Friday 5 November 2010

Expat Life: How to make our removals easier?

How to make our removals easier, specially in the winter?

As you already know, we moved in November 2009 from Almere Centrum to Tussen de Vaarten. Let me share our history with you, perhaps you may find it useful.

1. Rent a Van

To rent a van it's necessary to do double identity proof [dubbele legitimatie verplicht] with a Dutch driving license [rijbewijs] and a passport or identity card [paspoort of identiteitsbewijs]. Because my husband's driving license is Portuguese, not Dutch, the request and the rental procedure was done by a Dutch friend who also drove the van from Almere Centrum to Tussen de Vaarten and vice-versa. We also payed a rental day caution [borg dagverhuur] of € 300. This money was transfered back to our bank account in the end of that day.
For this removal, was not necessary to inform the police and pay for the reservation of the street, as it was with the big van that brought back our things from Portugal.

Have you a similiar service nearby? How was your experience?

2. Get a storage room

When we came from Portugal, we brought back all our stuff with us, except for the fridge, the stove and the washing machine. We gave them to relatives.
Our flat in Almere already had these appliances. We found out later they were old and didn't work as well as they should.
We didn't have problems to store our things because the flat was big. However, this house, where we live now, is smaller.
I knew we would need a storage room for a while.





We rented a 4m2 storage room from Shurgard. The price depends on the space that you need.
In the first month, we paid € 1. During the other five months, we paid € 80 each, and for the registration +/- € 75, i.e.,the cost for the 6 months storage was € 476.

During this time, I worked as fast as I could to select what should stay and what should go and for whom.
I gave to our friends most of the things:
clothes, chairs, lamps, a small TV, old luggage,...
a combimagnetron we had bought for the flat in Almere Centrum,
two complete china sets (in Portugal, the families like to offer many china sets),
curtains (this house was bought with the living room's curtains included ),
two oil radiators which I had brought from our previous house in Portugal. I was afraid the central heating here would have any kind of problems )); now, they are in Portugal again, in my mother's house.
Etc, etc...

From Coisas Minhas


The storage is very safe and modern. We had a personal code to enter in the complex and to access the level where our storage room was. The corridors also have surveillance cameras. We were very pleased with the service quality.

We can make a price request (Vraag prijsofferte aan) about a storage room (opslagruimte) via internet.

Then we see how many storage warehouses (vestigingen) are available in our area, their addresses and phone numbers.

Have you a similar experience with another company? If so, do you want to share it? Please do. :-) You are very welcome!

8 comments:

TBM said...

Oh the joys of moving. I still have two large storage units back in Texas, filled with things we wanted to keep for our return after three years abroad. We are now approaching year four... LOL!

Presépio no Canal said...

I was thinking of you ;-)
I think you will not come back soon ;-)) Don't go!!! ;-)
Beijinhos!!

PATagonia said...

My next step will be moving from Buenos Aires to Lago Puelo, 2000 kilometers by road. We have hires a moving service: they packed furniture, refrigerator, washing machine, TV, etc... and we have to take care of the dishes, clothes, books, all in little boxes. It is a door to door service. They take everything with a truck, and leave it inside the house...
This moving will be in summer!!! Ufff (here in Buenos Aires we have 30 a 35ºC)
Beijinhos, I´m tired of just thinking about it!!! : )

Presépio no Canal said...

Ui!!! It will be hot! Your story remembers me our removal from Lisbon to Almere (2500 km). We also took care of the dishes, books and clothes. It's what gives more work!
Beijinhos! Coragem! :-)

Castles Crowns and Cottages said...

BONJOUR MA BELLE! Oh, it has been years since we moved and we are planning to stay put for a good long while! But this is very good information for many of your friends who are making the same move....how are you coming along with your Dutch? Here goes:

Veel kusjes mijn lieve vriendin!!!
Anita

ana said...

Sandra,
Nunca me revi numa situação destas. Contudo, é bom ter um local para armazenar o que não se precisa.
Penso que os povos do Norte, deste nosso continente, têm um sentido prático e uma ligação às coisas um pouco diferente do nosso... São capazes de ser mais livres, será?

Bom Sábado! :)

Presépio no Canal said...

Uau! Anita! You are learning Dutch with the dear Dutchess!! Goed zo!

Veel kusjes mijn lieve vriendin!!!
or in Portuguese: Muitos Beijinhos minha querida amiga!

;-))

Presépio no Canal said...

Ola, Ana ;-)

Tambem os sinto mais praticos e desligados em relacao as coisas.

No meu caso pessoal, sou muito apegada aos meus livros, fotos antigas, alguns objectos e roupas que marcaram momentos importantes da minha vida.
Esses guardo. E a minha Historia. Tanto que nao deixei nada em Lisboa.
A vida e aqui e agora e quero usufruir o que gosto
(os meus livros, cds, etc) no dia-a-dia. :-)
E sabe tao bem! ;-)

Beijinhos, Ana! Um excelente fim-de-semana! :-)