Hi Everyone
I am after some general advice from any expats now living in Mallorca.
We (my wife, daughter and I) have recently moved back to UK after living in OZ for 10 years. We have moved back for family reasons of now having a little girl so wanted to be closer to family, but we really want to live in a warmer climate, so being 2-3 hours from family is a good compromise.
We have thought of Spain as we speak a little spanish, and have met quite a few people now, who have either lived in Mallorca for a while or who have holidayed many times. General consensus from all of them is that Mallorca is an amazing place to live.
For that reason I am reaching out here to try and make contact with anyone living in Mallorca who can offer any advice, good or bad about actually living there.
We are heading over in April to do an initial reckie. We are going to stay in the south west as we want to be close to Palma but not right in it as we would be looking at buying a house/villa with garden not an apartment.
Initial search on net shows housing in this area as well as most of Mallorca as pretty high, but this maybe a little different if you are searching locally rather than on the net.
We've heard the east coast is a lot cheaper and also beautiful, but a little quiet with a lot of places closing down over winter (not what we want).
We both work from home with client base in UK and Australia, so finding work or current economic climate is not something we really need to take into consideration. Unless someone requires graphic or web design work doing, then we are always happy to help out
I know this a long post but any advice anyone can offer would be very much appreciated.

Cheers
Ian

It is not 2-3 hrs in reality. Our flight time is posted as 2.5 hrs but is usually less say 2-2.25 hrs. The best total time door to door we have done is 5 hrs and we are only 30 mins from the airport at each end. Usual time is 6-8 hrs door to door about half a day. About the same time as driving London to Newcastle in UK.

exactly


we recently flew Stanstead to Alicante - roughly the same flight time as to Mallorca

we were about an hour from Stanstead, we live within 1.5 hours from Alicante

we left at just after 4:30am & arrived home at about 2pm - we could have left maybe an hour later & not had time for a coffee & a bagel at Stanstead - but that's all we had time for - if we had checked in as late as they say you can we probably would have missed the flight - they were checking many many bags manually going through security, including one of ours which proved to have nothing to have triggered the search, although on the x-ray scanner it looked as if it might have

better safe than sorry though

of course you can cut it down by living closer to an airport - but that's not the longest part of the trip anyway

Sorry I should have said 2-3 hour flight time. I understand total travel time will be more like 5 (family is close to Birmingham airport), but this is a lot better than 24 hour flight, nearly 30 hour total travel from Sydney where we were.
John and Kath, are you in Mallorca?

Cheers
Ian

As Concierge for the Spanish section of BE I would like to say hello and welcome.

BE is a very large expat website, so if you have problems finding your way around we have concierges who will try to direct you. The moderators for the Spanish forums are Mitzyboy and Fred James, moderators are there to ensure that the site runs smoothly within the rules of BE. Problems and complaints should always be addressed to a moderador who will look into the matter and deal with it efficiently and fairly. Our members who post in the Spain Forums are friendly and helpful with a wealth of knowledge of the issues of living in Spain. At the top of the page you will find a quirkily named thread called Free Beer which is full of important and useful information. Hope you enjoy your time participating in the forums.

Please let me know if you need any further help.

Rosemary

No much nicer place on mainland Spain, Ayamonte.

Hi,

I live in Palma, what would you like to know?

David

We've lived all over Mallorca in the past 20 years. For the past 5 we've been on the east coast, which, after being in lots of lovely places on this beautiful island, we now prefer the lifestyle over here.

Feel free to PM me if you'd like the benefit of our experiences.

Ami

Hi David and Ami
I suppose the information I'm really after at this stage is what is it like to live in the sense of how are foreigners excepted by the local people, we do speak a little Spanish already and would be able to hold a conversation by the time we actually come to move. I'm tol this does make a difference.

Also we're looking for information on where to live in Mallorca, but I need to explain what we want in lifestyle for you to be able to answer that.

We know we want to be close to Palma (within 30 minutes) as we do like to have what a larger city has to offer very close to our door step, but we don't want to be right in the city as we would want to live in a house with garden rather than a apartment, we lived in Sydney for 10 years and had to live in apartments due to the crazy prices of houses there within 30 minutes of the city, so now we have a young girl (3years old) we really want house with garden. We also would want to be within walking distance of local shops/restaurants/coast if possible, so living in the middle of nowhere is not an option for us.
When looking for property to purchase in Mallorca, is it cheaper to deal with the local agents, or are prices pretty much the same as with the UK websites selling Mallorcian properties?
Sorry it is a long winded post again but felt I needed to give you a bit of info of what we are looking for to be able to then offer suitable advice.

Ami: You mention you have moved over to the east coast, I've heard that a lot of places on the east coast close down during winter, do you find this? Also where were you living before?

We are heading over in April to have a bit of a look around for a week or so, probably going to be looking at staying in the south west somewhere (away from magaluf) as we have been told this is a very nice area.

Thanks for offering advice.

Kind Regards
Ian

Hi Ian,

I sent you a PM, but some of this is probably worth posting for others aspiring to live in Mallorca.

We've previously lived in Port de Andratx, Palmanova, Porto Portals, Calvia, Illetas, Cala Estancia, Marratxi (only a short time), Santanyi, Cala Figuera, and Porto Petro.

First, Mallorca is a wonderful place to live
It's surrounded by sea, so no matter where you live, you're not far from the beach, many of which are simply dreamy and everything you ever imagined.

There's watersports, boating, diving, sailing, yachting, fishing - you name it. But perhaps the most interesting part of living here is the diversity. From beautiful california-esque mountains, to incredible seascapes of all types.

It's a big island, so you never really get "island fever". It can take decades to discover everything this island has to offer, and the differences between the west and the east, the north and the south are "subtly" dramatic. From rolling hills and rock fences much like rural england, to secluded white-sand beaches nestled amongst massive cliffs extending into the open sea. Diverse, indeed. Like different countries, really. Yet only 60 miles from end-to-end.

Weather
T Shirt weather can be expected from April through November. Summers are very long and hot (averaging 35c-42c), usually pure sun and not a drop of rain between late June and September.

Jobs
There are a few, but don't come here expecting to get a good job. Especially if you aren't fluent in Spanish and German. Forget it. It's a good place to have money, not a good place to make money.

Living Areas
We prefer the east simply because it's much less commercialised, less complicated, near-zero crime (our doors are often left unlocked), and certainly less crowded, but also much, MUCH less expensive to live very well.

We have a huge garden with beautiful olive, pistacio, almond, orange, lemon and other citrus trees, and populated by wild rabbits, peacocks, chickens, cats geckos - and we're 5 minutes from a choice of about 8 beaches. it's a kids' paradise. Center of town is 3Km away, and our nearest neighbour is 300 metres away.

We are pensioners, so we don't have any kids living here. But you will need to consider schools - the public (spanish) schools out here are highly rated and populated with decent kids from nice families - but the "international" (english) schools are only found around around Palma. Note: None of the international schools are highly rated, are mostly full-up, and are quite expensive.

Probably also notable is that many current and ex-celebrities ultimately choose to live in the east. Many of Abba's orignal band members have houses along the east coast (their drummer, Ola Brunkert was found dead in his Arta home in 2008), many other household-name musicians, writers, artists, actors live out here too. It's not uncommon to find yourself in a street cafe sitting next to the likes of Jon Bonjovi, Julian Lennon, Emily Blunt, and various ex-rockstars and TV show actors.

Resources
Contrary to popular belief, living outside of Palma doesn't mean there aren't any resources - there are plenty of shops and stores and major supermarkets, DIY and building materials and anything you need to live well out here - year 'round. They are just less conspicuous than in the west, and over time, you'll find the places that have what you need, and you'll develop relationships with those shops which will enable you to get what you want at quite reasonable prices.

"30 minutes" to Palma
well, the maximum from almost anywhere on the island is about about 40mins by car, so that's not difficult to achieve. But you will find that your scale of what is "far" will change dramatically after living here for only a short time.

Most people here would consider 20Km quite a long distance to travel. Really. So, if you want "Palma" you'd better consider living IN Palma, because you'll rarely go there otherwise. You will, but not every evening. Maybe every other weekend to shop or dine or the cinema, because anywhere else you live also has most of the resources you need locally - and usually less expensively, too. But Palma does have a lot to offer. We are considering buying a small flat there just for the weekends.

We have major motorways throughout the island, which makes it rather simple and fast to get from one end to the other. But still people seem to stay within 5Km of their home. I suppose it's just the nature of being on an island.

Winter?
The smaller coastal "tourist resorts" tend to "close up" in the winter, but the larger towns with a local resident populations don't "close down" at all, in fact we are always relieved when the tourist season is over. Traffic returns to normal, the crowds decline, and life just gets better.

In the off-season, we regularly visit Cala Millor or Cala Ratjada for walks along the seaside, dinner and drinks, even shopping. Manacor (Mallorca's 2nd largest city) is always open for business - shopping, dining, etc.. none of which is at all touristy. It's Rafael Nadal's home town, he still lives there, and when he's not on tour, he practices at the local tennis club (open to public), where he learned to play.

Mallorquins and Foreigners
The "native" Mallorquins are among the nicest people you'll meet, are very trustworthy, although they tend to be a bit slower in pace and more "backward" in their views of the world. I sometimes believe the Mallorquins missed the 20th century.

They are very friendly to foreigners, but generally not very trusting of foreigners (for good reasons), but once you "prove" yourself, you will find the Mallorquins to be as trustworthy and welcoming as anyone you'll ever meet. We personally prefer Mallorquins to many of the foreigners :-) Just treat them with respect, realise they operate at a different pace than you, and you'll go far.

Watch your back
Having said that, as a "newbie" to the area, it's advisable to always be "on guard", as it's not unusual for people of all nationalities here to attempt to take advantage of your naivity. It's common to completely misrespresent anything to a naive foreigner in the interest of getting as much out of you as possible.

And your legal recourse in the event you are defrauded is more complex and limited than in the UK. The general mindset is "if you were stupid enough to let them rip you off, it's your fault". Remember those words. You'll soon know what I mean :-)

So, if you're spending any significant amount of money (on a house, car, construction materials, etc), until you've developed trust relationships with the seller, it's best to get someone you can trust, who knows how to avoid getting burned, to help you, at least initially until you figure it all out. After you "get it" all things can become pretty simple and cheap.

Buying a house
DON'T rush in and buy a house. Property is NOT selling here, it's a bit of a crisis - it's a buyers' market. But the agents really don't want you to know that.

Rent for a year or two and look around at everything (rental prices are cheap!). There are incredible bargains to be had, but nobody is going to simply give you a good deal.

DO NOT be "in a hurry". If you find a place you want - be "coy". Do your research. Take your time. Let them know you're interested and financially sound - but not in a hurry - and let them know the price is too high. Then walk away.

It won't be long before you get a call with a new price. Go through this exercise several times until it gets to the price you want, then close the deal. It may take a year or two, but you could save €100K's! Really.

Most important, find out >everything< about the property. DO NOT take the word of an agent, but get your information from the local council (ajuntament), who will be the ONLY ones who really know the truth about the legalities of the property, what restrictions there are, etc.

Once you find a place you like, I believe it's best to hire a local solicitor to get the facts for you - many speak english fluently. And also, don't tell the ajuntament any specific plans to buy or renovate - they have a funny way of finding ways to collect fees for these things. Just get the information, but don't tell them anything other than your "interest" in buying.

Agents
Don't ask me about property agents. We have several good friends who are real estate agents, but I don't recommend them if you can avoid them - solely because their single pupose is to extract as much money as possible from you (and frankly, many of them would agree if the truth be told).

It's common practice that a Mallorquin owner may only want say, €200K for their house, but as soon as an agent is involved, the property is listed at €500K or more, and negotiated from there.

Instead, I would recommend looking around for house for sale by the owner, and dealing with the owner directly, if possible (there are many, and some owners really need the money, and are willing to compromise).

The best deals
The best deals are those that are a bit of a "fixer-upper", and that can be quite rewarding if the foundation is sound, there is water and electricity, the property is legal to renovate, and you're inclined to do your own work. You can save a fortune this way, and over time, have exactly the house you dream of. Get a solicitor who is not paid on commission, and has little to gain from a higher price. That's my view, anyway.

But if the house you want is only available through an agent, I can only recommend doing your own research outside of what the agent tells you. Find out everything, so you know how much of what the agent is telling you is truth or fiction.

The WEST
The West does offer a lot. It's incredibly beautiful, and there are some fantastic "dream" properties there. But it's also a lot more expensive. Much, much more expensive. It's really down to your budget. For my money, I can live twice as well for half the money over here.

Unfortunately, the west is mostly populated by foreigners (Germans, Russians, English, Dutch, etc). Unlike the Mallorquins, we've found that the foreigners are most often the cause of local disputes. For example, if you put up a satellite antenna, someone is likely to complain that their view has been destroyed and file a denuncia to have it removed. If you have friends on the terrace for dinner and drinks after 10:00PM, someone may call the police. If your car is a bit nicer than you neighbour, they may scratch it. We've found the foreign population to be substantially more petty and jealous than our Mallorquin neighbours.

In contrast, the Mallorquins could care less about things like that. They don't care what car you drive, and don't care if you put up a satellite dish or build a gazebo. They don't care if you stay out on the terrace all night long. For those reasons, we prefer Spanish neighbourhoods.

Speaking of cars (we see this often especially with Germans), Many come here with a shiny new Audi or Mercedes. since most people haven't the same respect for nice cars as our northern neighbours do, you'll inevitably find your shiny new car to be scratched and dented within the first year (not deliberately, but usually as a result of someone scraping their car against it while pulling out of a supermarket parking space - or on the street - and simply leave without thinking twice about it. It's pretty normal here.

It doesn't take long for those newbies with their shiny new cars to sell them off and buy an old Golf or an old Land Rover which is already scratched and dented. It's a lot more practical. Besides, nobody really cares.

Anyway, I hope that helps give you some insight into our perspective. You have so many choices here, I don't expect my views to be the end-all to everything, but having lived in most places on this island at one time or another, we've decided we like it where we are now.

Please feel free to contact me if you need any other advice. And good luck with everything.

Ami

Well, what a wonderful and thorough post!!! There's little I disagree with and not much I can add. I'm a city boy and therefore, for me, Palma is the only place I'd live in Mallorca. It is a beautiful city to live in and since the population is mainly Spanish/Mallorquien there are different layers i.e a tourist layer, then a resident level. There is so much going on virtually every night I never get bored.

It is quite expensive but that is the price you pay to live here.

David

Super post ami, I have only visited Mallorca (Palma) once six months ago and enjoyed it greatly. I plan to return and see more of the island. Your description has only reinforced the view I already had.

Best regards

jonboy

Hi Ami
As I have already said in PM, but wanted to say again in post, WOW and thanks again for taking so much time to give such detailed answers.
Can't wait to get over there and have a good look around.

Kind Regards
Ian

My pleasure. Good luck with everything.

-Ami

I would have to agree with all of this post. Anywhere on the east coats, from Porto Cristo (where Nadal now lives) and heading north, is my idea of the real Mallorca. As mentioned, the promenade of Cala Millor is something else. It's a real pleasure to walk along, with the beautiful little fishing harbour of Cala Bona at the end, if you keep going.

Hope you enjoy your visit