lunamoona

Hi there

I am looking for advice on behalf of my elderly parents.

Long story short, they moved to Spain around 15 years ago with the thought of having 10 good years in the sun, before returning to the UK. Their house has been for sale for 5 years now without any viewings (no pool). They have now given up being able to return and I am not able to finance their return either.

My dad is now unwell and in hospital and my mum does not drive and is already dependent on kind neighbors to run her in to visit each day, so she does not want to ask for help with shopping as well.

My very limited Spanish has worked out that a couple of supermarkets do home deliveries but I cannot work out if they will deliver to her postcode 03769 Sanet-y-Negrals.

Does anyone on this forum know if this area is covered? No point getting mum to look, although her Spanish is quite good, her computer skills are poor.

Anyone got any ideas?

Many thanks in advance.

lynnxa

Mercadona deliver to most places - but the only way to find out for sure is to actually go through the process of registering online with address, passport/NIE & so on

they deliver to most of my town, but there is, for some reason a little 'black-spot' which isn't covered

pete_l

An idea. Would you be able to combine your computer skills with your mum's spanish. Use a remote desktop program to access her computer, with her sitting in front of it to do "the spanish bit" while you drive the web surfing remotely? Either do this while on the phone, or (I believe) it may be possible to use the microphone/speakers via the remote desktop program - though I've never tried that, myself.
As a side effect, your mum might pick up some computer tips

P.S. If you use the Chrome browser, you can set it up to automatically translate spanish pages into english (kind of).

cricketman

Good idea Pete L, although I doubt her parents have internet if they are not computer literate.

OP, can't your parents drop the price of their property and get it sold? If it has never had even one viewing then it must be way overpriced.

All properties sell at the right price, even if it is not at the price they would like

It sounds like your parents need to be surrounded by loved ones at their time of life

lunamoona

Thank you all for the helpful replies.

I can certainly help talk mum through how on-line shopping works but I need her to read the Spanish to make sure they cover her postcode. They do have internet and mum can, 'surf the web'. She just has never shopped on-line and will have assumed it would be too difficult. She needs prompting to try new things.

The house is difficult to sell because it does not appeal to foreign buyers as it is not in a tourist area and has no pool and only 2 bedrooms. The village is small with few facilities. Of course they could sell it way under its value but this would not give them the funds to return to the UK. I unfortunately, do not have a spare room to offer my parents, have stairs she cannot negotiate and a toddler and a baby that wakes 3 times a night. I feel rather helpless.

Mum has been very reliant on dad for everyday living and I just want to steer her in the direction of self sufficiency before her circumstances become critical.

Thanks for answering.

agoreira

Therein lies the dilemma, you say "under it's value" and I'm guessing that value is based on either what they paid for it, or what they think it's worth. The harsh reality is the figure that it's likely to sell at is way below what they think it is worth. I feel for both of them, but all too often people that get off the UK property merry go round for the Spanish one have a huge problem getting back into UK property. Property in Spain has bombed, UK had a small drop (bigger in certain less desirable areas) but the biggest worry in UK at the moment is of property overheating! As I said, I do feel sorry for them, when they bought they were never to know what the future had in store property wise or health wise, but the fact they've had not one viewing should tell you something. I wish you and your family luck.

pete_l

I have a sinilar situation, apropos elderly parent, getting less and less mobile as the years go on, and trying to get them to use internet shopping.
The problem is, it's not just a case of going to the Mercadona website, going clickety-click on all the stuff you want and then telling them to deliver it to such-n-such an address. There's the whole thing about credit cards, registering, giving the store an email account, getting spam from them, worries about security, worries that someone will sell her email address and she'lll get a flood of emails telling her she owes someone money, that unless she pays INSTANTLY her electricity, water, life will be cut off, emails claiming to be from a relative who needs $200 - just click here. And all the other scare stories and official looking (and very convincing, too) demands for money that are completely bogus.

Basically, she's heard all the internet scam stories and is firmly convinced that as soon as she enters those 16 digits, every baddie on the planet will be able to access all her bank accounts and empty them - send her pr0n - repossess her house, overcharge her and otherwise extort every penny she has.

Now, I prefer that attitude to the lackadaisical approach of her grandchildren, now 20-somethings, regarding money (they don't have any) and the internet (they don't understand it, but that doesn't stop them getting into jams) who have a see - want - buy approach, and regard credit limits as a challenge rather than a limitation.
So it might happen that you'd need to do the ordering, or find some way to allay her fears regarding scams and the like.

lynnxa

I've used the Mercadona online delivery service for YEARS

You can pay CASH on delivery - real cash money - & they give change

I've never has any spam from them & what spam I do get in my e-mail inbox tends to come from Canada & is offering something to enlarge something I, as female, don't have So I doubt that has anything to do with Mercadona

you get to know the delivery drivers too, so that's an added bonus, in that a friendly face will be 'checking up' on her every week, they deliver right into the kitchen, & our local guys know that I have mobility problems & will take freezer stuff down to my freezer in the basement (& put it in there) if my kids aren't here to do it for me

HBG

The situation described here is all too common within the expat community, and very difficult to resolve, if it is even possible. The elderly couple have had their 'ten years in the sun', like so many others, and are now in difficulties. The online shopping will only solve a tiny part of their main problem - they are no longer able to look after themselves properly in a foreign country.

I think there is only one solution, a speedy return to the UK. It seems unlikely that selling their home in Spain will allow them to buy a suitable property in the UK, but back home the social and other services should be able to provide them with suitable accommodation which is affordable and meets their requirements.

The effect on their pride will be horrendous, but what is the alternative? Their house in the sun is no longer an asset, it's a positive hindrance, and maybe it should be left behind to be sold in due course.

I'm sorry to sound harsh and wish the couple all the best in the world.

(There are some convoluted ways to sell their home, perhaps to their children, as a kind of paper exercise, but it's extremely difficult).

lunamoona

TBH I don't know what they were trying to sell for. They did say that the big new build villa with pool on their street didn't sell until it was cut by 50%.

Their house is quite small, not big enough for a family, it's really not worth selling at such a big loss as they would be left with nothing.

But this isn't such a sob story, they have accepted they are there for good and are at peace with that decision.

The worry with the computer isn't about being taken in with some scam, my mum is a very distrustful person. But, she is pretty much the kiss of death for any electrical equipment, one touch and things just stop working. She needs, 'setting up' first.

Now I know some do deliver close by I can get her to have a go.

lunamoona

Thank you for such a reassuring reply. Just the sort of service she needs.

lunamoona

Actually, I disagree , not being able to drive is not the same as not being able to look after herself. She has good language skills, has integrated with the locals and has good friends and neighbors. Getting a weekly shop delivered would make a huge difference. For other trips that don't require carrying heavy bags she can get a taxi or a ride with a friend.

I don't think coming home is actually a good idea for them as they are not doing it for the right reasons, they want to be near their grand kids (which I understand) but they actually prefer their day to day life in Spain. Sitting around being cold and miserable whilst waiting for a visit from family is no way to live.

Thank you all for your ideas.

Rosemary

Totally agree with you. My husband died last year and many thought that I would automatically return to the UK but my life is here now and I happen to like that life.

I hope that your mum manages to sort out the shopping problem. Incidently not everyone who moves to Spain is looking for a villa with a pool. When we were looking we wanted a two bedroomed town house in a nice town and ended up with a larger house than we wanted but that was due to the town feeling right and we never regretted it.

Rosemary

lunamoona

I'm very sorry for your loss Rosemary and glad that you continue to live life to the full.

Hopefully it's not dads 'time' just yet, but if it is I'm sure my mum will have the same positive attitude as yourself.

All the best.

lynnxa

as I said - I have used the online facility from Mercadona for years - I started because I don't drive & my husband worked away a lot

when he died at the beginning of 2012 the first thing people said to me was 'I suppose you'll be going back to the UK' - of course it crossed my mind - but then I thought 'why WOULD I??'

I don't live in a villa with a pool, although the urb I live on does have one - but when my daughters leave home (maybe sooner) I'm determined to move into something much smaller - & I really don't care about a pool either!

I have to admit though, that the fact that I can get my shopping delivered makes a HUGE difference to our lives!