senorauk

I'm going to be a Granny for the first time this March and I've always said that I'd relocate from Spain back to the UK when that happened, for obvious reasons!

I've lived on the N Costa Blanca for 10 years, frequently visiting UK based family and friends during that time and always feeling torn on my return. As the recession has bitten deep in Spain, the possibility of selling my property without making a huge loss or even renting long term in order to afford to buy a modest home in the UK has diminished.

Unless I've missed a trick, (have I??), it would appear that my options are to rent in the UK or stay here and fly back as often as funds allow until the property market picks up here!

Should the head rule the heart; stay here rather than have 2 places to fund and maintain? Has anyone else resolved this dilemma, and as my daughter's in Aberdeen, what are opinions regarding quality of life/vibrant community 'feel' up there?

Thanks

not2old

Big congratulations on being a Granny.

decision made - move back

bite the bullet, take the hit on the loss because you may wait forever till and or if the property price come back to a level of what you paid. In the meantime you'll be spending money & time traveling back & forth to the UK.

Whatever you can recoup, its my guess that you'll find suitable accommodation back in Scotland

Does your daughter want or need you close?

Do you want to be back in the UK just for the baby or is there something else?

Life is what you make it - if you've been away for 10 years, likely have traveled some & are adaptable to your surroundings - then you are one of the fortunate few that could probably live almost anywhere.

Good luck

senorauk

Hi, not2old and thanks for your congrats! I'm very excited as I've waited a long time for this to happen! I like your decisiveness in saying 'decision made..move back', and that's how I felt until reality kicked in!
I guess I need to do some serious maths and revisit my pros and cons list as this isn't the first time I've been on the verge of relocating back to Blighty!

Which brings me to your question about the move possibly being about more than the baby! Though there are many things to love about this part of Spain, it remains something of a cultural desert (for me at least) and I still struggle with the language. Castilliano, standard Spanish, is spoken by most, but amongst themselves, they speak Valenciano which is completely different, so there's a definite feeling of isolation from my village community, though the locals are friendly. Integration and involvement is what I need and to be able to have decent and meaningful conversations if I want! I could go on!!

My daughter has a very supportive partner, but Aberdeen is an odd place and it hasn't been easy to make friends, which is why I feel it would be helpful to be more readily available by being in the same country where I could travel to be with her at the drop of a hat so to speak. I wouldn't live in the Aberdeen area; I've earmarked Staffordshire/Cheshire/lancashire where I have always lived and where I have other family and friends, so that's a big draw.

The more I write, the more sure I am that you're right!

Thanks for your positivity......

Beccarose

Congratulations and I second what not2old has said, decision made!

Head should not overrule heart, our heart tells us what our gut says and truth is heart + gut are never wrong if we take the time to really listen. We may later feel we should have made a different decision but everything changes, nothing is ever a constant. Thing is if you ignore your heart you will always regret it.

I like that you will be close enough but still with some distance from your daughter and I suspect she will appreciate that as well. I live quite close to my dad and honestly that is one of my reasons for needing to move. And I think it's healthy that your daughter/grandchild are not your only reasons for moving and not your only connection.

I say go for it!

senorauk

Thanks, Beccarose. Although there are many things to weigh-up, deep down I know I have to face the upheaval, financial implications and concerns about the state of the UK, because the bottom line is that family and friends mean everything!
It may take a while to organise, but I feel I must bite the bullet, just get on with it and stop procrastinating!!!
:-)