What It’s Like to Move Houses in Italy

Before Friday, 16 March, I will have moved 23 times since I was 17 years old.

After March 16, I will have moved 24 times.

At this point, I consider myself a bit of an expert in this matter. I pack quickly, unpack quickly, throw away or donate anything even remotely useless to me, and generally get the job done. I have absolutely 0 pack-rat tendencies and can change cities / apartments / you name it in a flash.

So, in honor of this 24th trasloco, Cher and I thought it would be a good idea to share with all of you the process of moving in Italy. In order to keep it relevant to learning Italian, you’ll see I’ve sprinkled Italian words throughout. Don’t hesitate to look them up and add them to your vocab list. It’s a great way to expand your vocabulary.

STEP 1: CALL THE EXPERTS

First step to learning about moving in Italy is really me just getting this one thing off my chest…I just have to say it…Moving in Italy is a nightmare!

From the zone di traffico limitato (ZTL for short – in other words “cars can’t go here”) to the narrow staircases, lack of elevators, impossible parking situations and more, it really does become an incubo to organize.

This time, it will be slightly less ingrombrante as I’m moving from a ZTL to a non-ZTL (YAY), but I am moving from the quarto piano senza ascensore. *Cue horror music.*

So, what does one do in this situation? You call in the experts. I opted to imballare myself to save a little money, but I am hiring a traslocatore to do the heavy lifting.

I’m also downsizing, so a lot of my mobili I ended up selling online. If you’re in a similar boat, subito. It is great for buying / selling. Then be sure to controllare reviews on Google for movers before committing to one in particular. I had offers as low as 350 euro and as high as 1600 euro for the exact same job.

STEP 2: PACKING

Next, it’s time to get packing. My movers provided scatole and nastro (or Scotch as they sometimes say here) so if you’re stressed for time, ask about it.

Another great thing about movers is they figure out the logistics of permits, entering the ZTL and all that other good stuff.

Seriously, it’s worth the money if you have a lot to transport or don’t want to hassle with Italian bureaucracy.

STEP 3: MOVING

If you have less to move or are not in the ZTL, you can always noleggiare un furgone and deal with it yourself.

Or, if you don’t love the idea of battling le piccole strade italiane in a monster sized vehicle, consider calling for a Taxi Merci.

It’s basically what it sounds like, a taxi for merchandise / objects and an amazing service and not that expensive when all considered!

Then it’s time, get moving!

Have any of you had to move in Italy? How did it go?