These are the top five tips for a stress-free removal to or from Spain in 2023. The main tip is – use Indalo Transport, but we are biased!
The siestas. The tapas. The sangrias. The affordable housing, with six-figure villas going for easy five figures. Whatever it is that has made you want to have your place under the Spanish sun, now you are faced with having to move to another location. Whether you want to move from a newly independent UK, or you are already in the EU, the bottom line is you will soon be neck-deep in boxes, packing tapes, and bubble wrap. And then there is the usual stress involved in house removals, with an added twist caused by brexit. Read on to find out what are the top 5 tips for a stress-free removal to or from Spain
Here’s the thing about international house removals: They do not have to be stressful. In fact, and if you really want to get ambitious about it, they can be downright fun. Even all the new customs and residency rules shouldn’t affect your desire to move, as long as you choose a remover that can take care of everything for you (hint: Indalo Transport can take care of everything!)
To help you expertly deflect the stress away from your house removal, here are my top five muy bueno tips to achieve it.
1. Be prepared — be very prepared.
Assuming you have moved a few times in your life so far, then it is very likely you will know what to expect. Going with that, then, it should be easy to prepare for an upcoming move. Get a list of everything you need to get done leading up to the moving day. When you are organized, you will rarely miss anything, which means fewer frustrations, if not none at all. We have a useful Free Moving Checklist, updated for Brexit, here to help you too, with lots of help on what to do when.
2. Downsize, declutter, and pack fewer things.
Come on, you don’t really need to take everything with you, do you? When you do an inventory of all your stuff — what to sell, what to give away, what to keep, and what to trash — then you will save so much more energy and money in packing. If you sell some of your things, you can even earn money in the process. If you give away stuff to charity, then you help other people. This is what’s known as a win-win situation. It also means less to write down on the packing list for customs – if you are going to do your own packing.
3. Buy your packing materials early.
Don’t leave anything up to the last minute, like buying your packing materials the week before the removals company comes. Buying in advance prevents any late-night trips to the store because you ran out of packing tape. Indalo Transport offers Free boxes and packing materials with every removal between the EU and the UK or Ireland, but we also sell a full range of packing materials here, in Spain, including super strong triple wall boxes.
4. Choose your removals company well ahead of your moving date.
Ideally, you will want to pick from the removals companies that can help you three months in advance — at least. Some of the best companies may be booked far in advance. You shouldn’t have to settle for an available but low-quality removals company – we are dealing with your lifelong possessions here, aren’t we? You deserve the best, so to save stress, look early for that professional remover to help you.
Also, when you do your search for a removals company several months ahead of your move, you’ll have more time to assess the company. You need to check that they fully understand what is now involved with a move to the EU since the UK became an independent nation on January 1st 2021 after Brexit. The documentation needed, and the rules that have to be adhered to mean that you need a specialist – your local removal company will not have the expertise to help you. A mistake here could mean that you end up paying hundreds or even thousands in import fees.
5. Mark all your boxes and separate!
Finally, make sure all your boxes are properly marked as to where they should be placed (e.g., kitchen, bedroom, living room, etc.), along with the contents. This will avoid any confusion and frustration during the move. This is even more important with the new customs rules – a handy tip is that your remover will now need a packing list of what is inside all your boxes. So best to record that as you pack each box. You should also be certain that your important documents, like passports and property contracts, and other items like tablets and mobile phones, are with you and not packed in with the boxes. For professional tips on how to pack the best way, read our blogpost here.
So there you go, the top five tips for a stress-free removal to or from Spain in 2023. Hope they helped you with your next removal.
Good luck with your move, and if you’d like a quote from the experts at Indalo Transport, contact us today
If you’ve enjoyed this article, you may enjoy
Your Essential – Free – Moving Checklist
Why EU removals will be tougher in 2022
Brexit horror stories and the future of removals to or from Spain
How to avoid these 7 packing mistakes, for the best removal
10 Top Tips for buying a Property in Spain
Moving to Spain … an Expat Guide,
Full List of Other Moving To … Expat Guides
How to use a roundabout in Spain