Considering Spain
 

Hello all!

I'll apologise now - as no doubt there are many posts like mine.

My wife has been very ill for two years, briefly, following an emergency c section - the surgeon put my wifes bladder back in the wrong place.

We have struggled along in dreary England and feel that we have not 'lived' during this period of time.

It has been our dream for several years to re-locate to Spain - but obviously it's not as easy as that.

We would be renting our accomadation - we currently rent in the UK around £600 per month. Would that be a viable option to us?

I'm a buyer by trade - though I realise that though I speak a little Spanish I'm unlikley to get a job within that profession. Both my partner and I have experience in the bar and restaurant industy (My wife is an ex restaurant manager)

We have a bright and bubbly two year and we wish to do the best by him.

Any advice experiences bad or good would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks for reading this post

Phil

Re: Considering Spain
 

Hi Phil

Sorry to hear of your troubles.

In answer to your main question, depending on the area, i.e. you don't go to major cities, 870 euros a month will be more than enough to cover a property. There were for instance 3 beds with shared pool, brand new, I saw just out of Alicante for 650 euros fully furnished .... You'll find good places for less though

Have a look in the free beer thread at the top of this, as theres a lot you'll have to consider such as health care

Then having read through that ask any questions you want to!

Re: Considering Spain
 

Hi Phil,

Please don't take this as a criticism, but let me re-phrase your situation.

Your wife is ill, you have a 2 year-old. You don't speak spanish and don't
think you'll be able to get work in your specialist field. Yet you're considering
upping stakes from the UK and moving to another country.

Have I missed anything?

Pete

Re: Considering Spain
 

Thanks for the feedback...I think!

My wife has had corrective surgery and...touch wood has had a clean bill of health since Feb.

As pointed out, I speak a passable level of Spanish (we have attended our local collage for Spanish classes), so does my wife.

A move to Spain we feel and hope would be a catalyst - to a better way of life.

However we appreciate that it is not an 'ideal' situation - though when is ideal?

Re: Considering Spain
 

Before moving to any country you should spend at least a year in that country or be in a position that if it doesn't work you are financialy stable enough to make a move back again without any sufferable loss.

I can understand your feeling, with your wifes health problems and the depressing state of the UK. I have seen thousands of expat family lives destroyed in Spain over the last 26 years here because ground work wasn't done before coming here.

Spain offers a great quality of life but things are not as good here as they where several years ago, taxes and the cost of living generally is starting to get silly, especially for those who have to deal with life on Spanish wages, what was a very cheap country to live in is not so cheap any more and just like the UK the government and town halls just keep putting up the taxes and inventing more or reducing and removing tax perks. Imigration is basically open doors from not only EU countries but from non EU countries, basically a free for all so there is a lot more to compeat with now.

Just on this last point I wonder if people in the rest of Europe actually know the amount of non EU immigrants that will be granted access to all of the EU through Spain! never mind other EU countries that also have open door policies.

Just make sure you know what you are doing before you do it.

Re: Considering Spain
 

Yes, as long as you don't confuse better way of life with easier way of life .... as I tell everyone, you will face a whole new set of challenges over here ...... but you'll be facing them in a better climate.
Private health care is cheaper here, about £60 a month for a couple in their early 50's. You will get access to the Spanish state system if you work, and it is said to be a very good system.
Work hours are different. You'll be working early in the morning with a break in the middle and then you'll be working again in the evening ... something to get used to!

You'll need a good pool of cash to keep you going until you can find some kind of work, many people come here an run out of money before they find work and have to return. Knowling the language will be a good help to you

All in all you have to do a lot of research, maybe rent over here until you know for sure where you are going to settle.

Re: Considering Spain
 

Phil, given what has already been said I wont put a downer on your thoughts.

Its funny isn't it that sometimes something happens and life just sweeps you away.
If you feel you can do it then don't let anyone on a public forum decide you cant do it.

It wont be easy, it will be hard, but as someone else recently said on this forum, its better to be broke and sat in the sun than broke and sat in the rain.

If you have a real desire to learn Spanish it will come easy, as will anything you do out there.

I am looking at renting at the moment and have found some really nice places for about 550-600 euros a month, if you want any details then just ask.

You will find a lot of people on here very helpful and really friendly, but some will want to say you are making a mistake, that you are likely to fail, if that is the case then its your mistake to make, not theirs, so ignore some of their bitterness, listen to their experiences but remember that they are their experiences and good luck.

Matt

Re: Considering Spain
 

Ere .... all I'm doing is telling him to do his research carefully before jumping ..... I would never tell someone not to do it :confused::)

Based on my experiences I'd be telling everyone to do it :)

Re: Considering Spain
 

You know full well my friend that I was not talking about you, but if I am vague then I don't end up in a screaming row!

Re: Considering Spain
 

I know exactly how you feel. After years of very bad health, which is exacerbated by bad UK weather I was desperate to move to warmer climes. However I couldnt budge my OH to move away, no matter how bad it got.

So if both of you want the same thing you are lucky.

However, having researched the same situation years back I reaslied that nearly everyone was saying the same thing, which is to rent for a year first. I know you want to sell up and move and have a fresh start, but if you can rent out your UK home (?) and try out for a year you will have a better idea of cost of living, jobs, best area for you etc.

There are threads on other forums like this (this included) of people who had to move back, even though they never thought they ever would. Many of those had given up everything in the UK too.

I think the advice to rent is to start renting after the summer season when long term rents are more available - but maybe someone else can clarify that.

I wish you both good luck.

Re: Considering Spain
 

It's a renters market in Spain at the moment. You should be fine.

Re: Considering Spain
 

Phill, I am new here also and need a lot of help. But, have been doing some research myself while waiting for good people from this forum to answer "millions" of questions I probably have...And this is what I found so far. Nort of Valencia where one of English private schools is, Puzol, there was a flat (2 bed) with porter, furnished, for 550 eur with beach right in the front. Unfortunatelly they wanted to rent it only from 1st Sept as they want to cash in on summer time, and also tey will rent it only from sept to July. I need a permanent home, so this was not good enough. But just wanted to give you some input. Also, I have been looking at the teaching at English schools if my original job falls through. I don't mean teaching English but subjects as I have PhD and could try. Didn't yet though. However, I don't speak Spanish and you do, so should be easier for a casual work and so faster work, I guess.

And, a lot of people here, I am sure, has a personal reason for moving, not just the weather, I am sure. So you are not the only one.

But, people here are so kind, as you can see, we are new and so many people try to help. So, do what is best for you, and what is most important. In my case, quality of life...I don't need much.."been there, done that", so don't need any luxuries any more. Just a great school for my youngest, nice weather and hopefully some great new friends.

Don't give up though, Spanish are friendly, just they don't speak any English, but as I said before, why should they? We are coming to their country so we should learn. Good luck to you and family.

Re: Considering Spain
 

thank you all so much. my wife was a restaurant manager and is happy to go back to work full-time until i can find a suitable job. we really just want to give our son the best possible chances

Re: Considering Spain
 

Hi,like you we are also considering the move,we are very lucky though we have lots of family in Spain.
We have decided to sell in England but put capital in high interest account,live off intersest for a year renting a property(we have seen 2 beds in rojales for in region of 550 euros)then if does not work out we have something to fall back on to get us back to England.
We have 2 children 8 & 3.
good luck with eveything you do

Re: Considering Spain
 

Plenty of places to rent at around 550 Euros a month, including bills in many cases. Try kyero.com and look at the lets section in the area you are interested in, they do seem to have a lot available.