Starting a new job in Barcelona? Maybe your spare sofa would fit perfectly in your Timeshare in Marbella? Perhaps you are getting ready for a semester abroad at University of Madrid? Or maybe it is simply time to take a break from the wet weather in England and relocate to the always sunny Costa del Sol in the south of Spain indefinitely? Whatever the reason, Transporteca can transport your personal belongings when you are moving to Spain.
Moving to Spain – where to start?
It does not have to be neither expensive nor difficult to transport private effects to Spain – and especially not if you are able to take part in the process. If the circumstances allow you to prepare and pack your belongings for transport yourself, then you can benefit from sending your items with Transporteca’s “Direct Van” service – and save money compared to hiring a traditional moving company.
First things first. Whether you choose a traditional moving company or Transporteca’s “Direct Van” service to assist you with your transport need, you must first assess what items you want to bring to Spain. The price will depend on the total volume (m³), which indicates how much space your shipment will take up in the van. You must therefore measure all the boxes and furniture your intend to bring, so we can calculate an accurate price for your move to Spain.
As the price is based on volume, we advise you to consider if it is worth bringing your king size bed or your massive wardrobe, or if it might be more sensible to buy new ones when you reach your destination in Spain.
Now I know what I’m bringing – then what?
Once you have established what items you want to bring, it is time to request a quote. This is easily done on our site dedicated to transport of personal effects. Here you simply specify the addresses for pickup and delivery as well as the items you want transported.
When you have filled in your contact details and sent through your moving request, our customer support team will immediately start working on your inquiry and return with a quote by email as soon as possible – typically within one working day.
You can also call or write our customer support team by chat or email with your transport need directly. In case you prefer this option, make sure to have the details ready for the furniture you need transported. This includes measurements and weight of each item, as these are necessary to calculate the price.
Packing and unpacking your belongings
The main reason why it is significantly cheaper to transport your belongings with Transporteca’s “Direct Van” service instead of a regular moving company is that you take part in the process. When sending your items with Transporteca, you are responsible for preparing your items yourself, including packing them securely for transport and carrying them to and from the van upon pickup and delivery.
This is a significant difference from buying a traditional moving service, where professional movers come to your home and pack your belongings for you. If this it the type of service you are looking for, then a quick Google search can help you with countless options of professional removal services. You should expect a service that is 3-4 times more expensive than what Transporteca offers.
If you, on the other hand, are able to participate in the process by preparing and packing your items yourself, moving to Spain can be done significantly cheaper with Transporteca’s “Direct Van” service.
The requirements are:
- All small items must be packed in boxes, suitcases or the like.
- All large furniture (beds, closets, tables etc.) should be disassembled if possible to take up less space in the van, and thus also be cheaper to transport.
- All fragile items, for example porcelain, mirrors, paintings or bikes must be packed securely for transport. Use bubble wrap, paper, towels or the like to protect your items during transit.
- Make sure you use professional moving boxes as these are much more stable and can handle more weight. This way your belongings will be able to withstand any braking and turning during transport to Spain.
- There is a weight limit of 20 kg of each moving box. This to ensure the best working conditions for our drivers, and also that the boxes do not break during transport.
- If you are sending heavy items (20 kg or more), it is expected that you, or a representative, are able to help the driver load and unload them from the van.
Who will be handling my belongings?
Most forwarders will not transport personal belongings. They know from experience that it is difficult to match expectations with private customers, as forwarders are used to working with businesses only. Businesses are usually a lot more flexible when it comes to pickup and delivery dates and times, whereas private customers often require pre-arranged appointments.
Also, transporting goods for businesses freight forwarders know that everything is professionally prepared and packed to withstand long transports and several transshipments. On the contrary, private customers are – for obvious reasons – less familiar with the rough handling a shipment undergoes, and when you fail to comply with the requirements for packing, it can lead to unfortunate damages. This has left many private customers frustrated when moving their personal effects with traditional freight forwarders.
Luckily, other and more suitable solutions are available when you are moving your personal belongings to Spain. Below we have listed the top reasons why our “Direct Van” service is the perfect match when you are relocating to Spain:
- When you opt for Transporteca to arrange your move, we offer transport with our own vans and drivers that work exclusively for Transporteca.
- It is a dedicated service to transport of personal belongings, why your belongings are in safe hands: Everything is picked up and delivered on the same van, i.e. your items are not reloaded at transshipments hubs during transit.
- Everything is managed directly by Transporteca. This way we always know where your shipment is in real-time, and we can easily be reached by phone or email if you have any questions regarding your shipment. This ensures good and efficient communication throughout the transport process.
- Transporteca’s drivers have great knowledge of the European road network.
- Last but not least, our drivers specialise in transport of private effects and are used to dealing with private customers.
Pickup and delivery
With your quote you also receive a two-day interval for pickup and delivery. A week before we narrow it down to one specific day, and the day before we give you a two hour window for pickup. On the day of pickup and delivery the driver will send you a text message 30 minutes before he arrives at your address.
It can be challenging for Transporteca to give you the exact date and time for pickup and delivery several weeks in advance, as there are multiple factors that can affect the route and time schedule when it comes to transport. For example queues on the motorway, road accidents, bad weather, a flat tire, last minute transport bookings or cancellation, resulting in more or less stops on the route, or simply a customer, who is not home on the agreed time, can lead to shifts in the timetable. However, when planning the routes, we always make sure to include extra time for unforeseen events to accommodate any delays or changes.
If there are changes to the timetable – whether the driver arrives sooner og later than originally planned, we make sure to contact you immediately to work out a new appointment.
When the driver arrives at your address, your belongings should be prepared, packed and ready for transport at the curb – this includes carrying your items down if you, for instance, live in the second floor – and the driver will then make sure everything is placed securely in the van.
It is possible to have the driver help you carry your items down to the van, however, this must be booked in advance and will impose an additional cost. Same goes for delivery: the driver will empty the van, but will not carry your items inside and unpack them for you – this is your responsibility, and one of the reasons why Transporteca can offer you a significantly cheaper price compared to the traditional moving companies.
Follow the link to learn more about our “Direct Van” service.
Insure your personal belongings for transport!
Transporteca offers all customers to add a transport insurance to their booking if they do not already have one. It is completely optional, why you have to purchase the insurance separately. A transport insurance covers damages and loss during transit and is provided by First Marine, a specialist in the field and known to be both efficient and competent in their handling of insurance cases.
The risk of not having a transport insurance
In the very rare occasion anything should happen to your belongings, and you have not purchased a transport insurance, you are unfortunately not entitled to a full compensation of your shipment. The reason is that all transport carriers have limited liability in accordance with the international CRM convention. Therefore, in order to ensure the best coverage, Transporteca recommends that you to add an insurance if you do not already have one.
Moving to Spain – price examples
To give you an idea of the price level of moving personal effects to Spain, we have specified a couple of price examples below. Besides transport insurance, everything else is included in the prices: pickup, transport, delivery, gas, and bridge and road toll if any.
Brighton – Malaga
1.418 miles, 0.5 m3, 30 kg
GBP 231 incl. VAT
London – Valencia
1.137 miles, 2 m3, 177 kg
GBP 480 incl. VAT
Manchester – Madrid
1.289 miles, 5 m3, 265 kg
GBP 1,077 incl. VAT
Norwich – Barcelona
1.024 miles, 10 m3, 403 kg
GBP 1,767 incl. VAT
For further questions, please contact our customer support team by phone or mail. We look forward to hearing from you!