St George 1974

Hi

My partner and i are seriously considering a move to the Costa Blanca area (preferably Orihuela) in March/April 2016.

My partner lived in Orihuela for 8 years with her ex husband so she knows the surrounding areas very well as well as the language. My 8 year old step daughter was born there.

I am currently out of work in the UK due to illness (non life threatening) my area of employment being either a Glasscutter or a Port Plant Operator (Cranes, Tugs, Reach Stackers)

We are due a small wind full later this month somewhere between £64'000 - £240'000 but due to rising living costs in the Uk and house prices we want to move somewhere we could not just make a new future for us but also where we can get more with the money we will have and in the UK we are very limited and it will not last very long! Not to mention I've always loved the Spanish lifestyle and my partner missed it and regrets moving back to the UK.

I have spent the last 2 months researching as many Pro's and Con's as possible about moving to Spain and to be honest all opinions so far are split right down the middle which has left me confused and frustrated.

I'm on here now, posting this in the hope that someone who either lives in the Orihuela area or an ex expat who has recently returned back to the UK could advise me or possibly contact me as so I can further my research as I'm fearful that I could make a huge mistake and end up having a very expensive holiday!!

Just to mention I would be actively seeking work if I did move to Spain and not just in my field of expertiseand I am well aware of the high unemployment percentage that has improved this year alone.

We would be incredibly appreciative if anyone could contact us for a chat or any advice given.

Thankyou

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

St George 1974

Thankyou :-)

missile

Hi,
I am familiar with the region. I assume you mean Orihuela city not Orihuela Costa?
Orihuela is a predominantly Spanish city. It is not so popular with ex-pats and consequently house prices and rentals are cheaper. You will need to speak Spanish if you wish to integrate within this community.
You say "un-employed due to illness". I don't wish to pry into your circumstances, but you would be wise to consider your own situation re UK benefits and cost of medical treatment in Spain.
Is you illness temporary? I do not think it will be easy for you to find employment. Your prospects will be limited in Spain and even more so in Orihuela.

St George 1974

Thankyou for your time replying.

To be more precise I am looking at properties in Bigastro as that is where my wife lived with her ex between 2001 - 2008.

She always speaks highly about living there and about how happy she was at living the Spanish lifestyle. They were only forced to return to the UK due to their marriage breakdown.

I've always considered "taking her back" to her dream life as it also appeals to me and I know should it work out we would be very happy as we have absolutely nothing to stay here for.

As for my illness, I'm suffering from severe depression since being made redundant so I also feel that a big change would be very good for me.

As for finding work I have budgeted for us to live there for a year renting (including healthcare) just to see if both me and my wife could find work. She pretty much has a job as soon as we are there through a Spanish friends who own a popular restaurant. I would hunt high and low in that year to find some sort of work.

My wife is certain that I would take to living there well, she has concerns about employment but she also knows that I am a fighter and once I snap out of this hole I'm in I am a very determined man who doesn't give up too easily.

Do you think moving nearer the coast would be a better idea?

Leper

Hi St-George, From reading through your posts, I reckon your chances of success in Spain are less than slim. Before I mention anything, unemployment in Spain is at epidemic proportions with 30%+ unemployed in the 18 - 25 group. There are Spanish work schemes but these mainly are wallpapering the situation.

I don't have any qualifications in psychology and your illness does not lend itself to positive longterm residency in Spain. I reckon Spain will do you a disservice.

The "dream" that was Spain is now a mere memory. Spain has broken the most strong of expats. Forget about loyalty from your fellow countrymen too; it's dog-eat-dog for survival amongst those who have to work and will be for several years to come. The traffic of Brits between Spain and the UK has increased in the return direction.

I've probably deflated your hopes at this stage. I wish you the best but you know the UK, your Spain is just a rumour.

St George 1974

Hi

I'm not deflated at all, this is what I need to find out, brutal, honest facts, not sugar coated bull***t!!

Life is going to take a small turn for the better for us soon with our little cash injection so things are going to pick up either way. I just want to do what's best for us with the tools we will have and as my wife speaks so positively about her time living in Spain this has become one of our options. Not to mention that since losing my job I've pretty much given up on surviving in the UK!!

I appreciate your honesty, thankyou :-)

Moses2013

First of all you are in a good position with the money you'll get, but you also need to consider that it might not last very long either. Once you spend it on a property, you will still need a decent income (or job at all) and unfortunately salaries aren't always great in Spain. It really depends how long you have left to work and if you calculate 20 years of low wages, or no job at all, Britain might not be that bad if you can find employment again. I'm in Ireland myself and know that the UK can be pricey when it comes to housing, but there are still plenty of cheaper areas too.

Fredbargate

Hi St George whatever you do don't buy in Spain at the moment.
Put your windfall into a good investment, you should be able to achieve 5% and use the interest to rent and live with any other means you have.
If this is feasible then rent for a year or so and go for it.
After that it is up to you to decide what is best for the future.

St George 1974

Hi and thankyou for your comment.

Me and my partner are both 41 so still have many years of work ahead as we acknowledge that the money we have coming will not be nowhere near enough to retire.
You have pretty much repeated my concerns regarding income. We're not looking to retire or to live a lavish lifestyle as that's not our interest. I would be looking to hopefully find a job and live the "Spanish" way.
We know that our living expenses would equal to approx €1100 per month renting or €700-€800 if we bought a property.
We are currently living in a cheap 3 bed rented property in Colchester, Essex on a nice little estate so we would be sacraficing the security of our home in the UK which is why I'm looking for advice :-)

St George 1974

Hi

This is very sound advice, thankyou. We have actually been looking into investing a portion of our money into a very secure investment that won't make us filthy rich but would give us a regular monthly income to live on. If we did manage to get the "top end" of the expected amount that would be fantastic as we would be in a perfect position to invest, buy a property in Spain outright and have a regular income of around €31000 per year to live on but we're trying to base things on the worse case scenario and not to focus on pipe dreams lol

Moses2013

Although I love Spain and we have a small place (Investment for later), I would not want to live there full time at the moment. I don't really know what the Spanish way is, because most people I know who are Spanish complain that they have long working hours, no money and no time to enjoy it. Sure, you see retired people enjoying life and they sit in a café all day, but the reality is completely different when you're working long hours. We recently came back from a holiday in Spain and stayed in an amazing hotel near the French Border. One night we went to a bar and met a Swiss couple who left Switzerland 5 years ago. They have only been to the beach once this year, because they are always working. This is an extreme case, but it happens all the time. Of course there are also many Spanish people with good jobs who don't have to work 24/7, but in general life is the same, so I don't really know what the Spanish way is.

chopera

As has been hinted already, I would aim for regularly spending long periods in Spain each year rather than a permanent move. If you do find work, it will be low paid and long hours, and your lifestyle will probably be worse than in the UK. I would target seasonal work in the UK, if you can find it, while making sure you spend less than 6 months in Spain each year (for tax reasons). Hopefully your income would make your visits to Spain more enjoyable and you'd have money to spend on doing interesting things, without being tied to a particular place in Spain, rather than having to scrape a living.

St George 1974

I refer to the way my wife lived for 8 years. She worked for pretty much the whole time she was there as did her ex husband in a restraunt. Their two children attended Spanish schools and they had Spanish neighbours. They ate Spanish product food and lived simple Spanish lives.

I'm not a "Beach & Bathe" kind of guy although it would be nice to just drive "down the road" to take our little'n out for the day. It's more the culture that appeals to me. A total break from the fast paced hustle & bustle of our daily lives only to maintain a mundane existence for potentially a more slower paced, relaxed and scenic lifestyle. That's where the appeal is for us but obviously I don't really know if this is how it would be if we moved there full time which is why I'm asking for advice.

St George 1974

I totally understand what you are saying and thankyou for your comments :-)

The thing is that we are trying to find a total lifestyle change on a permanent basis. If we do "take the plunge" and move to Spain it will be a total life changer, not just a seasonal change. I will want to live the way the Spanish live abiding by the same living rules as a Spanish family would have to. This is exactly why I have come to the forum to ask for opinions and advice, positive and negative.
We're not looking for paradise, just something completely different than what we have now, and as my wife has lived there and has a little knowledge Spain is our very first choice.