Packing Tips and the Removal Service for Your Move to Spain From the UK
Moving to another country can be both exciting and daunting. The daunting part often comes from the amount of packing you need to do, especially since it's for the long term. However, this packing anxiety doesn’t have to dampen your experience. By packing smart, you can make your transition smoother.
You also don’t have to handle it all yourself. The key is to approach the moving and packing with a balance of control and delegation. First, you decide which items to pack and bring with you and which ones to leave for storage, give away or discard. Then, you get much of the weight off your back by tapping the services of a professional removal company. Professionals can help you execute packing and shipping smoothly.
Gentlevan Removals is a trusted removal services provider based in Banbury, Oxfordshire, and offers both local, UK and European relocation services. These services include full packing service, fragile or partial packing service, owner packed service and a lot more.
If you plan to do a portion of the packing yourself, here are some tips to help you do it right.
Make an Inventory of Your Items
Before you roll up your sleeves and start packing, you need to have a plan of how you will tackle packing your personal and household belongings. Making an inventory of what you have and categorising them as “Bring,” “Store,” “Donate/Sell” and “Discard” can help streamline the task.
Break down the “Bring” items further into items that you need to carry with you on your flight and items that you can have shipped to your residence in Spain — through a reliable moving service provider, of course.
"Store" items are things you want to keep but don’t need immediately when moving to Spain. These might include items like books you’ve already read, sentimental pieces such as mementoes, gifts from loved ones, or photos. Also, consider storing clothes for rare occasions, like evening gowns or formal wear, bags you rarely use and kitchenware or home decor pieces that may not fit in your new home’s space or style. These items are worth holding onto, but they can be packed away until you're settled.
"Donate/Sell" items are those that are still in good condition but no longer serve a purpose in your life. They may be things you no longer use, yet they’re just taking up valuable space in your home.
"Discard" items are those that are beyond use, such as expired food, worn-out shoes or bags and outdated toiletries or cosmetics. These are things that no longer have value or function and should be let go.
Prepare Your Packing Materials
You should have boxes of varying sizes for both big and small items, protective sheets like bubble wrap for breakable items, tapes, labels etc. However, it’s best to have professionals handle your fragile and heavy items such as a piano, furniture or appliances.
For your personal belongings, organise them according to use. For example, medicines/emergency kits, electronic gadgets/chargers/external drives, beauty/ hygiene essentials, important documents, art materials/artworks, sports items, etc.
Ensure you secure all items, especially fragile pieces by using protective sheets, sturdy boxes and tape. Gentlevan Removals offers reliable packing materials that you can use if you opt to pack your personal belongings yourself.
Personal Belongings You Should Bring
Here’s a list of what to bring on your flight to avoid any inconveniences.
- Travel documents
- Employment documents
- Health insurance
- Copies of all other important documents
- International credit card
- Cash
- International driving licence (if required)
- Electronic gadgets, files storage
- Jewellery and other small high-value items
- Season-appropriate clothes and shoes for a few weeks while you wait for the rest of your belongings in transit
- Health, hygiene and beauty essentials
- Other personal items you love (if your luggage allowance allows)
What Clothes to Carry With You
It’s tempting to pack most of your favourite clothes, but it’s wiser to bring just a few weeks’ worths of clothing and shoes in your checked baggage. You can have the rest of your wardrobe shipped to avoid carrying too much luggage on your way to Spain.
Keep in mind that Spain’s winter runs from December to March, with average temperatures dipping to around 6°C, while June to September marks the hottest and driest months, with temperatures ranging from 18°C to 30°C.
Pack your clothing based on the season of your arrival.
Pro tip: Bring comfortable walking shoes, as many cities in Spain are highly walkable. These will be invaluable as you explore on foot or travel between cities by bike, bus, or metro.
Here’s a sample winter packing list to bring with you on your flight:
Bottoms
- 2 pairs of jeans
- 1 pair of daytime pants
- 2 pairs of going-out pants
- 2 pairs of leggings
- 2 pairs of sweatpants
Tops
- 1 basic turtleneck
- 2 basic long-sleeve shirts
- 1 trench coat or blazer
- 2 T-shirts
- 1 zip-up hoodie
- 1 knit sweater
- 1 puffer or raincoat
- 1 leather or faux leather jacket (for going out)
Shoes
- 1 pair of black boots
- 1 pair of sneakers
- 1 pair of booties or going-out shoes
- Optional: 1 pair of dressy shoes
How to Choose the Ideal Moving Service Provider
Picking the right moving company is crucial to your transition because you can’t afford mishaps like broken items, customs issues, or lost shipments. You can recognise top-tier service by your service provider’s ability to offer meticulous planning, personalised attention and strong logistical expertise.
Their approach should also reflect uncompromised precision and care—not only in handling your belongings but also in addressing your needs, such as customs clearance assistance, transhipment of vehicles for destinations with difficult access, support with international removal documentation and other essential assistance throughout the process.
Gentlevan Removals: Stress-Free Packing at Your Service
At Gentlevan Removals, we take pride in providing superior packing, shipping and storage solutions with integrity and professionalism. Whether you're moving to Spain, elsewhere in Europe, or within the UK, we aim to be the trusted partner you can rely on for a seamless transition.
We’d love to help you make the move the smoothest possible way. Contact us today for a free video survey and quote or call us at 07861 930529 for your inquiries.