The eight-week moving checklist
Updated August 22, 20266 min read
Moves rarely come unstuck on the lorry; they come unstuck on deadlines. Notice, registration, insurance changes and the handover all depend on one another. This list puts them in the order in which they fall due.
Eight weeks before
- Send your notice in writing by registered post; what counts is when the landlord receives it
- Fix the moving date and book the removal firm or a van
- Book time off for the move and the handover if you need it
- If you want to leave earlier: start looking for a replacement tenant
Four weeks before
- Transfer or order electricity, gas, water and internet at the new address
- Tell your household and private liability insurers the new address and floor area
- Set up mail forwarding with the post office
- Prepare the change of address for your bank, health insurer, employer, subscriptions and the tax office
- Apply for a parking permit or a no-parking zone for moving day if you need one
The last week and moving day
- 1Clean the flat, or hire a firm that guarantees acceptance at the handover.
- 2Read and photograph the meters in both the old flat and the new one.
- 3Fill in the handover report together and leave with a signed copy.
- 4Count every key and record the number in the report.
- 5Register with your new commune within the cantonal deadline.
Cleaning firms that guarantee acceptance cost more, but they take on the rework if the agency objects at the handover. With a strict agency that often works out cheaper than a second clean under time pressure.
These articles set out Swiss law in general terms and are not a substitute for legal advice on an individual case. Cantonal rules differ. In a dispute, contact the rent conciliation authority or a lawyer.