# Moving belongings



## StevieB (Dec 27, 2014)

Hi everyone, loads of response to my last thread on pools, many thanks. My new quandry is concerning the practicalities of moving to Spain. Initially on moving, my wife and I will stay with my uncle which is fine. We will then be able to buy a property at our leisure, my question is regarding our belongings, ie, bits of furniture, tellies, bedding, crockery etc, etc. Are we better to do a house clearance here in UK, or, move selected items, move the lot, move only what we can carry in hand luggage or move nothing. If we move selected items for example, are we better doing it ourselves in a transit van, use a removals company, store items in UK till needed or store in Spain. What are rough costs? If we use a removals company what are the chances of all our goods ie tellies, golf clubs etc making it over there. How did you guys do it? Any advice or comment would be welcome.


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

We priced the cost of renewing household items, against the cost of removal, from Yorkshire to the remote island of El Hierro in the Canarian Archipelago.

Much to my surprise, it was far cheaper to transport than replace, it took, three journeys by lorry and one by sea, but the container arrived eventually and all was well therein.

Yours should be even cheaper, less distance and only one channel crossing. Suggest you obtain quotes from removal companies. We used a firm called Shires.


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## StevieB (Dec 27, 2014)

I repair the copier and printer at Shires, Hepa you must be a fellow Yorkshireman from gods own county. I am currently living in South Kirkby.


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## Helenameva (Aug 15, 2014)

StevieB said:


> Hi everyone, loads of response to my last thread on pools, many thanks. My new quandry is concerning the practicalities of moving to Spain. Initially on moving, my wife and I will stay with my uncle which is fine. We will then be able to buy a property at our leisure, my question is regarding our belongings, ie, bits of furniture, tellies, bedding, crockery etc, etc. Are we better to do a house clearance here in UK, or, move selected items, move the lot, move only what we can carry in hand luggage or move nothing. If we move selected items for example, are we better doing it ourselves in a transit van, use a removals company, store items in UK till needed or store in Spain. What are rough costs? If we use a removals company what are the chances of all our goods ie tellies, golf clubs etc making it over there. How did you guys do it? Any advice or comment would be welcome.


We sold / gave away most of our furniture. We priced up all options to get the rest here (hiring van one way, two way, container, lorry half load). We didn't like the options where our belongings were moved again after loading and/or take forever to arrive. Driving down in a hire van turned out to be the same cost as a dedicated van plus driver, so that's what we did. 16m3 Luton van door to door in 48 hours was around £1800. I helped to load the van in England. The driver sealed the back and drove over while I flew across. When he arrived I could see the back hadn't been opened and our things were all there. I used Aspins tron Liverpool.


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## alborino (Dec 13, 2014)

StevieB said:


> Hi everyone, loads of response to my last thread on pools, many thanks. My new quandry is concerning the practicalities of moving to Spain. Initially on moving, my wife and I will stay with my uncle which is fine. We will then be able to buy a property at our leisure, my question is regarding our belongings, ie, bits of furniture, tellies, bedding, crockery etc, etc. Are we better to do a house clearance here in UK, or, move selected items, move the lot, move only what we can carry in hand luggage or move nothing. If we move selected items for example, are we better doing it ourselves in a transit van, use a removals company, store items in UK till needed or store in Spain. What are rough costs? If we use a removals company what are the chances of all our goods ie tellies, golf clubs etc making it over there. How did you guys do it? Any advice or comment would be welcome.


StevieB we're north Hampshire to Northern Spain. Although longer trips (on the peninsula - not Hepa's Island) don't make that much difference if you have some flexibility (thus taking advantage of shared services). 

I suggest where it is stored you do not want as your problem. The same company will do it all. Even though we are in Hampshire one option has storage in Daventry and the quote is as the others.

If you go on say roughly £6 per sq ft (more for a small load --- plus storage costs) assuming shared load you can soon calculate what is worth it and what is not. 

We noted some supplier quotes have hidden extras especially relating to access. Some shared services use enormous lorries and then want you to pay for a local shuttle service. Make sure you read the small print. That said we found some offered services that met our requirements. (We received 6 quotes in total including man with a van). 

Of course self packing has pros and cons. Doing it yourself saves dosh but can limit insurance cover.

Personally we have reduced 600 sq feet down to 200 sq feet based on replacement values. It would be less if it wasn't for 3 pieces of sentimental furniture 

Also we plan a couple of trips with two of us taking 20 Kilos of luggage (80 kilos) plus hand luggage and coats with big pockets. That will get precious and immediate bits and pieces there as we want to store for 4 months.

HTH


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

StevieB said:


> I repair the copier and printer at Shires, Hepa you must be a fellow Yorkshireman from gods own county. I am currently living in South Kirkby.


Indeed, hatched in Holmfirth, they moved us from Clayton West, near Wakefield to Valverde El Hierro. Photos on the link below of where we live now, a somewhat different life, no regrets save one, there are times when I could savage a Brighouse Pork Pie. Give my regards to all those at Shires.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

alborino said:


> Personally we have reduced 600 sq feet down to 200 sq feet based on replacement values. It would be less if it wasn't for 3 pieces of sentimental furniture
> 
> Also we plan a couple of trips with two of us taking 20 Kilos of luggage (80 kilos) plus hand luggage and coats with big pockets. That will get precious and immediate bits and pieces there as we want to store for 4 months.
> 
> HTH


I found this very confusing. 600 sq ft (or do you mean cu ft) down to 200 which includes furniture then you talk about several flights taking bits at a time.

Why not hire a van or use an mpv and drive down with it? We hired a van and did two trips and it still worked out slightly cheaper than using movers plus everything arrived intact. We have since done a round trip with a Citroen Berlingo to get supplies from Uk that we felt, at the time, were indispensable. Note, they aren't indispensable and there are often equivalents or even the same stuff on sale here.

You make the drive down through France (if you use the tunnel) or the ferry journey all part of the new adventure.


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## alborino (Dec 13, 2014)

baldilocks said:


> I found this very confusing. 600 sq ft (or do you mean cu ft) down to 200 which includes furniture then you talk about several flights taking bits at a time.


Sorry you're right Baldilocks it is cubic feet of course. The reason not to drive is first like the OP we need to store. Secondly if I was driving through France to Spain I'd want to enjoy it.

The short trips to Spain will happen anyway but looking at treasured items and a few essentials it is easy to take quite a bit with you checked in and as hand luggage. We will even take my wife's cactus collection by that route 

Someone suggested DHL or similar but we found their quotes far more expensive than flights.

I guess a problem is that for many there will be a gap between selling in the UK and buying in Spain. And being an unknown gap means unknown costs for storage.

As it happens we have a small place in Spain but in July it is full with the spanish family so no space for our UK stuff. But we know we can move out of storage in August.

It will be interesting to see the cost crossing Spain with a much bigger load. Of course no sea crossing to worry about and cheaper labour. We did approach two Spanish removal companies but one didn't reply and one made no sense. Had thought they might be cheaper.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

There have been a few threads about what to bring and what to throw. One of the best I seem to remember was started by Brocher
I wonder if she could find it and post a link???


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## zx10r-Al (Apr 8, 2013)

We're moving ourselves. We put most of our stuff into storage which helped us sort out what we wanted and didn't want to take, and also helped us with the cu/ft calculation. I then bought 2 vans and 2 trailers, we'll drive them down through france (can't get the dogs on the ferry to Santander until March) and hopefully sell them to someone wanting to move back to the UK. If not, we'll put them on Ebay and deliver them to whoever buys them and fly back to Spain. We were quoted £5500 by a removal company, but this way will cost us £1400 plus whatever we lose on the buying/selling price of the vans & trailers.


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## alborino (Dec 13, 2014)

zx10r-Al said:


> We're moving ourselves. We put most of our stuff into storage which helped us sort out what we wanted and didn't want to take, and also helped us with the cu/ft calculation. I then bought 2 vans and 2 trailers, we'll drive them down through france (can't get the dogs on the ferry to Santander until March) and hopefully sell them to someone wanting to move back to the UK. If not, we'll put them on Ebay and deliver them to whoever buys them and fly back to Spain. We were quoted £5500 by a removal company, but this way will cost us £1400 plus whatever we lose on the buying/selling price of the vans & trailers.


Are you saying that with petrol, ferries and insurance (x2) you can get from UK to Spain for £1400? Or am I miss reading this? Seems very cheap and well worth considering.


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## zx10r-Al (Apr 8, 2013)

alborino said:


> Are you saying that with petrol, ferries and insurance (x2) you can get from UK to Spain for £1400? Or am I miss reading this? Seems very cheap and well worth considering.


Yes, if we were travelling without the dogs, we could get the Portsmouth to Bilbao or Santander ferry, van & trailer, for £400 each, plus a cabin at £80. Fuel from Warwick to Portsmouth, and then Bilbao to Mora D'Ebre will be around £300 using Bilbao, £400 using Santander, plus any tolls etc.


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## zx10r-Al (Apr 8, 2013)

As we must take the dogs with us next weekend to Spain, we're having to go through France. It costs £225 for each van and trailer Dover to Calais, £145 in tolls for each outfit going through France depending on the route. Total driving miles will be less than 1200 per van, so £500 in fuel, plus any tolls in Spain.


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## alborino (Dec 13, 2014)

zx10r-Al said:


> Yes, if we were travelling without the dogs, we could get the Portsmouth to Bilbao or Santander ferry, van & trailer, for £400 each, plus a cabin at £80. Fuel from Warwick to Portsmouth, and then Bilbao to Mora D'Ebre will be around £300 using Bilbao, £400 using Santander, plus any tolls etc.


Thanks for that. Presumably that's this time of year but even so. 

However for me I'd need to consider insurance and obviously there is a risk factor of being forced to return the vehicles to the UK and sell in a hurry. But I can see for some people it might work. Horses for courses but good to consider all options.


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## zx10r-Al (Apr 8, 2013)

alborino said:


> Thanks for that. Presumably that's this time of year but even so.
> 
> However for me I'd need to consider insurance and obviously there is a risk factor of being forced to return the vehicles to the UK and sell in a hurry. But I can see for some people it might work. Horses for courses but good to consider all options.


Well your UK insurance will cover you and the trailer 3rd party only in Europe, you only need to pay extra if you want to be fully comprehensive in other countries. And it means you have a vehicle to use straight away.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Much depends on how much you want to move.

We made a list of "to keep" / "to get rid of". We got rid of a load of books (many were almost irreplaceable such as bound copies of early editions of Punch) - big mistake. We decided not to bring much furniture (no beds; clothes closets were built in, anyway; bookcases/display cabinets were either given away or we paid the council to collect, etc. - since being here we have had to buy one display cabinet and bookcases) We brought a nice dining table and a half dozen folding chairs (we only had a small flat in UK and ten nice dining chairs with needlepoint upholstery by the suegra were coming from USA) an Ercol suite (looks nice but bl**dy uncomfortable) and a few other bits.

We had planned on getting new beds anyway and since we were moving from a 1BR flat to a 4BR house, they were needed. Most of the stuff we had to move was already boxed up (we used file-storage boxes - very good, inexpensive and good for stacking). We hired a LWB Renault Master van and used the Tunnel (SWMBO suffers from seasickness). It is very tiring loading up, especially from a top-floor flat with no lifts and, on reflection, we should have planned on load, drive to tunnel and get through into France, stop overnight, then set off via (passing all these places) Rouen, Poitiers, Bordeaux then overnight at Bayonne. Next day, cross into Spain then whatever route you need to get to where you want to be. Good places to stop in France are at Premiere Classe (Premiere Classe Hotels | Cheap hotel rooms in more than 230 hotels across Europe) - they allow dogs and have the advantage over Formule 1 in that you have your own shower and toilet - no queuing for a shared one. Their breakfast is light but quite good. They are close to the motorways so don't take you far out of your way.

We have since used the same routing driving in our own car (Berlingo) from here to UK to deal with various matters and get what, at the time, we thought were indispensable supplies - they aren't!


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## StevieB (Dec 27, 2014)

Looks nice Hepa, by the way is that a terriers footie shirt youre wearing? prefer the growlers from Metcalfe's in Cleckheaton.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

baldilocks said:


> Much depends on how much you want to move.
> 
> We made a list of "to keep" / "to get rid of". We got rid of a load of books (many were almost irreplaceable such as bound copies of early editions of Punch) - big mistake. We decided not to bring much furniture (no beds; clothes closets were built in, anyway; bookcases/display cabinets were either given away or we paid the council to collect, etc. - since being here we have had to buy one display cabinet and bookcases) We brought a nice dining table and a half dozen folding chairs (we only had a small flat in UK and ten nice dining chairs with needlepoint upholstery by the suegra were coming from USA) an Ercol suite (looks nice but bl**dy uncomfortable) and a few other bits.
> 
> ...


P.S. From what I recall the total cost (including overnight accommodations (three of us including m-i-l on the first trip) for two round trips was about £2,500 (we had been quoted by removal people £3,600) and we had the advantage of being able to take valued pot plants, one of which we will have had 25 years this Easter.


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

StevieB said:


> Looks nice Hepa, by the way is that a terriers footie shirt youre wearing? prefer the growlers from Metcalfe's in Cleckheaton.



Yes the badge is the Terriers, I am also interested in U.D. Las Palmas, if they should get promoted it is only a 45 minute flight, and we will be able to watch Real Madrid and the likes. Bosslady is a Real Madrid fan.

David Metcalfe, I have supped a few with him, but haven't heard of him for years, the pies are to die for.


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## The Skipper (Nov 26, 2014)

StevieB said:


> Hi everyone, loads of response to my last thread on pools, many thanks. My new quandry is concerning the practicalities of moving to Spain. Initially on moving, my wife and I will stay with my uncle which is fine. We will then be able to buy a property at our leisure, my question is regarding our belongings, ie, bits of furniture, tellies, bedding, crockery etc, etc. Are we better to do a house clearance here in UK, or, move selected items, move the lot, move only what we can carry in hand luggage or move nothing. If we move selected items for example, are we better doing it ourselves in a transit van, use a removals company, store items in UK till needed or store in Spain. What are rough costs? If we use a removals company what are the chances of all our goods ie tellies, golf clubs etc making it over there. How did you guys do it? Any advice or comment would be welcome.


We moved the contents of our three-bedroom house and my mother´s one bedroom flat from Cornwall to the Costa Blanca in 2008 at a cost of about GBP 3,500. We used Pickfords who, to our surprise, were the cheapest quote we received, although we had to be flexible on delivery date as our load was combined with others and eventually arrived on a giant double-trailer articulated lorry and went into storage in Spain while we awaited completion of the purchase of our new home (we spent two months in a furnished rental). Pickfords did all the packing and were very fast and efficient although a few bits and pieces did mysteriously disappear and there was some minor damage. The storage in Spain cost about €100 a week and, when we completed the sale of our house, we used a local "man with van" to ferry the furniture in several loads. We drove to Spain in a Fiat Doblo loaded with all the bits and pieces we needed for immediate use and we also had full access to the stored furniture, which proved useful.


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## Expatliving (Oct 21, 2013)

I will be using a UK based removal company because I can't be arsed with loading/storing/worrying etc. The upside is I will just add the cost to my house sale, which will be non-negotiable BTW. Sellers market down South (London), Investors own country ... 

I'm not a lazy sod, I just want to start my life in Spain gently?


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## zx10r-Al (Apr 8, 2013)

Expatliving said:


> I will be using a UK based removal company because I can't be arsed with loading/storing/worrying etc. The upside is I will just add the cost to my house sale, which will be non-negotiable BTW. Sellers market down South (London), Investors own country ...
> 
> I'm not a lazy sod, I just want to start my life in Spain gently?


Lol, for me its that I resent paying someone to do what I can do myself. It wouldn't matter how much money I had, I trust myself doing international haulage more than I trust anyone else.


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