Packing
Packing and moving boxes — do it yourself, or have it done
Have the material delivered and pack yourself, or let the crew pack the whole household. Both have a price, and both have consequences for liability — here are both.
Packing material for an ordinary flat costs 80 – 250 € gross, full packing by our crew 300 – 900 €. The difference is not only money: what we packed, we checked — what you packed, we could not check, and that carries through to liability. Many companies keep quiet about that connection until there is a claim. We put it here, because it changes the decision.
What does packing material for a move cost?
80 – 250 € gross for an average flat — moving boxes, packing paper, bubble wrap, tape and markers. A two-room flat needs 25 to 40 boxes in practice, a four-room flat 60 to 90. Wardrobe cartons are counted separately, because they are almost never needed in the number people estimate in advance. We deliver the material before moving day and take the empty boxes away afterwards.
Can I rent moving boxes instead of buying them?
Yes, and for most moves that is the sensible choice. Rented boxes are sturdier than the DIY-store box, precisely because they are used many times, and you are not left with sixty flattened cartons in the cellar afterwards. Wardrobe cartons with a rail are especially worth it: a wardrobe whose contents stay on their hangers empties in ten minutes rather than an hour — and refills in the same time.
What is full packing and when is it worth it?
With full packing our crew packs the entire household — crockery, books, clothes, decoration, electronics — in one pass, usually the day before the move. It costs 300 – 900 € gross. It is worth it when time is scarcer than money: short-notice moves, working households with no free week, moves for elderly relatives, and any household with a lot of fragile items.
What does packing yourself mean for liability?
For boxes you packed yourself, liability for transport damage is limited, because we could not check the contents or the packing quality. That is not small print but the ordinary legal position for moving contracts: whoever hands over a sealed box carries the risk for what is in it and how it is packed. A box that arrives undamaged on the outside and holds broken glass inside is therefore regularly not a recoverable transport claim.
The practical middle way
You pack what is robust — books, clothes, towels, kitchen utensils — and have us pack exactly what matters or is fragile: crockery, glasses, pictures, electronics, collections. You pay a fraction of full packing and have the full liability position for the items that count. In practice this is the option we recommend most often.
How do you pack properly?
Heavy at the bottom, light on top, and no box over 20 kilos — books therefore go in small boxes and bedding in large ones. Label every box with the room and the contents, and do it on the side, not the lid: in a stack you only see the sides. Plates stand on edge like records, not stacked flat. And leave as little air in a box as possible — empty space is where things break.
- No box over 20 kg — books in small boxes
- Label on the side, with room and contents
- Plates on edge, not stacked flat
- Fill voids with paper rather than leaving air
- Keep one box for the first evening separate and carry it yourself
What does not belong in a moving box?
Documents, jewellery, cash, medication, keys and chargers travel with you personally — not because of liability but because you need them on the first evening and will not want to open sixty boxes. Hazardous goods must not be transported at all: petrol, gas bottles, paint and solvents in larger quantities, fireworks. That is not caution, it is dangerous-goods law.
Worth knowing
Material before, collection after
We deliver the boxes a few days before the move and collect the empties once you have unpacked. You dispose of nothing.
Wardrobe cartons with a rail
Clothes stay on the hanger. A wardrobe empties in ten minutes and refills in ten.
Partial packing
Have only the fragile things packed by us. It costs a fraction of full packing and covers exactly the items in question.
What does a move in Munich cost?
A move in Munich typically costs between 450 – 850 € for one room and 2.400 – 4.500 € for a house of 140 to 200 square metres. The price comes from the volume in cubic metres, the crew and time needed, the distance, the floor and the carrying distance. Other companies give you these numbers on the phone. We put them here.
Rule of thumb for volume: roughly 0.3 to 0.5 m³ of goods per square metre of living space. A 70 m² flat comes to about 21 to 35 m³. Sparsely furnished tends to the lower figure; a full cellar and attic to the upper one.
| Home | Volume | Crew | Typical (gross)Typical (net) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 room, 30–40 m² | 12–18 m³ | 2 people | 450 – 850 € |
| 2 rooms, 55–70 m² | 20–30 m³ | 2–3 people | 700 – 1.400 € |
| 3 rooms, 75–95 m² | 30–40 m³ | 3–4 people | 1.100 – 2.000 € |
| 4 rooms, 100–120 m² | 40–55 m³ | 4 people | 1.400 – 2.800 € |
| House, 140–200 m² | 60–90 m³ | 4–6 people | 2.400 – 4.500 € |
| Additional service | Typical (gross)Typical (net) |
|---|---|
| Packing materials | 80 – 250 € |
| Full packing by our team | 300 – 900 € |
| Furniture dismantling and assembly | 200 – 600 € |
| Kitchen dismantling and refitting | 400 – 1.200 € |
| Additional vehicle (car) | 15,00 €per hour |
| Per-kilometre rate | 0,55 €per kilometre |
| No-parking zone per addressapprox. 3 weeks' lead time | 300 € |
| On-site survey, fixed price | 290 € |
| Saturday surcharge | +50 % |
| Sunday/public holiday and 24-hour express surcharge | double rate |
All figures are market orientation values for Munich and the surrounding area — not offers. Your binding fixed price follows a short survey on site or by photo and video; the fixed-price survey service costs 290 €. Additional scope is charged only after prior agreement, never sprung on you on moving day.
On Sundays and public holidays: § 9 ArbZG prohibits employing staff on Sundays and public holidays outside the licensed exceptions. Sunday and holiday jobs are therefore only possible by arrangement and only where the law allows — at double rate.
Business customers switch to net prices at the top of the page. The choice applies to every price on this site.
Related to packing
Private move
What the move itself costs, how the volume is calculated and how the fixed price is reached.
Liability and insurance
Why self-packed boxes are treated differently — and what transport insurance changes.
Furniture assembly
Wardrobes, beds and kitchens dismantled properly, so they fit through the stairwell at all.
Around the clock
Questions about prices, liability or dates?
Our assistant answers at any hour — using the same figures and the same liability rules published on this site. Anything it cannot answer safely, it hands to a person.
Common questions about packing and moving boxes
How many moving boxes do I need?
As a rule of thumb about one box per two square metres of living space: 25 to 40 for a two-room flat, 60 to 90 for four rooms. Book collectors should count generously. Better to order too many than too few — unused boxes go back with us unused.
What does full packing cost?
300 – 900 € gross, depending on the size of the household. It covers packing the entire contents, the material and the labelling. Unpacking at the new address is not included — we offer it, but it is priced separately and rarely booked.
Will you pack only certain rooms?
Yes, and that is often the best answer. Kitchen and living room by us, wardrobes and books by you. You pay considerably less than for full packing and have the complete liability position for crockery and fragile items.
Are self-packed boxes covered?
Only to a limited extent as far as transport damage to the contents goes — we could check neither the contents nor the packing quality. For damage to the box itself, and for everything we packed, the statutory liability of 620 € per cubic metre of loading space under § 451e HGB applies without restriction.
When do you deliver the packing material?
Usually three to seven days before moving day. Earlier rarely helps, because packed boxes take up space; later gets tight if you work and can only pack in the evenings. We agree the exact date when confirming the job.
Do you take the empty boxes back?
Yes, we collect them once you have unpacked. The date is agreed during the move — one to two weeks later is usual, because almost nobody has unpacked everything by the first weekend.
What about plants and aquariums?
We take houseplants, and large potted plants up to 100 kilos. Aquariums only empty and cleaned — the water and the fish you have to move yourself, and we do not transport live animals at all.
Can I order packing material without booking the move?
Yes, we rent out material and boxes on their own. Call us — for smaller quantities that is a two-minute conversation.
Not sure whether full packing is worth it for you? Call and describe the household in two sentences — the answer rarely takes longer.