Removals to and from Spain

Moving house can be a traumatic experience when moving across town in your home country. Moving to Spain can be doubly traumatic as it requires a lot more planning and thought.

If you are not careful, the cost to move your furniture and possessions to Spain can cost a packet if you don’t take some time to shop around and prepare properly.

Moreover, if you have children or pets, you absolutely need to plan your move to Spain, with the precision of an army sergeant if necessary, to ensure that you arrive at your destination an un-stressed as possible. With good pre-planning and research, your new life in the sun will be the best move you have ever made.

Some tips for moving and packing

De-clutter and pack wisely

Moving house is an ideal opportunity to sort out your possessions and get rid of the stuff that you don’t really need; unwanted clothes; bric-a-brac, which you can donate to your local charity shop or perhaps friends and family. Removal companies that go to Spain (and anywhere else) tend to charge by Metre Square occupied in the van. That box of old books that you carry around is likely to cost you a good number of Euros to cart from one place to another and its difficult to further discount space in the lorry because there’s only so much available.

Many of the removal lorries are privately owned and they usually wait until the lorry is bursting before making a trip. If you don’t fancy paying for the extra space on the lorry there’s always somebody who will.

A vehicle with a carrying capacity of 1600 cubic feet (45 cubic meters) would move the contents a standard 2 bedroom house
A vehicle with a carrying capacity of 2400 cubic feet (68 cubic meters) would move the contents of a standard 4 bedroom house

If you do go for a privately owned removal firm, try to use somebody you know or has been recommended to you. Remember, when they drive off, that lorry contains your life.

Follow some simple rules when selecting a removals company

Check that they are fully registered and that all trips, contents and liabilities are insured
Check out reviews of the Removal company either through the web or even better personal recommendation
Check that the quotation includes any other liabilities including fuel, tolls, boat fares etc..

During the move – lorry en route

It is not unusual for the lorry’s contents (including your possessions) to be stored in a warehouse somewhere along the way, perhaps because the lorries have been delayed or diverted, or possibly the lorry is required to make another trip in between.

The day to day usage for some of these warehouses can be unknown. We have a very large mattress that we brought to Spain from the UK. It measures 6ft by 6ft, its orthopedic, very heavy and very comfortable. Somewhere en route to Menorca it was stored in one of these warehouses and didn’t arrive at our house until another 4 weeks and when it did arrive it was covered in thick black oil stains. It looked like it had been dragged around the floor of a petrol station forecourt. Eventually, we agreed with the removals company a 200 Euro discount and the mattress was cleaned as well as they could.

Cost effective solution for packing valuable goods

Get some old public schoolboy silver tea chests. They’re hard as hell, perfect for transporting electrical goods (with a bit of bubble wrap in between) and look great in the living room after the move. On the Kings Road in Chelsea, they can cost anything from £500 upwards – more for the designer ones. In Hackney, you can buy them for about £60 – 70 and they last for years (I’ve still got mine some 7 years later).

Tips for packing

Don’t write on the boxes what’s inside them. Just number them and then list what’s in the box on a sheet of paper. When you have completed the details for all of your boxes, give this to the removal company.

Note: It is also quite common for these lorries to get stopped in Spain by the Police or Customs who will look at the what’s on the lorry? documents (Info which you and others provide the removal company with, pre-move). In some cases, the Police will actually check that the contents on paper match the contents on the lorry.

Transporting cars to Spain

Sometimes delays can also be expected when transporting cars to Spain where drivers are frequently stopped on the motorways and asked to provide relevant documentation for the cars on the lorry. Ask the car transport company for a list of documents that the lorry must have en route.

Some more packing tips

Put hazardous material, such as paint, bleach and aerosols into a separate box and keep them away from the rest of your belongings.

Pack important documents together, such as birth and marriage certificates, and keep them in a safe place. It is a very good idea to keep these near you at all times – if you are flying, pack them in your suitcase, or if travelling by road, in your car.

Don´t forget the Kids!

Post Views: 446