bobd22

I agree re property values we bought here just before the 2008 crash so got stung.

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Lynn R

My old house in Lancashire has not increased in value by nearly as much as that, maybe 40-50% in the 17 years since I left. My current flat in Spain seems to have appreciated by that much in the 7 years since I bought it, judging by asking prices for almost identical properties in the immediate vicinity.

But yes, tax or no tax it is quality of life which matters most. I don't think I could stand the climate in England now. During my visit last month it was cold and windy every single day and rained on 4 out of the 6 days, I find it really depressing and know I wouldn't be able to spend nearly as much time outside as I do here. As far as I am concerned, the climate here (at least where I live) is pleasant or at least tolerable for 9 months of the year and can get uncomfortably hot sometimes (not every day) during the other 3 months. In England it would be the other way round, and I know I spend less on utilities now than I was doing 17 years ago, mainly because we need heating for far less of the year than we did there - I always remember having to put the central heating on in August the year we left.

DLC

In other news Mercadona's profits rose 40%. Some price rises are unavoidable as your suppliers have raised their prices but other price rises... are clearly avoidable.

mikelincs

I think you will find that food is going to get much dearer in the UK, and it already seems like consignments of food are being waved through at customs with NO checks as to what they are or even where from, so there is grave suspicion that we will be getting inferior quality, and even the possibility that foodstuffs that should be banned will get in.

Notdunroamin

Let's not lose sight of the fact that over the past 3 years the basic UK state pension has increased by just under 22% and more for those who have additional components such as graduated pension and/or SERPS which have also risen, albeit not as part of the triple lock.

My own has gone up closer to 25%

bobd22

Yes that is one thing I am grateful for as my pensions are index linked

bobd22

Having just spent 10 days back in the UK this is what I found re shopping and prices . We were in the North East so not an expensive area to live. I would say that generally speaking shopping in main stream supermarkets prices were pretty similar to Spain in say Mercadona for general food items. There were some differences but generally not too different. What is expensive is alcohol in particular wine. However if one goes to Lidl in UK prices are certainly better including the wine again same applies in Spain. Eating out be it cafes or restaurants in UK is way more expensive in UK than Spain. Not surprisingly Wetherspoons was busy and way more affordable. One thing that surprised me was salad vegetables seemed to me to be much tastier than those bought on Spanish supermarkets. I say surprisingly as I used to find it the other way round. One area where I noticed shopping was very expensive in UK was small independent fruit and vegetable shops. They had beautiful looking fruit and veg but expensive a pound of jersey royal potatoes £5.50, a small punnet of lovely looking strawberries £5.20!
Petrol was £1.46 a litre so poss slightly cheaper at current exchange rate diesel was £1.56 a litre so more expensive than Spain.
That was my experience .
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1sexsmith

Yes this pretty much corresponds to my experience and I definitely feel that supermarket prices are fairly equal. Obviously coffee shops etc are more expensive than Spain, although in certain expat areas outside of Torrevieja It is comparable. The only thing that is cheaper in any major sense is housing- although again popular foreigner areas are certainly creeping up as Ukrainians and Russian now consider Spain a popular destination to reside. The only reverse situation is that taxes are higher in Spain. So, as people say, it really comes down to how you rate quality of life. Personally anyone working in Spain will probably find it a struggle unless they supplement things with passive income
Retired folk have it easier and can enjoy aspects like the weather more although I think that might eventually come at a cost of not being near close family and friends. I do feel that as you approach the later years that health issues and possible isolation could make Spain hard for some people. So like everything in life it is never really a simple black or white but middling grey

bobd22

Yes everyone's situation is different. House prices are very high in the UK and amount of new builds is very high. Thing is they are not social housing other than a few compulsory social houses on estates of very big grand houses. Being retired I am still of the view that my pension goes further living in Spain, that is probably due to high cost of council tax and essential utilities in the UK. It's horses for courses as they say.

1sexsmith

Yes it is true council tax is high in UK compared to IBI but if you live in an apartment and you have a pool and a good responsible community you can easily pay 600€ or more a year - so it isn't as though you have no extra costs in Spain. I do think however that housing will change in Spain as the problem for the younger generation is that it is getting so bad that the government will be forced to bring in measures of some sort soon.

bobd22

We don't have any community charge or pool we just live in a little village house, so IBI for us is much less than council tax in UK. It does as you say depend on individual circumstances and lifestyle .

Lynn R

I think €600 a year is an underestimate, mine is not far of that and we don't have a community pool, although we do have lifts which add to the costs. But have you seen the level of service charges for flats in the UK? At least 100 pounds a month for flats in very ordinary small blocks with no lifts and definitely no pools! They are ridiculously high for retirement apartments which have some additional facilities like an onsite manager, laundry room (because the apartments are too small to accommodate washing machines and tumble dryers!), lifts etc. I looked at one the other day, nothing special and in a Lancashire market town - service charges 3,800 per year plus Band C Council Tax of just over 2,000 pounds. For a 2 bedroom flat with no private outside space!

DLC

Central Government has already set up the legal framework so regions can declare areas as "stressed" areas and hold down rent. To date only Catalonia has done this.

If you're in a PP/Vox coalition region then it's best not hold your breath while waiting for something to be done.

Stingychips

Did you come to Spain when it was pesetas. Everyone said the Euro destroyed everything to me.