Moving House: Should You Take Your EV Charger With You or Leave It Behind?

The boxes are piling up, the van is booked, and as you clear out the garage one question comes up: what about the EV charger that's been on the wall since you bought the car? Take it to your new home, leave it for the next occupant, fold it into the sale? Unlike a boiler or an electrical panel, a charger sits somewhere in between: it's a fixed piece of equipment, yet perfectly removable.

Good news: there's no wrong answer here, only different scenarios depending on whether you're a renter or an owner, and on the home you're leaving versus the one you're moving into. Here's how to think it through calmly.

A charger is removable equipment — by a professional

Technically, a wall-mounted charger is held to its bracket by a few anchor points and connected to the electrical panel by a dedicated circuit. Removing it means de-energising that circuit, disconnecting the charger, taking it down, then making the remaining line safe: capping, neutralising or fully removing the circuit depending on the case. Nothing irreversible, then.

But the fact that it's removable doesn't make the job trivial. A charger's circuit carries power levels from 3.7 to 22 kW: any work requires proper lock-out, and the residual circuit must be left in a condition that complies with the NF C 15-100 standard — not a live cable tucked behind a simple cover plate. It's also worth remembering that the regulations require an IRVE-qualified installer for any charger above 3.7 kW: this applies to the initial installation as much as to reinstallation in the new home.

Renters: three common scenarios

If you had a charger installed in your rental — with your landlord's agreement — the equipment is in principle yours, but the property must be handed back in the agreed condition. Three scenarios come up most often:

• Take the charger with you. You have the equipment removed by a professional and the circuit brought back into compliance. The charger follows you to your new home, where it will be reinstalled after a fresh technical survey.
• Offer it to the landlord. A rental fitted with a charger becomes more appealing to future tenants with an electric vehicle. A negotiated buy-back may therefore interest the landlord — a conversation to put in writing, just like the original agreement.
• Leave it in place by mutual agreement. If removal isn't worth it — new home already fitted, long-distance move — leaving the charger with the landlord's written agreement saves costs on both sides.

In every case, the key point is the same: what was agreed at the time of installation governs the exit. Hence the value of having put the original agreement with the landlord in writing, including what happens to the equipment at the end of the lease.

Owner-seller: take it with you or use it to add value to the sale?

The charger as a selling point

For a seller, the charger can become an asset. A home that's "EV-ready" stands out in listings: a buyer who already drives electric, or plans to switch, sees one less project, a dedicated circuit already run and a compliant installation already documented. In the suburban areas of Île-de-France, where home charging is the natural way to charge, this argument speaks directly to buyers' day-to-day lives. The added value is qualitative — convenience, differentiation, easier projection — and it shows above all in how smoothly viewings and negotiations go.

If you'd rather take it with you

That's entirely possible, on one common-sense condition: clarity. A wall-mounted charger is plainly visible during viewings; making its fate clear in your exchanges with the buyer and in the sale documents avoids any misunderstanding when the keys change hands. After removal, the circuit must be brought back into compliance by a professional, and the home delivered in the stated condition.

Removal and reinstallation: the steps of a code-compliant job

A proper remove-and-reinstall follows a precise sequence:

• Survey of the new home: panel location, distance to the parking space, available power, single- or three-phase supply.
• Removal: lock-out of the circuit, taking down the charger, making the line safe or removing it, restoring the bracket area.
• Reinstallation: creating a new dedicated circuit with a cable cross-section suited to the length of the run (as a guide, 3G6 mm² in single-phase, 5G6 mm² in three-phase), dedicated protection devices, mounting, connection.
• Testing and configuration: electrical checks, configuring the charger, handover to the user.
• Documentation: invoice, certificates, compliance file — reinstallation is a full installation in its own right within the meaning of the NF C 15-100 standard.

Note: if your new home was completed more than two years ago, the installation work may qualify for the reduced VAT rate of 5.5%, subject to conditions. Your installer factors this directly into the quote.

Adapting the charger to the new home: single- or three-phase?

The most common pitfall when moving with a charger: assuming the new home offers the same electrical supply as the old one. In fact, two configurations coexist: 230 V single-phase, which allows charging up to 7.4 kW, and 400 V three-phase, which unlocks power levels of 11 and 22 kW.

• Single-phase charger into a three-phase home: it still works, with the connection adapted during reinstallation; it's also a chance to assess whether a power upgrade is worthwhile.
• Three-phase charger into a single-phase home: charging will be limited to what single-phase allows, i.e. 7.4 kW at most — which, incidentally, covers the vast majority of everyday uses.
• Configurable chargers: several recent models on the market, such as the V2C Trydan or the Autel MaxiCharger, can be reconfigured between single- and three-phase, which makes the transition considerably easier.

The distance between the panel and the parking space also changes from one home to another, which can alter the required cable cross-section. That's why reinstallation always starts with a survey — and it's also the right moment to revisit your needs: a new home-to-work commute, a second vehicle, plans to change cars.

Have your remove-and-reinstall handled end to end

Moving with your charger means two technical jobs and a survey in between. Volticom handles the whole thing across France from Paris: free survey of the new home, removal by the book, reinstallation by a QUALIFELEC-qualified IRVE installer P1·P2·P3 and RGE, and a quote within 48 hours after a complete brief, across France. One call is enough to scope your project: 09 55 92 66 32.

Frequently asked questions

Can I remove my charger myself?

It's strongly discouraged, and outside the regulatory framework for reinstallation above 3.7 kW. A charger's circuit remains dangerous until it's properly locked out, and the line left in place must be made safe in line with the NF C 15-100 standard. Professional removal protects your safety, the condition of the home you hand back and the ability to reinstall the charger by the book.

What happens to the electrical circuit after removal?

Depending on the setup and what's agreed with the next occupant, the circuit is either fully removed or left on standby in a safe, compliant manner. This second option has an advantage: the future occupant can have a charger fitted with much less work, since the bulk of the job — the dedicated line — is already done.

Will my current charger be compatible with my new home?

In the vast majority of cases, yes: the Type 2 connector is the European standard for home charging, and the question comes down to the available supply. A 230 V single-phase home will limit charging to 7.4 kW; a 400 V three-phase home allows 11 or 22 kW if the charger supports it. The preliminary survey settles the question before any commitment.

Does leaving the charger in place really add value to my property at sale?

Qualitatively, yes: a fitted home spares the buyer a project, an administrative process and a delay, and sets it apart from comparable properties. The effect is particularly noticeable with buyers who have already gone electric. There is, however, no universal numerical rule: it's a point of differentiation, not a price scale.

How much does it cost to remove and reinstall a charger when moving?

The price depends on your old and your new home: the length of the new run, the type of supply, the condition of the line to be neutralised. Rather than throw out a rough figure, Volticom surveys both jobs and gives you a detailed quote — free and with no obligation — within 48 hours, across France, covering the removal, the reinstallation and bringing the circuit left in place into compliance.

How quickly can you reinstall my charger after the move?

The reinstallation itself generally takes around half a day, once the new home's survey is approved and the equipment is on site. We operate throughout France via our network of certified installers, and our after-sales service stays responsive if an adjustment is needed after commissioning. Request your quote within 48 hours, across France to lock in a date as soon as you're settled.

Can I get a grant for reinstalling my charger at the new home?

Reinstallation is a full installation in its own right: as such, it may qualify for the ADVENIR scheme (subject to its rules), depending on the rate in force and eligibility. As a QUALIFELEC IRVE and RGE qualified installer, Volticom checks your situation and puts the file together for you. The free quote within 48 hours, across France sets out the conditions that apply to your case.

Is the new installation under warranty after a remove-and-reinstall?

Yes: every Volticom reinstallation is covered by a decennial liability insurance policy with AXA, subject to the declared activities, limits and terms of the current insurance certificate and carried out by QUALIFELEC-qualified IRVE installers. So you walk away with a brand-new installation, compliant with the NF C 15-100 standard and protected by a 30 mA Type B residual-current circuit breaker, exactly like a first-time installation.

Who should pay for the removal: the tenant or the owner?

In principle, whoever owns the charger and decides to take it bears the cost of removal and of bringing the circuit back into compliance. If the owner wants to keep the equipment, a negotiated buy-back can rebalance the costs. To clarify the costs of each scenario, request a free quote within 48 hours, across France: you can then decide with full knowledge of the facts.

Should the removal be scheduled before or after the move?

Ideally, plan the removal just before handing over the keys to the old home, then the reinstallation once the new parking space is accessible: this avoids leaving an unsecured line behind you. We coordinate both appointments and the survey in between to keep the wait short. A call to 09 55 92 66 32 or a quote within 48 hours, across France is enough to fix the schedule.