Moving to Crans-Montana is not like moving in the lowlands: the Haut-Plateau resort has many chalets and second homes, and access needs to be planned ahead. To move to Crans-Montana without nasty surprises, you need to think about the lorry, carrying distances, the season and the paperwork. By describing your project online, you can receive free quotes from removal companies in Crans-Montana or the surrounding region.
Crans-Montana at a glance: a resort municipality made up of four former villages
Crans-Montana is a resort on the Haut-Plateau, above Sierre. The municipality was created in 2017 through the merger of Chermignon, Mollens, Montana and Randogne. For a move, this means you are not dealing with a single centre, but with several districts, each with its own character and access conditions.
You will find chalets, second homes, resort apartment buildings and more conventional housing in the villages. The lakes and the golf course are part of the landscape and attract year-round residents as well as owners who visit occasionally. Depending on whether you are moving to a residence apartment, a detached chalet or a village home, the work changes: volume to be transported, distance between the lorry and the front door, number of steps, and whether there is a lift.
Many resort properties are furnished or partly furnished. If you are replacing part of the furniture or only moving a few belongings, say so in your request: it changes the volume and the way the loading is prepared.
Access, parking and floors in Crans-Montana: what to plan for
The Haut-Plateau is served by mountain roads, and the streets in some districts are narrow or steep. A large lorry cannot always get close to a chalet entrance: sometimes a smaller vehicle is needed, or items have to be carried over a certain distance. In your request, say whether the access road is narrow, steep, private or a dead end, and whether there are outdoor stairs.
Stairs are common in chalets and resort buildings. A bulky piece of furniture, a corner sofa or a piano does not always fit through the stairwell. In that case, a furniture lift lets you go through the balcony or window, provided the vehicle can park in front of the façade.
In winter, snow can complicate access: roads to be cleared, limited parking, and routes that are sometimes demanding. If your date falls in the middle of the season, tell the removal companies from the very first contact.
A lorry, furniture lift or skip occupying the public road may require prior authorisation from the municipality or the police. Check with the municipality a few days, or even a few weeks, before the date, especially if you are moving at a time when the resort is very busy.
When to move to Crans-Montana: lease dates, seasons and weather
A tenant’s notice period is three months to the date set by local custom or, failing that, to the end of a three-month lease period (art. 266c of the Swiss Code of Obligations, CO), unless the contract provides for longer. The customary dates vary by canton and municipality: check what your lease says. Notice must be given in writing (art. 266l CO), and for the family home of a married tenant or one in a registered partnership, the express consent of the spouse or partner is required (art. 266m and 266n CO).
Removal companies are generally in high demand around lease dates: book early, all the more so as the resort’s calendar can add its own busy periods. If you cannot meet the notice period or the date, you can be released from the lease by proposing a replacement tenant who is solvent and willing to take over the lease on the same terms (art. 264 CO).
As for the weather, winter brings snow and sometimes difficult roads; summer is easier for access, even if the heat makes carrying more tiring. If you are unsure, our guide to moving in winter explains what to plan for.
Paperwork in Crans-Montana: residents’ registration office, lease and deposit
Every move must be reported to the residents’ registration office (contrôle des habitants): departure in the old municipality, arrival in the new one, within the time limit set by the canton. In many municipalities, you can register online via eMoving (eUmzugCH). Check with the municipality whether this is possible in your case.
Also remember to change your address with your bank, your insurer, your employer and your subscriptions. For the home you are leaving, prepare the move-out inspection (état des lieux) and the return of the keys. For the new one, the rental deposit may not exceed three months’ rent for a home (art. 257e CO) and it is paid into a blocked account in your name.
If you are arriving from abroad or leaving for France, further formalities apply: customs for the goods transported and a residence permit depending on your situation. Find out from the competent authorities before your departure date. Our page on registering with the commune summarises the steps to follow.
Useful services for a move to Crans-Montana
Residential moving
For an apartment, a chalet or a villa, professional removal companies in the region organise the loading, transport and setting up. Describe the access and the floors: this determines the vehicle and the number of people. See residential moving.
Furniture lift
When the stairs are too narrow or the furniture is bulky, the furniture lift avoids carrying everything by hand. It needs a clear space in front of the façade, so a parking permit may be required.
Packing and unpacking
A mountain journey with its bends shakes the load. Packing and unpacking protects crockery, frames and fragile items, and saves you time on the day.
Storage
Between two homes, or if you are downsizing your residence, storage lets you keep part of your belongings for as long as you need.
End-of-lease cleaning
To hand the home back in the condition expected at the move-out inspection, end-of-lease cleaning avoids last-minute touch-ups.
House clearance
Emptying a chalet or a second home before a sale or a departure takes time. House clearance lets you sort, remove and vacate the premises.
Request a quote
- You describe your move online: departure and arrival addresses, approximate volume, floors, access and preferred date.
- Professional removal companies in the region get back to you, possibly for an on-site visit, which is useful when access is tricky.
- You compare the free quotes and remain free to choose, with no obligation.
The cost depends on the volume, the distance, the floors and access, any furniture lift, packing and the date. To receive suitable proposals, request a quote.
Around Crans-Montana
Moving from or to the plain? See the page for Sierre. For the neighbouring valley, see Anniviers. For an overview, the page on moving in the canton of Valais presents the region, and you will find all the municipalities we cover. To make your move to Crans-Montana a success, the simplest approach is still to plan the access and compare several quotes.
Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions: moving to Crans-Montana
It depends on the road and the entrance. Some streets on the Haut-Plateau are narrow or steep, and a chalet may be on a private road. Describe the access in your request: the removal companies will choose the right vehicle or plan for carrying items by hand.
Occupying the public road with a lorry, a furniture lift or a skip may require prior authorisation from the municipality or the police. Check with the municipality a few days or weeks before your moving date.
Snow can make access more demanding: roads to be cleared, limited parking, and mountain roads that are sometimes difficult. This does not prevent you from moving, but it is best to tell the removal companies in your request and allow some flexibility on the date.
You must report your departure to the old municipality and your arrival to the new one, at the residents’ registration office (contrôle des habitants), within the time limit set by the canton. In many municipalities, registration is done online via eMoving (eUmzugCH). Also remember to change your address with your insurers, your bank and your employer.
A furniture lift helps when the stairs are narrow, packing protects fragile items on a mountain journey, and storage is useful between two homes. House clearance can also help before a sale or a departure. You can specify these needs in your free quote request.