Moving - What does it cost and what should you pay attention to?

There is often a lot involved in a move. In order for a move to go smoothly, proper preparation is essential. In addition to the physical move (moving all of a household's belongings to the new home), there are of course many other things that need to be arranged. Think of all the paperwork and connecting energy and other services. You can do the physical move yourself, or outsource it through a moving company. Here are some tips and tricks to make the move go as smoothly as possible.

We are also happy to help you get multiple quotes from moving companies directly. You can also search for a moving company in our business directory.

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What does a move cost?

The cost of a move by a moving service can vary considerably. A move of an apartment or small to medium-sized house within the Netherlands. usually costs roughly between 250 and 2,500 euros.

Additional costs are usually reported separately (make sure it is clear which services are and are not included, preferably put it in writing). For example, packing/unpacking moving boxes and dismantling will cost around 30 to 50 euros per hour. Also take into account additional costs such as tolls (in case of international transport), fuel and parking costs.

The cost depends on the size of the move and the distance of the move. By the size of the move, we mean the amount of furniture and other items that need to be moved. Distance is about the number of miles to be driven from the old home to the new one. Look a little further down this page for some points of interest on the cost of moving.

Check out some previously provided quotes for moves of complete household contents or single items below.

Verhuizing	Kosten € incl. btw
Eetafel van Breukelen naar Purmered	75
Olievat hangtafel van Tilburg naar Weerselo	200
Bank van Bunschoten-Spakenburg naar Zoetermeer dorp	300
Klein kastje van Enschede naar Maastricht	420
Piano transport binnen Amsterdam	40
Piano van Sint oedenrode naar rosmalen	150
Wasmachine van Haarlem Noord naar amai Geuzenveld	100
Piano vervoer van Utrecht ( naar vleuterweide	150
Transport van zeer kwetsbare kast van Amsterdam naar Brussel	400
Wasmachine verhuizen van Amsterdam naar Boskoop	80
Schilderij laden in Laren (NL) en afleveren in Weert (NL)	650
Piano van Eiffel (DE) naar Den Haag	500
Nieuwe oven in doos (ong. 50 kg) van Eck en Wiel naar Alkmaar	100
Spullen in 1 koffer en verschillende dozen (1m3) van Zuid-Frankrijk naar België	900
Kleine verhuis van Antwerpen naar Berlijn	1200

Moving expenses concerns

When you outsource a move to a professional mover, moving costs depend on a number of factors:

Will you pack everything yourself or will the movers do it?
Will you disassemble the furniture yourself or will the moving company take care of everything?
Do you help move yourself?
Is the contents to be moved easily accessible (first floor or 4 high? is there an elevator)?
Do you take out transportation insurance for the items to be moved? If so, is the current or new-for-old value reimbursed?
Moving companies that do not fall under the Approved Movers seal of approval regularly charge a deductible. In case of damage, not everything will be reimbursed. Weigh this well against the price difference of the move.
Does the moving company charge a surcharge for a weekend or evening move?
Distance between pickup and delivery location.
One or more moving vans needed.

Furthermore, a transport company can of course charge whatever they want. This can be either a mileage rate with call-out charges and possibly additional charges for packing and disassembly of furniture. It is customary to agree on an all-in price with the mover. This avoids discussion afterwards and in most cases you are also a little cheaper.

Move yourself or have it done?

Moving yourself is obviously a lot cheaper. However, sometimes people underestimate how much is involved in doing the move themselves. A transport company takes a lot of work off your hands. So the trade-off between moving yourself or outsourcing simply comes down to the question: do I think it's worth the effort of moving myself to save the money? In some cases, it's almost impossible to do without a moving company. For example, if you need a moving elevator or you need to move large heavy objects such as a piano, you usually need a moving company. Below we give the pros and cons and some tips for doing the move yourself or having it done.

Doing the move yourself

The benefits of moving yourself:

It's a lot cheaper.
You are in control of the move : you know where your belongings are and can set the pace yourself.

The disadvantages of moving yourself:

It's a lot of work.
You don't have the resources and experience that moving companies do.
There are moves that cannot be done by yourself.

Tips if you want to move yourself:

Make a schedule: this will ensure that you have things in place on time such as packing boxes and arranging for a moving truck, for example.
Start thinking weeks in advance. For many moving companies, anything within two weeks is considered urgent. Well before that, you'll want the quotes in.
Think carefully about packing the boxes:
- Pack boxes by room where they are to be unpacked.
- Write clearly what is in the box and where it should go. Working with different colors makes it even easier (e.g. yellow should go to the kitchen, blue to the bedroom, etc.).
- Choose sturdy sturdy boxes. This sounds trivial but it helps tremendously if you can stack the boxes without a problem.
- Tape the boxes tightly shut.
- Fill boxes with filling material. Especially if they contain fragile items.
Keep all really important documents with you and don't let them disappear into one of the many boxes. Think about passports and important papers. Pro tip: take photos or scans of your most important documents and store them in the cloud such as iCloud, Dropbox or Google Drive.
Wrap glass and breakable items in old newspapers. Then put them in a by with towels or dishcloths for extra protection. Mark boxes of fragile items clearly with the word FRAGILE, preferably on all sides.

Roadmap for moving yourself

Below is a step-by-step plan for doing the move yourself. This step-by-step plan deals with the physical move. Also check our checklist to see what else you need to arrange concerning the move.

Step 1) Create a detailed schedule. Preferably do this more than 4 weeks in advance. That way you won't encounter any surprises. By planning well in advance you can be sure that you can rent a van on time. Also, you can ask friends and family in time to help with moving. In addition, with good planning you can take into account when you have to have everything ready for the moment you actually have to move everything from A to B.

Step 2) Rent or borrow a spacious bus or trailer. If you want to move yourself then a bus or trailer is necessary. There are plenty of places in the Netherlands where you can rent a bus or trailer. Reserve these well in advance so you can be sure that they will be available to you on the day of the move. If necessary, you can also reserve a parking space for your old and new house already on the day of the move. This can make the move a lot easier.

Step 3) Rent a moving elevator if necessary. This can make the move immensely easier. With a moving elevator, you can easily get items down from the second floor or higher. This saves a lot of lifting and also reduces the risk of damage by not having to carry large items down the stairs.

Step 4) In time, ask friends and family to help. Many hands make light work. By informing friends and family in time, they can keep the day free to help. Afterwards, reward them with a nice drink.

Step 5) Sell or get rid of unnecessary items in time. Think carefully about all the things you actually want to take with you to your new home. Everyone often has a lot of stuff or clothes that you don't use. Offer everything on Marketplace well in advance so people can still come and pick it up in time. You can also take stuff to a thrift store, for example, sometime. Other options are, of course, taking old stuff to the junk yard or clothes to the collection container.

Step 6) Start packing boxes on time. Don't underestimate how much time goes into this. Our advice is to do this in parts. Some tips here:

Pack boxes by room where they are to be unpacked. Working with colors is totally easy (blue sticker=living room, yellow sticker=bathroom etc.).
Write on each box what it contains and where to unpack it.
Use sturdy boxes. This will allow you to stack them.
Fill the boxes completely. This also makes stacking easier. Use filling material if necessary.
Don't make the boxes too heavy. You can do this, for example, by putting a few books in a box and clothes for the rest. The box is then completely filled but still liftable.

Step 7) Start disassembling furniture on time. If necessary, take pictures during disassembly of how the piece of furniture is put together. This will make assembly a lot easier afterwards. Keep all the loose parts together. For example, you can fix screws with a piece of tape where they belong. However, this is risky because they can get loose. We recommend keeping all screws per piece of furniture in, for example, an empty jam jar. Write on the jar what the screws are for. Also check out our article on transporting a closet or our article on transporting a bed.

Step 8) One or two days in advance: turn off the refrigerator and freezer and disassemble the washer and dryer. The freezer and refrigerator should be turned off at least a day in advance. Empty and clean them immediately as well. See also our article on transporting a refrigerator or freezer. A washing machine does not necessarily need to be unplugged a day in advance but we highly recommend this so you don't have to do it on the day of the move. Also check out our article on transporting a washing machine.

Step 9) Beforehand, clean your new home completely. You will probably have to do this again after the move, but it is still advisable to do this beforehand as well. If the house is still empty, it is easy to clean it completely.

Step 10) On the day of the move itself:

Take your time extensively. Make sure you have nothing else to do all day so you don't have to rush everything. Do you have a really big move? Then block two days for it.
Take meter readings from your old house when you leave it
First, make sure you transfer everything to your new home. In doing so, do put things in the right room as much as possible right away but don't start unpacking until everything has been transferred from your old house

After the move... All your belongings have now been transferred to your new home and you can begin decorating your new home. Thank your friends and family who helped with a nice drink.

The move is done

Engaging a moving company

A moving company can take a lot of worries out of your hands. In addition, it can save a visit to the physical therapist for back pain. Below we list what you should think about when hiring a moving company.

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What do you look for when hiring a moving company?

A good moving company will take care of the entire move from A to Z. Other than your registration with your new municipality, there is little a good mover cannot do for you. Pay close attention to the following points before you begin the move:

What do you want to do yourself and what should the moving company do?
- Do you pack everything yourself, or do you want the moving company to do it as well?
- Should the moving company help take apart the furniture?
- Will you actively help with lifting yourself, or will you let the movers do it?
- Personally, always move important documents such as passports and bank cards that you may need to access quickly.
Make a clear packing list. That way you know everything arrived properly at the delivery location. Preferably take a picture of each item being moved. That way you avoid discussion with the moving company afterwards.
Is the move insured. Some moving companies insure every move by default but this is not necessarily the case.
Who is liable in the event of any damage. In some cases, it is convenient to cover your risk of damage with transportation insurance.
Instruct the movers well about breakable and valuable items.
Make good arrangements with the moving company about what is included in the price.
- Do you play an active role in the move yourself? How does that affect the price?
- Do the movers bring the furniture to the right room?
- Do the movers put furniture back together?

Moving to a new municipality checklist

When you move to a new municipality within the Netherlands, you need to arrange a number of practical matters. Find the most important ones below:

Register with the new municipality. You do this through the website of the new municipality. Once you have done this, this is automatically passed on to your former municipality and you are deregistered there.
Change your (mailing) address everywhere. Make a list of all the possible people and agencies you need to notify your new address to. PostNL offers a service whereby mail is forwarded to the new address. This can be very convenient.
Arranging insurance. Consider a new household insurance policy, for example.
Waste Pass Arrangements. This is usually done through the new municipality's website.
Arranging a new general practitioner and dentist. You can find a handy overview of the healthcare services available in your new municipality on ZorgkaartNederland.nl.
Do you have children? Then arrange child care or a new school.
Apply to new sports and social clubs.
Dog tax arrangements. Again, this is usually done through the new municipality's website. This is often forgotten, but can get you a hefty fine in case of an inspection.
Request a refund of any over/advance sewer charges/waste disposal tax and dog tax for your old home.
Arrange connections for internet, TV and phone. An Internet connection takes a while in some cases, so do this as soon as possible after the house is in your name.

Moving abroad checklist

Moving from the Netherlands to a foreign country is a bit more complicated than moving within the Netherlands. Not only do your belongings have to cross the border, you will also have to check that all your paperwork is in order. With the information below you can arrange your emigration without any headaches.

Read carefully the applicable rules of residence of your new country. For example, some countries require a steady income or a minimum amount of money in your account that you can live on. Contact a relocation agent if you are unsure of your situation.
Deregistering with your municipality. If you are leaving the Netherlands for a long period of time, you must first deregister from the municipality in the Netherlands. Do this within 5 days before you leave for abroad. The municipality registers where you are moving to and how and where agencies can reach you from now on. Keep all documentation well (make scans or photos to be sure and store everything centrally in the cloud).
Register in in your new residence abroad. This is never automatic.
Make sure you have a DigiD. This digital login gives you access to many government things. It is a lot of hassle to do this when you are already abroad, so make sure you have the Digid and your password in order before you leave.
Are you taking your car abroad? You can read here exactly how exporting a vehicle with Dutch registration plates abroad works.
Check your health insurance. In some cases, you may still pay health care premiums and receive coverage from a Dutch health insurance while living abroad. Read more about what applies to you here.
Check your allowances (healthcare allowance, child budget, rent allowance, etc.) for yourself and your family members.
Find out about your taxes:
- Where you file tax returns. If you start earning money in the new country, you will usually pay taxes there. Often you will still file a tax return in the Netherlands. If you still enjoy Dutch income, your situation may be different. If you earn income from the Netherlands and your new country, tax treaties should be considered. Under no circumstances will you pay double taxation. However, real estate in the Netherlands is always taxed in the Netherlands. For more information, call the Tax Information Line. In complex international situations you can also use a tax advisor. Contact us if you would like assistance with this.
- For the year of emigration, complete an M form with the Internal Revenue Service.
Customs formalities when moving belongings. Within the EU there are no customs formalities and you can simply move your belongings from the Netherlands to the other EU country. If you are moving to a country outside the EU, you will have to file an export declaration for your household effects. A good mover can help with this as well.
Find a specialized international moving company. A specialized moving company knows the rules surrounding emigration to a particular country. For example, if you are moving to England (outside the EU) then you should be well aware of the rules. Get quotes from several specialized moving companies and ask carefully if they have experience with your specific country of migration.

Quality of movers

There are around 500 professional moving companies operating in the Netherlands. There is also a large number of couriers and small transport companies that perform occasional removals.

In the Netherlands, anyone with a KvK registration may transport up to 500 kg of payload for a fee. Above that you need a so-called Euro permit. Not all moving companies follow the rules. In our company guide you can see per company which permits they have and what the specialization of a company is. Handy to check if everything is in order!

Certified Movers

An important quality emblem in the moving industry is the Approved Movers seal of approval. Companies that carry this hallmark are members of the branch Organization for Recognized Movers. The register of members consists of more than 200 companies that guarantee a bit more quality than a regular moving company. This does not mean that a moving company that is not an Erkend Verhuizer is worse, but the quality mark offers the customer a little more security. On average, Certified Movers are a bit more expensive than other moving companies.

Benefits of working with an Approved Mover:

General terms and conditions that protect you as an individual.
Guarantee that the move will go through, even if something unforeseen happens (such as bankruptcy of the moving company).
No deductible. The moved items are insured up to 100,000 euros at new-for-old value. So in case of damage or lost belongings, you will almost always be fully compensated.

Your risks if you don't work with an Approved Mover:

Many moving companies do not insure household contents as standard. They often have only transport liability insurance. If something happens, you have to prove that the mover is liable. This can be solved by purchasing a separate goods transport insurance.
A deductible is regularly applied. In case of damage, that amount will then be at your expense in any case. If this excess is quite high, it is advisable to look for another mover.
The terms and conditions used are often drafted in favor of the moving company. So look at this critically.

Therefore, don't go blindly for the cheapest quote. Look for references. Always inquire extensively about insurance, liability and terms and conditions.