Looking to Move...
 

Hi

Just wanted to pop in and say hi. My partner and I hopefully looking to move and Hungary has caught our attention. Planning to pop over for our first visit end April. We are interested in looking for property in the western part of Hungary, near the Austrian border as we are keen motorcyclists and want to tour a lot into Hungary as well as over the border.

Would be great to hear from people and those who may live out that way....

:thumbup:

Re: Looking to Move...
 

was you looking for a to move here or just a holiday home ?? also did you want a home to move into or a place you can do up and have the way you like it ??

Re: Looking to Move...
 

Move permanently and either to do up or move into, but the former being our first choice :) as we have a house to sell over here but can get a loan to do up :D

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there are many house's for sale around Vas area, It is only a very sort drive to the Austria and there are lots of country roads, most people i have come across are very helpful if they can understand the english,

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i have lived here now for 2 years and we are more than happy with the area and the people in our village are so nice, everyone is so happy to see us of a morning and they all like and respect us. we could not have been more lucky moving to such a nice place, moving here you have to try your hardest to become part of the community

Re: Looking to Move...
 

It is a popular area with bikers, many like popping over to Croatia and Slovenia.

Re: Looking to Move...
 

Thank you for your replies. It looks like we're putting our trip back to June, but this isn't such a bad thing as we are hopefully riding over :) this will then become our pre-wedding honeymoon as we are getting married in Sept.

We certainly want to become part of the community, why move otherwise I say :starsmile:

My partner is concerned with the language barrier, but speaks German very well and I have a friend who hopefully will be offering us lessons as well. I am not so good a languages, but will endeavour to learn!!

Re: Looking to Move...
 

If your other half speaks German he will not have to much problem here as most the Hungarians i have come across do speak German. Please let us know if we can be of any help when you come over

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German is useful though many who speak it only do so at a rudimentary level - akin to British learning French in school but never taking it further - this is especially true in the villages.

Re: Looking to Move...
 

Hi guys you will love riding over here id say a great move, when you have the bikes you can get to just about anywhere in europe...on the 27th dec we decided to have a ride to croatia... and interesting ride..but its on the doorstep so why not..there are even some amazing twisties in Romania ...cant wait to get there ourselves and guess what its on the doorstep

Re: Looking to Move...
 

Thank you for the info....

I had it in my head that a lot of the property over there was freehold, but speaking to Property Hungary, it seems its the other way around?

Can't wait to put away the thermals on the bike and get some good weather .....roll on June!

Re: Looking to Move...
 

Freehold, not leasehold.

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Hmm confused now because PropertyHungary say leasehold ....and I know from other posts on here that PropertyHungary are recommended....

Re: Looking to Move...
 

The vast majority of properties properties outside Budapest are freehold. (I'm not sure about Budapest, but as far as I know its mostly freehold there too) Sometimes a type of lease is created to get around restrictions of foreigners buying land / agricultural properties. I would be suspicious of a village house offered leasehold.

Re: Looking to Move...
 

There is no leasehold house... Only me trying to email people whilst baking and icing a cake. I actually said something along the lines of, the property is freehold, the majority of properties in Hungary are leasehold - see the typo? I then emailed and said sorry I meant, then said the exact same thing and then emailed saying third time lucky, making a cake blah blah blah. Moral of the story, don't email me when I'm making a birthday cake.
Not quite as dramatic as forgetting half the flour in one tier of cake and the sugar in the top - need to make sure it looks good and goodness knows what it will taste like.

Re: Looking to Move...
 

Hello Windyridge

I'm looking to buy in the same area - Western Hungary, but further north. As far as I'm aware, houses are sold freehold. I'd be concerned if an agency tried to sell me a leasehold place as the norm. Freehold and outright ownership is one of the many attractions for me of owning a property in Hungary. It may be a misunderstanding so I'd just check it out with them.

I know there are rules here about promoting businesses, but I've found Keeling Properties really helpful as they've explained so much not just tried to flog me something. they've been doing this for 20 years so know a thing or two about buying/doing up places. I'm just sharing this as they are making the whole purchase process a pleasant adventure.

I'm enjoying visiting different areas and villages. I've looked at amazing places, some of which need sewerage etc which isn't that daunting (maybe regular forum members will have other views).

I hope to be the proud owner of a (freehold) house in Hungary this year.

Re: Looking to Move...
 

This has already been explained in the above posts. Keeling have been mentioned before, their fees and renovation costs seem expensive.

Re: Looking to Move...
 

Hi
I'm new to the forum so don't know all the posts. It just seemed the focus was on western Hungary and leasehold in 2013 so I thought I'd share my experience of this year in the hope that members might share their thoughts on both these subjects.

Hope your cake came out ok! :)

Re: Looking to Move...
 

Generally, before posting, it is a good idea to read the previous posts as otherwise the conversation might have moved on from the original post:)

Re: Looking to Move...
 

Point taken :) - but still hope to get further comments about Western Hungary as that's the area I'm keen on.

I'm looking further north nearer to Kormend and would love more feedback on the Hungary/Austrian borders as a place to live. Maybe further south is better?

Re: Looking to Move...
 

Might be an idea to start a new thread titled, Western Hungary info required as there are forum members in both the North and South who will hopefully give you a better insight into the different areas.

Re: Looking to Move...
 

It depends....you can of course do all the digging etc yourself but you will need to know where to hook to the mains. Also, if you don't do it soon you could be looking at a huge 'green' tax on your water bill from the local authorities. So I would say that unless you can speak Hungarian and know all the ins and outs of local bureaucracy, probably better to get a house where the sewerage is already hooked up is possible. But that is just my opinion and I am sure other people have other experiences.

Re: Looking to Move...
 

Polgardi

Thanks!

Green tax eh? I did wonder about potential expense. Sadly I don't speak Hungarian yet and I'm not au fait with the local bureaucracy. This forum helps tho...

May continue to check out houses ready to move into. I've a limited budget but it might be easier/cheaper in the long run.

Still excited at the prospect and planning my next visit in May.

Starting_out

Re: Looking to Move...
 

Don't let it be a deal breaker, just make sure you are aware of such things, which you clearly are. Good luck with your house search.

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Lol... ah now I get it... I am sure the cake was Fab ... sorry :-)

Re: Looking to Move...
 

summer riding full safty vest top shorts and NO flip flops or speedos leave that treat for the germans on their burgmans lol

Re: Looking to Move...
 

No problem, cake turned out well thanks and the little girl seemed delighted with it. :D

Re: Looking to Move...
 

Wow, that is an amazing cake! Well done :thumbsup:

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Cheers Polgardi, the surprising thing was that it actually tasted okay - considering the lack of self raising flour and only had rama instead of butter, I was pretty chuffed with it:D

Re: Looking to Move...
 

i am adapting my baking to "flour" and rama ...lol looks great well done

Re: Looking to Move...
 

Hi Windyridge and starting_out,

I bought a house in the Őrség national park - the region bounded roughly by the Austrian and Slovenian borders to the west, the Raab river to the north, route 86 to the east and the Vas/Zala county boundary to the south - in 2002. I spend a few weeks there each year. I have contemplated moving there permanently and am even slightly envious of those who have done so, but at the moment the odds are fairly firmly against my joining them. Feel free to ask why, but first I'd be interested to know roughly how old you folks are and what you plan on doing there, besides motorcycling and enjoying the ridiculously low property prices of course.

Re: Looking to Move...
 

Thanks Watchpost

Yours is the exact area I have in mind. I've already been looking there too despite the snow. I like the proximity to the national park, Austria, routes to Adriatic and rest of western Europe.

I'm not at retirement age yet and a financially devastating divorce makes it even less likely! Eventually I aim to be in a position to divide my time between UK and Hungary.

I'm drawn to the location but trying to work out easiest/cheapest ways of regular travel to and from UK. I note you're based in Germany.

What months do you prefer to visit? Any hints and tips on travel or local places of interest etc would be very welcome!

Starting_out

Re: Looking to Move...
 

If commuting is a concern, it might be worth considering 30-50km south, in the Zala hills as, depending on the village, it can be as little as a one hour drive to Zagreb airport which has regular flights to the UK. The area is just as nice with several spa resorts, lakes, hills and forests. Might be worth considering if proximity to an airport is important.

Re: Looking to Move...
 

Hi starting_out,

My personal situation has just changed for reasons similar to yours. Financial situation: ditto. :-(

I typically drive down for a few weeks in spring/early summer and again in the autumn.

In my view you can't really live or spend time in the Őrség without your own transportation, but I have the advantage that I can drive there in a day (almost 1,100 km, but all but the last hour is motorway; I can do it in about 11 hours). Car hire quickly becomes expensive. If I were travelling frequently between Hungary and the UK, I would think in terms of buying a car in Hungary or leaving one there and someone at the Hungarian end picking me up from/taking me back to the airport. Using public transport between the nearest airports and the Őrség substantially adds to the journey time, although it should in principle be feasible as most or all villages seem to be served by the local bus network (though I've never used it).

Local places/things of interest: there's precious little there but unspoilt nature. That's the beauty of the place. The greatest variety of butterflies in Europe, apparently. A proper tourist infrastructure has yet to be developed. There are certainly things to do and see, but you may have to make a bit of an effort to find them. I go riding in Őriszentpéter. Aquacity is quite near if that's your thing. I've heard that a major jazz festival is held in the area, and Körmend hosts some kind of major basketball event; I haven't taken any interest in either of these, but it's a little weird bumping into American basketball players in the Café Monaco. The roads in the park are popular with cyclists in the summer, mostly (my impression) Hungarians. Etc. etc. Really, though, I wouldn't pick the Őrség if you're looking for things to do. You go there for peace and quiet, or to do your own thing and to be left in peace whilst doing it. A little like rural Wales 30 years ago (cue the hippies...).

This is also why I wonder whether people know what they're letting themselves in for. There is no English-speaking expat community in the area to speak of (any other forum members in the Őrség?), and the German-speakers tend to have Hungarian family connections and/or only to be there for brief periods. It's only an hour and a half the from the western end of Lake Balaton but it feels like quite a different world. (It has a different climate, too - the Őrség is appreciably milder.) A sense of self-sufficiency pervades, and is needed.

Re: Looking to Move...
 

Rural and Watchpost

Thanks for your helpful replies. Could be worth driving to Zagreb even if I end up nearer Kormend as that still sounds quicker than Budapest and I can't afford Graz.

Sounds ideal to me - somewhere relatively unspoiled. I've family near Gyor but I'm not keen on that area. The drive to Balaton seems ok so I hope I can plug into events there on a monthly basis.

In my spare time I play music (former semi professional) and I'm a qualified yoga teacher. I'm determined to learn Hungarian so I can teach yoga to ex pats and the local community - whoever is interested.

Starting_out

Re: Looking to Move...
 

Shame you will be at the other end of the Lake. I actually have a Hungarian Yoga teacher in our town, its good for my Hungarian although sometimes I do have to look around in class to see what everyone else is doing :)

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Nearly 3 hours from Kormend though, if roads are clear, could probably do it in 2.5.

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That may still be easier and cheaper possibly than heading through Budapest. What are the long term parking rates like? I used to leave my car at small airports in SW France when I divided my time between there and UK. Still worked out cheaper than hiring a car every time we came over. I noticed a thread on registering cars in Hungary but I'll need to check if that's necessary if I'm not regarded as a permanent resident. Do you need to change the angle of the headlights like you do in France?

I'll have to visit some local yoga classes to get an idea of expressions teachers use in Hungarian! (I teach Hatha/Scaravelli influenced yoga BTW.)

Starting_out

Re: Looking to Move...
 

Lol! Polgardi I do the same in the UK (workshops with unfamiliar teachers) so I know what that's like and I don't have the good excuse of not understanding Hungarian! :)

Re: Looking to Move...
 

Hi Watchpost...sorry for the late response... I am in the middle of planning a holiday, a wedding and also a trip on Route 66 for next year...only just had time to "breathe". If our plans work out I will be 49 and my partner 54 when we "retire".

My partner is a keen tweaker, engines in particular, building, repairing and I have all sorts of hobbies, plus if internet accessible, I could use my skills online. We want the quiet, but also the access to do/see things, so our exploration of areas around Hungary is essential to make sure its the right place for us. One consideration is a B&B for bikers etc....hence the idea of Hungary/Austria border....we want to be part of the community, so learning the language is important to us, and it helps my partner is very quick at picking up new languages quickly...

Thank you for the information...its so helpful to have know that there is someone in the area that we are looking at that will give the good and bad. I hope it works out for you and you are able to make the move one day :fingerscrossed: