Moving to Rue: A Hilltop Medieval Town

Moving to Rue is not like moving to a housing estate: this small town in the Glâne district is a medieval town perched on a spur and overlooked by its castle. When you move to Rue, you need to think about narrow streets, slopes and old houses from the very start. Describe your project online and professional removal companies in the region will contact you with a free, no-obligation quote.

Rue, a hilltop town: what it means for your move

Rue is one of the smallest towns in Switzerland. Its old centre grew up on a spur around the castle, and it is this terrain that shapes the whole village: tight streets, changes of level and façades that line the roadway directly. For a move to Rue, this setting is an asset in daily life, but it calls for planning on moving day.

The housing stock reflects this history. In the old town you mostly find old houses, sometimes terraced, with narrow staircases, short landings, and doors and stairwells that were not designed for today’s furniture. A corner sofa, a one-piece wardrobe or a large mattress may need to be dismantled or taken in through a window. Around the old centre, more recent homes generally offer easier access, but the slope is still there.

This variety explains why two moves in Rue can go very differently. Volume matters, of course, but access matters just as much: this is what removal companies in the region assess from your description, and sometimes during an on-site visit.

Access, parking and floors in Rue: planning the carrying

In a hilltop town, the first question is not “how many boxes?” but “how close can the lorry get?”. On narrow, sloping streets, a large vehicle cannot always get through, or cannot stop without blocking traffic. Depending on the address, the movers will choose a smaller lorry, make several trips with a lighter vehicle, or park some distance away and carry everything on foot.

What this means in practice:

• Carrying distance: the further the lorry is from the door, the longer the loading takes. Mention it in your request, even if you are not sure exactly where the vehicle will be able to park.
• Slope: carrying a load uphill or downhill is slower and more tiring. Heavy or fragile items need extra care.
• Stairs and floors: in old houses the stairs are often narrow, sometimes winding, and there is not always a lift. State the number of floors and the width of the passages.
• Furniture lift: when the staircase is too tight, a furniture lift can hoist furniture up the façade, provided the vehicle can be positioned properly.
• Winter: in the region, ice or snow can make an already sloping access more difficult. Leave some leeway in your schedule if you are moving in the cold season.

Occupying the public road with a lorry, a furniture lift or a skip may require prior authorisation from the commune or the police. In a town this compact, the step is all the more useful because a stationary vehicle can block the whole street. Check with 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, and the one on moving in an old town gives pointers for historic centres.

When to move to Rue: lease dates, season and weather

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 period (art. 266c of the Swiss Code of Obligations, CO), unless the contract provides for longer. Customary dates vary by canton and commune, so check your lease and local custom before setting a date. Notice must be given in writing (art. 266l CO).

Around the usual lease dates, movers are in higher demand. If your date is flexible, aiming for a few days before or after the busiest period makes booking easier. In a town where access is restricted, the availability of a team used to narrow streets is valuable: ask for your quote early.

As for the season, summer offers long days and dry roads, but the heat makes carrying hard going. In winter, the canton of Fribourg has episodes of snow, especially towards the Prealps; on a spur, even a little ice changes the way vehicles have to manoeuvre. Spring and early autumn are often a good compromise. If you do not meet the notice period or the lease date, you can release yourself by proposing a solvent replacement tenant who is willing to take over the lease on the same terms (art. 264 CO). To go further, see the guide to terminating a lease in Switzerland.

Formalities for moving to Rue: commune, lease and address

Every move must be reported to the residents’ registration office (contrôle des habitants): a departure in the old commune, an arrival in the new one, within the period set by the canton. In many communes, you can report online through eMoving (eUmzugCH); check whether your commune offers it.

Other points not to forget:

• Terminating the lease: in writing. For the family home, termination by a married tenant or a tenant in a registered partnership requires the express consent of the spouse or partner (art. 266m and 266n CO).
• Rental deposit: it cannot exceed three months’ rent for a home (art. 257e CO) and it is paid into a blocked account in the tenant’s name. Remember to recover it or transfer it depending on your situation.
• Move-out inspection (état des lieux): when handing back your old home, allow time for finishing touches and cleaning, especially in an old house where there are many details.
• Change of address: bank, insurers, employer, subscriptions, doctor, school.

If you are arriving from abroad, customs and residence permit formalities come on top. If you are leaving for France, the customs and residence rules also change: ask the relevant authorities before the date.

Useful services for a move to Rue

Residential moving

For a flat or a house in the old town, residential moving remains the basic service. Describe the floors, the width of the stairs and the carrying distance: these details allow the movers to plan the right team and the right vehicle.

Furniture lift

When old staircases are too narrow for a large piece of furniture, a furniture lift avoids forcing the way through. Its use depends on the space available in front of the façade and on any authorisation to occupy the public road.

Packing and unpacking

In an old house, routes are long and passages sometimes tight. Packing and unpacking protects crockery, frames and fragile items while they are carried on foot or on a slope.

Furniture assembly and disassembly

A four-poster bed, a large bookcase or a solid wardrobe do not always get up a winding staircase. Furniture assembly and disassembly lets you take them through in pieces and put them back together on arrival.

Storage

If your new home is not ready or is smaller, storage lets you keep part of your belongings for as long as necessary, without cluttering a home with limited space.

End-of-lease cleaning

To hand back your home in good condition, end-of-lease cleaning saves you time on the day of the move-out inspection.

Requesting a quote

1. You describe your move online: addresses, approximate volume, floors, access, preferred date.
2. Professional removal companies in the region contact you, possibly for an on-site visit, which is useful in a town with narrow streets.
3. You compare the free quotes and remain free to choose, or not to proceed.

The cost depends on the volume, the distance, the floors and the access, any furniture lift, packing and the date. To get an estimate suited to your situation, simply request a quote.

Around Rue

If you are unsure about the area or are comparing several communes, see our pages on moving to Ursy, moving to Romont and moving to Moudon. For an overview, see the page on moving in the canton of Fribourg or all communes. Moving to Rue mainly takes forward planning: a few precise details about access are enough to receive realistic quotes.

Frequently asked questions