Hello,

We’re moving to Spain (Catalonia) at the end of August (1 month!) and are looking for some advice…

I’m pretty sure we’ll have to arrange for a container to ship furniture, books, etc. I hear that the smallest containers are 20 feet long. I ‘m not sure we have enough to fill that. Is there any other viable shipping option?

I’ve read that it’s important to use a shipper that has offices in Spain (so he knows how to deal with local bureaucracy, etc I assume). Is this crucial? any recommendations?

We have free accommodation for 2 weeks upon arrival. Do you think that’s enough time to find a place? (I’ve read the thread about neighborhoods in BCN, but any other thoughts on a young, family-friendly neighborhood with good train connection to Barbera Del Valles would be appreciated)

We’ll have between 40-50 thousand euro as a yearly salary to support 2 adults and one child. Sound good?

Any advice at all would be fantastic!

Thank you so much.

Hi to you - Barcelona in August is very touristy so expect a lot of estate agents to have closed for the month. Get yourself a solicitor as soon as you arrive and explain your situation to him/her. They may be able to help. It will take longer than 2 weeks to sort out all the paperwork. Barcelona has a fantastic transport network so you won’t have any problems there. Your salary should be good enough to make you comfortable. My e-mail is “dave_gill_de@yahoo.com” if you want to ask any other questions. (I bought a house in spain 2 years ago ready for my retirement next year, and I holiday every August just outside Barcelona.

Containers are tricky.  It took us a month to get ours delivered after it was stopped by customs at the Valencia port.  Make sure you do things correctly and legally and it will go quickly.  Also, use the extra space to bring your car.  That’s what most people do.  Then you just register it here and change the plates.

Like Dave says, go to a gestoria as soon as you get here.  They can do all the nasty footwork of moving for you.  Much easier than ruining your first months with bad experiences and definitely worth the money.

Hi,
Thanks.

What is the cost of insuring / owning a car (small toyota) in Barcelona.

p.s. I realize I should have put this topic in the “Moving” section. ...apologies.

Shale, like everywhere it depends on who’s driving the car and how old it is.  I have a 1 year old Toyota Yaris, I’m 23 and have had my license for 4 years.  I pay 450€ a year for fire, robbery and window insurance. 

My husband and I usually budget about 60€ per month per car for gas.