We have been planning our move to Spain for 6 years now. In 2002 we purchased a small village house at a price of a 4x4 car, and have been making at least 4 trips a year, buying furniture and improving the property. We have made many good Spanish friends and visit each others houses and have been learning the language. I can't believe how welcome we have been made to feel and are always given fresh fruit and veg that has been grown on their plots of land in exchange for a bit of help. In December we were picking olives in the sunshine. New year we ate 12 grapes by the chime of the church bells and danced in the square until 7am. Once we are truly ready to move over for good we will keep our small property in the UK and possibly rent it out, meanwhile we are saving like mad. Yes I do have children, but once they get to a certain age they have their own lives to live, you have to let them go eventually.

We also manage well on about 1000 euros a month, sometimes less, although large one-off purchases have to come from our savings.

We are a retired couple, we have one car and no expensive subscription to Sky. We go out for breakfast 2-3 times a week, have a bottle of wine most nights and the bar say once a week. So we could actually live on less, but we didn't come here to scrimp every penny.

We live inland in Granada Province on the south side of the Sierra Nevada, on the north side I believe it is even cheaper (although obviously I don't know this first-hand.

I don't know how much rents are as we were fortunate enough to be able to buy our house outright. I don't know anyone who rents long-term. We still have a house in the UK.

Hope this helps.

We could buy a property, but would not want to spend much more than about £100k, so we thought about renting as we do not expect to get much for that sort of money. Correct me if I am wrong

If you're going inland then you should get something .... even on the coast theres a 2 bed apartment up the road from us with a shared pool, balcony, 6 kms from the coast with stunning views for less than euros 150 k. You couldn't live full time in it, but as you get more for your money inland .......

If we decided to sell our house as well, we could spend more, but that means less money to generate income

Cheers

Graham

I'm not sure about this idea about not selling your house in the UK, as has been advised on here. Not saying its bad advice, but I don't personally understand why it is so important.

We committed 100% when we moved here, and so far so good. If it hadn't gone well, or if it doesn't in the future then we'll sell up and either go home or elsewhere. Our house in Spain has increased by valuation on paper so we haven't lost track with the UK market.

I did the sums about keeping a house there and renting it, and alternatively investing. By the time charges, maintenance etc were taken into consideration it wasn't really a good income generator, and although of course it would in theory grow in value, it wasn't much help when I needed an income.

Certainly inland you should be able to get something for £100K (c. 145,000 euros).

If I were to sell my house now I would put it up for 140.000 euros. It's a traditional 3-storey, 3 bedroom village house with a roof terrace and original features.

Try looking in Granada Province or Jaen province.

http://www.cortijo-andalucia.com/jaen.html

http://www.cortijo-granada.com/prope...perty_type_id=
http://www.cortijo-alpujarra.com/

Chose 'quick list' from the menus.

I have no connection with any of these sites!!!

We kept our UK house because we didn't need to sell it. We had an income (Occupational Pension) and we had the money to buy our Spanish house. Our son looks after it for us and it provides him with a home.

We took coming here seriously too. Not meaning you personally, but I get fed up of people telling us we are not committed because we still have a UK house. Commited to what exactly? We have been living here full-time for 2.5 years, have got residency, employed Spainish buiders, join in with village life, got our car put on Spanish plates....is that not 'committed' enough? What does having a house in the UK have to do with anything? I think people are just jealous because we didn't have to sell it.

OK, rant over, sorry!

I think the children will have a great life we have a 5 year old and 18 month year old, we visited this year and the people are all over the children if the baby cries somebody will come up to her and speak to her if this happened in the UK we just get dirty looks as if to say shut that child up. I mean the Brits are not all that bad they will give the children attention but it seems if children do what they always do which is make noise British people seem to get uncomfortable.
If I was given this opportunity when I was younger and end up being able to speak 2 languages I would be very grateful, my 5 year old already says she wants to be a teacher and hopefully she will follow her dreams.

Good Luck

Helen

I'm really upset that some of you think that it's young families that don't think it threw before they upsticks ...when they move to Spain they leave friends and family behind is a HUGE thing!

We are a young family, (both in our early 30's with a 4yd old and 2yr old) only came here once but loved it...the atmosphere, friendliness etc etc !

Sold up straight away and moved over with a few months !!!!
We had enough of the UK, cost, working all hours - no quality time as a family...especially not as a couple!

Luckily my husbands boss agreed to let him work remotely for his UK based company. We definitely wouldn't have moved without job security !!

We are both learning the language, enjoying mixing with our Spanish neighbours...although I would love to do it more, no confidence as yet as my Spanish is limited.

We came out here to embrace the lifestyle and give our children the way of life we were given.....altho it's hard to think they don't see extended family as often!

We are a happier family and love Spain for that.

We did think about it and knew it was going to be a life changing decision.....but one we haven't regretted.

Sorry......feel a bit hurt

I didn't mean to say that people who didn't sell aren't committed, in fact it hadn't entered my mind.
We neednt have sold either, we didn't have a mortgage and we don't have a mortgage here. The proceeds have been invested / banked for income, but we already have an income from other areas.

What I meant was, that I don't understand why some people advocate that you shouldn't consider moving unless you can afford to keep a house there, and thats not necessarily aimed at anyone here ... I've seen it a few times but maybe I've misunderstood

I think it is a luxury to be able to afford a house in the UK and in Spain if I could I would but most younger families are struggling to make ends meet and need the capital. Even if we rented out in UK the rent would cover the mortgage. I used to work in lettings and many landlords didn't see their rent every month due to tenants insisting on repairs that is if you get a tenant they come and go so what about the in between periods. The most practical solution would be as someone suggested on this site once was get the council or housing association to rent it out, you agree to a contract for say 3 years they decorate it before and after the tenants have left and you have gaurenteed income.

agree helen, most youn people arent in the position to keep 2 houses

(me and hubby are mid 30´s) we sold up lock stock and barrel and came over, probably now with hindsight, we didnt do enough investigation but we have put a lot of time and effort into our new lives here and so far so good

From the proceeds of our UK house sale we have paid for our house outright so dont have the pressure of mortgage payments

I think sometimes if you have a house in England it makes it an easier decision to go back when things start to go wrong, instead of sticking it out here

but thats just my opinion

I think age may make a difference. I think if we'd have come in our 30s we'd probably have sold up too. We're in our late 50s, family grown up, no mortgage etc. and you have different priorities then. I for one would not want to stay in Spain without my husband if anything happened to him (which God forbid). This was a joint venture. I'm glad I've got a choice of going back to the UK if I wish. There are many elderly expats in Spain (not that we are elderly, but you have to think about it!) who are not really able to look after themselves properly, or may be short of money, and don't have family here, but don't have the wherewithall to return to the UK where they could be looked after. I don't want to end up like that.

Anyway, enough of doom and gloom! Our shorter term goal is to travel more, and it will be quite handy having a base in two countries!

I think it may have been me who made the last suggestion Helen. I would certainly advocate keeping a house in Britain and renting it out if you have a small mortgage, but the voids (periods without a tenant) can be draining. On average it costs me almost £700 to replace a tenant via an agency. If you have a a change every year, which can be the norm with say a modern 1 or 2 Bedroom flat, that is a huge chunk to find. The flat I let out in Kent runs at a loss, but of course there has been a huge increase in value.
I long to stay whenever I visit our house in Spain, but the financial reality does not make this feasible yet, but we are working on it. I am sure that a large number of the many thousands of Spanish living and working in Britain would return to Spain if the sums were right. Many work in the service industries and even earning low wages in Britaian is more lucrative to them than working in Spain.