How much does a move with a professional company cost?

The cost of a move with a company depends on volume, floor, access, distance and additional services. Our guide prices are in the price overview; we quote the binding fixed price after a survey. Enquiries on 01625978461 for your private move or long-distance move .

Is moving yourself worthwhile for small flats?

For a small flat with little furniture, a DIY move can certainly pay off, especially if helpers are available. Nevertheless, you should not underestimate the time needed for packing and transport. For longer distances, a professional long-distance move service is usually advisable.

What are the risks of moving without a company?

When moving yourself , you carry the risk of damage to furniture, walls or floors yourself; whether your personal liability insurance pays for damage caused by friends who help is governed by your policy. Added to this is the risk of injury when lifting. A moving company is liable for household goods under § 451e HGB at €620 per cubic metre.

What do I need to consider with a long-distance move?

A long-distance move needs more planning: driving time, breaks, parking restriction at the destination, possibly interim storage and registration within two weeks of moving in. If you drive yourself, you also pay for the return journey of the hire van. Routes from Berlin can be found under long-distance moves or by phone on 01625978461.

Does the moving company also provide packing material?

Whether boxes and padding material are included in the fixed price , and in what quantity, is stated in the written quote – ask about it at the survey. If you pack yourself, you can also buy or borrow boxes – for books, use small, sturdy boxes.

How long does a professional move take compared with a DIY move?

With a well-rehearsed team of carriers, a lorry and tools, a move with a company is usually faster than a DIY move . An average flat in Berlin is often done in one day, including dismantling and assembly; with a DIY move, collecting the hire van, several runs and breaks are added.

Is insurance important when moving?

Yes. With a DIY move you are usually liable yourself; some personal liability or home contents insurance policies cover parts of it. A moving company is liable under § 451e HGB at €620 per cubic metre; for valuable items, additional insurance is sensible. Report visible damage no later than the day after delivery.

Can I book only certain moving services?

Yes, you can book individual services – for example just carriers and a lorry, just furniture assembly or just the transport of large items. For a few items, a shared load is also possible. You can claim the labour costs on the invoice for tax purposes under § 35a EStG.

What happens if something is damaged during a DIY move?

With a DIY move , you are generally responsible yourself for damage to furniture, walls or floors. Ask your personal liability and home contents insurers beforehand what they pay for moves. A moving company , by contrast, is liable by law under the HGB.

Who is a professional moving service particularly suitable for?

A moving service is particularly worthwhile for families, working people with little time, for longer distances such as a long-distance move and for heavy or valuable items. In narrow stairwells without a lift, too, it is safer to use experienced carriers with carrying straps.

How do I get a quote for my move?

Call us on 01625978461. After a survey or exact details of volume, floor and distance, we quote a fixed price . You can calmly compare the quote with the costs of a DIY move. More details can be found under private move .

STRESS-FREE MOVING

Moving yourself or with a moving company?

Q: What is cheaper: moving yourself or with a company?

Moving yourself is usually cheaper because there are no staff costs. In return you pay for the hire van, fuel, boxes and refreshments yourself and carry the risk of damage. A fixed price with a company costs more but gives you planning certainty – especially for large households or long-distance moves.

Whether moving yourself or with a moving company pays off depends on volume, distance, helpers and liability – the comparison.

Request a Quote

Our Services

Customer Service01625978461

Google · 119 reviews

(5,0/5)

Monday – Friday09:00 – 17:00 Uhr

Red van with a box body on a paved square in front of trees

FROM BERLIN-MOABIT

Yourself or with a company?

Moving yourself or with a company: costs, time and liability compared

an honest comparison

Unsere Firma is based in Berlin-Moabit (Stromstraße 21) and, on request, takes on just the heavy work – or the whole move.

Whether you handle your move yourself or hire a moving company is above all a matter of arithmetic: how many household goods are there, how far is it, how many helpers will really turn up – and who pays if something breaks? A DIY move saves staff costs, but you pay for the hire van, fuel, boxes and refreshments yourself and carry the risk. With a category B driving licence you may drive a van up to 3.5 t.

A company costs more, but is liable under the German Commercial Code: under § 451e HGB at €620 per cubic metre of load space. You can deduct 20 % of the labour costs on the invoice from your tax under § 35a EStG, up to a maximum of €4,000 a year. In between there are mixed options: you pack yourself, we carry and drive. More on this under moving help and private move.

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

€50DISCOUNT

LIMITED OFFER

PERSONAL CONSULTATION

A comparison quote for your move

Fixed price after a survey, also for partial services

Call us on 01625978461: after a survey we quote a fixed price – for the whole move or just for carrying and transport. That way you can compare it with the costs of moving yourself. Details of our private move services.

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

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

FOUR QUESTIONS

When a company pays off

Volume, distance, helpers, risk

We are based in Berlin (Stromstraße 21) and handle moves within Berlin and, as a long-distance move, to other cities. Whether this is worthwhile for you depends on four questions: how many household goods are there, how far is it, how many helpers can you definitely count on – and how much damage is done if something breaks? We are liable for your household goods under § 451e HGB at €620 per cubic metre; we quote the fixed price after the survey.

Lots of household goods

From a full 2- or 3-room flat upwards, a van up to 3.5 t is often not enough for one trip – then it means several runs or a lorry.

Long distance

With a long-distance move, the outward and return journey of the hire van, an overnight stay and helpers at the destination are added – that costs more than you think.

Few helpers

If two helpers cancel on moving day, you end up carrying the wardrobe and washing machine through the stairwell with just two people – a common cause of injuries.

Expensive items

For a piano, antiques or large electronics, furniture transport by a company that is liable under the HGB is worthwhile – or additional insurance.

WEIGHING IT UP

Six points for your decision

Whether a DIY move or a moving company: these six points decide what ends up cheaper and safer. Work through them honestly for your move.

Vehicle and driving licence

With category B you can drive vans up to 3.5 t; above that you need C1. Check the payload in the rental agreement, not just the size.

Helpers and time

Book helpers firmly and expect a long day; refreshments and a thank-you are part of the real costs.

Liability for damage

With friends, liability is often unclear; ask your personal liability insurer. A company is liable under § 451e HGB at €620 per cubic metre.

Parking restriction

Even for a DIY move you often need a parking restriction zone (Halteverbotszone); in Berlin the signs are put up at least 72 hours before the move.

Tax

A company's labour costs reduce your tax by 20 % under § 35a EStG, up to a maximum of €4,000 a year – with an invoice and bank transfer, not cash.

Mixed option

You pack and dismantle yourself, the company carries and drives: this lowers the price and takes the hardest part of the move off your hands.

FOR SMALL LOADS

Only a few items? Consider a shared load

The budget-friendly alternative

If you are only moving one room or a few pieces of furniture, you need neither to hire a van nor book a whole company: with a shared load, your household goods travel on a run that is going that way anyway – with a time window instead of a fixed date – good if you have some flexibility.

Open cargo area of a red lorry with packed furniture, panels and boxes

THREE ROUTES

Yourself,
mixed or complete

Which route suits you

Between “everything yourself” and “everything by the company” there are several routes: you hire just the van, book just the carriers or hand over the whole move. If you drive yourself, you should know the rules on size and driving licence – our article Hiring a van: size and driving licence explains them. Work through each option in terms of time, money and risk before you decide.

Everything yourself

Worthwhile with few household goods, a short distance and reliable helpers. Factor in the hire van, fuel, boxes, refreshments and a day off – and clarify beforehand who pays for damage to furniture or the stairwell. For longer distances, the return journey of the hire van is added.

Mixed

You pack, dismantle and unpack; the company provides carriers, lorry and driver. This is often cheaper than a complete move and spares your back and the stairwell – also good for a private move with lots of boxes.

Complete with a company

Packing, transport, assembly and parking restriction from a single source, at a fixed price after a survey. Sensible for families, when time is short, for long distances, heavy items such as a washing machine or piano, and for valuable furniture that should travel padded.

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

MoabitLocation: Stromstraße 21

Google 5.0 (119 reviews)

Two movers in dungarees carrying moving boxes through a bright flat

FAQ

Questions about DIY moves and moving companies

Costs, liability, helpers, driving licence, tax and mixed options – answered briefly.

Moving yourself is usually cheaper because there are no staff costs. In return you pay for the hire van, fuel, boxes and refreshments yourself and carry the risk of damage. A fixed price with a company costs more but gives you planning certainty – especially for large households or long-distance moves.

When moving yourself works out

Moving yourself pays off if your household goods fit in a van up to 3.5 t, the distance is short and enough helpers have firmly committed. You set the pace and the process and only pay for the hire van, materials and refreshments. Many people underestimate packing time, stairs and heavy single items, however.

With damage caused by friends, liability is often unclear; a company, on the other hand, is liable under the HGB. If you are fit and have time, you save money with a DIY move – and have to organise more yourself in return.

What a moving company does differently

A moving company above all saves time and spares your back: carriers, lorry, straps, blankets and tools come along, and furniture is dismantled, padded and reassembled. The risk of damage and injury falls because there is no need to improvise.

The company is liable for damage under § 451e HGB at €620 per cubic metre; additional insurance is available for expensive items. We quote the fixed price after a survey – practical when changing jobs or with a growing family.

Calculating moving costs: our price scale

Type of move	Cost
1-room flat	from €365
2-room flat	from €579
3-room flat	from €905
4-room flat	from €1,324
House/villa	individual quote
Long-distance move	from €3.90/km

For exact details we recommend a free survey.

How your moving price is composed

The level of moving costs depends largely on the distance (from €3.90/km) and the volume of household goods. If there is no lift, the effort per floor increases noticeably, and a parking restriction zone often has to be planned in too. If you would also like to use our furniture assembly or a shared load, this also affects the price.

Everything around your move

Everything for your move

You can book these services individually or together.

Private move – moving made easy: Private move
House clearance – disposing of old furniture and rubbish: House clearance
Office move – office moves without stress: Office move
Shared load – transport at lower cost: Shared load
Move with assembly – furniture is assembled: Move with assembly
Furniture transport – single pieces delivered safely: Furniture transport

Moves from Berlin

We plan moves from Berlin (Stromstraße 21), within the city and to other places. Places with their own pages can be found in the locations overview, long distances under long-distance moves. For a comparison with a DIY move, we quote the fixed price after the survey.

Guides & Tips

Beste Umzug Redaktion

September 10, 2026

Back to Blog

Guides & Tips Moving Tips

Packing alongside your job: a packing plan for the evenings before the move