Originally Posted by wizarduk (Post 12448387)

Hello. I recently joined and did what anyone should do first and look through some threads to see if my questions could be answered.

The thing that stood out the most is that that I wondered if a group for expats is the right one for me. I want to buy somewhere in Spain with the goal of potentially retiring there, but initially doing it 'softly softly'. What I mean by that is that I'm not looking for a holiday home, but not for permanent residency, just in-between. I want somewhere that I can come alone, with friends, but mostly with my family as a second home. In time I can then make a decision whether moving permanently is what we want to do.

With that in mind, I won't be looking at threads with information about residency, or retirement funds, or which schools would be best for my children, but more along the lines of which areas are not too far from airports and which have easy access from my local one(s), what to do with the place when it's empty, and the aspects pertaining to buying.

So is this forum for me? I'm sure there is advice I can pick up, but am I going to be seen as an outsider because I'm technically not an expat and possibly may never be?

Thank you.

Originally Posted by wizarduk (Post 12448401)

Thank you. My initial plan was to buy a place for when I semi retire in 5 to 7 years, so that I could spend more time in my second home. Right now with kids at school I wouldn't be able to go out as often as I liked. However another plan has come to mind in which I could buy it now and rent out some parts of the year and a allow my elderly parents to use it whilst they are alive and in good health. In other words, get it as a holiday home for the next five to seven years and then use it as a second home in which I would spend a few months of the year at later on. Financing it now with a small mortgage, hopefully a uk-based one, so a small income would be nice, and then when I move out there semi-permanently, paying off the mortgage.

Originally Posted by BritInParis (Post 12448435)

Flybe flies year round to Alicante and seasonally to Málaga and Palma de Mallorca from Southampton.

Ryanair flies year round to Alicante, Málaga, Gran Canaria and Tenerife and seasonally to Girona, Murcia and Palma de Mallorca from Bournemouth. TUI also flies year round to the Canaries airports and seasonally to Ibiza, Menorca and Palma de Mallorca from Bournemouth.

If you want a property on the Spanish mainland then somewhere within an hour of Alicante or Málaga airports looks to be a safe bet. One of the islands is doable but would need some more thought.

Originally Posted by wizarduk (Post 12448387)

Hello. I recently joined and did what anyone should do first and look through some threads to see if my questions could be answered.

So is this forum for me? I'm sure there is advice I can pick up, but am I going to be seen as an outsider because I'm technically not an expat and possibly may never be?

Thank you.

Originally Posted by dougal03 (Post 12449166)

Wizard, just a thought,I come from your area but getting flights into Southampton can be expensive & spasmodic.Better to use Gatwick(I do for Hants.& Sussex)as you have good train or coach links to take you along the south coast.

Originally Posted by wizarduk (Post 12449178)

Thanks, but most of my flights will be from Bournemouth I hope as I'm closer to there. Southampton will be my secondary one. Gatwick is a nightmare to get to for me and as with the other side I want to travel no more than an hour to and from an airport. Gatwick would be 2 hours plus.

Originally Posted by Loafing Along (Post 12449225)

As you have the time (years I mean ) why not try out the prefered routes and take a short term rental in either the Alicante area or Malaga / Costa de Sol. You will get a much better idea of what is available in terms of properties and what you may like or dislike about the regions.
Whatever you do make sure you spend at least one of the summer months in the area you plan to retire to, the difference from "Out of Season" can be quite overwhelming.
Both areas have a fantastic range of choices, all within your one hour commute objective - inland, coast whichever there is plenty to choose from.

Originally Posted by wizarduk (Post 12449243)

Good advice. I think trying the routes and looking around the areas is definitely something I need/want to do. I'm not in a position to spend more than a few days at a time there at the moment because or work commitments and children. My/our plans was always to spend probably 2 or 3 months of the year when semi retired out there but spread out over the whole year. At the moment, if I bought now, it would be purely for rental purposes and for maybe a week or two of holiday. The permanent retirement to the area is not something we're considering, but not something we're discounting either. It's more of a home from home where we can go to chill out and enjoy the sun, particularly in the Autumn/Winter months.

Originally Posted by Loafing Along (Post 12449263)

I lived and worked in Spain for 17 years but in the north so we spent about 10 days a year for eight years exploring coastal options and finally settled on the Costa del Sol. Once we had decided it was the region for us I think one week we visited approximately 30 different properties. All looked good, within our budget and generally meeting the rest of our "Tick List". In the end we bought none of them but quite a different one, which we found by chance not careful planning. My point is that opinions change and your assessment of a particular place will change once you spend time there. Little things matter - distance to a beach, distance from shop/supermarket ( where do you go if you need a bottle of milk ? Do you have to take the car ? ) hairdresser, dry cleaner. Good places to walk . Local restaurants or lack of .Level of traffic in the summer, community neighbours ( lack of for 9 months a year / noisy and over-crowded for three ), community charges etc etc .

Originally Posted by wizarduk (Post 12449243)

Good advice. I think trying the routes and looking around the areas is definitely something I need/want to do. I'm not in a position to spend more than a few days at a time there at the moment because or work commitments and children. My/our plans was always to spend probably 2 or 3 months of the year when semi retired out there but spread out over the whole year. At the moment, if I bought now, it would be purely for rental purposes and for maybe a week or two of holiday. The permanent retirement to the area is not something we're considering, but not something we're discounting either. It's more of a home from home where we can go to chill out and enjoy the sun, particularly in the Autumn/Winter months.

Originally Posted by MikeJ (Post 12451079)

This is very similar to my own thoughts ten years ago. We decided to go for the 'holiday' home with rental potential with a view to selling and exchanging for a 'forever' home after we had both retired. That was in 2007 - you've got it - just before the property crash! We have been unable to sell at any reasonable price to move on to part 2 of the plan :(
My advice would be - if you do buy (after much research) - is to buy a property in which you would be happy to settle and in a location where you could spend retirement time later. Although some sectors of the property market are showing signs of life, in the main it is currently pretty moribund. It's certainly not a market that for short-term investment at the moment. You may have trouble selling a temporary holiday home.

Originally Posted by wizarduk (Post 12451192)

Thanks Mike. If we buy sooner rather than later, the intention will be on buying a place we can call home (or second home rather) anyway. The property we want to buy will be in an area where we want to spend time in and won't be looked at as an investment. Not on a primary basis at least.