tebo53

I really don't think that you need to keep somewhere 'to come back to'

If things do go pear shaped then come back to UK and rent somewhere. Why have the hassle of paying extra bills to keep somewhere in UK when you are putting all efforts to make a new life for yourself in Spain

When you get in your later years you want less things to have to consider.

There are hundreds of houses for rental in England/Scotland if needed later

jackytoo

There are many who goes at 65 and over. Have seen some really sprightly 70+ year olds. however, have also seen some go downhill fast.

I agree with EMR. good sensible post.

Keep a UK house, rent it out and rent in Spain. You would also have some pin money from the difference in rental prices. It could take years to sell in Spain if wanting to leave. Why burden yourself with all the complications, then there is inheritence tax. I know some who are stuck. Some are housebound and have to pay or rely on others to do their shopping.

There was a news item some years ago. A woman had dumped her OH at Malaga airport. He had Alzheimers and the consulate was called in. There was this big outrage of how horrible she was. I could understand it having seen my cousins Husband, he had alzheimers and was frequently violent. She was probably at the end of her tether.

HBG

We kept a small flat in the UK to come back to if Spain went wrong for us, and we've had it for some 30 years. I don't want to change the topic of this thread, but things in the UK have altered to such an extent that we couldn't return to it should we want to, it would be impossible for us to live there.

We would rent elsewhere if we had to, but are pretty certain that we will stay in Spain for the final furlong. Once you know the Spanish system thoroughly, and it's not easy, it's much the same as the UK.

(And if you're unlucky enough to end up in one of those dodgy care homes where you get slapped about, you might as well get slapped about in a place where the sun shines).

tebo53

I agree, but there seems to be far to much emphasis put on keeping homes going in each country.

A mate of mine lives in Cyprus and rents his place out in UK but finds it a total bind. He is looking to sell that on to loose the hassle of it all. After all he can't use it when in the UK because its got tenants in it.

He has to rent when he comes back!!

jackytoo

He will be getting a good rental income plus good capital gain.

You can still have a good life if you rent, infact you would be able to rent a house in Spain that you probably could not afford to buy.

agoreira

I might be wrong, but aren't you still in UK? Lots have gone out to Spain/France etc thinking much the same as you, that it can't fail, I ain't never going back to UK. Unfortunately it doesn't work that way for everyone, friends and ex neighbours of mine are ruing the day they ever sold their UK property. They are coming home, (well, that's the intention) their property price has fallen through the floor, it's been on the market for about 2 years, and even if they were to sell it, they couldn't afford the price of their old property or anything similar in UK. I would agree that if you had been living abroad for several years and still were in love with the place, it might be an idea to offload your UK property, but life can be cruel, it doesn't always pan out as you'd like it to. Keeping a place in UK is not only about "something to come back to", it's a rental machine that in most cases will provide more rental than you need to pay out on a similar property in Spain.

Dxf

Hola

Wise money says come out and rent in Spain for a year - then make your decision on what you want to do

Davexf

agoreira

Agree, even possibly a bit longer. Lots of things can happen in 12 months, and it might not all be positive. I've heard the argument for selling up lock stock and barrel in UK, it shows your total commitment to emigrating etc, personally I think burning your boats too early can prove to be a bad choice.

jo-ann

Well we sold up lock stock and barrel and after 10 years in spain, no regrets whatsoever. You need to come with the right attitude that you are going to make it work and that spain is home not the UK

Rosemary

We sold up completely, not because we were committed to living here but because if we had returned to the UK even if after only a short time we would not have returned to the same area there.

Rosemary

tebo53

Yes I am still in the UK but that doesn't mean I cant have an opinion. I have stayed many, many times in Spain around the Villamartin area with family.

My Sister has lived there for over 15 years and my mother moved there about 12 years ago. Most of my annual holidays have been up the Costa Blanca end. So I can qualify my opinion a little.

When you get to 65 (ish) then quality of life is more important than making a little capital gain on a property, which can be more problem than not sometimes. Proceeds from the sale along with pensions, private or state, can also afford you a nicer place to rent in Spain.

My family are very settled in Spain as no doubt you are

Taxes and healthcare are more or less the same as in the UK. Great Britain is certainly not what it used to be and is less attractive to return to.

scampicat

We kept our house in UK (rented it) so that when we came back we could just move back into it.

However, we never intended our move to Spain to be permanent.

I have seen far too many people come to Spain and then have to go back to the UK for financial, health or family reasons, and then can't sell their house in Spain and have to live with relatives in the UK.

Just best to be aware that things don't always pan out as we expect. For example, would the remaining person want to stay if one of you died? Or how would you manage if you became too frail? Would you want to be in a place where you were a foreigner? How would you manage? These things need to be addressed.

Of course if you rent in Spain that won't apply, you can just return. And of course , you may just decide to stay whatever happens.

casa del sol

I would agree with you. If it were me I would keep a little bolt hole in the UK that family can look after and long-term rental in Spain.

Just do it. Nobody knows what the future holds, live for today with the health and energy you have now and look forward to great new experiences change will bring. No risk no reward.

agoreira

Nobody said you couldn't have an opinion, it's childish to think otherwise, it's just that you haven't lived there full time. Everyone moving to Spain shares your optimism initially, for some it continues, for many it doesn't. I see there is a forum about expats returning to UK, I've never read it, but looking at the numbers viewing it, it seems a very busy forum. I wish you luck, personally I'm from the scampicat camp.
Las opiniones son como los culos, cada uno tiene el suyo.

jackytoo

I think the first two years you are on holiday. Then you spend a few years making excuses for the place, that's why some can never admit things aren't going well. They are treat rotten by Funcionarios etc. but they just laugh it off and say "that's Spain for you" when actually they should be complaining. Very similar to battered wives