Resources For Moving To Spain
Checklists
And Templates
This section collects our moving to Spain checklists and templates — everything we’ve built or found useful as we plan our own move. Each one is free to use — download, copy and adapt them to fit your own process. We’ll keep adding to this list as we create new tools along the way.
Checklists
Planning & Arrival Checklists
Two checklists for the phases that bookend your move — one to get your finances in order before you leave the US, the other to work through the administrative tasks after you land in Spain. Both are organized by category so related items stay together and nothing gets missed.
First 90 Days Checklist
The first weeks after arriving in Spain involve more administrative tasks than most people expect — and some have hard deadlines. This checklist walks you through the first week, first month and first 90 days, organized by phase and category so you know what to do and when to do it.
Financial Prep Checklist
Getting your financial house in order before you leave the US is significantly easier than sorting things out once you’re already abroad. This checklist covers banking, international transfers, retirement accounts, US and Spanish tax planning, Social Security, insurance and estate documents — everything with a financial dimension before your move.
Property Evaluation Checklists
Evaluating a property in Spain isn’t quite the same as it is in the US.
Different construction methods, different legal documents, different utility setups — and a lot of things that are easy to overlook if you don’t know to ask. These three checklists cover the full arc of a property search, from a quick first-viewing form to a detailed systems-and-legal walkthrough to a new construction handover guide.
Quick Evaluation
When you’re viewing properties back-to-back it’s easy to conflate one house with another by the end of the day. This checklist is designed for use during or immediately after a viewing.
It covers the essentials: lot and structure, pool and outdoor space, parking and access, key systems (electrical capacity, water, HVAC), finishes, and a quick overall rating.
Short enough to complete on-site, specific enough to be useful later when you’re comparing finalists.
Detailed Evaluation
For properties that have made your short list, this is the deeper dive.
It’s organized into two parts — Systems & Mechanical (electrical, water, septic, solar, HVAC, pool) and Structural & Legal (foundation, roof, drainage, moisture, zoning, legal compliance).
A Spanish version is available if you want to walk through directly with the listing agent or homeowner.
New Build Evaluation
This checklist focuses on what’s unique to new builds: build quality at handover (windows, waterproofing, ventilation), contracted electrical capacity for aerothermal and all-electric setups, shade analysis across seasons, and the punch-list walkthrough process.
Use it with the Detailed Property Evaluation Checklist when evaluating new construction.
Solar Checklists
Whether the property you’re looking to purchase has solar or you’re thinking about adding solar to your home in Spain, here are a couple of checklists that you’ll find helpful.
Existing Solar Checklist
Buying a home that already has solar? This checklist walks you through the right questions to ask about the existing system — ownership status, inverter age, battery details, production history and whether warranties transfer to you as the new owner.
Solar Vendor Evaluation
Adding solar after you’ve purchased a property? This checklist covers everything you need to ask before signing a contract — from sizing for your actual consumption and EV plans to tile-roof mounting methods, battery backup goals and how to vet a local installer.
Templates & Tools
Spreadsheets, calculators and tracking tools built specifically for the Spain move. Some are for the research and planning phase — running property numbers, comparing costs and tracking viewings. Others are for after you arrive — budgeting in euros, furnishing a home from scratch. All of them do the currency conversion work automatically so you can think in dollars or euros depending on where you are in the process.
Budget
Workbook
Moving to Spain changes almost every line item in your budget — some costs drop significantly, others are new entirely and the currency conversion adds another layer of complexity.
This workbook is built around two tabs: one in USD for planning from the US side, and one that works in euros with a built-in conversion so you can model both scenarios side by side.
What’s not included are income taxes. Since everyone has a different income tax situation, you’ll need to account for that separately.
Property
Tracking
We’re using this form to keep track of all the features and highlights of the properties we visit.
It’s in a Google Doc format so it’s easy to copy and adapt. You can copy or download it into any application and modify it as you see fit.
We’re importing this into the free version of Airtable, making it easy to use on any mobile device. Plus Airtable will automatically enter the results into a database, making it simpler to find and compare properties over time.
Property Total
Price Calculator
Property prices in Spain are listed in euros and exclude purchase taxes — which means the number on the listing isn’t what you’ll actually pay.
This calculator shows the all-in cost in US dollars for a range of property prices, including estimated taxes and fees at current exchange rates.
It’s a useful reality check when you’re browsing listings from the US and trying to understand what your budget actually gets you in Spain.
Spanish Mortgage
Calculator
Enter any interest rate and this calculator instantly shows your estimated monthly payment across 10, 15 and 20 year terms — the most common mortgage lengths in Spain — for a range of loan amounts. Results display in both euros and dollars at the current exchange rate, so you can think in whichever currency makes more sense to you.
Home Furnishing
Worksheet
Moving to Spain without bringing many household items? This worksheet covers every room in the house with a typical list of items you’ll need, pre-loaded with mid-to-high range pricing and automatic euro to US dollar conversion at the current exchange rate. Adjust quantities, prices or add items to match your situation and it totals everything up across tabs to help you budget.
Before Moving
Everything you need to sort before you leave — visas, NIEs, finances and the hundred other things on your pre-move list.
After The Move
What you need to get sorted once you arrive — utilities, healthcare, paperwork and all the practicalities of your new life in Spain.
Property Guide
Here’s what to know about buying property in Spain as an American — from your first search to signing at the notary.
Resources
Checklists, glossaries and vetted websites to help you plan, prepare and hit the ground running in Spain.
Our Journey
Follow along as we document our move from Portland, Oregon to Jávea, Spain — the highs, the headaches and everything in between.
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