# Has anyone moved furniture/belongings from the US to Spain?



## kimuyen (Aug 8, 2013)

I have searched the forum regarding removal and removal companies to Spain but almost all information was for removals from the UK or other European countries (you lucky people!)

I wonder if any of you moving from the US took furniture/belongings with you? Since driving a van ourselves from the States would not be an option, I have no doubt that it will be very expensive. But replacing the stuff in Spain is not cheap either. Though Ikea is not our style, I went on its website just to see what the cost would be.

Ikea:

Bedroom: bed frame and mattresses would cost about $500 per set so for 2 rooms, it is easily $1000 euros, plus linen, lighting, decors, etc.
Living room: Easily 1000 euros for just the sofa/sectional seating, plus coffee table, lighting, etc.
Storage units/book cases: a few hundred euros each for a large set
Plus Kitchen, bath, etc.

Al in all, it could be 4000-5000 euros or more to furnish a two bed room. So if the removal cost is around that range, then maybe moving the stuff is not a bad option. But having no idea what the removal cost is, I am afraid that it could be a lot more.

So my questions are:
1. If you moved your furniture and belongings with you from the US, what was the cost (for what size) and how long did it take?
2. Is there a good company that you can IM me?
3. How did you navigate the customs so you did not end paying taxes on your furniture/belongings?
3. Advice for or against taking our stuff with us?

Thank you in advance!

P.S.: We intend to rent first but need to know what to do with our stuff to plan accordingly. We don't want to pay for storage to then learn that we don't need it.


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## neddie (Jun 11, 2012)

...you should do a Google search for 'freight forwarders'. Very often you can get an idea of shipping costs by filling in a questionnaire.....later you can get an agent to come to your home and give a more accurate quote.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

or take a look at the links on the rhs of the page - there's one for Moving Quotes to Spain


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## Guest (Oct 7, 2013)

Thank you for that link.:clap2:

Now that I have residency the clock is ticking & I have until May to import my household belongings from California to Asturias so as to not pay import taxes.


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## 213979 (Apr 11, 2013)

mysticsmick said:


> Thank you for that link.:clap2:
> 
> Now that I have residency the clock is ticking & I have until May to import my household belongings from California to Asturias so as to not pay import taxes.



I wish I had known about that. How long is it from when you get residency? 



Regarding furnishing a home, depending on where you are you can definitely get better quality and cheaper goods from a proper furniture store. My husband and I have avoided Ikea like the plague. 

Remember not to bring electric appliances/lighting because of the voltage and plug issues.


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## angil (Sep 24, 2012)

We shipped from South Korea to Spain, it should have taken 3 months it took 5! Ended up going via the UK! Sea shipments usually take 2 to 3 months. It cost us around $3500 and that was doing it on the cheap! (hence the 5months I am guessing!). & we didn't ship large pieces of furniture etc. I think in total we shipped around 5 cbm.
Customs was dealt with by the agent / shipping company. Other than needing to pay an extra £35 to have our shipment xrayed , I had nothing else to sort out. We paid the Korean shipping company for a door to door service and that's what we got, eventually! Everything arrived in good shape. 
Having lived without IKEA for 15 years I love the place (or at least the novelty)! I know its not everyone's cup of tea but it is definitely cheapish & cheerful. As we are probably not in Spain for keeps having almost disposable furniture is convenient! 
There must be loads of International shipping companies in the States that ship overseas incl Spain. I have a lot of American friends who move around the World sea shipping their belongings with them.
Like I said ours is probably a temporary stay & we tend to travel light for that reason. We rented a furnished apartment here in Spain & then asked the landlord to remove the items we didn't like and we replaced them with brand new items from Ikea. 
If your are coming to live in Spain 'forever' and you have a house full of furniture etc you would rather not live without then shipping would be the way to go? I can't imagine it being anymore expensive than furnishing an empty apt. with new items bought here in Spain. Just bare in mind how long a sea shipment takes. Either that or pay for storage in the US and rent a fully furnished apt here until you get sorted & ship later.


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## kimuyen (Aug 8, 2013)

Thank you all who have replied.

I have heard that it takes months for things shipped by sea to arrive. $3500 euros from South Korea to Spain is not bad at all. We do have time so it is nice to know that we can get a cheaper option if we are willing to wait. We won't need our stuff right away as we will take 2 months somewhere else in Europe (Italy probably) so when we leave the US around May we won't become tax residents in Spain (Husband is itchy to get out). And then we will rent for a while first. What we need to decide is whether it is worth it to store our furniture and belongings until we need so ship them. I don't mind Ikea for cleaning stuff but its furniture is so college-ish (is it a word?)

Yes, no electronic stuff and appliances except for our laptops with converter. I can't imagine that people actually lug their washer and dryer with them but I am sure that has happened.

Mysticsmick, is it 12 months since one is granted residency that he/she can ship belongings without paying imported taxes? Is there also a limit in terms of amount (say your stuff should not be worth more than x euros)?


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## Guest (Oct 7, 2013)

elenetxu said:


> I wish I had known about that. How long is it from when you get residency?


I was told one year from the time residency is issued. Then, after a couple of months when I did get my residency card I noted on the card that residency began the day I entered all the needed paperwork. So, I am using that date rather than the date I physically received the residency card. I'm just trying to be cautious so as not to incur import duties.


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## angil (Sep 24, 2012)

Ironically we did ship our Korean electrical items to Spain, they use the same type of electrical sockets. No one does floor steam cleaners better! Believe me after 15 years in rented, fully furnished apartments in Korea Ikea is a breath of fresh air! College-ish? I like it! Makes me feel young! lol


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

We shipped the m-i-l' s stuff from FL to Spain. It was about a full truck load 25'x7'6"x10' much of it boxed (they packed) and a large number of paintings (largest 72"x54") a couple of large pieces of furniture (armario converted to a china cabinet 84"x27"x48" and an arcon 60"x24"x34") about 140 item all told. Including their packing and storing it for 10 months while we were getting moved ourselves (completing house purchase, remodelling, etc.) for US$ 3500.

We used Bekins.

We had some furniture of our own that we brought from UK but got new beds from Ikea and they are excellent.


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## kimuyen (Aug 8, 2013)

baldilocks said:


> We shipped the m-i-l' s stuff from FL to Spain. It was about a full truck load 25'x7'6"x10' much of it boxed (they packed) and a large number of paintings (largest 72"x54") a couple of large pieces of furniture (armario converted to a china cabinet 84"x27"x48" and an arcon 60"x24"x34") about 140 item all told. Including their packing and storing it for 10 months while we were getting moved ourselves (completing house purchase, remodelling, etc.) for US$ 3500.
> 
> We used Bekins.
> 
> We had some furniture of our own that we brought from UK but got new beds from Ikea and they are excellent.


Baldilocks, your information is most helpful. Thank you!

I saw that the service included packing. Did it also include loading and then unloading once delivered? 

Did you have to receive your shipment at the port and manage it locally; or was it door-to-door?


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

kimuyen said:


> Baldilocks, your information is most helpful. Thank you!
> 
> I saw that the service included packing. Did it also include loading and then unloading once delivered?
> 
> Did you have to receive your shipment at the port and manage it locally; or was it door-to-door?


Door-to-door and we are over 300 km from Cádiz, the port of unloading and it was unloaded from the container it had been loaded into. We were left to unpack it all at our leisure and they didn't want the packing materials (large cardboard boxes, wooden crates on paintings and glass). Got some very useful materials out of the crates (!) and we were able to supply others who were moving away with boxes for packing plus all those pieces of wrapping paper (we've still got two boxes (each 42"x24"x24") full of the stuff. Breakages - nil.


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## kimuyen (Aug 8, 2013)

baldilocks said:


> Door-to-door and we are over 300 km from Cádiz, the port of unloading and it was unloaded from the container it had been loaded into. We were left to unpack it all at our leisure and they didn't want the packing materials (large cardboard boxes, wooden crates on paintings and glass). Got some very useful materials out of the crates (!) and we were able to supply others who were moving away with boxes for packing plus all those pieces of wrapping paper (we've still got two boxes (each 42"x24"x24") full of the stuff. Breakages - nil.


Thanks for getting back to me. Was this move recent? I got two quotes so far and they are much more expensive and for less capacity than what you were able to get. I am waiting for a quote from Bekins, the same company that you used. 

For those in the US who are interested, I used the link on this forum to request quotes for removal from Maryland to Barcelona. Got two quotes so far (another company contacted me but wanted to do an onsite survey):

1. All State Van Lines: door-to--door, container 20x8x8 for almost $6,000 (roughly $6/cf)

2. Prisma Cargo Solutions: door-to-door, 200 cf, $2,500 (more than $12/cf). They did not contact me for the items on the list. They just based this on the "two bedroom house" information I provided on the form. The cost per cf will go down some if they add more capacity as certain overhead cost is already accounted for.

I think it makes financial sense for us to ship our stuff over as even with the highest quote we got so far at $6,000, it is still cheaper than replacing the equivalent of our stuff.

Of course cost is only one factor (yep, I do care about reputation and service). More research on my end as whom to use.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

kimuyen said:


> Thanks for getting back to me. Was this move recent? I got two quotes so far and they are much more expensive and for less capacity than what you were able to get. I am waiting for a quote from Bekins, the same company that you used.
> 
> For those in the US who are interested, I used the link on this forum to request quotes for removal from Maryland to Barcelona. Got two quotes so far (another company contacted me but wanted to do an onsite survey):
> 
> ...


Bekins sent their guy round and he costed based on what was to go, to where and the fact that it would first go into storage. The stuff was packed, loaded and put into storage in November 2007, then delivered in the 3rd week of November 2008 to our house in Spain. Excellent service but ours was with the South Florida Branch, if you are up north you will get a different branch but I would expect the Company attitude and culture to be similar.


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## Brangus (May 1, 2010)

When we moved our things from the US to the EU years ago, we brought a loveseat that, as it turned out, didn't fit through the door of our rented house.

If you bring American mattresses, you might have a hard time finding bedding for them in the future. 

As others have said, don't ship electrical goods. And don't bring a car, because if it doesn't pass inspection you would probably have to send it back.


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## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

Ive got to be honest, even coming from the UK we only bought a full Luton Van. One thing is that "normal" british furniture doesnt look right in a Spanish villa setting.

So we bought only what was important to us because we were able to buy whatever we wanted here.

I dont know what kind of furniture you are bringing, but just bear in mind that imho it has to be the right kind of stuff to look right in a Spanish villa. I had neighbours who had lovely big dark Dutch stlye furniture, and as lovely as it was, it just didnt fit in with the surroundings

Beds are easily purchased, although electrical items can be a little more pricy thatn the UK, dont know about US prices 

As someone who spent their life in the shipping industry I could give you a lot of advice, but regrettably my experience is related to US/UK freight so I cant recommend any carriers. All I would say for sure is make sure that you take out full marine insurance with an independent company. Whatever you ship, its a long journey and much can happen. Even though they are allegedly inspected regularly, even a small hole in a container can spell disaster.

So my advice would be bring what is dear to you, but leave the rest.


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## kimuyen (Aug 8, 2013)

Brangus said:


> When we moved our things from the US to the EU years ago, we brought a loveseat that, as it turned out, didn't fit through the door of our rented house.
> 
> If you bring American mattresses, you might have a hard time finding bedding for them in the future.
> 
> As others have said, don't ship electrical goods. And don't bring a car, because if it doesn't pass inspection you would probably have to send it back.


It seems everything in the US is super sized. Many streets in Europe are quite small and cannot accommodate a truck. So while we walked the potential neighborhoods, I made mental notes whether a trucks could come in. Otherwise, we will go broke just to have things manually hauled in from the main road. Bed frame, mattresses and linen have to come together as a unit or not at all as European size does not fit American frame (and vice versa). Good thing is a good mattress can last 10 years or so if we do bring them (with the frame).

Most of our things can be taken apart except the sofas. So thanks for the reminder about that.


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## kimuyen (Aug 8, 2013)

Stravinsky said:


> One thing is that "normal" british furniture doesnt look right in a Spanish villa setting.
> ...
> So my advice would be bring what is dear to you, but leave the rest.


Well, I did not think about "style" and how things fit so that was a good point. Our furniture is made of real wood and I am dreaded to think about replacing the real things with carboard like materials or paying an arm and a leg for the real things. Hopefully our neutral furniture will fit in. 

Regarding "bring what is dear to you"; yes, I am taking the husband and child and will be fine leaving the rest


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

kimuyen said:


> Well, I did not think about "style" and how things fit so that was a good point. Our furniture is made of real wood and I am dreaded to think about replacing the real things with carboard like materials or paying an arm and a leg for the real things. Hopefully our neutral furniture will fit in.
> 
> Regarding "bring what is dear to you"; yes, I am taking the husband and child and will be fine leaving the rest


You should be aware on the subject of real wood furniture - there are woodworm (furniture beetles) and termites in Spain plus some wood boring beetles (SWMBO calls the cucarones) that are about the size of a hot country cockroach (body about 1½ -2" long and width about ½-¾" with wings folded, plus length of legs antennae etc) - yes, they fly and can hurt if they hit you in the face while going full pelt. Most stuff that is basically some form of particle board (chipboard or MDF) with a melamine facing doesn't seem to meet their taste specification, so it does have some advantages.

Ants can be a problem, so if you can sneak in some "Terra" (you aren't supposed to) it is similar to but much better (IMO) than the ECO Gel that you get here.

Personally, beds I wouldn't bother with. Apart from the size differences (are you going to ship new mattresses in a few years' time) because, unless you have them thoroughly fumigated, the menagerie of bugs and beasties (sorry but they are there!) will multiply rapidly in the warmer climate with consequent hazards to your well-being.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

kimuyen said:


> It seems everything in the US is super sized. Many streets in Europe are quite small and cannot accommodate a truck. So while we walked the potential neighborhoods, I made mental notes whether a trucks could come in. Otherwise, we will go broke just to have things manually hauled in from the main road. Bed frame, mattresses and linen have to come together as a unit or not at all as European size does not fit American frame (and vice versa). Good thing is a good mattress can last 10 years or so if we do bring them (with the frame).
> 
> Most of our things can be taken apart except the sofas. So thanks for the reminder about that.


One way, they get over the problem of vehicle sizes if they have to deliver stuff like furniture that is in a big container is they bring it as close as is practicable and then trans-ship it to a smaller vehicle hired locally (at an extra cost to you) to get it closer to the house. If it is only a couple of larger items they may put it on a trolley and wheel it to the house.


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## basbelle (Sep 28, 2013)

In our situation we are not only moving a considerable amount of possessions from where we are now in the US (Ohio) but also from The Netherlands where my fiancé is from. We are quite aware of there being that time where we will be without, it happened to us just moving from Florida to here, however with two young children creature comforts such as having our stuff sooner rather than later are a little more meaningful than they would be moving just us. 
I also understand the desire to move furniture of some sort from the 'States since I would like to move my two children's beds since they originally belonged to me (as a bunk bed) when I was a child and moving there I won't have practically anything from my childhood. Most of the other things we're moving are also related to the little ones; no one wants their kids to have to give up all their toys along with leaving behind much of their friends and family... 
Thank you for posting this question, the answers were very informative for someone like me in a similar situation  Good luck with everything!


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## kimuyen (Aug 8, 2013)

basbelle said:


> In our situation we are not only moving a considerable amount of possessions from where we are now in the US (Ohio) but also from The Netherlands where my fiancé is from. We are quite aware of there being that time where we will be without, it happened to us just moving from Florida to here, however with two young children creature comforts such as having our stuff sooner rather than later are a little more meaningful than they would be moving just us.
> I also understand the desire to move furniture of some sort from the 'States since I would like to move my two children's beds since they originally belonged to me (as a bunk bed) when I was a child and moving there I won't have practically anything from my childhood. Most of the other things we're moving are also related to the little ones; no one wants their kids to have to give up all their toys along with leaving behind much of their friends and family...
> Thank you for posting this question, the answers were very informative for someone like me in a similar situation  Good luck with everything!


Good luck to you as well! This forum has been very helpful in providing practical advice and I much appreciate people taking the time to do that. Like most kids, our son hangs on to a certain thing and then the next day, cares less for it. We don't want to choose items to move based on his preference too much as it may not be what he wants a few months from now. It may be best to narrow down to 2-3 of their favorite things so you don't go crazy.


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## Guest (Oct 15, 2013)

*A confirmation*



elenetxu said:


> I wish I had known about that. How long is it from when you get residency?


So, I did fill out the form and have been in contact with several shippers. One in particular has been most helpful and took the time to ask her spanish counterpart to answer a few of my questions. Here is his response:

Non European citizens: 

NIE residence card form, application, or official statements that residency in Spain has been applied for.

Bank guarantee for customs for 35% of the cargo value (taxes guarantee in case the new residency has not yet been accepted).

If the NIE residence card is already obtained and it is not already in force for more than one year (then no bank guarantee needed.)

Signed application for the taxes exemption. (we would provide the form).

Certificate of registration in the new city.

Passport.

Detailed Packing List with estimated cargo value per group of items (Furniture – clothes – etc).

CARS: Needed full car documentation + buying commercial invoice showing the date in which the car was bought. In order to save taxes, as per above, it would be needed that the vehicle has not change the ownership, for the 6 moths previous to this moving.


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## kimuyen (Aug 8, 2013)

mysticsmick said:


> So, I did fill out the form and have been in contact with several shippers. One in particular has been most helpful and took the time to ask her spanish counterpart to answer a few of my questions.


Thanks for sharing the list. Would love to hear more about your experience as you move along as whom you pick, size and rate, as well as how the service went.

For anyone who is interested in the full customs list, go to one of the shippers' website: RSS, LLC.

I have received a few quotes and some shippers put together very helpful documents. I am not sure though if I am allowed to share their documents widely (don't want to infringe any copy rights here)? 

I was quoted by RSS for a 20 ft container for self-loading and self-unloading from Maryland to Barcelona. Adding packing/wrapping and loading, it would be another $2,000. And unloading in Spain is another extra. 

Another quote by Allstatevanlines is for about $6,000 (inluding loading and unloading, I think).

I still have a couple other shippers that I need to follow up but have not got the time to.


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## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

kimuyen said:


> Thanks for sharing the list. Would love to hear more about your experience as you move along as whom you pick, size and rate, as well as how the service went.
> 
> For anyone who is interested in the full customs list, go to one of the shippers' website: RSS, LLC.
> 
> ...


Bear in mind that with container transport you are often only allowed 3 hours to load and three hours to offload, and after that they can charge demurrage per hour.


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## kimuyen (Aug 8, 2013)

Stravinsky said:


> Bear in mind that with container transport you are often only allowed 3 hours to load and three hours to offload, and after that they can charge demurrage per hour.


I saw the 3 hrs window for loading/unloading mentioned somewhere but going back to my quotes I did not see them specifically spelled out so I will add this to the list to make sure we negotiate/agree with this upfront.

I recall you mentioned that you have professional experience in freight shipping. Is there anything else we must know beside those below (in no particular order)?

1. Take out maritime insurance with an independent company. I think we should also check to make sure that the shipper carries sufficient insurance. But what is the industry standard for "sufficient" insurance carried by the shipper? 
2. Make sure the shipper has proper and active licenses. Most should be willing to provide their license numbers so we can check them out, I think. 
3. Make sure we understand if there is a weight restriction with the container size we chose.
4. Make sure we agree upfront and have it in writing what packing/wraping and loading/unloading would include and for how long.
5. Make sure shipper is aware of the road/stairs/steps and whethere there are additional charges.
6. I am sure there are more "must knows"...

Many thanks!


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## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

kimuyen said:


> I saw the 3 hrs window for loading/unloading mentioned somewhere but going back to my quotes I did not see them specifically spelled out so I will add this to the list to make sure we negotiate/agree with this upfront.
> 
> I recall you mentioned that you have professional experience in freight shipping. Is there anything else we must know beside those below (in no particular order)?
> 
> ...




Good luck


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## kimuyen (Aug 8, 2013)

Stravinsky said:


> Good luck


*Much appreciated, Strav!!!*


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## wen1095 (Sep 2, 2013)

kimuyen said:


> I have searched the forum regarding removal and removal companies to Spain but almost all information was for removals from the UK or other European countries (you lucky people!)
> 
> I wonder if any of you moving from the US took furniture/belongings with you? Since driving a van ourselves from the States would not be an option, I have no doubt that it will be very expensive. But replacing the stuff in Spain is not cheap either. Though Ikea is not our style, I went on its website just to see what the cost would be.
> 
> ...


We just moved from Ohio to Bilbao, we shipped our furniture using International Movers. The difference is you have to decide 20 ft container, quotes from $8K to $12K, or 40 ft. container, quotes from $12K to $20K! 

The process was smooth until the end, when we got a notice about what paperwork we needed. We put it under my husbands name, who is Spanish citizen, but only when it arrived they told us they needed notice from the Spanish consulate in Chicago saying that he was "baja", meaning not working anymore, over there. If we didn't have the right paperwork, we were told to get our things we would have to pay 3,500 Euros in taxes! We finally got it, but it was a nightmare, may sure you know what paperwork you need.


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## kimuyen (Aug 8, 2013)

wen1095 said:


> The process was smooth until the end, when we got a notice about what paperwork we needed. We put it under my husbands name, who is Spanish citizen, but only when it arrived they told us they needed notice from the Spanish consulate in *Chicago* saying that he was "baja", meaning not working anymore, over there.


You mentioned that you moved from Ohio. Why did they ask for a notice from Chicago? Is it because there is no Spanish consulate in Ohio where you lived?

And why does employment status matter? Does it mean those who work (have income) have to pay and those who don't, do not pay?

Thanks for sharing your experience.


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## basbelle (Sep 28, 2013)

kimuyen said:


> You mentioned that you moved from Ohio. Why did they ask for a notice from Chicago? Is it because there is no Spanish consulate in Ohio where you lived?
> 
> And why does employment status matter? Does it mean those who work (have income) have to pay and those who don't, do not pay?
> 
> Thanks for sharing your experience.


To revive this post and answer your question about the consulate the closest Spanish consulate to Ohio (where we are located now) is in Chicago, six hours away. While we lived in Florida and had to deal with the consulate on a matter (that unfortunately never panned out) we were lucky enough to deal with the one right there in Miami but no such luck here. Also if we had to continue our matter here from Ohio all information would've had to be transfered to and taken up with that consulate as well.
My fiance and I are meeting with our movers for an estimate on moving our few must move belongings (mostly toys, two bed frames, boxes of stuff like paperwork and pictures and seasonal clothing we won't have with us in our luggage) on Thursday so I will be happy to share what we learn and our estimates. We took the advice from this post and contacted Bekins. 
Hopefully we will be able to also touch upon the warning about extra tax and see if they know what can be done about that ahead of time. Thank you for all the info!


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

basbelle said:


> To revive this post and answer your question about the consulate the closest Spanish consulate to Ohio (where we are located now) is in Chicago, six hours away. While we lived in Florida and had to deal with the consulate on a matter (that unfortunately never panned out) we were lucky enough to deal with the one right there in Miami but no such luck here. Also if we had to continue our matter here from Ohio all information would've had to be transfered to and taken up with that consulate as well.
> My fiance and I are meeting with our movers for an estimate on moving our few must move belongings (mostly toys, two bed frames, boxes of stuff like paperwork and pictures and seasonal clothing we won't have with us in our luggage) on Thursday so I will be happy to share what we learn and our estimates. We took the advice from this post and contacted Bekins.
> Hopefully we will be able to also touch upon the warning about extra tax and see if they know what can be done about that ahead of time. Thank you for all the info!


Bed frames? you DO realise that bed sizes in Europe are different from the US and mattresses here probably will not fit. Before you think to bring your US mattresses, unless you have had the professionally dis-infested (not always successful) you will probably be shipping a load of livestock - this is not to say that you are dirty, but it is a fact of life that we exfoliate skin cells especially when lying, tossing, turning in bed and their is an army of tiny creatures that feed on them.

It is frequently more economical to just buy new beds and mattresses here.


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## basbelle (Sep 28, 2013)

baldilocks said:


> Bed frames? you DO realise that bed sizes in Europe are different from the US and mattresses here probably will not fit. Before you think to bring your US mattresses, unless you have had the professionally dis-infested (not always successful) you will probably be shipping a load of livestock - this is not to say that you are dirty, but it is a fact of life that we exfoliate skin cells especially when lying, tossing, turning in bed and their is an army of tiny creatures that feed on them.
> 
> It is frequently more economical to just buy new beds and mattresses here.


Haha! Yes, we wouldn't dream of bringing our mattresses and these bedframes have wiggle room for different sized mattresses because my fiance being Dutch realized that right away. The ONLY reason we're bringing them (because we do recognize the lack of practicality) is for nostalgia sake. I'm moving over, leaving everything behind. My fiance is moving some of his things over from Holland privately so he will have things from his childhood. The only thing I will have are these beds to hand down to my two kids. They're not much but my father put them together himself and I've had them since I was seven years old. It might be kind of silly but I'd like to have them. Thank you so much for your concern. That does bring up another question though: what about pillows? Is it worth it to bring those? I just feel it's so much more expensive, so less convenient there for things like that...I swear I will miss my Target stores more than anything else here haha...


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

basbelle said:


> Haha! Yes, we wouldn't dream of bringing our mattresses and these bedframes have wiggle room for different sized mattresses because my fiance being Dutch realized that right away. The ONLY reason we're bringing them (because we do recognize the lack of practicality) is for nostalgia sake. I'm moving over, leaving everything behind. My fiance is moving some of his things over from Holland privately so he will have things from his childhood. The only thing I will have are these beds to hand down to my two kids. They're not much but my father put them together himself and I've had them since I was seven years old. It might be kind of silly but I'd like to have them. Thank you so much for your concern. That does bring up another question though: what about pillows? Is it worth it to bring those? I just feel it's so much more expensive, so less convenient there for things like that...I swear I will miss my Target stores more than anything else here haha...


I miss Target, too and Beales Outlets, but there are so many more things to enjoy here. 

Pillows I always get from Ikea and they have a range of thicknesses and firmness in non-allergenic polyester (all washable). We did bring a few pieces of furniture that were really quite old that had been in my in-laws family for years, lots of paintings (f-i-l was an artist as well as an architect) plus an Old Master (French 18th c.), good china (in-laws) although we have three full sets of our own china, etc.


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## basbelle (Sep 28, 2013)

baldilocks said:


> I miss Target, too and Beales Outlets, but there are so many more things to enjoy here.


There ARE so many much nicer things to look forward to, like the beach and pool nearby, exploring all Spain has to offer and the neighboring countries as well when Papa is home from work


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## 213979 (Apr 11, 2013)

basbelle said:


> Haha! Yes, we wouldn't dream of bringing our mattresses and these bedframes have wiggle room for different sized mattresses because my fiance being Dutch realized that right away. The ONLY reason we're bringing them (because we do recognize the lack of practicality) is for nostalgia sake. I'm moving over, leaving everything behind. My fiance is moving some of his things over from Holland privately so he will have things from his childhood. The only thing I will have are these beds to hand down to my two kids. They're not much but my father put them together himself and I've had them since I was seven years old. It might be kind of silly but I'd like to have them. Thank you so much for your concern. That does bring up another question though: what about pillows? Is it worth it to bring those? I just feel it's so much more expensive, so less convenient there for things like that...I swear I will miss my Target stores more than anything else here haha...


It'll be just fine! 

Pillows here are slightly different in size. For example, I have a queen size (150cm) bed. OH and I got two separate pillows (one very long pillow is normal) so we wouldn't start a war. I brought over sheets from the US and they barely fit my two 75cm pillows! They cover them, but they look awkward. 

As for things being less convenient, you will find "substitutes" soon enough! I remember being warned to bring things like contact solution, bar deodorant, and other silliness. I have since found all the products mentioned. 

Another question about the beds: will you have space to store them? I live in a "biggish" house and it's only 1184 sq ft.


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## basbelle (Sep 28, 2013)

elenetxu said:


> It'll be just fine!
> 
> Pillows here are slightly different in size. For example, I have a queen size (150cm) bed. OH and I got two separate pillows (one very long pillow is normal) so we wouldn't start a war. I brought over sheets from the US and they barely fit my two 75cm pillows! They cover them, but they look awkward.
> 
> ...


We had an gentleman from a Bekin's affiliate near us come over today to start an estimate of what we're taking and we had to break it down with what we're taking and not. All of our countless standard pillows didn't make the list although the three body pillows (one for us, one for each of the two children) did. I figured the pillows would be screwy but I'm sure we're going to hit up IKEA quite thoroughly once we settle in  
The house we're looking at now is furnished so we may need to look into storage for the bed frames as well as quite a bit of our other stuff but we only plan to be there temporarily.


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## 213979 (Apr 11, 2013)

To be honest, the standard 130/150 pillow size here could be considered body pillow size if you are looking to save some space. However, if you're only here for a short time then, well, you might not want to spend money buying the stuff. 

I guess it all comes down to how much you want to spend on moving. 
I've been here five years and have been moving "in slow-motion", bringing suitcases full of things every time I cross the Atlantic. 50€ in excess baggage is a heckuva lot cheaper!


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## basbelle (Sep 28, 2013)

elenetxu said:


> To be honest, the standard 130/150 pillow size here could be considered body pillow size if you are looking to save some space. However, if you're only here for a short time then, well, you might not want to spend money buying the stuff.
> 
> I guess it all comes down to how much you want to spend on moving.
> I've been here five years and have been moving "in slow-motion", bringing suitcases full of things every time I cross the Atlantic. 50€ in excess baggage is a heckuva lot cheaper!


We're actually looking to move permanently. We've traveled all over, both of us having worked on cruise ships, and Spain struck us both as the place we wanted to try to settle for dozens of reasons. I only say "try" because I want to be realistic, we love everything we know about the area but the one thing we DON'T know is what it's like to live there LOL...we never know how things will go once we're there, all we can know is that we'll TRY. 
But I have a very positive outlook on it. Sure there will be some hardships and moving with children is never easy (we've moved cross country once when they were smaller and that was difficult enough) but there is SO MUCH to look forward to! Exploring, being outside somewhere new, visiting beaches, making new friends...the latter is probably my biggest worry though.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

One of the biggest mistakes that many people make is to expect that it will be like "back home" with the pluses of the new place tacked on. Sorry, it doesn't work like that. Spain is Spain with all of its positives and negatives - they all come in the same package, you don't get to choose which bits you want and which bits you don't EXCEPT that you choose whereabouts, in Spain, that you want to live. If you choose wrongly and get more negatives, that has nothing to do with Spain or where YOU chose to live - that is 100% down to your miscalculation.


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## basbelle (Sep 28, 2013)

I completely agree. You have to do tons of research ahead of time but even that won't really prepare you for what living there is like. And the miscalculation you speak of is so easy to make, I remember moving to the Miami area thinking that because I was close to my cousin's neighborhood I was going to be happy in our place and it was literally a completely different world a mile away. Plus in our situation where we can't really pop over to see where we are moving (even if temporarily) I'm expecting a lot of time needed to "settle in" for all of us. But like I said it's where we want to be permanently. We pretty much have our pick of anywhere we want to live (within reason) and when everything has been weighed and measured Alicante came out on top. After that it's up to us to accept and adapt  Well, getting over there helps too...I think we're getting our tickets today...we won't find out our estimate for moving our stuff from Bekins until maybe next week.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

basbelle said:


> we won't find out our estimate for moving our stuff from Bekins until maybe next week.


Our guy phoned us back that afternoon and then sent along the official quote later. It enabled us to make a decision promptly, but we needed a prompt move anyway.


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## kimuyen (Aug 8, 2013)

baldilocks said:


> One of the biggest mistakes that many people make is to expect that it will be like "back home" with the pluses of the new place tacked on. Sorry, it doesn't work like that. Spain is Spain with all of its positives and negatives - they all come in the same package, you don't get to choose which bits you want and which bits you don't EXCEPT that you choose whereabouts, in Spain, that you want to live. If you choose wrongly and get more negatives, that has nothing to do with Spain or where YOU chose to live - that is 100% down to your miscalculation.


I wholeheartedly agree. It is not just Spain. It is anywhere you are moving to. It is the mindset that ones need to adjust first. We are in such a rush in the US that even when we travel to other places, especially Latin America, for vacation, we were anxious to get the bill the minute we were done with the meals as if we had another place to go, to take care of things. When people say "I want to move to a place with a slower pace of life", it really means that the government and services are also moving at a slower space of life. And that means more bureaucracy, red tape and frustration for a lot people, who are used to the efficiency in their own country. 

I have begun to "train" my impatient husband to understand that his impatience has to be in check when we move to Spain. Otherwise, his experience and ultimately the whole family's, will be a bad one regardless what great things Spain/Barcelona has to offer.

If I may offer an advice to someone who is planning the move... Make at least two fact finding trips, in the summer and winter as things are vastly different. We made our second fact finding trip in January and after walking the neighborhoods for miles and days, my husband confessed that he felt a little down about the move. When pressed further, he felt that his expectation of a "European experience" seemed to fall short. The next day when we met with the staff at an international school, we inquired about the neighborhoods and got very good information on small charming areas that only local people know about. We walked around these areas and found our mood lifted as we could see ourselves living in one of those areas. It is very different between being a visitor passing by and being a resident living in a place full time. Most of us also do not know enough of an area to find out what meets our needs until we live there and find out we hate it. Best to get off the main roads, walk or bike to find these small and charming neighborhoods vs. old, ugly and impersonal apartment buildings on some of the main rags.

It is the attitude that determines what kind of experience one will have.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

kimuyen said:


> Most of us also do not know enough of an area to find out what meets our needs until we live there and find out we hate it.


The biggest problem is that most people don't really know *themselves *in the first place. They never take a metaphorical step back and really look at themselves, who they are, what really suits them, what they like/don't like, etc. Once we have fully understood ourselves and identified what makes us tick, what we really like, what we really want from life, we can begin to identify what sort of place and among what sort of people we need to be to make ourselves happy.

We moved from UK and a highly stressful, rushed off our feet lifestyle, trying to make enough money to support a huge mortgage on a place that was way too small for us (in our extended-family - m-i-l was living with us - role) in an area (close to my birthplace) that was going downhill with incomers.

Both SWMBO and her mother were city-raised, I was village-born and I recalled that slower pace of life, where people cared about each other and looked after each other where people had time for others, etc. so armed with our criteria of climate (depends on altitude as well as lat and long) and our desire for somewhere that had access to some culture (we are about 100km from Córdoba and 75 km from Granada), we found a house in a village that suited us and at a price we could afford. 

For us, it is perfect. Even the m-i-l (the city girl) is absolutely delighted and reckons that in 80 years, she is the happiest she has ever been. SWMBO is very happy she has a small job and is delighted to have been told by a 91 year old this morning that she* belongs* to the village. As for me, I am happy too. I have discarded 70+ years of shyness and introversion and have more friends and acquaintances in this village than I have ever had in my entire life.


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## kimuyen (Aug 8, 2013)

baldilocks said:


> The biggest problem is that most people don't really know *themselves *in the first place.
> ...
> 
> For us, it is perfect. Even the m-i-l (the city girl) is absolutely delighted and reckons that in 80 years, she is the happiest she has ever been. SWMBO is very happy she has a small job and is delighted to have been told by a 91 year old this morning that she* belongs* to the village. As for me, I am happy too. I have discarded 70+ years of shyness and introversion and have more friends and acquaintances in this village than I have ever had in my entire life.


It is terrific to hear your positive experience. Thanks for sharing it. 

I think as with all else, the ones who are most successful and happy are those who know themselves and do their homework before jumping in. I read an article recently about a guy who retired when he was in his early 30's and he made a good point that retirement is not about doing nothing for the rest of your life and how much money you have to have. It is about being financially independent and doing what you love. It is about controlling your expenses and shedding materialistic things to find things that truly make you happy. It is very common that many of us in the US just keep racking up expenses the more money we make. The result is that we are not any richer or happier the more money we make. When I leave my 6-figure income job to move to Spain this summer, many people will think I am crazy especially many people who have been unemployed for a long time. But we have done our homework, tested our limits, lined up supplemental income and emergency fund. I hope to write a happy story a year from now.


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