You have bought your new home in Spain or Portugal and it’s time for moving your furniture southbound. Which moving company should you choose then? What does it cost and how long does it take before things arrive? In this week’s blog post, we give some tips on moving companies that will take your home to the sunny south of Europe. Ready to move?[/caption] When you move, there’s always a lot to keep track of. If you additionally are moving abroad, the practicalities can feel overwhelming. Although, if you plan ahead of time, it usually goes quite smoothly. There are different ways to move your belongings and it’s quite common to transport your things by truck. Moving your things by airplane or ferry are also good options. Of course, it takes different lengths of time before things arrive, depending on which mode of transport and moving company you choose. When moving within the EU, no customs form is required. If you are from the UK, you might want to look up the regulations before moving, as they might change. You should also check what type of insurance coverage the moving company you choose has. Sometimes there is also a chance for a tax write off on the moving costs, although it depends on which country you are from and where you pay your taxes.
Before you move, you should think through what is really worth bringing, what can be sold, stored or given away. If you want to store your things in Spain, there are of course a lot of options. One storage company that we like is Islatrans which has storage in different places in the southern part of Spain. They offer tailor-made furniture storage according to the customer’s needs in controlled and modern premises with video surveillance around the clock. At Trasteros y Almacenes storage (Madrid and Málaga) you can get a 50% discount on the first 3 months of storage. Necesito un Trastero offers safe and secure storage in more than 60 locations around the country and is headquartered in Alicante. 
Image taken from QPL Transport[/caption]
As mentioned, it’s common to transport your things by truck as it’s flexible and usually cheaper than by airplane, for example. For our readers who are moving from the UK, we have a few suggestions for moving companies. A moving company that we found have a very elaborate website and support page is PSS International Removals that ships goods around to the entire world. They also ship your car if needed and can also help you with things like pet shipping, migration services and customs- and document information. 
It’s soon time to decorate your new home![/caption] Another promising moving company is Matthew James Removals that have headquarters in both the UK and Spain. They have been active transporters for quite some years and travel weekly to Spain. Another option for our UK fellows is VanOne that moves thousands of loads around 29 European countries every year. They claim that their customers have rated them as the most reliable and cheapest moving company in the UK. 
Did you pack everything?[/caption]
You probably have many different things in the home and some of them are more fragile than others. We asked QPL and Djuvfeldts transport companies from Sweden what to think about when packing and loading your move. QPL replied that one should “pack delicate things in padded moving boxes and use bubble wrap. Fabric furniture such as sofas and beds should be protected with plastic. We protect other furniture with felt during transport. We take care of pick-up and loading at home”. Djuvfeldts gives various tips on their website on how to best pack their furniture, sofas, beds, furniture, etc. The price also includes wrapping of the furniture in blankets and taping the furniture that have drawers or other loose parts. 
Decoration brings charm to your home[/caption]
How long does it take before the load arrives in Spain? It all depends on where you move from and to which destination. It also depends on the current demand and external factors. Anything can happen on the road that can delay the transition. Although, in most cases it normally takes around 2-3 weeks for your things to arrive. The mentioned moving companies deliver your things straight to your new address. Some moving companies have their own warehouses where they can keep your belongings for a while until you are ready to receive your goods. If you have other questions or want to hire one of the transport companies, you can contact PPS International Removals here, Matthew James Removals here and VanOne here. They do what they can to help you move to your new home in the sun as smoothly and safely as possible! Have you not bought your home in Spain or Portugal yet? Do you go around and thinking about it? Now it’s time to take action! Below are some great suggestions and inspiration:
