Request special leave for the move and then quietly clear out until everything is ready to go? Sounds good, but is usually associated with complications. Moving is always time-consuming: In addition to the usual preparations, packing and organizing vehicles, you always have to consider a few things that might cause you some problems. You can find out what these are here.
Is there special leave for the move?
Good reasons to move during the week: moving vans are much cheaper to rent and weekend plans won't be interrupted by the move.
However, most people have to work during the week. If you are moving for personal reasons, you will therefore have to switch to the weekend or apply for leave of absence. Special leave, i.e., a day off with pay that is not deducted from your contracted vacation days, is actually only given to you for a move for business reasons. In addition, this must also necessarily take place during working hours.
Find out in advance if you are moving for work: If you are transferred to a city farther away, for example, you have a good chance of being. However, if the company is only moving to the neighboring city, the move is not considered mandatory, so you will not be granted special leave in that case.
Good to know: If you are a member of IG-Metall, you will receive one day of special leave even if the move is not for company reasons.
Noise pollution due to the move
It is impossible to carry out a move without making a noise. Your neighbors know this too. This is why most people don't get upset when new roommates move in or out of the house. However, you can also do something yourself to avoid disturbing the peace right from the start, such as
- in advance, hang up a note in the stairwell informing your future neighbors that you are moving in,
- forego music when you move,
- Do not slam doors and car doors unnecessarily and
- not call through the staircase.
Respecting the quiet hours
Take a look at your new lease: the house rules specify the quiet hours. Often they are Monday through Friday between 1:00 and 3:00 p.m. and between 10:00 and 7:00 p.m. On Saturdays, out of consideration for the neighbors, it is advisable to have all noisy work done by 7:00 p.m., in addition to observing the noon rest period.
Practically it is sometimes hardly feasible to keep the midday rest. The legislator also knows this and turns a blind eye here when moving, if the neighbors do not explicitly complain. You can try doing less noisy work at this stage. You should, however, observe the nightly rest periods in any case!
In the days following the move, you will be moving furniture, drilling holes and hammering nails into walls. You should do all of this while respecting rest periods. Refrain from such work even between 13.00 and 15.00 o'clock, because the sound penetrates through the whole house and is really disturbing.
Is it allowed to move on sundays?
Moving is not allowed on Sundays and holidays as a rule. However, there are exceptions, namely when the move is not possible at another time and therefore can not be postponed. However, trucks are also banned from driving on Sundays and public holidays – so you won't be allowed on the road in a car weighing more than 7.5 tonnes anyway. In addition, do not drill or hammer in your home on Sunday. Moving on Sunday is therefore more difficult than on other days and there are also more problems with the neighbors on Sunday.
Apply for a no-stopping order for the move
Especially in larger cities there are often only a few parking spaces, especially those where moving vans can also stop. If you want to make sure that you can park near the door, you should apply for a temporary parking ban. You are not allowed to simply block the street and/or exits with hazard warning lights on.
Attention: It is not allowed to simply clear a parking lot by yourself.
Contact the road traffic authority responsible for the respective city or municipality for a parking space (in some cases, the district or county office is also responsible). Here you apply for permission to temporarily keep a certain length of parking lane free. This can take some time, so you should apply for the permit at least two, preferably three weeks before the move.
You will receive temporary no-parking signs, which allow you to keep a few meters free on one side of the street. However, especially in narrow alleys, this is often not enough for a wide furniture truck: here you can also apply for the no parking zone for both sides of the street.
With the permit, contact a service company that rents and usually also puts up the signs. You can also pick them up from the company and place them yourself, but this is not necessarily advisable: the professionals know how to place the signs so that they do not fall over and damage anything in the process. If it does happen (for example, due to a storm), the service company's insurance will cover the damage. If you place the signs yourself, you have to pay for such damages yourself.
The cost of this varies depending on the municipality:
- The permit from the authorities costs 12 to 40 euros.
- Sign rental costs 3 to 15 euros per sign per day.
- The installation service costs between 60 and 140 euros.
- A deposit of around 100 euros is often still required for the signs, which you will get back after returning the signs.
Depending on the city, the signs must be put up two, three or four days before the move. This gives those parking here enough time to remove their car until the day of the driving ban. If someone does park in the space you reserved on the day in question, call the police or the public order office. The officers will first try to find the owner. If this does not succeed, they notify a towing company. Do not do it yourself!
When applying for the temporary no-stopping zone, keep in mind that you will have to maneuver with the car and lift larger furniture in or out of it. So plan for more space than would be needed for parking alone!
Moving companies work professionally
If you want to save yourself work, you can look for the appropriate moving company: Some of them offer to take care of no-parking zones as well. In addition, their teams work well coordinated and quickly. They will also know how to avoid unnecessary noise at work.
Conclusion: The move can go smoothly
With a little preparation, you can make the move go smoothly without any hassle from your new neighbors. However, apply early enough for a no-stopping order for the move, warn the neighbors in advance and be considerate of quiet times. This keeps the peace in the house. Whether you receive special leave for the move depends on the reason for your move – it's best to check with your employer about it.
