Just looked up the property in Alvaston ( Stu will know where ) that my nephew bought in Sept 2007 for almost £300k.

According to the Zoopla website they value it today at £350 less than purchase price, which I find reassuring.

You don't think that the collapse in the construction sector, may have contributed somewhat to the rise in unemployment?

I was referring to the collapse in house prices rather than the collapse in the construction sector. Although the two are connected it doesn't necessarily follow that the house price crash was the main cause of the collapse in the construction sector - in fact the construction sector collapsed before house prices did. What caused them both to collapse was mainly the fact banks stopped lending.

Besides I was also referring to the direct/immediate effect of falling house prices in Spain on people who have kept their jobs, not those who have lost theirs.

Just putting our place in Lincolnshire on the market ready for our immanent move to Spain. Just been valued at three times what we paid for it in 1998. (Yes I do know I will have to pay CGT )

Not sure I understand. Is that because it's a second home?

I keep being told that monies gained by selling your property in UK when moving out to Spain and not buying property in Spain will be subject to CGT.

Is that correct or not?

Surely depends on the timing of your move.
Tebo-When we move back, we will be looking at Lincolnshire to buy a house, any recommendations for a good place to retire to?

If you are tax resident in Spain at the time you sell the UK property, then, yes, Spanish CGT has to be paid.

Under the Spanish tax rules CGT is not payable when you sell your "habitual" residence in the UK and reinvest the money in another "habitual" residence in Spain. So, under these circumstances, no tax would be due. But remember that a "habitual " home has lived in for 3 years to be considered as a "habitual" home.

The same rule applies if you leave Spain and go back to the UK.

In these cases, timing is critical to avoid being Spanish tax resident when the sale goes through.

In particular, you need to be aware that tax residency in Spain is on an annual basis, unlike the UK where split tax years are allowed.

For example, you sell your house in the UK on the first of January when you are still tax resident in the UK. You then move to Spain and in the same year, spend more than 183 days in Spain. That makes you tax resident, but for the whole of that year, so your UK sale on Jan 1st will be taxable.

Lincs is quite a nice area wherever you live but has become a magnet for immigrants as there is a lot of work to be had 'on the fields'

If you fancy the coastal areas like Skegness, Ingoldmells or Chapel St Leonards they are always very busy summer and (not quite so) winter.

Spalding & Stamford are quaint types of areas. Grantham which was once labelled the most boring town in England..........Still is!!

IMHO I Wouldn't touch Lincoln, Peterborough, Boston or Newark

All this is just my own opinion having lived around here all my life (62 yrs)

Glad to help on any specific Lincs areas

Thanks for that excellent information.

Do those taxes still apply to ourselves who will be selling our property here but renting in Spain. We are not considering buying a property in Spain.

Hope to be selling here by end July and moving out there straight away to rent full time.

thanks for the replies, but I thought that more people wanted to go back to the UK, but could not afford the house prices after they have sold up in Spain.

Why would you willingly hand over a large chunk of money to the Spanish taxman, when the UK will not charge you CGT?

Why not sell then spend 6 months living it up all over the world, and you will then have a clean slate for the next tax year, and still be squids in.

I don't think you would need to delay by six months though. I think the calendar year rule means that going out there any time after the mid point of the year would result in non qualification this year. You get a clean slate from the start of the next year, no?

You could always swap, as long as you have a detached house, 3 bed,ensuite, conservatory ,garage, private garden, short distance from sea.......

Yes you are right, I did not register that it was July.

Yes 2015 clean slate.