Moving to Marbella Spain: your house moving checklist

If you are going to make the leap and move to Marbella, Spain, you need a checklist for moving house. Removals, packing, organising for your new life—it can all be a bit overwhelming. We are here to help simplify the journey with our moving to Marbella home checklist. Print the moving checklist, follow the timeline, and we’ll see you in Marbella!

6-8 months before you move:

• Moving with children. Be sure to research and contact schools in Marbella area if you have school-age children. There are many excellent international language schools in Marbella area such as the Deutsche Schule of Malaga, Norske skolen in Benalmadena, Svenska Skolan of Marbella,  Lycée Français of Malaga, English International College in Marbella, The British International School of Marbella or Aurinkorannikon suomalainen koulu in Fuengirola.
• If you have pets be sure they are up-to-date on vaccinations and can travel legally. Acquire an EU pet passport for each animal or learn what requirements you must meet in order to bring your animals to Spain.
• Consider your own personal activities and development. There are loads of clubs, community activities, learning opportunities, recreation and causes you can get involved with in Marbella. A fun part of your early planning can involve researching these enriching opportunities so that you’ve an idea of the types of activities you may want to participate in or join once you are settled in your new Marbella home.

At least 2 months before your moving to Marbella:

• Find a removals company. If you live in the UK, it’s best to select a removal service that is member of the British Association of Removers. If you are from another country in Europe, check the FEDEMAC website for European Removers Associations by country and make your selection from there.
• Decide if you will require storage space. It is often said that letting storage space is a waste of money. Certainly, if your move is permanent, it makes sense to bring all of your belongings with you. However, if you require storage space, it is best to organise this with ample time, in conjunction with the next point.
• Reduce your possessions! Moving house is a wonderful opportunity to eliminate clutter and items that are weighing you down, both physically and symbolically. This about what you really want to bring with you to your new home in Marbella, and donate the rest.
• Additional items for your new home. If you are going to need new appliances or new furniture, it is a good idea to order these ahead of time as well so that they arrive when you do.
• Confirm the date of your move.  If you are letting, or you have home-related insurance or other policies that need cancelling, notify accordingly. Be sure your removers are available when you need them.
• Notify everyone who ought to know about your moving house. Start by ringing the utilities (water, gas, electric), phone and internet, satellite television and any other subscriptions you might have. This means providing a forwarding address for mail redirection with your country’s post. Most countries’ post sites have a redirection service available online or if not, a form you can print out and submit at by mail or in person.
• Familiarise yourself with tax requirements. You will need to check if your home moving will affect how you pay taxes in your country of origin, and if you engage in income-generating activities within Spain, you will need to file for taxes after your first year here.
• Determine if you will need a new driving license in Spain. Spain will validate driving licenses from all over Europe and some additional countries it has reciprocity agreements with. Here is a list of non-EEC countries here (in Spanish) who can validate their licenses in Spain. If your country does not have an agreement with Spain, normally you can use an international license for up to a year, and then you will need to sit for the Spanish driving exam. Check the DGT website for more details.
• Purchase insurance. As you know the date of your house moving, ensure that you will have home insurance for the day you move. You can contract home insurance from your country of origin, although purchasing a home insurance plan in Spain is often cheaper. There are insurance companies that offer home insurance services in English, such as Linea Directa, or you can get a policy directly with most banks in Spain, and quite a few offer details online in English.

One month before moving house to Spain:

• Cancel remaining subscriptions like newspaper, magazines or food or milk delivery in your country of origin. You will also want to prepare emails or moving cards to send to friends, family and colleagues so they are aware of your new address.
• Update banking details. If you have expenses that are automatically paid via debit or monthly payment from your account, determine if these need to be changed or updated.
• Acquire sufficient boxes, packing tape and permanent marker pens. There are several sites that can help you to calculate how many boxes you will need, your removers can assist with this too.
• Begin packing items that you will not immediately need. This means boxing up non-essential items such as out-of-season clothing, objects you use infrequently, books or decorative objects you can survive without for some time.
• Get copies of medical and dental records, and let your doctors know that you will be moving house to Marbella. You’ll need to find new doctors in Marbella, and there are many excellent medical professionals and clinics in the area.
• Manage the logistics of children and pets so the move is as stress-free as possible for them. Determine if someone will need to care for your children or pets during your house moving and make the appropriate arrangements. A quick search in Google reveals there are many pet couriers who can deliver your animals to Marbella.
• Finalise details with the removers. Be sure to know exactly when they will arrive at your old home, when your belongings will arrive at your new home in Marbella and confirm that all is in order.
• Make sure you have a key to your new home. Your estate agent can help ensure that a key is available when the removers arrive, or can provide you with a key beforehand.

Before the first day in your new Marbella home, be sure to ask your estate agent or the home seller:

1. What day are the rubbish or recycling bins collected? How does the recycling work?
2. Where are the gas, electricity or water metres?
3. Are there any remote controls for temperature, garage, etc. that you need to locate?
4. Where is the temperature control thermostat?
5. Where is the stopcock or valve to shut off the water supply?
6. What are the energy, phone and internet companies that provide service in the area?
7. Do you have extra tins of paint or the reference numbers for matching the paint? (Same for tile).
8. Do you know what plants are in the garden and do you know if they require any special care?

House moving can be stressful, but with our checklist your move to Marbella Spain can be a bit less irksome. Proper planning and allowing for sufficient time will help you to ensure that your home moving to Marbella is a smooth success.

Need help? Contact us! We have helped hundreds of clients.