The Smilers

Hi

My partner and I are early retired currently living on our boat in the Caribbean. However, we are looking at the next adventure.

Where in Spain are there good ExPat communities?

We have up to £150k to spend on a property and are still young and active.
In particular I have a passion for playing jazz, so any areas with a strong music social scene is of interest.

So if you are living in Spain and have a good social group then please recommend your area. We are open to all areas!

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

amideislas

Couple of questions.

First, why Spain? There are a number of taxation issues that may or may not adversely affect you.

Second, are you planning to sail over on your boat, or sell up and use the money to buy a flat? If you're sailing over and keeping the boat, you can make some good Bob offering charters to tourists. Not to mention the advantage of having accomodation whilst sorting out permanent accommodation.

As far as an "expat community" goes, there are many. They do tend to be the most expensive areas to live, however. Again, if it's social contact you seek, it might serve you well to offer sail charters but reside in a far less expensive non-expat community. £150k will net you far more than a small flat outside the expat areas.

The Smilers

Thank you for your response.

We are not firmly settling in Spain. But considering it as one of our options, also we are looking at Portugal. Having lived out in the Caribbean for 4 years now we like the warm climate and on a recent visit back to UK found the climate even during the summer months cold and rainy.

We also have friends that have become stuck in sailing because they did not plan an exit strategy and are really too old to safely sail so they end up living on their depreciating asset not enjoying it but not knowing how to leave.

I am planning on sailing back and living on our boat until we find the right property. We have property in the UK and will sell there so we can buy outright. We will end up selling the boat eventually and having the money as our contingency / savings.

We do not really fancy a flat or apartment and have seen 3-4 bedroom villas or town houses for sale in some areas. I presume these areas are likely to be away from expat communities hence offering such good value for money.

I did read about the taxation changes online, it seemed from my minimal u derstand ing of what I read that they will not effect us too much. I have an Army pension that is exempt from the taxes and we would not be looking to work.

So having given you more information on our circumstances and the fact that we are looking to be in southern Spain somewhere down by the coast (not necessarily within sight of the sea) are there any areas that spring to your mind that we should further investigate.

Thank you for your quick response.

amideislas

I'm no expert on southern Spain, but your more detailed explanation will certainly invite good responses from those who are...

Good luck with all.

NigelJL

The area really depends a lot on your social expectations related of course to costs.
I have lived near Marbella for 14 years and although travelled extensively on the Costa´s they all have their pluses and minuses.
A 2 bed apartment in a good quality Urbanisation within 15 minutes of the sea along the Costa del Sol will range from €125k to €220k and as you hit the more affluent areas up to €900k.
I again would strongly suggest you either stay on your boat and explore each area before deciding or rent for a short term in each area before buying. Too many expats come over here and get caught up in the excitement and make the wrong decisions or are caught by some of the unscrupulous Estate Agents.
This is such an important decision you know that it makes sense not to jump too quickly.

The Smilers

Thanks, I agree in what you are saying, and plan to do it. Still looking for likely areas to go and check out first!