#Moving Tips

Registering after a move: two weeks from moving in (§ 17 BMG), landlord confirmation, fines of up to €1,000, online registration, update car papers without delay.

Packing at the last minute: secure the essentials first, then room by room, a first-night box, dismantle furniture, label boxes – and when a packing service is worth it.

Deutsche Post mail forwarding: book at least five working days ahead, six months for private customers, up to twelve people per order – DHL parcels are not forwarded.

Which packing materials you need for your move: sturdy boxes in two sizes, padding, tape, blankets – and why badly packed boxes can cost you the company's liability.

What belongs in your first-night box: toiletries, a change of clothes, charging cables, tools, documents for registering your address and a separate box for children.

Duvets, pillows and winter coats shrink the most; vacuum down only briefly, silk and suits not at all. Always stand the bags in boxes, never load them loose.

One colour per room, the same colour on the room door, plus number and contents on two sides of the box: that way every box goes straight to the right room on arrival.

Under § 451d HGB, a removal firm is generally not liable for money, jewellery, gemstones, securities and certificates. What to carry yourself and how to secure documents.

Moving plants: water two days before, prune, pad the pots, load last – and know that moving companies are only liable to a limited extent for living plants.

Wardrobe box with a rail, hangers spaced loosely, coats at the edges, shoes separate, silk in garment bags: how your clothes arrive crease-free after a move.

Transit bolts in the washing machine, defrost the fridge, TV upright, back up data: how electrical appliances arrive intact – and what the HGB says about damage.

Packing the kitchen with a plan: plates on edge, glasses one by one, boxes around 20 kg, defrost the fridge the day before – and unpack cutlery and coffee machine first.