Moving Household Goods To Spain? 10+ Items To Bring On Your Move To Spain From The USA!

Moving Household Goods To Spain? 10+ Items To Bring On Your Move To Spain From The USA!

Moving Household Goods To Spain? 10+ Items To Bring On Your Move To Spain From The USA!

One of the most challenging things you will have to do during your relocation to Spain, is downsize your current life in preparation for your new life abroad. It took us about 5 months and constantly going from box to box asking ourselves, “Do we really need this?” 

The answer is most likely NO! We came to Spain with I believe was roughly 12-14 boxes / suitcases. We moved with 6 people and 3 dogs so it’s really not THAT MUCH in the grand scheme of things. My husband alone used 2 big boxes just for his custom computer that he simply did not want to leave behind. 

I will be honest, after about 5 months here, we did donate a lot of the items we packed with us because they really weren’t a necessity. I did however, wish we brought some “random” items to Spain from the USA that I will share with you in this blog!

Looking To Move To Spain From The USA? Here Is Your Custom Relocation Guide For Minimalists

When relocating to Spain, many people look into an international moving company to ship their belongings. There are many international shipping companies available to give you a moving quote, explain the moving process with Spanish customs, and shipping times. 

I know many people who have sold their homes in the USA and shipped their entire household to Spain. Personally, we felt we had too much STUFF in the USA that didn’t have any meaning. We wanted to downsize our life and get rid of everything that we felt was not a necessity. 

We realized we were constantly in that loop of “Keeping up with the Jones!” We never stopped to think, “Why exactly do we need 3,4,5+ of something?” We would just buy things to buy them. I felt we fell into this nasty habit of buying useless items and we wanted to break that lifestyle by starting fresh! 

And man is it liberating!! Here in Spain, we have 1 maybe 2 of an item (if it is necessary). Our life is not about owning “items” anymore, it is more about being present with our family, being outside, and traveling the world.

By no means am I saying it is not okay to own a lot of things, YOU DO YOU!! I just felt our life was being consumed by owning material items and we wanted a lifestyle change! 

How To Pack Household Items For Moving Overseas?

When moving overseas, it is essential to pack your household items properly to ensure their safety during transit. One of the first things you will need to do is start by gathering sturdy moving boxes in various sizes and packing materials such as bubble wrap, packing peanuts, and tape.

Take inventory of your items and declutter before you start packing to reduce the load. If you think it is something you can live without, most likely you can! Fragile items like glassware and electronics should be individually wrapped in bubble wrap and placed in boxes with padding around them. 

Label each box with its contents and put a fragile sticker if needed. Don’t forget to secure the box with tape and pack heavier items at the bottom. 

I personally would pack essential items separately in a separate suitcase you will bring with you as they might be needed immediately upon arrival. You may have to live out of your suitcase for some time so I would keep that in mind when you are packing your suitcase (or 2) for your move!

Lastly, hire a professional moving company experienced in international moving to ensure your items are handled correctly during the transport process. 

1) Buy CONVERTERS Before Moving / Traveling To Europe

This is something we wish we took more seriously before moving abroad. We only purchased 4 converters before moving here which was silly because there are 6 people in our family and we needed at least double of that. We ended up having to go to the store shortly after arriving to get more.

Now, they do have them here, but we felt it was easier and cheaper to bring them along with us from the states. We purchased these converter packs and we love how you can use one plug with 3-4 USB ports. 

We also brought with us from the US is a few power strips. This was especially important for our office and living room. Since my husband brought his computer from back home, this was an absolute necessity! We just purchased a few off of Amazon before moving from the US to Spain

2) Bring Essential Seasonings For Cooking 

I remember reading in one of the Facebook groups before our moving and someone mentioned this. I thought to myself, “Nah, we will find it once we get there!” Well, fast forward to a year later, we now stock up on our favorite seasonings when we go home or have someone visit. 

Something we have not found that we like in Spain is the chili powder, garlic salt, and Lawrys seasoning. These three spices are staple ingredients in our home and we cook with one of them almost every meal! Everything else we cook with, we have found in the shops around Valencia or something similar. 

3) Over The Counter Medicine - Perfect For The First Week

When we arrived in Valencia, I was pretty overwhelmed (in a good way) with our move. We came to an unfurnished home and we had our whole family with us. 

That first week was a blur because we were heading to furniture shops, grabbing groceries, setting up appointments, and grabbing essential items. 

I am so thankful I brought simple things such as Tylenol, Ibuprofen, Excedrin, and cough medicine for both the adults and children. I know you can go into the pharmacy and easily grab any of these things, but it was nice to know that I had them in my bag (in English) and ready to go! 

4) Melatonin - The USA Has This Available At A Much Smaller Dose

My husband and son have insomnia and melatonin is something that is a MUST in our medicine cabinet. We did bring a bottle of ours from Costco with us because we didn’t know if it would be available in the Spain. 

It is here in Spain but at a much higher dose than they have in the USA. You are able to get a children’s gummy for 1mg and adults for 5mg in the US. 

The ones we have in the pharmacy here in Spain are 10mg and a bit pricier than we were expecting. For us, that is much more than we need, so we simply buy them when we go home and pack them in our suitcase.

What Is The Cheapest Way To Move Personal Belongings Overseas??

The cheapest way to move your belongings overseas is to ship everything through a container and by using a reputable shipping company. An international relocation service will determine whether your items will be better to ship by air freight or sea freight. 

Either way, all of your personal effects will be able to come with you abroad at a cost! 

We personally found it easier to sell all of our items and only bring over a few boxes per person. We purchased everything new here but we are living very minimally and only purchased things we needed!

5) Deodorant - If You Have A Favorite One, BRING A GOOD SUPPLY!

I was not aware that here in Spain, they do not have the same types of deodorants like we do in the USA. The only ones I have personally found is the spray or roll on kind! 

These simply do not work for me and my daughter. We have been in multiple stores and we cannot find the stick deodorants for the life of us! If you happen to have found them, please drop a comment and let us know your secrets 🙂

We went to Costco before our move and bought MULTIPLE packs of our favorite kinds that would last us about a year. Spain can be hot and having a good deodorant is very important!!!

6) **GET RID OF EVERYTHING WITH A MOTOR - It will blow or slowly die!

It does not make sense to bring over any items from the USA to Spain that has a motor. It will only be a matter of time until the motor will give out. I didn’t listen to this piece of advice before we moved and I brought my hair dryer. 

I was under the impression if you have a converter, it will be fine. This is NOT the case. I used my hairdryer under 5 times before it stopped working. 

Save yourself some space and get rid of these items before making the move!!

7) Reusable Water Bottles

This was something that was very shocking to me! When it came time to buy our children water bottles for school, we didn’t realize just how expensive they are here in Spain! 

I am not talking about the flimsy plastic bottles, but the nice durable thermos bottles. They are almost double in price from what you can get in the USA. 

I personally love the Hydroflask water bottles, so we grabbed a few of those and brought them with us. 

8) Office Supplies (Not School Supplies)

If you have any space left in your luggage, I would suggest packing some of your favorite office supplies! You can easily find anything you need in Spain, but it comes at a cost. 

My husband personally loves the G2 pens and he refuses to buy them in Spain because they are almost double the cost. 

I love running to TJ Maxx or HomeGoods to get my calendars, notepads, and cute accessories. Then obvious places like Target or Walmart to grab pens, pencils, etc. 

9) Luggage 

You can find amazing quality luggage here in Spain but I personally wouldn’t buy a suitcase here if I didn’t have to. I am sure you can find better prices outside of the city center, but where we live the prices are at least 50% higher than of those back home. 

If you want to ship your belongings to Spain from the US, I would recommend buying a few suitcases at your local store and packing your items inside. I have a friend that went to their local Goodwill store and bought 3 amazing quality suitcases and put them in their shipment. 

I personally never thought of this idea but I figured I should mention it as you can score some near new suitcases that people just wanted to get rid of!

We went to TJMaxx and HomeGoods to buy new suitcases. We assumed we would be doing much more travel now that we are in Europe and wanted plenty of new and durable luggage that would last.

Can I Take My Furniture To Spain??

Yes. You can bring over your furniture to Spain from USA if that is what you choose. There are many international relocation companies that will ship all of your belongings. I know quite a few families that brought over their entire life from the USA. 

Just beware, it may take longer than expected for your items to arrive. A tip may be to rent a furnished place for a little bit until your belongings make it over! We had a few friends sleeping on air mattresses for 2 months while waiting on their items. 

10) Unlocked Phone - Need To Be Able To Pop In A New Sim Card

Once you move to Spain from the USA, one of the first things you’ll need to do is unlock your cell phone to be able to use a local SIM card. This is crucial because using your American phone number and carrier’s plan while abroad can result in exorbitant charges.

Unlocking your phone allows you to switch to a local network and take advantage of cheaper data and calling rates. To unlock your phone, you can contact your current carrier and request an unlock code.

However, not all carriers will grant the request, or they may charge a fee. If that’s the case, you can consider using a third-party unlocking service, which might offer a quicker and cheaper solution.

Once your phone is unlocked, you can simply remove the old SIM card and insert the new one upon arrival. Be aware that some carriers have specific policies regarding unlocking phones, so it’s advisable to check with your provider well in advance before moving!

11) No Foreign Transaction Fee Credit Card

If you are planning to make your move to Spain from the USA , it is highly recommended that you obtain a no foreign transaction fee credit card. This type of card allows you to make purchases in a foreign country without incurring any additional fees.

When living in Spain, having a credit card with no foreign transaction fees can save you money and offer convenience. With this card, you can use it for daily expenses, such as groceries, dining out, and transportation, without worrying about extra charges.

Additionally, it is essential to research and compare different credit cards to find the one that suits your needs best. Look for cards that offer competitive rewards programs, low annual fees, and a reliable customer service support system. Having a no foreign transaction fee credit card will ensure a smoother financial transition as you settle into your new life in Spain. 

**Just keep in mind that a lot of places here in Spain do not accept the AMX card. We hardly use ours here in Valencia. Most places take a VISA or MasterCard!**

12) Children's Toys And Books

This is something that I wish we didn’t pack less of! I wish we brought a little more of our children’s toys and books. I didn’t know how expensive children’s toys are here in Valencia. Our children save up their money until we make a trip back home and buy things that they want for a fraction of the cost. 

We do still buy toys here in Valencia but only on occasion. I personally find it silly to buy a Barbie for 30 euros when my daughter can easily buy 2 back home in the states. 

Another thing I wish we brought a little more of but we didn’t purely because it would add too much weight is books! 

There is a wonderful English bookstore here in Valencia, but they simply do not carry every book that we would want. I have to add that the owners are amazing and they have a wonderful selection of books that is constantly growing!

13) Freezer Ziplock Bags

Now I am unsure if anyone has found good quality and priced ziplocks here, but I feel that they are not the same quality as the USA. Whenever someone comes to visit or we visit home, I run to Walmart / Target / Costco to stock up on the ziplock freezer bags!

I personally feel the ones I have bought here always rip at the seams or the top wont secure all the way. Maybe I am just shopping at the wrong store, so if you have found some here in Valencia, PLEASE SHARE YOUR SECRETS!!

14) Bring A Copy Of Important Documents / Scan Them On Your Phone

One of the last tips I will leave you with is print off extra copies of all your documents. You will need them for almost everything you do. I cannot tell you how many times I have used my documents and all the photocopies I made. I did bring over everything we used to apply for our visa in a file folder per person. 

When we arrived I was unsure where to go to get my documents printed and copied. I felt that I had so much on my plate, to find another shop where to get these done seemed stressful! 

I also scanned my passport, visa, TIE card, health insurance, etc. on my phone under my notes to have them always readily available. I was nervous to lose my papers or get them stolen so I was happy to see that I could scan them on my phone. 

Can I Take Household Items To Spain??

The answer is, YES! You can bring household items to Spain. It just depends on what you are bringing and how you are wanting your items to get here. Some people ship over an entire container with their belongings, while others only brought the most important ones with them on the airplane and paid for the extra luggage. Just be aware that if you are thinking about bringing anything with a motor, I would check to make sure that the product has dual voltage! 

P.S. Here at Simplify Abroad we have got different articles and videos done by a family of 6 (and three dogs), a family of 3 (and one dog) and a recent retiree. If you want to see more articles from us click here.

P.S.S. If anyone is interested we also have a YouTube channel where we cover different aspects of our lives / move overseas. Lastly if you have any suggestion for a new article or video you would like to see; please comment below or send us an email and we will see if we can make it happen!

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