the Museum Folkwang, the Philharmonie and the UNESCO World Heritage site Zeche Zollverein, which attracts millions of visitors every year. The Limbecker Platz shopping centre is one of the largest in Germany and rounds off the urban infrastructure. This mix of economic strength, cultural life and green quality of life makes Essen one of the most attractive places to live in the entire Ruhr area.

We will be happy to prepare a tailored quote for you after a free survey.

To understand the costs, it helps to look at volume, distance (from €3.85/km), floor and lift. A parking restriction zone also plays a role. With a part load costs can be shared.

You can book these services individually or together.

Our moves start in Berlin-Moabit, Stromstraße 21. The services that go with a long route – packing, transport, assembly, storage – are set out under long-distance moving. Cities with their own page are listed in the locations overview.

The City of Essen lists parking restrictions for moves as a separate service. The responsible office is roadworks management (Baustellenmanagement, Alfredstraße 163, 45131 Essen). The city states these deadlines: the application must be made at least 15 days before the start of the measure; in addition there is a set-up period of four days, because the signs must be in place at least 96 hours before they take effect.

• Application: as the PDF "Antrag Umzug" (moving application) or online as the "Antrag auf Erteilung einer Sondernutzungserlaubnis aus Anlass eines Umzugs" (application for a special-use permit for a move). The online application requires logging in to the service portal with BundID or Mein Unternehmenskonto.
• Attachments: a traffic sign plan and, for private individuals, the declaration of commitment (Verpflichtungserklärung).
• Legal basis: § 45 (1) and (6) StVO. According to the city, whether space can be reserved in front of your door depends on the local traffic situation.
• Costs: these depend on the type and scope of the measure; the city does not give amounts on this page. Payment is by bank transfer.

You obtain the signs with the additional plate from traffic safety service companies, which also put them up. It is best to plan the application as soon as your landlord confirms the date, so that the deadlines are safely met. We support you with this as part of our parking restriction zone service; the guide Applying for a parking restriction zone explains the steps.

The City of Essen is part of the Ruhr area low-emission zone. According to the city, only motor vehicles with a green EURO 4 sticker are permitted; in principle this also applies to vehicles you hire yourself for the move. Check the sticker before you book a van.

According to the city, around 1,250 parking spaces are available in the city centre, and a parking guidance system helps you find one. For loading and unloading, however, these car parks are no substitute for an approved parking restriction.

For discarded furniture, the bulky waste service of Entsorgungsbetriebe Essen (EBE) is responsible. According to EBE, regular collection is free of charge for private households and is ordered via the online form. EBE takes about 1 m³ per appointment, with a maximum of two large electrical appliances; boards, doors, sanitary fittings, parquet and wallpaper are excluded. Put the items out from 6 pm the evening before or by 6 am on collection day, without blocking access routes. According to EBE, the express service costs €59.50 for private households and is available via the telephone number 0201 / 854-2222.

After moving in, the two-week registration deadline applies as everywhere (§ 17 Federal Registration Act). You will find more about the city in the guide Living in Essen and on our page Removal company Essen.