Moving without
a lift
What each floor costs, and why a small lift is worse news than none at all.
The usual surcharge for no lift is EUR 30 to 60 per floor, applied at origin and destination. Other sources put it at EUR 10 to 15 per floor, so we publish it for what it is: a figure sources disagree on. Insist it appears in the written quote.
What each access obstacle costs
The costOn this coast a removal is priced by the last fifty metres, not by the distance driven. Volume sets the base rate; what turns EUR 400 into EUR 700 is whether the lorry can park at the door, whether there is a lift, and whether a furniture hoist is needed.
| Item | Surcharge | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Sin ascensor, por planta | 30 - 60 EUR | CONFLICT |
| Porteo largo o gestión de la reserva de calle | 40 - 100 EUR | SECONDARY |
| Plataforma elevadora, primera hora | 120 - 180 EUR | SECONDARY |
| Plataforma elevadora, día completo | 75 - 380 EUR | SECONDARY |
| Recargo de fin de semana | +15% a +25% | SECONDARY |
| Mudanza completa con elevador incluido | 500 - 1.000 EUR | SECONDARY |
Ranges published by operators in 2026, not survey data. A removals price with no volume in cubic metres and no date is not data.
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No lift, or a small lift
The counter-intuitive comparisonNo lift
Expensive but linear, and known in advance: this many floors, this much surcharge. It is solved with more people and more time, no machinery.
A small lift
This is the trap. The quote is calculated assuming there is a lift, and on the day the sofa does not fit. Then a hoist is needed: EUR 120 to 180 for the first hour, which nobody had counted.
Three measurements that save the surprise
Check firstWhat decides whether a sofa goes up is the internal diagonal of the car and the clear height. Many 1970s towers in Calp and Benidorm have original cars less than a metre deep.
What jams a wardrobe on a staircase is the landing and the turn, not the width of the flight. A straight staircase takes pieces a spiral will not take at any height.
If a hoist will be needed it requires street space to stabilise, and that is a street occupation that gets authorised. In the ordinances that spell it out, using a hoist triggers the permit requirement on its own.
Access questions
Frequently askedHow much do they charge to carry up to a fifth floor with no lift?
At the usual EUR 30 to 60 per floor, a fifth floor is roughly EUR 150 to 300 at that end alone. If the destination has no lift either, it applies again.
When is a furniture hoist needed?
When the item will not fit in the lift and will not turn on the stairs. In practice that means three-seater sofas, large mattresses, double wardrobes and American-style appliances. Calp is where it happens most often on this coast, because of its stock of older towers.
How much does a furniture hoist cost?
EUR 120 to 180 for the first hour and EUR 60 to 75 for each additional hour. For a full day the observed range is EUR 75 to 380 depending on height and machine. Offers exist from EUR 79 an hour.
Do I need a permit to put the hoist in the street?
Yes, it is street occupation. In Torrevieja auxiliary equipment must also sit 1.50 m back from any corner and be removed by 20:00 on Fridays. You need a permit at both addresses, not one. Origin and destination are two separate occupations of the public way, on two streets, often in two different municipalities, with two fees and two notice periods. Almost no competitor page says this.
Can they lift through the balcony without the community's permission?
The machine stands on the public way, which is what the town hall authorises, but the operation affects the facade, which is common property. Telling the managing agent avoids the argument, and in the gated communities of Orihuela Costa it is usually required.
What if I live in a pedestrianised old town?
Then the problem is not the height, it is that the lorry cannot reach you. The job is done by small-van shuttle, with a typical surcharge of EUR 120 to 250. In Altea that is the norm, not the exception.