Relocation in Basel: What to consider

Basel facts: The northern city at the Rhine

With 198’988 inhabitants (as of December 2017), Basel is the third largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Basel-Stadt. The city is divided into the so-called Grossbasel and Kleinbasel. Grossbasel is located to the left of the bank of the Rhine (southwest), Kleinbasel to the right. In addition, Basel is subdivided into residential districts, the so-called quarters. In total there are 19 quarters, which are also spread out on the left and right side of the Rhine.

The city is one of the cities with the highest quality of life in the world. It is also a border town and is located in the immediate vicinity of France and Germany. Accordingly, the city is very multicultural and a diverse neighborhood is guaranteed.

Moving in Basel: Do-it-Yourself moving or professional moving company?

If you are planning to move to Basel, you should first answer the following question: Do you want to carry out a move on your own – a so-called “do-it-yourself” move – or do you want to hire a professional removal company?

You move by yourself

If you decide to move yourself, you have to take care of the transport. How do your furniture and cartons get from the old home to your new home? If you don’t have a transporter of your own, you have to rent a moving van. A van can be booked with transport companies for hourly or daily rates. Consider beforehand how much cargo you want to load, the distance from your old home to your new home and what driving licence you have. More detailed information about renting vans can be found here. You should also organise packing material for your belongings in good time and secure bulky furniture in the transporter with transport belts so that they are not damaged or damage other objects. In addition, you will need enough bridle assistants who have time on the day of your move and are ready to help you. Make sure that you have enough food for your helpers on the day of your move.

In the MOVU Shop, you can find exciting offers for your own removal, such as a 20% discount on a Hertz van.

You hire a professional removal company

If you decide to move with a professional and regional moving company, you will be relieved of a lot of work. Because she knows all about moving to Basel and knows exactly what is important for a move. This is a big plus especially in the narrow streets of Basel and can save you a lot of time and nerves on the day of your move. A professional move does not only include the transport of your furniture and moving boxes, but also your furniture is protected by a special packaging material and will survive the move without any trace of moving. A moving company can also estimate how much time and personnel your move will take and whether special transport devices such as a furniture lift may be necessary and useful. Get offers from various regional moving companies and make an independent price comparison. A home visit is also a good way to collect the effort and price of your move appropriately. Speaking of price: Make sure that you are guaranteed either fixed prices or hourly prices with cost ceiling. The former is a fixed price that does not get cheaper or more expensive when moving. The latter does not become more expensive, but may be cheaper if the move takes less time than planned. It is important that you do not pay the booked company by hourly rates. The devil is also always in the details: read the wording carefully, because it doesn’t say what isn’t in it.

Organize packaging material

Regardless of whether you are working as a curb yourself or employ a professional company: You need packaging material for your removal goods. You can order this either online, at Internet addresses such as topkartons.ch or from the dedicated removal company. Make sure that not all objects – to survive the move undamaged – can be packed immediately. Especially fragile objects need extra padding for transport. Newspapers are good cushioning material. Bubble wrap is also very suitable for protecting fragile objects. You can buy these cheaply at the hardware store. If you are planning a DIY move, you should wrap your bulky and/or sensitive furniture in padded blankets and – as described above – secure it in the transporter with transport straps.

Parking space reservation in Basel

Basel has a high population density, so the parking lot question is a very important one. Is there a parking place in front of the door of your new apartment, where you can park either the rented transporter or the rein men on the day of the move? If you are not lucky, parking space reservations in Basel are very cheap and cost only 5 francs a day. Just ask the Basel City Police in good time and avoid annoyance on the day of the move.

How much does a move in Basel cost?

The cost of moving to Basel should hardly differ from the cost of moving to other Swiss cities. Of course, this depends on whether you make a do-it-yourself move or hire a professional removal company in Basel for your move. Read here to find out what factors make up the cost of moving with a professional moving company and what are the average moving costs.

Further information

Here you can find tips on finding an apartment in Basel. In addition, we have written an article where you can learn more about the most important addresses in Basel when moving.