How to organise an affordable student move

1. Room, shared flat or first home: define the scope

First check what is already available at the new address and what actually belongs to you. A furnished room needs a different transport plan from an unfurnished flat. Agree ownership of jointly bought items in a shared flat with everyone involved before packing.

Make three lists: must come now, can follow later, staying behind. Include books, a bicycle, kitchen equipment and anything in the cellar. The table helps you choose what to move; it does not prescribe a vehicle size or price.

• Measure large furniture as it will travel; flag uncertain weights and access.
• Treat sales or transfers as completed only when confirmed.
• Collecting and carrying furniture offered for free can still require time, a vehicle and money.

2. Record spending, tied-up money and a reserve separately

Set a spending limit for the move and also check which amounts must be available when. A vehicle deposit is not a final expense if refunded in full, but it can tie up money or card capacity. An expected refund of your old housing deposit is not yet available money.

For each item, record the amount, due date, who pays and whether it is confirmed or still unknown. Keep the new housing deposit, first rent, any rent overlap and furnishings in a separate housing budget. Those amounts do not disappear because transport is inexpensive.

• Check the individual cost items of a move

3. Worked example: €190 spending is not the whole funding requirement

Alongside final spending, check which amounts must be paid or held as a deposit before the move.

These figures are entirely invented to demonstrate the calculation; they are neither market prices nor a quote: €120 vehicle hire, €35 fuel, €20 packing materials and €15 equipment make €190 in planned spending.

If a €350 vehicle deposit is also required and you set aside a €50 reserve, you temporarily need a total of €590 in money or available card capacity. Check separately which payment method is accepted for the deposit and where that amount must be available. Cash does not automatically substitute for a required card limit.

If the deposit is refunded in full and the reserve is unused, spending in this example remains €190. Housing rent and deposit, and furnishings, are excluded. Recalculate before booking if the rental period changes or another journey is added.

4. Book the vehicle and help after completing the inventory

Private help and a short distance do not remove the need for load restraint. Section 22 of the German StVO requires securing loads for hard braking or evasive manoeuvres.

Choose between organising it yourself, commissioning a defined part of the job and a more extensive moving service according to the work actually needed. A vehicle with carrying help does not automatically include packing, dismantling and assembly. State explicitly which tasks you will do yourself.

ADAC highlights age conditions, mileage limits and deposits for hire vehicles. Ask the actual van provider about driver approval, payment conditions and return arrangements. Holding a driving licence alone does not confirm that the provider will rent to you.

• Confirm the driver, helpers and their available times at both addresses.
• Check the loading opening, usable space, weight limits and both carrying routes.
• For multiple trips, include return journeys and renewed access.
• Ask about a possible student rate without assuming a discount; compare the total.
• Clarify early how you will handle a helper cancelling or an extra load.

• Check whether a small move needs one or two trips

• ADAC: rental conditions, mileage and deposits
• Section 22 StVO: stowing and securing loads

5. Pack yourself while keeping necessary protection

Start before moving day with items you rarely use. Reused boxes can save money when they are dry, strong and suitable for their contents. Check the bottom, handles and closure. Writing “handle with care” does not make unsuitable packaging adequate.

Keep book boxes manageable and assess the actual carrying demands on the planned route. Label every package with a number and destination room. Study documents, laptop, charger and personal essentials for the first evening belong in a separate protected bag that stays accessible.

• Fill empty spaces appropriately and protect delicate parts separately.
• Give away unwanted items in good time and confirm collection appointments.
• Dismantle furniture only according to its instructions and keep fittings with the right item.
• Add borrowed boxes and equipment to the list with their return dates.

• Pack, weigh and label moving boxes correctly

6. An affordable quote needs a clear scope

Describe the same move to every business you approach: inventory, dimensions, photos, addresses, floors, access and your own tasks. Verbraucherzentrale recommends recording the individual services in writing. Compare the complete amount for those exact tasks and the conditions for changes.

Ask for clarification if you only receive “student moves from …” or an hourly rate without team size and the scope of billing. Establish whether travel to the job, waiting, extra journeys, materials or assembly are additional. Expected savings become reliable only when unresolved items are clarified.

• Record the named contracting business and your contact for the move.
• Confirm included work, excluded tasks and your own preparation in writing.
• For hourly billing, clarify team size, time recording, minimum duration and additional items.
• Check the payment schedule and price implications of inventory or date changes before agreeing.

• Verbraucherzentrale: agree moving services and costs in writing

7. Plan study commitments, handover and moving day together

Put exams, classes, key appointments, vehicle times and helpers’ availability in one calendar. Allow time between the last carrying task and returning the old room for the agreed handover preparation. You must have access at the new address before transport arrives.

As a local example, Studierendenwerk Mainz’s move-out guidance calls for removing personal belongings, returning provided furniture to its original position and arranging a room handover. This does not establish a standard deadline or cleaning rule for all residences: check your own administration’s requirements and contract.

On moving day, check the final inventory and confirmed services. Count packages at the destination, document agreed handovers and record additional agreements. After returning the vehicle, check the bill, deposit release and borrowed equipment.

• The evening before: finish packing, confirm driver and helpers, and prepare documents.
• Before loading: check vehicle condition, equipment, inventory and access.
• Before departure: check the secured load and coordinate arrival.
• After completion: hand over room and keys, return equipment and enter actual spending.

• Studierendenwerk Mainz: moving out and room handover

Questions about student moves