Moving to Le Chenit is not planned like a move on the plain: the municipality spreads across the Vallée de Joux, with Le Sentier, Le Brassus and L’Orient, and it is reached by mountain pass roads. Whether you are looking for a removal company in Le Chenit or simply want to move to Le Chenit with as few surprises as possible, snow, cold and village houses are the three factors to plan for.
Le Chenit: a watchmaking municipality on Lac de Joux
Le Chenit brings together several localities of the Vallée de Joux, including Le Sentier, Le Brassus and L’Orient. The municipality is a stronghold of watchmaking, set beside Lac de Joux, in an area where winters are long, cold and snowy. For a move, this means varied housing: village houses, more recent buildings, and homes close to the valley’s workplaces.
Village houses often have staircases, corridors and doors that call for measuring your furniture in advance. In apartment blocks, whether there is a lift, the width of the stairwell and the distance between the truck and the entrance quickly change the loading time. Note these points for both your old and your new home: they will go into your quote request.
Access, parking and floors in Le Chenit
To reach the valley, a removal truck takes mountain pass roads. The journey takes longer than on the plain, especially if the weather turns, and the size of the vehicle must be chosen with these roads in mind as well as the village streets. Removal companies in the region know these routes; give them the exact address so they can assess the right vehicle size.
On site, three questions come up often:
- Carrying distance. If the truck cannot stop in front of the entrance, every metre of carrying adds to the job.
- Floors and staircases. A narrow or winding staircase can stop a sofa, a wardrobe or a piano from getting through.
- Snow and ice. In winter, an access road that has not been cleared or a slippery surface slows the work and may force you to postpone the date.
If the truck, the furniture lift or a skip occupies the public road, prior authorisation from the municipality or the police may be needed. Ask the municipality a few days, or even a few weeks, before the planned date, especially if you are moving at a busy time.
Choosing the right time to move to Le Chenit
Your lease sets your timetable. A tenant may terminate by giving three months’ notice for the date set by local custom or, failing that, for the end of a quarter of the lease (art. 266c of the Swiss Code of Obligations, CO), unless the contract provides for longer. Customary termination dates vary by canton and municipality: reread your lease and check local custom before sending your notice. Notice must be given in writing (art. 266l CO).
Around these dates, removal companies are in high demand: requesting a quote early gives you more choice of dates. In Le Chenit, the season matters too. Winter is long, cold and snowy: a move in January or February means allowing extra time, clear access and a margin for postponement. For practical advice, see our guide to moving in winter. In spring and autumn, the pass roads are generally easier to drive, but these periods can also be in demand.
Admin steps for your move to Le Chenit
Every move must be reported to the residents’ registration office (contrôle des habitants): your departure from the old municipality and your arrival in the new one, within the time limit set by the canton. In many municipalities, the notification is made online through eMoving (eUmzugCH). The guide on registering with the commune explains the steps.
Also remember to:
- tell your employer, insurers, bank and everyday service providers your new address;
- plan the move-out inspection (état des lieux) and the handover of your old home, with a thorough clean;
- recover your rental deposit, which may not exceed three months’ rent for a dwelling (art. 257e CO) and is held in a blocked account in your name;
- put forward a solvent replacement tenant, willing to take over the lease on the same terms, if you have to leave before the termination date (art. 264 CO).
For the family home, termination by a married tenant or one in a registered partnership requires the express consent of the spouse or partner (art. 266m and 266n CO). If you are arriving from abroad or leaving for France, customs and residence permit formalities are added: find out early from the relevant authorities.
Useful services for moving to Le Chenit
Residential moving
For an apartment or a village house, professional removal companies in the region organise the loading, the journey over the pass roads and the unloading. See the residential moving page to find out what you can entrust to them.
Furniture lift
In a house with a narrow staircase, a furniture lift lets you take bulky items in or out through the window or balcony. It may require authorisation to occupy the public road. See the furniture lift page.
Packing and unpacking
A pass-road journey, cold weather and repeated handling justify careful packing for crockery, fragile items and sensitive appliances. The packing and unpacking page presents this service.
Storage
If your new home is not yet available or you are reducing your living space, storage lets you keep your belongings for as long as needed.
End-of-lease cleaning
To hand back your home in good condition at the move-out inspection, end-of-lease cleaning can save you time on the day you return the keys.
Art transport
In a watchmaking region, it is not unusual to own valuable pieces or works of art that need protecting. The art transport page explains how to entrust them to professionals.
Request a quote
- You describe your move online: departure and arrival addresses, approximate volume, floors, access, preferred date.
- Professional removal companies in the region contact you, possibly for a visit on site to assess access and volume.
- You compare the free quotes and stay free to choose, or not to go ahead.
The cost depends on the volume, the distance, the floors and access, any furniture lift, packing and the date. To request a quote, simply fill in the form.
Around Le Chenit
If your route passes along the foot of the Jura, you can also read our pages on moving to Vallorbe and Orbe. For an overview, go to the page on moving in the canton of Vaud or browse all the municipalities. Whether you are preparing a move to Le Chenit or elsewhere in French-speaking Switzerland, the principle is the same: describe your situation precisely to get comparable quotes.
Frequently asked questions
FAQ: moving to Le Chenit
The Vallée de Joux is reached by mountain pass roads, which lengthen the journey and call for a suitable truck. On site, check the distance between the vehicle and the entrance, as well as the staircases. Include these details in your quote request.
Winters in Le Chenit are long, cold and snowy. Plan for cleared access and, if possible, a margin for postponement with the removal company. Raise it when you request your quote so you can agree on a solution.
Occupying the public road with a truck, a furniture lift or a skip may require prior authorisation from the municipality or the police. Ask the municipality a few days or weeks in advance.
Notice is three months for the date set by local custom or, failing that, for the end of a quarter of the lease, unless your contract provides for longer. Reread your lease and check local custom. Notice must be given in writing.
Report your departure to the old municipality and your arrival to the new one, within the time limit set by the canton. In many municipalities this is done online through eMoving (eUmzugCH). Ask the municipality for the exact procedure.