tim hortons man

Surprisingly no one has posted about this, but I'd like to know how you got here and did it work out as good as you thought it would. How do you make a living so on and so forth.

I have a friend who took a buyout from work and is taking a "long term" vaction in Madrid but at some point he has to face the fact that he needs to make a living. Spain's cost of living is low, but rents and housing is sky high.

pwwm

Hola tim hortons man

Well to be quite honest we got totally fed up with the British government what with one thing and another, we took early retirement and are living off the proceeds of the sale of our house in England and will do until we draw our pensions in the future. Absolutley no regrets but unlike you we did not find the cost of housing high quite the opposite in fact.

The final straw was when we were told that the government wanted everyone out of their cars into public transport, now I only worked 6 miles door to door but country roads no public transport. Country fold need their cars. Had ebough and got out.

pwwm

Mitzyboy

Ditto. Over regulation. As pwwm says, we don't all drive just for fun ... if you live in the middle of no where you have no choice and to have two Jags tell you otherwise just pushes me over the edge. And now I have to spend £900 - £1500 on a report on my house if I want to sell it which is fraught with pitfalls and fraudulant opportunities.

Wife made redundant after 38 years with the same company - big payout. My contract terminated without notice. Sell the house and live off the proceeds until pension. T minus 4 and counting.

Chiclanagir

Well, I cannot agree with the other two postings, although everyone is entitled to their own opinion. For us it was just down to weather, weather, weather. If it was not for that I would be quite happy to be back home. I loved the job I did for 10 years which was car leasing and then was made redundant so decided to try to make a difference. Laugh. I joined Devon & Cornwall Police Control Room. Big mistake, but, hey ho. That's life. I just love the sunshine and the beach and as you get older the summers get shorter and shorter and Christmas comes around sooner and sooner. We are lucky in that we purchased relatively cheaply from our house sale; have a bit of money in the bank but also have a little cottage in Torquay which we rent out which helps to subsidise our income until yes that awful day arrives when I am a pensioner. Nooooooooooooooooooooo.

anne c

LIKE YOURSELVES WE ARE IN IT FOR THE WEATHER/CHANGE OF LIFESTYLE/NO B....Y TONY BLAIR AND HIS FREEWHEELING WIFE!
WE ARE DUE TO COME OUT IN SEPTEMBER AND WILL BE DRIVING FROM SANTANDER. WE WILL BE KEEPING OUR 6 YEAR OLD TOYOTA BUT, WANT TO KNOW WHAT FORMS ETC WE WILL HAVE TO FILL IN. I KNOW WE NEED TO CONTACT DVLC BUT, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE WE SHOULD DO. PLEASE HELP? ANNE C

pwwm

The lifestyle is so much better here, far less traffic so no road rage that I have seen over last two and a half years.
Anne re bringing your car, just have it "sorn" or you will continue to pay tax. we changed our cars to Spanish plates and the only form from the UK we needed was the V5 . There are other things to do for that but see previous posting on it.
I do not miss for one thing the traffic or the weather. We have sold up lock stock and barrel with no regrets. I was the one who did not wish to move initially until two jags started. re the motorist.
pwwm

patsywhitehair

Anne, my partner and I had been looking for 18months for somewhere to live in Spain, we eventually found a nice villa. I took early retirement,we sold house and hubby gave in his job. We have been in Spain for about 2 months now and we just love it. Living in UK I was very stressed (arent a lot of people) travelling up to London etc... felt as if my shoulders were going to meet at the front with the stress (laugh) had had enough. got to Spain and shoulders are now WELL pulled back,he he. No, seriously, we came for a better way of life and we have found it, as i always say.. whats the worse that can happen.. you sell up and go home, (and yes I know thats if you can sell your property) you have to take chance sometime.
As for you car... I too bought my car over and am in the process of having it changed at the mo to Spanish plates, its all not cheap if you put it in the hands of somebody to do it for you but the way I thought, its cheaper than buying a new car, good luck to you, pat

vlc

Buenas

We came over to Spain as we had basically been taxed out of the UK and were getting very little quality of life for the sums of money that we were paying out each month. Living in the South East (Surrey) is very stressful and there is no real feeling of community in the UK any more.

Out here the kids still play out until midnight without their parents worrying about them, I've not seen any trouble as yet and people are very welcoming. I got talking to a Spanish football fan in a bar last week during the Arsenal - Villareal game, he left five minutes before the end and when we went to pay our tab, he had already paid it! (it was 12€, roughly £8-9), could you see that happening in the UK?

We have been here six weeks so far and have found the Spanish people fantastic. Some effort with learning the language goes a long way

It really is cheap to live here, the cost of living is low (our council tax equivalent was €70 for a year for a 5 bedroom townhouse!) and there is the bonus of the weather which has a positive effect on your outlook. Plus if you like a drink or a smoke it's tailor made for those vices

We've settled in very quickly and can't see ourselves leaving, it has far too much going for it.

David

ps Hello Pat, I'm glad the computer is running faster for you

tim hortons man

[QUOTE=vlc ....Out here the kids still play out until midnight without their parents worrying about them, I've not seen any trouble as yet and people are very welcoming. I got talking to a Spanish football fan in a bar last week during the Arsenal - Villareal game, he left five minutes before the end and when we went to pay our tab, he had already paid it! (it was 12€, roughly £8-9), could you see that happening in the UK?

We have been here six weeks so far and have found the Spanish people fantastic. Some effort with learning the language goes a long way

It really is cheap to live here, the cost of living is low (our council tax equivalent was €70 for a year for a 5 bedroom townhouse!) and there is the bonus of the weather which has a positive effect on your outlook. Plus if you like a drink or a smoke it's tailor made for those vices

We've settled in very quickly and can't see ourselves leaving, it has far too much going for it.

David [/QUOTE]

Hi David, were back in Germany last weekend and I must say we went through reverse culture shock arrived home about 10pm and it was like, shhhhhh the sidewalks are sleeping (as in "here they roll up the sidewalks at 8pm) Madrid 10pm the evening is barely beginning.

I must say the lifestyle and weather does grow on you. Question is since you have young children you are obviously not retired or close to it what do you do for a living then.

Anyways since you have young children your obviously not a retiree so what do you do for a living, Spain is cheap but unless you've won the house lottery you still need an income to live on.

Rob

vlc

Hi Rob

We don't have any children (yet), the children I was referring to are other peoples

I am self employed and can basically work from anywhere in the World so when the decision was made to move we looked at three countries in the EU, Italy, France and Spain and Spain won and I'm pleased that it did because we haven't looked back. I'm in a fortunate position to be able to do that and I do consider myself lucky because of it.

I know what you mean about the nights being great over here, we left our favourite bar in Ontinyent at 1.30 the other night and it was still full. The clubs here usually open at 1-1.30am!

David.

Costa-Convert

Hi all

Just got back from 4 weeks in Spain, didn't want to come back. Some of the responses you have had, have been quite interesting my reasons for moving (am going on the 9th July) are that my son who is 5 when in the UK spends 90% of his time playing in the house, when we are in Spain he spends 90% of his time playing outside even in winter. Some days its warm enough to be outside all day.

Last Christmas Day we walk round the pennisula's from Cabo Roig to the small marina thats there. Kids on bikes in t-shirts, we had t-shirts on it was great. So for me its the weather and the opportunities that the brings for us.

Great opportunity for my son to be fluent in another language which can only be a benefit in the future.