Moving to Ayent is not like moving on the plain: the commune spreads across the hillside north of Sion, with several villages and the resort of Anzère, and mountain roads matter as much as the volume to be transported. If you are moving to Ayent, it is best to plan access, the season and the type of home before fixing a date. Describe your project online: professional removal companies in the area will contact you with a free, no-obligation quote.
Ayent, its villages and its resort: a varied mix of homes
Ayent is not a single urban block. The commune brings together villages scattered across the hillside and the resort of Anzère, which makes for very different situations from one area to the next. You will find village houses, chalets and many second homes, alongside homes lived in all year round.
This variety changes how you prepare. A chalet or a house on a slope does not have the same access as an apartment block: the entrance may be set back from the road, the interior may have several levels and the stairs are sometimes narrow. A second home, for its part, is often furnished for the season: you then need to decide what goes, what stays and what must be stored.
For a student or an employee who works in Sion and lives on the hillside, the daily commute is part of the calculation. For a family settling in, the question is more often about space: a larger home usually means more volume to transport, and therefore more time and more staff.
Access, parking and floors in Ayent: what to plan for
Mountain roads are the first constraint. To reach a village or a chalet, the journey involves slopes and bends, and some streets can be narrow. A large lorry is not always suitable: the movers choose the vehicle according to the actual access, sometimes with a smaller shuttle vehicle for the last stretch.
So state in your request the exact address, the distance between where the lorry can stop and the front door, the number of floors and whether there is a lift. The longer the carrying distance, the longer the loading time. A visit to the property or a few photos help the movers to estimate correctly what is feasible.
When the staircase is narrow or bulky furniture will not fit through, a furniture lift can be used to hoist items up the façade. It does, however, need a stable, clear spot, which is not always easy on a sloping road.
Occupying the public highway with a lorry, a furniture lift or a skip may require prior permission from the commune or the police. Check with the commune a few days, or even a few weeks, before the planned date. In winter, snow and ice make manoeuvres slower and more delicate: allow some margin in the schedule.
When to move to Ayent: lease dates, season and snow
A tenant can terminate a lease by giving three months’ notice for the date set by local custom or, failing that, for the end of a three-month lease quarter (art. 266c of the Swiss Code of Obligations, CO), unless the contract provides for longer. Customary dates vary by canton and commune: check your lease and find out about local custom. Notice must be given in writing (art. 266l CO).
If you leave before the lease date, you can be released by proposing a solvent replacement tenant who is willing to take over the lease on the same terms (art. 264 CO). For more detail, the guide on terminating a lease in Switzerland covers the subject.
The periods close to lease dates are generally the busiest: availability shrinks, so it is worth booking early. The season matters in Ayent too. In winter, snow can make access to the villages and the resort harder; see the guide on moving in winter to prepare for the day. For a chalet, the guide on moving to a mountain chalet gives further pointers. Snow aside, summer and autumn generally offer easier roads, but they are also periods of high demand.
Formalities when moving to Ayent
Every move must be reported to the residents’ registration office (contrôle des habitants): departure in the old commune, arrival in the new one, within the period set by the canton. In many communes, this can be done online through eMoving (eUmzugCH). Check with the commune whether this service is available in your case. The guide on registering with the commune sets out the steps.
Also think about changing your address: bank, insurers, employer, subscriptions, health insurer. On the housing side, prepare the move-out inspection (état des lieux) and the return of the keys of your old apartment or chalet. A rental deposit cannot exceed three months’ rent for a home (art. 257e CO) and it is paid into a blocked account in the tenant’s name.
If you are arriving from abroad, customs and residence permit formalities are added: find out before leaving from the relevant authorities. The same applies to a move to France. For the family home, termination by a tenant who is married or in a registered partnership requires the express consent of the spouse or partner (art. 266m and 266n CO).
Useful services for a move to Ayent
Residential moving
For an apartment, a village house or a chalet lived in all year, residential moving covers loading, transport and setting up. State the access and the stairs: they determine the crew and the vehicle.
Furniture lift
When the staircase is too narrow or the furniture too bulky, a furniture lift avoids carrying by hand. On a sloping road, check the possible position and any permission needed from the commune.
Packing and unpacking
Mountain journeys shake boxes about more. Packing and unpacking protects crockery, frames and fragile items, which matters when the road is winding.
Furniture assembly and disassembly
In a chalet, some furniture has to be taken apart to get up a staircase or through a door. Furniture assembly and disassembly lets you have it put back together on arrival.
Storage
Between two homes, or for a second home that is being partly emptied, storage lets you keep whatever does not follow straight away.
End-of-lease cleaning
Before handing back a home, end-of-lease cleaning prepares the move-out inspection and avoids nasty surprises when the keys are returned.
Requesting a quote
- You describe your move online: departure and arrival addresses, approximate volume, floors, access and preferred date.
- Professional removal companies in the area contact you, possibly for a visit to the property.
- You compare the free quotes and remain free to choose, or to sign nothing.
The cost depends on the volume, the distance, the floors and access, any furniture lift, packing and the date. The simplest way is to request a quote.
Around Ayent
If your project involves a neighbouring commune, see the pages for Savièse, Sion and Grimisuat. For a wider view, see moving in the canton of Valais or all communes. Whether you are preparing a move to Ayent or a departure towards the plain, the same steps apply.
Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions: moving to Ayent
Not always. On the hillside, the mountain roads have slopes and bends, and some streets are narrow. The movers adapt the vehicle to the actual access, sometimes with a smaller vehicle for the end of the journey. State the exact address in your request.
Occupying the public highway may require prior permission from the commune or the police. Check with the commune a few days, or even a few weeks, before the moving date. The movers can tell you what is needed depending on the access.
Not necessarily, but it slows manoeuvres and can make access to the villages and the resort of Anzère harder. Allow some margin in the schedule and mention the season when you request a quote. An alternative date can be agreed if conditions are difficult.
You must report your arrival to the residents' registration office (contrôle des habitants), and your departure in the old commune, within the period set by the canton. In many communes, this can be done online through eMoving. Check with the commune for the exact procedure.
Yes, a storage unit lets you keep whatever does not follow straight away, for example when changing homes or sorting through a chalet. State the volume and the intended duration in your request. The removal companies in the area will then set out the options in their free quote.