NotYet

Ok bear with me.... I work (predominantly) in London, I'm thinking about having a trial run at living in Spain (probably the northern coast but anywhere with good connections to Heathrow I will look at).

The plan would be basically to fly to UK on Sunday or Monday night, stay either in a lodging/houseshare during the week, then fly back Thursday or Friday afternoon (I can sometimes work from home, hence the suggestion towards long weekends).

It sounds a lot of hassle but better than a 3 hour round trip daily commute I do now.

As a Brit, is it easy enough to rent a non-holiday letting in Spain, and will I need a Spanish bank account?

Any thoughts or opinions on the matter are most welcome!

A little about me for some perspective:
-Doesn't have to be Spain, I just like the culture and speak a little Spanish.

-Age 32, male, no dependants or family or anything.

-Most of my friends have "grown up" so as a single man with a lot hobbies I'm left to my own devices rather too often (rarely manage to muster people together to go out as a group).

-Earn ~£60k so not rich but not hard up.

-Itchy feet tendencies: I've lived all about the UK pursuing my career and I'm where I am now for the next couple of years at least, possibly longer. I've moved between UK cities to try and settle and really struggled. The bottom line is the population density (and associated cost of living) in the UK is something I can't get to grips with so I'm keen to expand my horizons and see if something else works for me.

-Not averse to taking a permanent job in Spain, but my earning potential will not be nearly as high yet (I've been very fortunate with the company I'm with to have had an opportunity to flourish quickly, whereas moving to a new company at this level would be tricky due to perceived lack of experience).

Rosemary

Hi and a warm welcome to the Spanish forum on BE. Myself and Fred James are the moderators for the Spanish forums whilst BEVS moderates Europe. Moderators are there to ensure that the site runs smoothly within the rules of BE. This is so that members gain the information that they are looking for and find their experiences on the forums to be friendly and worthwhile.

Problems and complaints should always be addressed to a moderator who will look into the matter and deal with it efficiently and fairly. Our members who post in the Spain Forums are usually friendly and helpful with a wealth of knowledge about the issues of living in Spain. I hope that you enjoy your time participating in the forums.

Please let me know if you need any further help.

Rosemary

missile

I know several who commute from Spain to work in UK. Another possibility could be the train to France?
You would need a Spanish bank account and an NIE, but both are very easy to arrange.
Unless you have skills which are in short supply, your chances of finding work in Spain are slim.

BigD Nerja

As missile said I know plenty who do exactly that, Malaga has numerous daily flights to all the airports in the SE and excellent transport when you get there.
An NIE and bank account are easy to set up but also consider a currency card.
FWIW I think your way of doing it will give you the best of all worlds, good luck!

Fredbargate

You could commute from Gibraltar and stick with sterling

missile

You could do worse than use Santander for banking. I find their 1,2,3 account useful. I can take out euros from my UK account with no charges.

Fredbargate

I can do that + any other currency with my N&P and my GIB accounts but they are all subject to exchange rate changes.

missile

Maybe so, but does OP want to live in Gib? Santander has zero exchange charges. Sometimes you win and sometimes you loose with currency rates. OP lives and earns in UK and wants to live in Spain and hopefully will find my suggestion helpful.

cricketman

There are not any flights to Heathrow on the North Coast of Spain!

You would have to go via Barcelona

Another point is that the population density of Spanish cities is much higher than in British cities. Even in the villages people live crammed together. So you would have to think exactly what you are looking for and why

iano

I think a lot of us are secretly envying your opportunity, I know I am ! £60k pa allows you plenty of scope.

I know somebody who works in Manchester and regularly flies out to Alicante for weekends in their holiday home, and has done successfully for quite some time now.

Long term rental is very affordable and plentiful, and you'll obviously be looking for somewhere close to your airport of choice. Consider buying a runabout in Spain because long term airport parking costs are not prohibitive, certainly at Alicante airport.

Also consider Gatwick, as well as Heathrow, very good links to the South Downs area etc.

You're also young enough and obviously bright enough to pick up Spanish very quickly. This will give you more opportunities going forward, especially if, like us, you get a bug for the place. Spanish girls are not too shabby either, so reckon it won't take long for you to be 'grown up'.

Best of luck, you lucky, lucky &^%*$

Fredbargate

At this stage the OP is only considering living in Spain.

I am offering a different scenario for which the exchange rate doesn't fluctuate coupled with no charges.

Also Gib has direct flights to Heathrow etc. which take a little longer but possibly less booking in time particularly at the Gib end.

missile

You have offered an alternative, OP may not wish to live in Gib(?). I certainly would not.

Fredbargate

With such a negative attitude I'm not surprised by that reply

However I can also assure you that no way would I want to live or own property again in Spain, my attitude

Also the OP might also want to consider tax implications.

missile

I would not wish to live in Gib. I would not want to live in London either That is not "negative attitude". Those are personal preferences based on my observations.

chopera

On top of this, it's also worth being near an airport with several flights a day to the chosen destination. So if you can't make a flight, or it is cancelled, another one should be available.