Could we move permanently to Spain?
Feb 15th 2003, 1:36 pm
#1
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Could we move permanently to Spain?
I've just discovered this site and have become a member, so this is my first message. We are seriously considering moving to the Costa del Sol. We go on Thursday for 12 weeks for a practice. We would like any info, good or bad about living there. We love Spain, our longest visit so far 6 weeks. We must be ditherers!! We are both retired, no really strong family ties, and are getting increasingly fed up of the doom and gloom of England. We think possibly cost of living would be cheaper, and perhaps we would benefit for a more laid back approach to life. Anyone out there who has something to say about this? or am I painting a rose coloured picture of something I don't know much about or is it better than here?
Feb 19th 2003, 5:53 am
#2
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Re: Could we move permanently to Spain?
Originally posted by Mags
I've just discovered this site and have become a member, so this is my first message. We are seriously considering moving to the Costa del Sol. We go on Thursday for 12 weeks for a practice. We would like any info, good or bad about living there. We love Spain, our longest visit so far 6 weeks. We must be ditherers!! We are both retired, no really strong family ties, and are getting increasingly fed up of the doom and gloom of England. We think possibly cost of living would be cheaper, and perhaps we would benefit for a more laid back approach to life. Anyone out there who has something to say about this? or am I painting a rose coloured picture of something I don't know much about or is it better than here?
I've just discovered this site and have become a member, so this is my first message. We are seriously considering moving to the Costa del Sol. We go on Thursday for 12 weeks for a practice. We would like any info, good or bad about living there. We love Spain, our longest visit so far 6 weeks. We must be ditherers!! We are both retired, no really strong family ties, and are getting increasingly fed up of the doom and gloom of England. We think possibly cost of living would be cheaper, and perhaps we would benefit for a more laid back approach to life. Anyone out there who has something to say about this? or am I painting a rose coloured picture of something I don't know much about or is it better than here?
Go for it. The other 600,000 Brits in Spain can't all be wrong!
Cheers - Don
Mar 3rd 2003, 1:23 pm
#3
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Joined: Feb 2003
Location: Land down under
Posts: 446
Re: Could we move permanently to Spain?
Originally posted by Mags
I've just discovered this site and have become a member, so this is my first message. We are seriously considering moving to the Costa del Sol. We go on Thursday for 12 weeks for a practice. We would like any info, good or bad about living there. We love Spain, our longest visit so far 6 weeks. We must be ditherers!! We are both retired, no really strong family ties, and are getting increasingly fed up of the doom and gloom of England. We think possibly cost of living would be cheaper, and perhaps we would benefit for a more laid back approach to life. Anyone out there who has something to say about this? or am I painting a rose coloured picture of something I don't know much about or is it better than here?
I've just discovered this site and have become a member, so this is my first message. We are seriously considering moving to the Costa del Sol. We go on Thursday for 12 weeks for a practice. We would like any info, good or bad about living there. We love Spain, our longest visit so far 6 weeks. We must be ditherers!! We are both retired, no really strong family ties, and are getting increasingly fed up of the doom and gloom of England. We think possibly cost of living would be cheaper, and perhaps we would benefit for a more laid back approach to life. Anyone out there who has something to say about this? or am I painting a rose coloured picture of something I don't know much about or is it better than here?
Go for it, better to have tried than sit wishing in 10 years time when you are sat in on another cold winters night you should have done it? Try it and if you don't like it then come back but on the otherhand you could just find you love it, don't waste time thinking go for it, we are trying to get to australia, but if not spain cause anywhere seems better than England at the moment!!
GOOD LUCk, have a cocktail on the beach for me !!!!
Mar 4th 2003, 9:22 pm
#4
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Joined: Dec 2002
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You better learn to speak the lingo
May 7th 2003, 11:34 am
#5
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could we move permanently to Spain.
Well, here we are back from Spain where we were for l2 weeks.Even though the weather in the C d Sol was far from what we expected, with only moderate sunshine, strong cold winds and torrential rain at times, we have made the decision to sell up and go. It looks as if we have the chance to buy a 10th floor(top) apartment, overlooking a beautiful park with the med in the near distance, so, today we have had the first estate agent here to value our home. We are going to have 3 valuations to be on the safe side. We met quite a few people in Spain who have upped sticks and done it, and not one had doubtful things to say.One woman who had become widowed since moving there says she has no intention of returning to UK. We shall take up residency there officially, so if anyone has any good tips about banking, eg.having pensions paid either in UK or Spain, opening Spanish bank accounts , or keeping accounts in UK we would be interested to hear. That and any other good tips. Many thanks, looking forward to hearing all your expertise. Mags
May 7th 2003, 5:07 pm
#6
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Joined: Apr 2003
Location: Cambridgeshire
Posts: 69
OK Mag
Bank accounts in Spain Very good service!! Like banking in Britain 20 years ago!!. If you want to buy a house then you need residency I believe. You need to go to a Spanish police station. I recommend the one in Fuengirola they were very helpful with me. There is aslo a NIF number like NI number in the UK. Not sure if you are planning to work there but if you are you will need one. Again from the police station.
I lived in Calahonda for about 2 years. No Spanish required!!! Honestly!!! But I love Spain and wanted to move to a more Spanish area and moved futher up the coast to San Roque. Very Spanish and loved every second there. Much more than Costa del sol. If I was to recommend anywhere to live however it would be the Costa de la luz. Beautiful place and very up and coming.
If you want to live in Spain and be really accepted then my advice would be to learn the lingo and live in an area with more Spanish people.
My husband and I were really taken under their wing and we made soooo many spanish friends.
What can I say Spain for me is the most wonderful place on earth!!
Good luck. PS A good bank is Caja san fernando.
Bank accounts in Spain Very good service!! Like banking in Britain 20 years ago!!. If you want to buy a house then you need residency I believe. You need to go to a Spanish police station. I recommend the one in Fuengirola they were very helpful with me. There is aslo a NIF number like NI number in the UK. Not sure if you are planning to work there but if you are you will need one. Again from the police station.
I lived in Calahonda for about 2 years. No Spanish required!!! Honestly!!! But I love Spain and wanted to move to a more Spanish area and moved futher up the coast to San Roque. Very Spanish and loved every second there. Much more than Costa del sol. If I was to recommend anywhere to live however it would be the Costa de la luz. Beautiful place and very up and coming.
If you want to live in Spain and be really accepted then my advice would be to learn the lingo and live in an area with more Spanish people.
My husband and I were really taken under their wing and we made soooo many spanish friends.
What can I say Spain for me is the most wonderful place on earth!!
Good luck. PS A good bank is Caja san fernando.
May 9th 2003, 2:22 pm
#7
Forum Regular
Joined: Apr 2003
Location: Cambridgeshire
Posts: 69
Hi Mags!!
Got your PM. I think that you can get your pension paid into a British account and then draw on it from Spain. This is what a lot of the older folks do out there. I have a good friend who has a very large property business in Mijas costa and will fly you out to look at properties put you up etc. His name is Brian Davids and his business is Sunshine Estates in Calypso Mijas Costa. You can find it on the internet.
Benelmadena is a lovely place and they have recently done it up!! So the "playa" is a nice place to be. Also the port area is also very beautiful.
Try the following website it gives lots of very good info on the costa del sol area.
www.surinenglish.com You may have seen the newspaper called the Sur in English.
I live in Cambridgeshire at the moment but will be moving to NZ later this year. I would go back to Spain tomorrow but it is so difficult finding a good job even with fluent spanish.
Keep in touch
Amanda
Got your PM. I think that you can get your pension paid into a British account and then draw on it from Spain. This is what a lot of the older folks do out there. I have a good friend who has a very large property business in Mijas costa and will fly you out to look at properties put you up etc. His name is Brian Davids and his business is Sunshine Estates in Calypso Mijas Costa. You can find it on the internet.
Benelmadena is a lovely place and they have recently done it up!! So the "playa" is a nice place to be. Also the port area is also very beautiful.
Try the following website it gives lots of very good info on the costa del sol area.
www.surinenglish.com You may have seen the newspaper called the Sur in English.
I live in Cambridgeshire at the moment but will be moving to NZ later this year. I would go back to Spain tomorrow but it is so difficult finding a good job even with fluent spanish.
Keep in touch
Amanda
May 9th 2003, 3:25 pm
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Thanks for yours Amanda, we have been in touch with banks etc andit would appear there would be no probs with pensions, accounts etc out there, amazingly they would sent post free, any correspondence, statements etc. just shows how many people go abroad to live. If you know Benalmadena, we were in Arroya, in a block of apts which have a distinct l970s look from the outside, but lovely inside. As our eldest son says, dontjudge a book by its cover! We overlooked the Paloma Park in the near distance and the Med just a bit further on. The Mayor of Benalmadena is very proactive regarding facilities there. This year they have completed a wonderful new area in the park, the cactus garden, so imaginative a peaceful, slightlyout of this world place with many incredible cactus and thoughtful planting, a place to take the paperback for an hour or so on a warm day methinks! In the area next to the park where the new library is they are going to build an opera house, they have also built already on part of this big area a kind of oversized Scalextric racing course where teenagers and 20/30 somethings have remote controlled cars racing, very technical and appears quite serious. but very exciting and interesting to watch. Near the railway station they are building a bus station and lots of undergroung parking, traffic is a growing problem, they are also gooing to have a monorail going from Tivoli to the Marina. We went to some concerts at the Bil Bil Castle on the promenade, another lovely place to listen to classical guitarist and concert pianists, very talented. We also enjoyed an evening at the Casa Cultura in Arroya watching traditional flamenco dancing and singing with lots of audience participation, hole`s etc. 8.00 to ll.l5 for 3 euros! A bit different from the concerts we go to here where the tickets have gone up to £18.00 a go. Sayiing that we do get some lovely orchestras, the Halle etc.Our friends daughter & family have just emigrated to New Zealand and love it. The children, 6 & 9 are thriving.Must dash, Mags.
