You finally found your new apartment in Geneva, and you’re ready to channel your inner Martha Stewart. It’s finally time to shop for home decor and decorate your new digs. That cute vintage coffee table you found at the flea market? The funky standing light that’s being sold dirtcheap on Facebook Marketplace? Buying stuff is never the problem, the real question is, how the hell do you get these bulky items home without breaking your back?! No matter if it’s a second hand buy or purchases from IKEA, most buys will require you to pick up items yourself or to pay exorbitant delivery fees.
We’ve outlined a few ways to transport heavy things below, so you can continue to hunt for those big buys with a peace of mind.
I can do the pick up myself…
I need someone to do the heavy lifting…
Driving yourself
If you have a valid driver’s license, the confidence of driving a car, and perhaps a good friend who can help with moving, renting a van yourself is a great option! Below are a few places you can easily rent a van for a few hours, or a day, to go pick up whatever you need.
Mobility
Mobility is the popular Swiss car-sharing subscription service, a great alternative for those that want access to a car from time to time without dealing with the hassles of an actual car. In addition to traditional sedan cars, Mobility also offers vans and transporters for transporting bulky items. You need to do a bit of calculation to see if this option is worth it – you need a subscribe to a monthly plan (cancel whenever) which costs about CHF40 a month, and then the vehicle rental, which could be as low as CHF10, pending the vehicle type, distance, and time. You also need a valid driver’s license before you can reserve anything!
If you just need a one-time transport situation, mobility is probably not the best option but if you’re considering using their services, it is definitely worth it. It gives more flexibility given the numerous mobility stations around town and overall better value. Booking the van in advance is highly recommended, especially over the weekends, when demand for mobility cars is very high.
IKEA
Do you know you can actually reserve vans from IKEA and take home your purchases yourself? Considering IKEA delivery costs (which starts from CHF 60 for curbside and CHF 100 for delivery in-home), this is actually an amazing option. The costs start at CHF 7.50/hour + CHF 1.10 per kilometer driven. You can use the IKEA van to transport whatever you want, it’s not limited to IKEA purchases.
MParc
Similarly to IKEA, vans are available for rental at MParc starting from CHF 20. Unlike IKEA, the rental cost is based on an hourly basis, going up at a rate CHF 20 per additional hour. There is a limitation to 50km distance you can drive, which should be more than enough if you live in Geneva.
Patrick Location
Patrick Location is a low-cost Swiss rental company that offers vans for rental for about CHF40 per day. We haven’t used their services ourselves but they have been recommended given that their prices are on the lower-end and all inclusive. Their pick-up location is based in Petit-Lancy.
Traditional car rental companies
We often forget traditional car rental companies also have vans and transporters available! Hertz, Avis, Europcar, etc have rental spots at the Geneva airport and city center. The costs vary quite a lot – we’ve seen rates as cheap as CHF60 from Europcar to CHF100+ from Avis. If you’re renting from the airport, pick up from the French side is always going to be cheaper than the Swiss side. It’s a better option if you are renting the car over a longer period of time, doing multiple pick ups but mobility would be the better option for 1 time transports.
Hiring help
So you can’t drive or don’t have the confidence of driving a van in the city. Or you simply can’t move a 6 person dining table by yourself. Totally valid reasons to enlist a professional to do the heavy lifting. Here are a few companies where you can find help:
Yoojo
Yoojo is a marketplace platform that connects you with local service providers for a variety of ‘home’ tasks. From installing light fixtures, hanging paintings, installing IKEA furniture, gardening…any odd job that you think of, you can find someone from Yoojo to help you achieve it. I like to think of it as the handyman app. You have to create an account (no English version yet but Google translate is your friend), and then you can either post a job description, where people can bid for it or search through the various categories for a person to hire. There is a specific section for van rental + driver (déménagement) for transporting stuff. All the service provides will have a profile, their hourly rate and customer reviews listed. Your job description should be as detailed as possible for an accurate quotation – picture of the item(s) for pick up, whether or not you need it delivered all the way to your apartment, if you have elevators, if you need additional help for installation etc. It’s a great service, because you can find someone to help within your budget but more so if you need help in a pinch, as you can often find someone to help on short notice. Word of caution – read the reviews, make sure that the details of the job is clear, and keep communications on the app instead of taking it offline (at least for the first job), as Yoojo the company may help with any disputes later on.
Luis Moving
Luis Moving is a local moving company that has been highly rated in the expat circles (disclaimer: we haven’t used them ourselves). They offer traditional moving services but also picking up and furniture assembly services. You can get a quote via their whatsapp, email or calling them, they are very responsive and English friendly. Just as a reference, for a large sofa, I was quoted an hourly rate of CHF120 for 2 movers, which includes dismantle and assemble, furniture covers for transport and insurance.
Travaux Romandie
Travaux Romandie is another local ‘handyman’ company that offers services for moving, gardening, installing furniture etc. They have been highly rated and recommended by friends (disclaimer: we haven’t used them ourselves), as having very fair prices and good service. Pick-up, delivery, and installation is part of their services, so if you need help with bigger items, Travaux Romandie may be a good option.
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