Sarah2015

Hello everyone, I'm at crossroads and totally unsure what to do next, perhaps some of you have done this and can help. After living in Spain with my husband and loving it for 12 years he said was fed up and wanted to return to the UK. So we sold up and 3 years ago moved back to the UK bought a very nice house and settled down .. but the problem is that we just can't settle down....the weather/the bills/the politics etc., etc., we long to be back in the sunshine and the (in our opinion) a much better retirement in Spain. However, I'm quiet scared. I'm 67 (husband 70) and obviously will not return to the UK again if we go this time. We've put our house the the market and it looks like its almost sold so now is the very definitive time to come to a decision and honestly I'm lost........ any thoughts anyone from the Expats that actually still live in Spain ....

amideislas

The old saying is just as true today as it has been for quite some time:

Spain is a good place to have money. If you have a decent income not dependent on Spain, and can adjust to or accept the differences in culture and "life rhythm", then Spain is a lovely place to live.

missile

Do you really need the hassle and expense of moving? I assume you are retired? Just lock the door and enjoy extended vacations .... and not only in Spain.

Life is full of choices and only you can decide what is right for you and yours.

Fredbargate

olivefarmer

Well the fact that you have put your house on the market suggests you have nearly made your mind up!

How about keeping a UK base and renting a modest place in Spain. You could maybe rent out your UK house.

Maybe it would help if the two of you sat down and made a list of the good things and not so good of moving back to Spain. Then you could tailor your approach.

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

VFR

My thoughts as well.

Neptuno

And mine!

bobd22

Personally if I was in your position I would follow Missiles sound advice. Or at least just rent in Spain with a little bolt hole kept in the UK preferably rented to pay Spanish rent, that way you have not burned your bridges. The whole EU is so ever changing that best to retain something in UK.

mentalist

At your age, the quality of the health service is likely to soon become a major determining factor. Living in Dubai I have no idea how good or bad the health service in Spain is right now. You presumably know best.

Horlics

If you're having doubts this late into the whole process, deep inside you know the right answer.

Cats-R-Us

I am not trying to sound flippant so please read this to the end to understand what I mean. Have you tried tossing a coin? If I really cannot make up my mind I give each side of the coin a decision, say "heads Spain, tails UK". Toss the coin and if I'm disappointed with the result then it probably means that deep down I wanted the other side to win. It doesn't matter what side actually comes down but it does seem to help sort out my true feelings. Whatever happens you don't have to follow the result if you really don't want to. Best wishes to you both with your decision making.

Mitzyboy

From someone who has lived in Spain and returned to the UK ........ when you're sitting here in the midst of winter, it IS easy to think that life would be a lot better in a warmer climate. My comments to many people though, in the opast, has been "same sh!t, different place".

And to some extent that is true. I remember all the hassle I had with the authorities in Spain over such stupid things. The politicians who only took notice of you when there was an election due, the hoops you had to jump though to get things done sometimes. Yep ... the same as the UK, but with a different climate and a slightly better cost of living and dont have to worry about the tax implications.

If I were to do it again today I'd probably just rent for 6 months of the year and spend the rest of the year either in the UK or travelling. As you get older, health becomes a more important factor to take into consideration and although the health system in Spain is fine, we often approached it with trepidation

So although only you know what is right for you, my advice would be to split it and with rental prices so low in Spain I would rent .... when last I looked a 6 month rental would be around €3000 as opposed to putting all your finances into a house and taking the associated risks with that. You won't become a tax resident under those circumstances either.

Neptuno

Good- Spain without the pain, it's the best option!

scampicat

Mine too.