The price of a move is often decided before the first piece of furniture is carried: with your request. Filling in a moving request properly does not mean knowing every detail perfectly. It means giving moving companies a clear picture of what you are planning. The more precise the details, the better the quotes fit - and the better you can compare prices and services later.
Why complete details make such a difference
A move is more than the distance between two addresses. What counts for a moving company is floor area, the amount of furniture, floors, carrying distances, access and any extra services you want. If this information is missing, the company has to guess. That can lead to quotes that look cheap at first glance but later do not match the actual effort.
A careful request therefore protects both sides. The company can calculate realistically, plan staff and vehicles and include the materials needed. You receive quotes that are comparable and more likely to fit your budget. This precision pays off especially for family moves, larger flats or moves in city centres.
You do not have to be a moving expert for this. Estimate honestly, add a short note where you are unsure, and mention special features once too often rather than once too rarely. A good provider asks about open points instead of simply calculating a flat rate.
Filling in a moving request properly: the key basics
Start with the planned moving date and both locations. Give the full addresses if possible, or at least the postcode and town if the exact address is not settled yet. On a move from Cologne to Bonn the distance is short, but traffic, parking and access to the building can still change the effort considerably.
As for the date: if you are flexible, say so. A possible window of several days or weeks can increase the choice of companies. If you have to move at the end of the month, ask early, because popular dates go quickly. The day of the week can make a difference too. Not every company prices weekends or public holidays the same way.
Also state the size of your current and future home. The number of rooms is a good first indication, but it does not replace details about your belongings. A minimally furnished three-room flat needs less capacity than a fully furnished two-room flat with a cellar, a workshop and a large wardrobe.
Do not forget floors, lift and carrying distances
These details are often underestimated, yet they directly affect the price. Say which floor the old and the new flat are on and whether there is a lift. It also matters whether it is actually suitable for furniture. A small passenger lift helps with boxes, but not necessarily with a sofa or a washing machine.
Briefly describe the way from the front door to the flat. Are there many steps, a long courtyard, narrow corridors or a hard-to-reach rear building? Is there a steep staircase at the new address? Information like this helps to estimate realistically how many people are needed.
The parking situation belongs in the request as well. In densely built neighbourhoods, a temporary no-parking zone can make sense. On moving day it saves long carrying distances and unnecessary waiting. Whether a permit is required and who applies for it should later be stated clearly in the quote.
Estimating your belongings realistically
You do not need a complete list of every box. What matters are the large, heavy and fragile items, and anything that makes the transport more complicated. These include a large wardrobe, a fitted kitchen, a piano, an aquarium, a box-spring bed or particularly heavy fitness equipment.
For wardrobes, it matters whether they need to be dismantled and reassembled. For a kitchen, say whether only individual units are being moved or whether you want it dismantled and reassembled including connections. Electrical and water connections are a special case: clarify exactly which work a company will take on and whether additional specialists are needed.
The cellar, attic, garage and balcony are also easily forgotten. That is exactly where boxes, shelves, bicycles or garden furniture pile up. Include these areas honestly. If you want to clear things out before the move, give the current state and note what is likely to be gone by the moving date. That is better than deliberately understating the volume.
Photos can help with unusually large furniture, narrow stairwells or complicated access, if the request form offers this option. Mind your privacy and avoid personal documents or recognisable valuables in the picture.
Choosing extra services clearly
A cheap transport is not automatically the best quote if you then have to dismantle furniture yourself, get hold of a hundred boxes or dispose of old furnishings. Before sending, think about which help would really save you time and stress.
Typical extra services are packing and unpacking, providing moving boxes, furniture assembly, kitchen assembly, clearance and setting up a no-parking zone. Not every service is needed for every move. If you own little furniture and have helpers, you may only need transport and carrying. For a move with children, a tight time window or a long distance, on the other hand, a full service can be the more relaxed choice.
Describe special requests specifically. Instead of just writing "furniture assembly", something like this helps: "Dismantle the wardrobe and reassemble it in the new flat; the wall shelf is not coming along." That way providers can state the scope of work clearly. It makes comparing much easier later.
Be honest about the date and what you will do yourself
Many people plan to pack boxes themselves or dismantle furniture in advance. That can save costs, but only works if there really is time for it. In the request, say which preparations you will take on yourself and what should be done by moving day.
An estimate is perfectly fine, as long as it stays realistic. If you are not sure whether the sofa will fit through the stairwell, say so. If the key handover at the new flat only takes place in the afternoon of moving day, mention it. Conditions like these decide whether everything runs smoothly in the end.
Also plan in a small buffer. A moving date can shift because of a delayed handover or work by tradespeople. If you are flexible, that makes organising easier. If not, a binding time window is all the more important.
Do not compare quotes on the final price alone
After a fully completed request, you receive suitable quotes from moving companies. With Umzigo you can request several quotes free of charge and without obligation, without having to contact many companies one by one. For your decision, though, the figure at the bottom is not all that counts.
Check which services are included: Are travel, movers, vehicle, furniture assembly, materials and any no-parking zone clearly listed? Does it say how long the job is planned to take and what happens if extra work comes up? A transparent quote names the scope of work clearly and leaves room for questions.
Look at customer reviews as well. They do not replace a close look at the services, but they give an indication of how reliably a company communicates, whether it keeps to dates and how carefully it handles furniture. The best quote is the one that brings price, scope and trust together sensibly.
These mistakes make quotes needlessly vague
The most common mistake is a description that is too brief, such as "two-room flat, quote please". From that, neither the amount of furniture nor the access can be worked out. Unclear dates, forgotten cellar rooms and details that mix wishes with reality are just as problematic.
Also avoid leaving out heavy or bulky items in order to get a lower price at first. If they do turn up on moving day, that can delay the work and cause extra costs. Transparency is almost always the cheaper decision.
Before sending, take five minutes for a final check: Are the start and destination correct? Are floors, lift and parking described? Have you included the cellar, attic and special furniture? And is it clear which extra services you expect? Usually that is all it takes for a good basis.
A good request does not take the whole move off your hands. But it turns a lot of open questions into a process you can plan. When quotes are based on the same honest details, you can choose with a good feeling - and focus on what lies ahead at your new home.