One of the challenges we encountered when moving to Tavira was setting up our apartment. We rented a furnished apartment and it had a ton of stuff in it, but we still had to get some necessities. We were limited in what we were bringing with us on the plane. We brought 12 bags, which seems like a lot of space, but when you are completely restarting your life, it’s really not. We didn’t know exactly what was in our apartment or what we would need right away. We also knew there might be things we wouldn’t be able to get. We were shipping a palette but it would take 3-4 months to get to us.
I would highly recommend finding out what is in your apartment if it is furnished! When we got the apartment, we assumed it would just come with furniture, but it was pretty fully stocked, especially the kitchen. There were a lot of things I could have left behind. I had so much going on that I didn’t think to ask for a list, but it would have been very helpful.
Even though the apartment had a lot, we still had to get some stuff. One of our challenges in the beginning was finding the different stores and then getting the stuff home. We didn’t have a car and we have Bodhi so we had to walk and take him with us everywhere. The Ubers and Bolts only allow dogs if they are in a carrier. He also has extreme separation anxiety so he can’t be left home alone. We also were limited to how much we could get during each trip, because we can only carry so much. It’s about a 25 minute walk to the plaza and it was really hot when we got here, so it was definitely a challenge.
We also decided there were just some things we would need to order from Amazon Spain. (We can also order from amazon in Germany, but I set up Prime for the ES site, so I generally stick with that one) We wanted to shop local as much as we could but some things just had to come from there. The following is a list of our Amazon purchases that helped us get set up and comfortable in our new home. (I’m adding the U.S. links too in case there is something that could be helpful even if you aren’t in Europe)
Memory foam mattress topper- The beds in our apartment are really hard. I couldn’t sleep well for the first 2 weeks and I was waking up in pain. This has been a lifesaver. Similar item on Amazon US
Quick dry, microfiber towels– We don’t have a dryer and with the humidity it’s hard to dry regular towels. They take forever which can lead to them getting mildew, and they dry hard, even with fabric softener. These are soft and really big and dry super fast. I like them so much, I bought 2 sets. U.S link
Dehumidifier– at least one, depending on your space. Mold and mildew can be a big problem. Similar U.S. item
Blow dryer hair set– A US blow dryer wont work here. I bought this and it has replaced my regular blow dryer, curling iron and my Revlon one step. The Belissima one I have doesn’t seem to be available in the U.S. but I loved my Revlon one-step.
Clothes steamer– So much easier than ironing and without a dryer, all our clothes stay wrinkled. It also works great to steam the couch. Similar U.S item.
Clothes dryer wardrobe– This has been amazing and I wish I had found out about them sooner. We didn’t order it until after we had been here a couple months, but it has made my life so much easier. I was limited to one load of laundry every few days because of how long it took clothes to dry and I had to do a lot of rewashing if the clothes got mildewy. I could never catch up on laundry! This dries them in a few hours. It also doesn’t need a vent or a lot of space. You can put it anywhere there is a plug. U.S. link
Sheets– I don’t like the hard, rough cotton sheets. I found these on amazon and they are great. Very comfortable and inexpensive. U.S. link
Air fryer- we had 2 in the states because they just make life so much easier. This one has a large capacity and works great. In Vegas we had this Cosori one.
Instant Pot Duo– again, we had 2 in Vegas and use it all the time. U.S. link
Travel steamer- This is great for all the trips we take. Especially since we use the budget airlines and go carry on only, we use space bags to maximize luggage space so everything gets wrinkled. This folds and works really well. Similar item in U.S.
Ring light– The lighting in my apartment isn’t great and I couldn’t see well to do my makeup. This is the best ring light I’ve seen. Its super durable, adjustable, has 2 places to hold your phone if you need to take pics, and came with a nice carrying case. Similar item on U.S. site
Computer lap desk– So I can be lazy on the couch and blog at the same time. It has a spot for my tablet and a cup holder and has plenty of room for my large laptop plus my mousepad. Similar item U.S.
Digital Scale– I like this scale because its very precise.
HOMFINE Double Sided Cooling Throw Blanket– These have been a lifesaver during the hot summer. Our apartment has really bad insulation and 2 small ac units so it gets really uncomfortable. These blankets keep you cool.
Novilla Viscoelastic Mattress – I miss my memory foam mattress from back home so we bought this. Mattresses in Portugal tend to be more firm than what I am used to and I need the memory foam to sleep well. US link here
I know everyone is different and has different needs, but these are some of the items that helped me adjust to a different type of life. I hope there is something that can help you too!
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