How to Pack for a Move in Switzerland: The Complete Room-by-Room Guide

Knowing how to pack for a move properly is the difference between arriving at your new home with everything intact and unpacking a box of broken plates. Poor packing is also one of the most common reasons Swiss moves run over time and over budget. In Switzerland, there is an extra reason to pack well: professional movers are required to handle your belongings with care, but poorly packed items are usually excluded from transit damage claims. This guide covers the same room-by-room system Swiss professional movers use, whether you're moving across Zurich, between cantons, or arriving from abroad.

Before you start packing

Declutter before you pack a single box. Every item you don't pack is an item you don't pay to move, so go room by room and sort ruthlessly: keep, donate, sell, or discard. A move is the best excuse you'll get to reset.

Then gather your materials. You will need:

• Moving boxes in small, medium, and large sizes
• Wardrobe boxes for hanging clothes
• Bubble wrap and packing paper (never newspaper: the ink transfers)
• Packing tape and a strong tape dispenser
• Permanent markers in at least two colours
• Labels or sticker dots by colour

Start packing 3-4 weeks before your move date, beginning with the rooms and items you use least. Save daily essentials for the final 24-48 hours.

The golden rules of packing

Follow these and you'll avoid 90% of packing mistakes:

• Put heavy items in small boxes. Books, tools, and canned goods belong in small boxes because large ones fill up fast and become too heavy to lift safely.
• Fill every box completely. Half-empty boxes collapse when stacked, so use packing paper or clothing to fill any gaps.
• Wrap fragile items individually. Each piece of glass or ceramic needs its own layer of bubble wrap or paper before it goes in the box.
• Put heavier items on the bottom and lighter ones on top, both inside the box and on the truck.
• Label every box on the top and one side, since you can't read a top label once boxes are stacked.
• Never mix rooms in one box. It sounds obvious, but it's the rule people ignore most often.

Room-by-room packing guide

Kitchen

The kitchen is the hardest room to pack because of the variety of shapes, weights, and fragility levels. Tackle it 2-3 days before your move.

Dishes and glasses

• Wrap each plate individually in packing paper, then stack vertically (like records), never flat
• Wrap glasses in bubble wrap, pad the bottom of the box, fill gaps with crumpled paper
• Pack cups nested inside one another with paper between each layer

Pots and pans

• Nest smaller pots inside larger ones, with paper between each
• Pack lids separately and wrap in paper
• Place heavy pots at the bottom of medium boxes

Small appliances

• Use original boxes where you still have them
• Wrap in bubble wrap, secure with tape, and add paper padding in the box
• Coil and tape all cords, and never wrap them around the appliance itself

Food

• Consume or donate perishables before move day
• Seal open packages with tape or transfer to zip-lock bags
• Pack food items in a clearly labelled box to unpack first at the new home

Living room

Books and media

• Pack in small boxes only: mixed weight (heavy books, lighter DVDs) is fine
• Stand books spine-up, not flat, to avoid spine damage
• Fill gaps with packing paper

Electronics

• Original boxes are ideal. Photograph the cable setup before disconnecting anything
• For flat-screen TVs: use a TV-specific moving box or wrap in moving blankets; never lay flat
• Wrap remotes and small items together in labelled zip-lock bags
• Transport laptops and tablets in your personal bag, not in a moving box

Artwork and mirrors

• Use picture boxes (adjustable flat boxes) or sandwich between two layers of cardboard
• Mark boxes "FRAGILE - THIS SIDE UP" in large letters
• Never stack flat glass against other items

Bedroom

Clothes

• Use wardrobe boxes for hanging items so they go directly from rail to box to rail
• Fold and pack off-season clothes in large suitcases (saves boxes and maximises transport)
• Vacuum bags are excellent for duvets, pillows, and bulky winter gear

Mattresses

• Use a mattress bag or cover: mattresses left unwrapped arrive dirty and can be damaged
• Ask your mover if a mattress trolley is included

Furniture

• Disassemble bed frames, wardrobes, and shelving units, and keep the screws in labelled zip-lock bags taped to the piece they belong to
• Remove drawers from chests and pack them separately (leaving drawers in makes furniture too heavy to carry safely and lets them shift)

Bathroom

Pack the bathroom last, 24 to 48 hours before moving, since you need it until the end.

• Seal all liquid bottles with tape over the cap before boxing (pressure changes cause leaks)
• Place bottles upright in a zip-lock bag inside the box for double protection
• Pack medicines together in a labelled bag, and keep this bag in your personal luggage, not in a moving box
• Dispose of old or expired products rather than moving them

Home office

• Back up computers and external drives before packing anything
• Photograph cable configurations before disassembly
• Pack important documents (passports, contracts, bank records) in a dedicated folder in your personal bag, never in a moving box
• Use original boxes for monitors and printers where available

How to label boxes like a professional

A good labelling system saves hours when unpacking. Use this approach:

1. Write the destination room on the top and one long side of every box (for example, "Kitchen" or "Master bedroom")
2. Add a brief contents note (for example, "Glasses + mugs" or "Winter clothes")
3. Mark fragile boxes on all four sides and the top
4. Use coloured dot stickers per room: movers sort faster by colour than by reading labels
5. Number your boxes and keep a simple master list, such as "Box 7 = Kitchen, glasses + mugs." It takes about 10 minutes and can save you from opening 30 boxes to find one item.

Packing timeline

Packing for a Swiss move: local specifics

A few Switzerland-specific things affect how you should pack and prepare for moving day.

Swiss apartment buildings expect you to leave common areas in the condition you found them. Professional movers use corner guards and blankets on lift walls and door frames as standard, and if you're doing a self-move, it's worth renting or buying the same protection to avoid being charged for scratches at the Wohnungsabnahme.

Many Swiss buildings in city centres have narrow staircases and small lifts, or none at all. Pack heavy furniture components separately and in flat-pack form where possible: they're much easier to carry up stairs in pieces.

In Switzerland, your move-out cleaning (Endreinigung) has to happen in an empty apartment, so don't schedule it until every piece of furniture and every box is out. Cleaning around items still sitting in the property is the most common packing-day mistake.

Keep your Swiss residence permit, insurance documents, rental contract, and original handover protocol (Übergabeprotokoll) with you in the car, not in a moving box.

Frequently asked questions

How many boxes do I need for a 3-room apartment?

A 3-room apartment typically requires 60-90 boxes of mixed sizes. If you have a lot of books or kitchen items, lean toward the higher end.

Is bubble wrap or packing paper better for fragile items?

Both have their place. Bubble wrap provides cushioning for impact; packing paper protects surfaces from scratches and fills gaps. Use packing paper to wrap and bubble wrap as an outer layer for your most fragile items.

Should I pack my clothes in boxes or bags?

Wardrobe boxes are the most efficient for hanging clothes. Folded clothes pack well in suitcases or large boxes. Avoid bin bags: they give clothes no structure, and items arrive creased and compressed.

Can movers pack for me?

Yes. Most Swiss moving companies offer full or partial packing services. Professional packers work significantly faster and use commercial-grade materials, and the items they pack are typically better covered by transit insurance. The service typically adds CHF 200-600 to the total cost.

Ready to move?

Whether you pack everything yourself or hand it to professionals, Ofero connects you with verified Swiss moving companies that can take on as much or as little of the job as you need. Submit one request and compare quotes from several movers before deciding who does what.