Moving to Haarlem: costs process & districts

The Gemeente Haarlem is divided into five districts. The historic Centrum around the Grote Markt with the Sint-Bavokerk and the town hall is a protected townscape, with canals, cafés and short distances – but also with a pedestrian zone and little room for the removal van. In the Noord district, with around 56,000 inhabitants, the Frans-Halsbuurt and the Kleverparkbuurt were built as early as the late 19th century; Zuid-West stretches from the Garenkokerskwartier to the Haarlemmerhout city wood.

The Oost district has working-class neighbourhoods from the first half of the 20th century and the Waarderpolder business park. To the south-east follows Schalkwijk, incorporated in 1963 and built up between the 1960s and 1980s, with around 32,500 inhabitants. Pre-war neighbourhoods such as the Bomenbuurt and the Kleverpark are now also part of the protected townscape. For the move, the address is what matters most.

With around 169,000 inhabitants, Haarlem is the largest city in the province of North Holland after Amsterdam and its capital; the provincial government building, Paviljoen Welgelegen, stands by the Haarlemmerhout. We do not quote specific rents – they depend heavily on location and condition, but the housing market in the Randstad is considered tight. Amsterdam lies around 19 km to the east, Schiphol Airport about 13 km away and the ports of IJmuiden around 10 km to the north; many residents therefore commute within the region.

The Oost district is home to the Waarderpolder business park with wholesale and retail, construction firms and light industry. Old warehouses and the Droste factory stand on the Spaarne, and in summer the river is full of leisure boats. The Haarlemmerhout is the city's best-known park, and the conurbation also includes Heemstede, Bloemendaal and the coastal resort of Zandvoort. The old town has more than 1,100 national monuments (rijksmonumenten). This mix of old town, water and proximity to Amsterdam makes Haarlem a popular moving destination in North Holland. If you are coming from Germany, start your flat search early and only fix the moving day once the key handover, parking permit and registration appointment with the Gemeente all fit together.

Many customers ask themselves: how much will my move cost? The answer depends on the size. 4-room flats start from €1,329, 3-room flats from €889. Smaller moves are cheaper: 2 rooms from €594 and 1 room from as little as €375. Larger properties such as houses or villas always receive an individual quote. For a long-distance move we charge from €4.25 per kilometre. The quickest way to find out your exact price is a free survey.

Whether a move turns out cheaper or more expensive depends on the volume, the distance (from €4.25/km) and the floor. An existing lift can reduce costs, and a parking restriction zone makes loading and unloading easier. Additional services such as furniture assembly or a part load round off the offer.

With us your move becomes child's play – we take care of the organisation.

We plan moves from Berlin (Stromstraße 21), including to the Netherlands. What a move abroad involves is described on our page International move; long routes can be found under Long-distance moves.

In Haarlem a move can be covered by the Gemeente Haarlem's tijdelijke parkeervergunning (temporary parking permit). It is valid for a morning, an afternoon or a whole day and is applied for online at parkeren.haarlem.nl with DigiD or eHerkenning; you state the location, number plate, date and part of the day. According to the Gemeente, the date and number plate cannot be changed after submission, and there are no refunds. The Gemeente answers queries on 14 023. If you use a moving company, according to the Gemeente it needs its own temporary permit.

The Gemeente gives the following rates per part of the day (dagdeel):

• Centrum zone: €23.70 per morning or afternoon, €47.45 for a whole day,
• Noord, Zuid, Oost, West: €13.35 per part of the day, €26.70 for a whole day.

If a lorry blocks the carriageway for a longer period, this permit is not enough: according to the Gemeente, a traffic plan must then be submitted to LTC at least three weeks before the start. If the vehicle is only to stand on the pavement, an exemption permit (ontheffing RVV) is needed, which you apply for by email to the parking management office. Residents of a parking zone can also apply for a verhuisparkeervergunning (moving parking permit); according to the Gemeente it costs €32.22 per three months in zones C and S, and €58.32 in zone B. More on planning: Parking restriction zone.

Anyone moving from Germany to Haarlem and staying for more than four months registers in the Basisregistratie Personen (BRP, Personal Records Database), according to the Gemeente Haarlem, within 5 days of arrival, in person at the Publiekshal, Zijlvest 39. An appointment is recommended; without one you can visit on weekdays between 9 and 11 am, with a wait. You should bring your ID, proof of nationality, a tenancy or purchase agreement and, if subletting, the signed consent of the main occupant. Foreign certificates such as birth or marriage certificates need legalised originals with a translation. Family members cannot be registered separately; partners and children must come along. Confirmation including your BSN follows by letter within four weeks. If someone moves within Haarlem, the move can be reported from four weeks before to five days after the move, online with DigiD.

For a move into the centre, the pedestrian zone is important: according to the Gemeente, the bollards are lowered between 6 and 11 am, when anyone may drive in; at other times an exemption permit is needed. A move early in the morning is therefore often easier here. How we organise the route is explained in the article Long-distance move Berlin – Haarlem, and everyday questions are answered in the guide Living in Haarlem.