Moving in Hakenfelde: Wasserstadt Johannesstift and Spandau Forest

Almost two thirds of the Hakenfelde neighbourhood in the north of the borough of Spandau is woodland: Spandau Forest (Spandauer Forst) extends to the state border near Hennigsdorf, Schönwalde-Glien and Falkensee. People live mainly in the strip along the Havel – with the western part of the Wasserstadt Oberhavel and the Havelspitze quarter, the Protestant Johannesstift from 1907 to 1910, the Waldsiedlung and older streets on Streitstraße and Neuendorfer Straße. Praktik Transport und Umzüge, under the brand Beste Umzug, comes from Moabit and prepares every move in Hakenfelde with a survey or using your photos.

There is no U-Bahn or S-Bahn in Hakenfelde. Bus routes connect the neighbourhood with the town hall and Spandau station, where the U7, S3 and S9 terminate. For the removal van, Streitstraße, Hohenzollernring, Niederneuendorfer Allee and Schönwalder Allee are the important routes. They get busy at rush hour, so we build in a buffer and schedule loading and unloading outside peak times wherever possible.

Whether a home move from a new-build flat with a view of the Havel, a company relocation for a business in the neighbourhood or a calm senior move from a flat near the Johannesstift – we provide a suitable team, an appropriate vehicle and a realistic schedule for every living situation in Hakenfelde. This includes clear arrangements, transparent communication and a fixed contact person, so that you can concentrate on the essentials on moving day.

Many moves stay within the borough: opposite, on the eastern bank of the Havel, lies Haselhorst, followed further east by Siemensstadt. To the south and south-west, Spandau's old town and Falkenhagener Feld border the neighbourhood. Our fleet and route planning are designed for these short distances as well as for long ones.

A move in Hakenfelde depends heavily on the residential location. In the Wasserstadt Oberhavel, which was planned on both banks of the Havel towards the end of the 20th century, and in the Havelspitze quarter, there are mainly apartment buildings with lifts, underground car parks and wider access roads – here a move can usually be organised quickly. It is a different story in older blocks of flats on Streitstraße or in the Hakenfelde housing estate: there you often find narrower stairwells, buildings without lifts and in places narrow courtyard entrances that require careful advance planning.

Already at the first survey – by video call too, if you like – we check accessibility, the floor, lift dimensions and possible bottlenecks in the stairwell. This makes it possible to decide early whether a conventional carrying route is enough or whether a furniture lift should be used to protect walls, banisters and valuable furniture. Especially for moves from the third or fourth floor without a lift, this saves valuable time on moving day.

Another point is the traffic on Streitstraße and Hohenzollernring, which connect Hakenfelde with the old town. We plan the approach and loading times so that loading and unloading take place outside rush hours whenever the date allows. If you live on the Aalemannufer or near the waterfront, expect day-trip traffic at weekends; the car ferry to Tegelort also docks there.

For families moving from a new-build flat to a house in Gatow or Kladow, we also plan for garden furniture, bicycles and cellar contents. Both neighbourhoods lie at the other, southern end of the borough – we take the longer drive right across Spandau into account in the schedule.

As a removal company for Hakenfelde, we offer a range of services tailored to the different living situations in the neighbourhood. At its core is the classic home move, in which we offer everything from one source, from packing and transport to reassembly – ideal for families moving from the Wasserstadt to a larger flat or from an older building on Streitstraße to a new home.

For businesses, practices and offices in Hakenfelde and in the Wasserstadt, we carry out the company relocation including IT equipment, file logistics and weekend dates, so that operations are interrupted as little as possible. If only part of the household needs to be transported, for example single pieces of furniture or a piano to relatives in another city, our part-load transport is recommended as a cost-efficient alternative to a complete move.

When a parent or grandparent moves from one of the quieter residential complexes in Hakenfelde to a senior-friendly flat, we support this step sensitively with our senior move, including help with dealing with authorities and re-registration. When moving out of flats or cellars that have been used for many years, we also take care of the professional clearance, so that handover appointments with landlords can be kept smoothly.

We carry out particularly delicate transport such as piano transport from one of the cooperative flats in the neighbourhood with special equipment and trained staff, while our furniture assembly service makes sure that wall units, beds and kitchen furniture are ready for use straight away at the new home. This way we cover every moving need in Hakenfelde without you having to coordinate several providers.

Anyone moving in Hakenfelde knows the challenge: in many streets, for example around Streitstraße or in parts of the Wasserstadt, parking is scarce and heavily used by residents. Without a reserved space directly outside the front door, the carrying distance for moving boxes and furniture quickly becomes considerably longer – this costs time and increases the risk of scratches and damage to vehicles or furniture.

This is exactly where our parking restriction zone service comes in: in good time before the moving date, we apply for an official parking restriction zone for you with the responsible offices of the Spandau district office, put up the signs on time and document the area with photos. This way a free space is available directly outside the door on moving day – whether in a narrow side street in the Wasserstadt or outside an older block of flats on Streitstraße.

Especially in more densely built-up streets, where courtyard passages and narrow pavements make moving furniture even harder, a well-planned parking restriction zone pays off. The removal van can be loaded and unloaded right at the entrance, without boxes having to be carried several metres along the pavement or across other people's property. This noticeably shortens the duration of the move and at the same time spares the backs and nerves of everyone involved.

For customers moving from Hakenfelde towards Falkenhagener Feld or to another densely built-up Spandau neighbourhood, we also take care of applying for the parking restriction zone at the destination. This ensures there is enough space at both addresses, and all the logistics come from one source – without you having to deal with offices or signage yourself.

The moving costs for a move in Hakenfelde depend on several factors: the size of the flat, the floor, whether there is a lift, the distance to the destination and any additional services required, such as a parking restriction zone, furniture assembly or clearance. A compact two-room flat in a new build in the Wasserstadt with a lift and underground car park can usually be moved more quickly and therefore more cheaply than a large flat on the third floor of an older block on Streitstraße without a lift.

So that you can plan from the start, we draw up an individual quote for every move in Hakenfelde based on a free survey – on site or by video. On this basis we calculate a fixed price that, in addition to the vehicle and staff, also covers packing material, liability under the German Commercial Code (HGB) and the agreed additional services. In this way we deliberately rule out surprises on the invoice afterwards.

You will find detailed information on price ranges, sample calculations and the most important cost factors for Berlin moves on our overview page about moving costs in Berlin. There you can see, for example, how the costs of a small student move within Hakenfelde differ from those of a large family move with a long-distance element.

Anyone who wants to clear a flat in addition to the actual move can combine clearance and the move, which often allows trips and staff costs to be bundled. Part loads for single pieces of furniture or a piano can also be integrated transparently into the overall calculation, so that in the end you know exactly what share of the total costs each service accounts for – fair, comprehensible and with no hidden items.

The Hakenfelde neighbourhood combines very different types of building in a small area: on the one hand the Wasserstadt Berlin-Spandau, built from the 1990s onwards, with multi-storey residential complexes, wide stairwells and generally working lifts. On the other hand, older blocks of flats along Streitstraße and in the Hakenfelde housing estate, which often date from the post-war period and do not all have a lift.

Especially in these older buildings with narrow stairwells, often with several turns, carrying items up and down the stairs is not always the fastest and gentlest solution. For bulky furniture such as wall units, sofas or a grand piano, we therefore use a furniture lift in a targeted way, which moves furniture conveniently via the balcony or window directly to the desired floor. This not only reduces the physical strain on our team but also protects banisters, walls and door frames from scratches and damage.

For new-build flats in the Wasserstadt, on the other hand, the focus is often on making smart use of the lift and coordinating with the property management, for example when a lift needs to be reserved for moving day or protective padding fitted in the lift. We also take underground car park entrances with limited headroom into account when choosing the vehicle, so that the removal van can pull up directly at the building.

Regardless of whether it is an older building or a modern new build, every move in Hakenfelde can include professional furniture assembly at the new home if needed. This means beds, wardrobes and shelves are ready for use on moving day itself, and you do not have to deal with wall plugs, screws and assembly instructions yourself.

Many moves from Hakenfelde stay within the borough of Spandau or go to directly neighbouring areas. We particularly often handle moves towards Haselhorst, which lies opposite on the eastern bank of the Havel, and further on to Siemensstadt with its Siemens sites. These short distances can usually be handled within one day, often even with two trips by the same vehicle.

Moves to the greener, quieter neighbourhoods of Gatow and Kladow on the southern banks of the Havel are also in demand; they are particularly attractive to families with children who want a garden. The route to Falkenhagener Feld or to Staaken is also regularly requested, for example when young couples move from the Wasserstadt to a larger flat with more rooms.

Beyond the Berlin borough, many Hakenfelde residents move to other federal states or even abroad within Europe for work. For these routes we offer long-distance moves in which we apply the same careful planning as for a local move: from the parking restriction zone at the pick-up address in Hakenfelde to furniture assembly at the new home, regardless of whether it is in Munich, Hamburg or elsewhere in Europe.

As Streitstraße and Hohenzollernring are the main connections towards the old town and the federal roads, we plan departure times so that removal vans get out of the neighbourhood quickly. This saves time, especially on longer long-distance moves with a tight time window for handing over the old and new flat.

Booking your move in Hakenfelde with Praktik Transport und Umzüge is straightforward and personal. In the first step we take down your key details by phone or via the contact form: the size of the flat, the floor, your preferred moving date and any particular features such as a piano or narrow access. We then arrange a free survey, either on site in Hakenfelde or conveniently by video call, to assess accessibility, the parking situation and your furniture realistically.

Based on this survey you receive a binding fixed-price quote including all the services you want – from transport alone to a parking restriction zone, furniture assembly or clearance. After your confirmation we reserve the right vehicle and staff for your preferred date and take care of the necessary permits in good time, such as the signage for the parking restriction zone in your street.

On moving day itself, a fixed team takes care of packing, transport and, on request, reassembling the furniture in your new flat. Especially for moves within Hakenfelde or to directly neighbouring areas, short-notice dates can often still be arranged this way, provided capacity allows.

A tip for everyone moving to Hakenfelde: a car ferry crosses from the Aalemannufer to Tegelort, and at weekends a passenger ferry connects the Hakenfelde and Havelspitze piers with Tegelort. In Spandau Forest the woods start almost behind the house, and in the north-west lies the Eiskeller, considered one of the coldest places in Berlin. Use this opportunity to experience your new home in Hakenfelde from its best side while we take care of the final touches in assembling your furniture.

For a parking restriction on moving day in Hakenfelde, the road traffic authority (Straßenverkehrsbehörde) in the Roads and Green Spaces Office of the Spandau district office is responsible. According to the district office, it orders temporary no-stopping zones, among other things "for moves, deliveries, etc.". The authority also names a framework order for temporary no-stopping zones for moves and loading activities under a simplified procedure. Whether and how this applies to your address, you can find out from the authority.

The district office does not state lead times or fees on the authority's page. We therefore recommend enquiring as early as possible and only submitting the application once the moving date and vehicle size are fixed. Appointments at the Spandau citizens' offices are made via the ServicePortal Berlin or the 115 hotline; for the road traffic authority, the district office's contact channels apply.

• Street, house number and the desired section of road
• Date, start and expected end of the move
• Size of the removal van and any furniture lift

It is also important to inform neighbours and the property management in good time so that the space stays clear on moving day. Our guide applying for a parking restriction zone offers detailed instructions; on request, our parking restriction zone service takes care of the organisation.

A practical point: ask the authority whether a new application is needed if the date is postponed, and have your full address to hand. Let neighbours and the property management know in good time so that our team can start without waiting on moving day.

According to the Spandau district office, Spandau Forest makes up almost two thirds of the Hakenfelde neighbourhood. On the western bank of the Havel, new residential areas were built towards the end of the 20th century, which the district office calls the "Wasserstadt Oberhavel" and puts at around 12,000 new flats. For your move this means: new-build quarters and older streets often differ in access, lift and stairwell, so we clarify this during the survey.

Whether your address belongs to the Wasserstadt in Hakenfelde or to a neighbouring area is something you should check using your postal address and the neighbourhood stated in your tenancy agreement. Along the Havel, the district office names among other places the Aalemannufer with its car ferry, the Spandau north harbour and the island of Eiswerder. Such places affect traffic routing and the parking situation, especially during events.

For re-registration, the district office names the Rathaus Spandau, Wasserstadt (Hugo-Cassirer-Str. 48, 13587 Berlin) and Staaken Center citizens' offices. Appointments are made via the ServicePortal or the 115 hotline. According to service.berlin.de, registration is free of charge and due within 14 days of moving in; more in our article on re-registering after a move.

Opposite, on the eastern bank of the Havel, lies Haselhorst, and further east Siemensstadt; the borough of Berlin-Spandau page gives an overview.

For moves from Hakenfelde to other federal states, we can help with our long-distance move service; you will also find the process and a checklist in our guide Long-distance move: process, costs and checklist.