Very confused cannot work out what to do. Is life so hard in spain, seems to be a lot coming back to the uk. Have read there is a new form to be filled out in spain telling the authorities what bank accounts and monies you have. What do they want that for What is the best area would anybody say. Heard also a lot of crime ..burglaries in some areas. Have been to velez Rubio and Malaga. Lake Vinuela was to die for,rented a villa on the lake,that was it smitten. But now I am reading all things going on and don't know what to do. My husband just wears blinkers and just says lets go,I am more cautious Hope someone can help me. Thanks

You are right to be cautious;you have to do a lot of research. Being on holiday is not like the nitty gritty of living here.
The best thing to do is search different forums on Tax, health,residents register, assets form 720, finances,driving etc. Your brain will be frazzled with information overload, but it will give you some idea of what you will face.
Look at sites for ex pats, like UK in Spain, Anglo info etc, there are loads of them, and some give conflicting advice. Rules in Spain change frequently, so don,t rely on Books which can be out of date when they come into print.
It makes a difference if you are receiving state pension, as regards health.
There are lots if things people just don't realise, especially the tax implications. eg what is tax free in UK isn't here- important if you have a pension pot coming or an inheritance.
If your husband refuses to remove his blinkers, then he will be in for a few shocks!
Be prepared for the hidden costs in Spain.
Take time over it, don't buy until you are sure.It's a huge undertaking. Don't give up your house in UK.

Neptuno's post is very good.

I would suggest if you are able to afford it come out here and take a 6 month rental without cutting your ties back home. That way you will be able to assess better what life is really like.

I fully agree with the above.
On a lighter note, I know many people who have retired here. Most seem to be living very happy lives.
We´re nearly in November and there are people sitting at the wine bar next door in their T-shirts!
As Neptuno said, do your research, take you time and don´t make any rash decisions. Have you thought of renting over here for a year? To my mind, that´s the only way you´ll really see what life is about, the good and the bad!
Whatever you decide, good luck

p.s ... see crime stats for Spain v UK
http://www.nationmaster.com/compare/...-Kingdom/Crime

Renting long term before buying is, IMHO, an essential part of sorting things out, you will find out whether you can live there without burning your bridges to get back to the UK, keep your UK house. Remember that living for a couple of weeks or so in a place in summer doesn't let you see what the really high temps for 5 MONTHS feels like, and also, despite what they would like you to think, Spain does get cold and very wet, in winter.

Only you can decide, but one thing is clear. Visiting a place as atourist is NOT the same as living there ! As other posters suggest, go and live there for a few months before burning any bridges.

One thing to bear in mind about buying a house in Spain is that it tends to be a one-way ticket.

The housing market in Spain is not like the UK. So you shouldn't think that if your spanish house doesn't work out it's an easy matter of selling and either buying one more to your liking or moving to a different country.
For a start, when you buy there is a significant amount of tax to be paid. After you've paid the seller, reckon on needing about another 10% of the house price for taxes, fees, solicitor and the like. That's before you even consider the cost of moving from the UK.

If you do want to sell up after a short time, it's unlikely that prices will have risen enough to even cover those additional expencses - let alone the enormous commissions that spanish estate agents charge to sell your house. And after that, there's the time factor: selling a house in Spain can take years. Literally 2 or 3 years to find a buyer - even if you reduce the price to below what you paid, they are still hard to find as there are so many properties on sale in Spain and so few buyers for them.

So: be very sure before you jump in. Getting out could leave a significant amount of capital tied up for years. You would have to be prepared to take a loss and if you needed that money to finance your new, new life it could be very frustrating.

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

I've always said Spain is a great place to retire to if you have money, if you don't have to worry about exchange rates or the rising prices of everything. I'd guess a lot of those living happy lives would fall into that category, I've seen some pretty desperate characters and it's not a pretty sight. Agree with all that's been said about renting, in fact unless you have already spent a lot of time in Spain and found out it's for you, I think you'd be mad to consider buying for the reasons already stated. Yep, weather has been great, we've just come back, except for all the flies, never seen so many.
Crimewise, I'm certainly not saying UK is better but you need to take into account where you are moving from and where to. From say London to some pueblo blanco in the hills of Andalucia you'd expect it to be less, but for me living in a rural part of UK, I find far more crime in Spain. I've said previously, I've only been on the receiving end of crime twice, both times in Spain, and my UK neighbour who had lived next to us for 20 years with no problems, had her car stolen and trashed and her solar panels nicked within a few weeks of moving to Spain. Mind you, a lot of the crime carried out in Spain is by alcaldes and the very people you could be relying on to steer you through the legal maze of buying your house!

All the advice you have been given so far is sound. I would just like to add that whilst the area around Lake Vinuela is a very nice place to live, the inland area of La Axarquia which includes Lake Vinuela has a lot of problems with houses that were built on land which should not have been built on, the Junta de Andalucia has declared them illegal after they had been sold, many of them to foreign buyers. An organisation (Save Our Homes Axarquia) was formed to represent the interests of affected home-owners, you might like to take a look at their website:-

http://soha.es/

I am not saying it is impossible to find a fully legal house there, but you do need to be extremely cautious, never believe what an estate agent tells you and never use a solicitor recommended by them.

Thank you so much everybody, REALLY appreciate all your advice :-) Agoreira has given me a lot to think on. Mmm will show blinkered.Thanks.

Very interesting Linda R just went on site. Maybe better at Los Romanes although looks somewhat overbuilt. Maybe a better option near the lake than Vinuela. Still need to decide what to do .....Being a new forum girl appreciate all the help. Thanks :-)

I read the word crime here mentioned, burglaries are on the rise with the crisis. are cars being more and more targeted especially if UK plate on it ?
always good to have a smart, not-installed locally VV2 alarm on your car + other devices and cell phone emitter also (warns you on yr cell if attempt is under way).
you can also have windows hammer-proof (special film against hammers)

I suppose also special locks on the house doors is a must, external forged bars to protect windows.

anything that forces the thieves to waste time is good.

I may be wrong but I get the impression there are more burglaries in the campo than in the towns, unlike the Uk where the opposite is true. Whilst the villa on the hill may seem idyllic it does have its downsides including the risk of break-ins but also having to do everything by car. As you get older this may become a consideration.

I would always buy in a town or village.

I agree with most of what has been said, especially the renting first aspect, but don't prevaricate for too long - crime happens, there is corruption everywhere and we all get older - just go for it when you're ready.

All you need to do is to get someone to look after your house in the UK, pack a suitcase, take you passport and credit card and get on a plane to your chosen destination.

Do not bother with any considerations about residencia and signing on anywhere, all that comes much later once you know whether Spain is the country for you. There's a fair chance it will be.