Moving to Morges: old town, lakefront and access

Moving in Morges is not prepared in the same way depending on whether you are leaving a flat in a newer district or an older house in the old town. Between the Grand-Rue, the Lake Geneva quays and buildings with lifts, access changes from one address to the next. To move to Morges without unpleasant surprises, describe your home precisely: removal companies in the area will then contact you with a free, no-obligation quote.

Morges, a town on La Côte: districts and types of housing

Morges is a town on La Côte, on the shore of Lake Geneva. Its castle, its quays and its old town laid out around the Grand-Rue give the municipality a very distinctive character, which you notice at every stage of a move. The town is also known for its tulip festival, which draws crowds in spring.

For a move, there are broadly two different worlds:

• The old town: old houses, pedestrian or shopping streets, often narrow buildings with staircases that can be steep or winding. The homes have plenty of character, but access is restrictive.
• The newer districts: more recently built blocks, often with a lift, wider access and parking nearby. Carrying is generally easier there.

In between, there are medium-sized buildings, detached houses and villas. Each type of building has its own constraints: a lift too small for a sofa, a narrow staircase, an entrance with nowhere to park right outside.

Access, parking and floors: what to plan for in Morges

In the old town, the main issue is getting the lorry close. Pedestrian or shopping streets limit traffic and parking: the vehicle cannot always stop in front of the door, and boxes and furniture sometimes have to be carried some distance. This carrying distance counts in the quote, as does the size of lorry the street allows.

Old, narrow or winding staircases are also worth mentioning. A bulky piece of furniture, a piano or a wardrobe may not fit up the stairwell. In that case, a furniture lift lets you go in through the façade, if the location allows it.

In the newer districts, a lift makes the work easier, but you need to check its dimensions and, depending on the building, ask the letting agency (régie) or the caretaker to reserve it for the day. Remember to protect the communal areas too.

Occupying the public highway with a removal lorry, a furniture lift or a skip may require prior permission from the commune or the police. Ask the commune a few days, or even a few weeks, before the date. The guide to the parking permit for moving day explains the procedure.

When to move in Morges: lease dates and seasons

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 lease quarter (art. 266c of the Swiss Code of Obligations, CO), unless the contract provides for a longer period. Customary dates vary by canton and commune: check your lease and the local custom before sending your notice. The guide to moving dates in Switzerland can help.

The periods around these dates are the busiest: removal companies are in great demand, and slots are booked early. If you have flexibility on the date, a move in the middle of the month or outside quarter ends is often easier to organise.

On the shore of Lake Geneva, winter is generally milder than at altitude, but rain can complicate carrying: plan protection for furniture and boxes. In summer, the heat makes upper floors tiring, especially without a lift: start early in the morning. In spring, the tulip festival can bring more people into town: if your date is close to it, tell the movers and find out about traffic.

Administrative steps for moving in Morges

Every move must be reported to the residents’ registration office (contrôle des habitants): departure in the previous commune, arrival in the new one, within the period set by the canton. In many communes, the notification can be made online via eMoving (eUmzugCH).

Here are the points not to forget:

• Lease notice: it must be given in writing (art. 266l CO). For the family home, termination by a married or registered-partnership tenant requires the express consent of the spouse or partner (art. 266m and 266n CO).
• Early departure: if you leave without respecting the notice period or the date, you can be released by presenting a solvent replacement tenant willing to take over the lease on the same terms (art. 264 CO). See the guide to terminating a lease in Switzerland.
• Rental deposit: it cannot exceed three months’ rent for a home (art. 257e CO) and it is paid into a blocked account in your name.
• Move-out inspection (état des lieux): allow time to clean and restore the home before handing back the keys.
• Change of address: bank, insurers, employer, subscriptions, health insurer.

If you are arriving from abroad, a residence permit procedure may be added to the registration with the residents’ registration office, and customs clearance applies to your personal belongings. If you are leaving for France, the same questions arise in the other direction: find out before the date.

Useful services for moving in Morges

Residential moving

Flat in the old town, villa or student studio: residential moving covers loading, transport and delivery. State the floor, whether there is a lift and the distance between the lorry and the door: these elements directly affect the quote.

Furniture lift

In old houses with narrow staircases, a furniture lift avoids taking large items through the stairwell. It needs space and, depending on the location, permission to occupy the public highway.

Packing and unpacking

To limit breakage and save time, packing and unpacking can be entrusted to professionals: crockery, pictures, clothes, bookcases. This is useful when carrying distances are long.

Furniture assembly and disassembly

A bed or wardrobe sometimes has to be taken apart to get through an old staircase. Furniture assembly and disassembly avoids damaging the pieces and the walls.

End-of-lease cleaning

To hand back your home properly, end-of-lease cleaning helps you prepare for the move-out inspection more calmly.

Storage

If your move-in and move-out dates do not coincide, storage lets you keep your belongings for a while between two homes.

Requesting a quote

1. You describe your move online: departure and arrival addresses, approximate volume, floors, lift, preferred date.
2. Professional removal companies in the area contact you, possibly for a visit on site, which is useful in the old town or where access is difficult.
3. You compare the free quotes and remain free to choose, or not to proceed.

The cost of a move 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 Morges

Moving to a nearby commune? See our pages on Saint-Prex, Echandens and Denges. For the whole canton, see moving in the canton of Vaud, or browse all communes.

Frequently asked questions