Moving out in Berlin: disassembly and handover
2026-08-08
Moving out has two furniture problems, and they pull in opposite directions: getting the flat back to a state the landlord signs off, and getting your furniture to the next place in a condition where it can be rebuilt.
Does flat-pack furniture survive being taken apart?
Partly — three joint types, three outcomes. Screwed joints survive well. Cam-lock fittings survive a few cycles. Glued wooden dowels do not — pulling a dowel joint apart tears the chipboard around it, and that hole never grips the same way again. Expect to replace dowels and some cam locks on any wardrobe that has moved once.
What should you photograph before disassembly?
The back panel and the hinge positions. Back panels are nailed on in an orientation that is not obvious once the panel is off, and hinge plates sit at heights that are easy to reassemble wrong. Two photos save an hour at the other end.
What about the holes in the wall?
Fill and smooth them. That is ordinary tenant work and expected at handover — filler costs a couple of euros and a wall with four filled anchor points behind where a wardrobe stood is a non-issue. What draws attention is a wall left perforated, or filler that has not been sanded flat.
What does the handover inspection actually cover?
The protocol (Übergabeprotokoll) records three things: the flat's condition, meter readings and keys. Furniture damage is not the landlord's concern; walls, floors and fittings are. Take your own photos of every room on the day, including the meters — that record is what settles a deposit dispute months later.
Is it worth paying for disassembly and reassembly?
For a wardrobe, usually yes. Reassembly after a move is harder than the first build: manuals are gone, fittings are in a box marked "misc", and dowel joints are worn. We rebuild without the original manual, bring spare fittings, and realign doors and drawers — a wardrobe from €99, a bed from €59.
Matching service
Furniture assembly after your move – Berlin