You are currently comparing Devis for your move and you see one number in particular: the hourly price. The offer with the deepest approach is immediately attractive. Only on the day of the move do waiting times, additional floors, missing assembly or a second trip arise, and what was supposed to be a bargain turns into an expensive surprise.
ADevis déménagement pas cheris therefore not simply the cheapest offer. The decisive factors are the total costs, possible bundling and a written delineation of all services. Anyone comparing offers in Switzerland should not only ask what an hour costs, but also what actually has to be paid for in the end.
Why a cheap Devis is more than a low hourly price
In Zurich, the moving boxes are already in the stairwell, the elevator is reserved and the van is waiting in front of the house. The customer chooses the lower hourly rate from two offers. On the day of the move, there is a waiting time, a floor surcharge and a second trip because the narrow access prevents parking close to the property.
The hourly price was calculated correctly, but only showed part of the invoice. A. Inmust therefore reflect the entire expected costs. What is crucial is the bundling of services and a written demarcation: who packs, who dismantles, who protects floors and furniture, and which additional work is billed separately? According to the Federal Statistical Office, the average moving distance within Switzerland was
the new home was less than
away from the old one. For such short routes, personnel, access, floors, parking, assembly and organization determine the calculation more than the kilometers.What must be clearly stated in the devising13.4 kmA serious offer states the scope of work, the team size, the vehicle, the expected duration and all surcharges. Packaging, dismantling, protective material, assembly, disposal and final cleaning also clearly belong in the document, each with a note as to whether they are included.just under 40%The written definition of services protects both sides. If you pack or dismantle furniture yourself, it must be clear at what point the transport company's responsibility begins. Swiss insurance information indicates that damage caused by private helpers may not be covered or only partially covered. For valuable household goods, separate transport insurance can make sense, as the2 km
explain.
A cheap Devis is characterized by transparency.
, as long as the requirements are clearly documented.burugburuZügel-Tipps von ZurichA binding maximum price protects better than an attractive starting price
The five building blocks of a resilient Devis1. The inventory must be auditableDo not request an offer as long as the provider only estimates your move based on the size of the apartment. An apartment with little furniture can be simpler than a small household with a heavy piano, narrow stairs and no stopping area.
List each relevant piece of furniture by number, dimensions and estimated volume. Cabinets, sofas, beds, washing machines and other heavy or bulky items belong in a separate category.
Photos help more than general descriptions. Photograph narrow spaces, stairwells, driveways, house entrances and the largest pieces of furniture. This means the provider can plan a suitable vehicle and does not have to recalculate later due to an unexpected obstacle.
1. Das Inventar muss prüfbar sein
Listen Sie jedes relevante Möbelstück nach Anzahl, Abmessungen und geschätztem Volumen auf. Schränke, Sofas, Betten, Waschmaschinen und andere schwere oder sperrige Gegenstände gehören in eine separate Kategorie.
Fotos helfen mehr als allgemeine Beschreibungen. Fotografieren Sie Engstellen, Treppenhäuser, Zufahrten, Hauseingänge und die grössten Möbel. So kann der Anbieter ein passendes Fahrzeug einplanen und muss nicht nachträglich wegen eines unerwarteten Hindernisses umkalkulieren.
2. The access determines the effort
Document at both addresses:
- Walking routes:How far is the distance from the vehicle to the apartment?
- Floors:Which floors have to be accessed without a lift?
- Lift:Is there a lift available, usable and large enough?
- Stopping zones:Can the vehicle stand in front of the building?
- Bottlenecks:Are there narrow doors, spiral staircases or narrow corridors?
This information belongs directly in the devis. A provider who only knows the address does not yet know the actual work.
3. Your own work and external work are separated.
Before requesting a quote, decide whether you will pack, dismantle furniture and take care of the final cleaning yourself. These tasks can simplify the job, but should not be implied.
Write explicitly who carries boxes, provides protective materials, and dismantles and reassembles furniture. If the responsibility between private helpers and the transporter remains unclear, a claim becomes unnecessarily complicated.
4. Additional items belong in the calculation
Request a statement for waiting times, assembly, additional trips, floors, elevator, disposal and VAT. A favorable hourly rate can only be compared if the same components are included in all offers.
5. The maximum price requires conditions
A binding maximum price is only valid if inventory, additions and internal work have been correctly stated. Have the devis state when the price applies and which deviations are permitted.
The basic calculation is:
Staff hours × team size + vehicle and kilometer costs + floor or lift surcharges + assembly + disposal + VAT
A sample calculation may serve as a guide, but does not replace an individual offer. It is crucial that every position remains traceable and does not only appear after unloading.
This video can also be helpful for a practical overview of the individual calculation points:
What Swiss moving figures reveal about savings potential
A favorable foreign exchange is created where the entire route and performance are right. In 2024, around697,000 peoplechanged their place of residence. That corresponded to9.3%the Swiss resident population and approximately1,900 people per day, as theBFS in seiner Umzugsstatistikshows.
The distribution is what counts most for the calculation.36%the People moving changed residences within the same community. Others35%moved to another municipality in the same canton.16%changed the canton,13%went abroad. Almost three quarters of the moves remained within the previous canton.
Short distances require a different calculation
When moving within the same city, access, walking distance and charging organization often influence the price more than the kilometers. A smaller vehicle may be sufficient if the inventory is fully recorded. A bundled route is also suitable as long as the date remains flexible and the transporter combines several orders in the same region.
When changing cantons, travel time, kilometers, return journey and possible intermediate loading must be regulated in writing. For short intra-cantonal moves, it is worth checking whether empty trips and additional journeys can be avoided.
The BFS statistics combine building and housing statistics with population and household statistics. It therefore provides register-based market indicators on moves, living conditions and distances, as themethodischen Informationen des BFSexplain.
Since 2020, the number of moves has fallen by more than10%. Lower prices do not automatically follow from this. Anyone who carefully coordinates the route, vehicle size and scope of services reduces the overall costs regardless of general demand.
Fixed price, hourly price or bundled route in comparison
The three pricing models pursue different goals. A fixed price offers the greatest cost security, an hourly price can be flexible for a very clear and small order, and a bundled route can be advantageous if there is time flexibility.
| Criteria | Fixed price | Hourly price | Bundled route |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plannability | High if inventory and receipts are correctly recorded | More limited because the duration remains open | Depending on route and time window |
| Strength | Binding maximum amount and clear performance | Suitable for simple, well-prepared orders | Shared use of Transport capacity |
| Risk | Additions for incomplete information | Waiting time and additional hours increase the bill | Less flexibility in terms of dates and procedures |
| Favorable for | Complex moves with many variables | Short assignments with clear Duration | Flexible dates and suitable directions |
| Clarify before booking | Included services and exclusions | Minimum duration, surcharges and maximum duration | Pickup windows, stopovers and liability |
The fixed price
A fixed price fits if you have the furniture, Completely document access and personal contributions. Nevertheless, insist on a service description. A flat rate without information about assembly, disposal or waiting time is not real security.
The hourly price
The hourly price can be fair if the job is manageable and you have completed the preparatory work. It becomes problematic as soon as the provider does not know the required team size, the waiting time or the effort at the addresses.
The bundled route
A bundled route can avoid empty trips, especially for short or intra-cantonal transports. To do this, you need to be more flexible with your pick-up time, delivery window and process. If you only accept a narrow time window, you should honestly include this restriction in the offer.
For individual pieces of furniture or partial transport, agebündelte Möbeltransport-Lösungcan be interesting. Don't just check the price, but also handovers, protection, assembly and the regulation in the event of delays.
Use disposal and personal contribution correctly
The cheapest item is the one that you don't even transport. Before inventorying, you should assign every piece of furniture and every box to one of three categories: reuse, recycling or bulky items for a fee.
The sorting list
- Reuse:Give away or sell usable furniture before requesting a quote.
- Recycling:Separate metal, electrical appliances and reusable ones Materials.
- Bulky goods:Only have items picked up that cannot be passed on or recycled in a meaningful way.
- Check weight:Clarify the volume and weight of the remaining material with the municipality.
- Show transport separately:Have disposal, dismantling and assembly carried out individually in the Devis list.
For self-delivery to municipal collection points, statelocal.ch durchschnittlich CHF 20–30 je 100 kg. Bulky goods stamps can cost aroundCHF 6 per 15 kg. These guidelines do not replace local fee clarification, but do provide a useful benchmark for deciding between personal contribution and collection.
Personal contribution needs clear limits
Only dismantle what you can do safely and without risk of damage. For individual pieces of furniture, dismantling, protective packaging and assembly must be expressly stated in the devise. Otherwise you'll save money at the beginning, but you'll pay for additional working hours later.
Take photos of sensitive or valuable items before handing them over. Mark them separately and have any visible damage noted immediately in the work report. Contractual conditions may contain liability exclusions, compensation limits and packaging obligations.
If you only have the remaining bulky goods transported, you reduce loading volume and the risk of a second trip. Agezielte Entsorgung von Möbelnshould still record in writing which pieces are picked up and how they are treated.
The five most common pitfalls with supposedly cheap foreign exchanges
A low foreign exchange rarely fails because of the basic sum. It fails because of what was not described. Check these five points before you sign.
1. No maximum price guarantee
Example:The provider states an hourly price, but no upper limit. If the keys are handed over late, the working hours continue.
Question:«What is the maximum amount that may be charged under the specified conditions?»
2. Liability remains unclear
Example:You pack yourself and a glass or a sensitive device is damaged. The contract does not state when the transporter's care begins.
Question:«Who is liable for packaging damage and from what point are my household goods considered taken over?»
3. The deductible is overlooked
Example:The insurance is mentioned, but compensation limits and deductible are only stated in the contract conditions.
Question:«What damages are insured, which limit applies and what deductible do I bear?»
4. Floor and elevator are missing
Example:Only the address is in the devis. On site, the lift is too small, the stopping area is far away and access is made difficult by a narrow stairwell.
Question:«Have the photos of the entrances been checked and are all floor or lift surcharges already included?»
5. Assembly and disassembly missing
Example:The bed and wardrobe must be dismantled in the old location and assembled in the new location. Only “transport” is listed in the offer.
Question:“Who dismantles and reassembles the furniture, what protective material is used and how much does additional assembly cost?”
An offer only deserves the namecheap if the risks are not postponed until the day of the move. Therefore, always compare the same service, not just the same price term.
Your next step to a fair and cheap Devis
First create a complete inventory. Separate bulky items, take photos of narrow spaces and stairwells and send the same information to multiple providers. This is the only way to get currencies that are actually comparable.
Demand a binding maximum price with all surcharges. Have liability, insurance, deductible, packaging, assembly and disposal recorded in writing. Only then decide between a fixed price, an hourly price and a bundled route.
In Switzerland, it is not the lowest hourly price that saves money, but rather the most honest overall offer.
A fixed price calculator can make initial orientation easier, but does not replace the correct information on inventory and access. Therefore, check every automatically calculated offer against your photos, the service description and the liability rules.
TIXPI offers an immediate fixed price that can be calculated online for private moves and organizes the order from planning to delivery, including assembly if necessary. Check your specific move onTIXPIand see if a bundled route can reduce the overall price.