Re: Thinking of moving to spain and have some questions.
 

I did notice that one of the reasons apart from the weather was that the cost of living is too much where you are living now.

But renting a six bedroomed house with a gardner doesnt come cheap anywhere, and of course your expenses will go down if you settle on a 3 bed place in Spain, but you can also downsize in the UK too, so for me it seems to all boil down to the better weather in Spain.

Re: Thinking of moving to spain and have some questions.
 

Agree, it's pointless comparing rents of such disparate properties, they could live a lot cheaper in UK than they currently are. We have members here telling us international schools charge around 600 per month, so with 2 kids that's over a grand a month they wouldn't have to pay in UK. So, as you say, apart from the weather, I can't see how they'll be better off. In fact, unless hubby is on a great salary, I could see them struggling, there are no safety nets in Spain.

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You could make that interpretation but you will no doubt have noticed that I mentioned other reasons, schooling etc. I don't think I should be put in the position of defending my actions but just so you know, If I wanted to down size in the uk it is what I would do. If I did I would move out of the preferred catchment area and my daughter (the younger one) would have to go to a different high school than her sister as the area is over subscribed and they do not make concessions, same with doctors, if you move you have to move from, its a fact of life where we live. In spain, I can rent cheaper, get private schooling, still work from home and have a better quality of life for my family and all on the same income, but here I do not get a)the private school that can be afforded, b) the weather, yes, which cannot be discounted, as we are happier in the heat (if anyone has lived in scotland they will know what I mean), as my husband and daughter suffer from asthma and the low humidity and lack of damp and wet weather will be beneficial to them (on holidays they use less than a quarter of inhaler than they use at home, we have proven this over the course of a few years of travelling), . As I said, this is not a quick decision and folks will simply have to believe that I would only move my family if it was best for us.

I appreciate all the comments but advice on the areas is what I am after, I can handle the rest.

We do have friends as I said that have been out there for years and they have made us aware of the cost of living etc.

If anyone has any more advice on the areas, urbs recommended or useful advice on other aspects to consider and take into account when moving then I would love to hear them.

Cheers

Lesley

Re: Thinking of moving to spain and have some questions.
 

I have heard of a lot of Brits returning to the UK with children of this age due to concerns for their childrens future employment. Many say that having a foreign surname is detrimental to gaining work when young. My friends all emphasise that most Spanish people gain their jobs from friends of their family, who you know being a very important factor in gaining employment.

Rosemary

Re: Thinking of moving to spain and have some questions.
 

Again, We cannot live cheaper in the uk and STILL keep within the catchment area, its a very expensive area (and we have one of the cheaper rented properties)

Again, I'll have to ask you to trust that our sums add up :) Our current bills come to about £2200 per month including food but in Spain, with private shooling, this add up to approx £1900 - to me this is a no brainer.

Im not sure why it needs to be "hubby" thats on a great salary - I have already said what we bring in monthly with both us being self employed, it is pretty equal. Again, I am not asking people to advise me on what I should and shouldnt be doing in regards to moving / downsizing or what we can afford or not afford - I am simply asking for advice on moving to spain, areas to move to and other considerations on the aspects of moving.

I really dont see why I have to defend my decisions - all I am asking for is advice on the areas and info on moving that we may need to be aware of.

I look forward to hearing any advice on these subjects

Thanks

Lesley

Re: Thinking of moving to spain and have some questions.
 

Thats a great point Rosemary. It has always been our intention to let our kids decide what they want to do when the time comes our ideal scenario would be that they stay in International School until 18 then they can decide if they want to stay in Spain or move back for university etc. I am sure we will work out the options and discuss as a family. We want to travel when they are old enough so whether we were in the UK or abroad the decisions would be the same.

Attending an INternational School will not affect then in any way detrimentally as far as I can determine when it comes to getting into University or applying for jobs in the UK, if thats what they choose. In fact I can only see benefits. Unless anyone has any information that would contradict this - this would be helpful to know.

I too have heard of a lot of brits moving back to the UK due to jobs etc but I must admit we are in one of those positions that we can work anywhere and is not dependent on any other aspects than ourselves.

Thanks again Rosemary

Lesley

Re: Thinking of moving to spain and have some questions.
 

that sounds a very good sum for outgoings in the UK Lesley, many 3/4 bed properties I have looked at are running out at £850+++ just for the rent

but the quality of build in Spain can leave a lot to be desired, where in the UK you have all sorts of heat retaining methods of construction, that doesnt seem to matter out here (cue someone to remind us all about the Spanish building regs etc etc - but they don't enforce them). The quality of build can be much lower, the heat lost in winter (:eek: we do get winters - honest!), the few properties with central heating although a few more have ac with heat. Then there is all the tiles absorbing every degree C you heat up.
But of course there won't be the Tesco round the corner, just an expensive corner shop that closes at 2 re-opens at 5.30, shuts Sat at 2 and shut until 10 on Monday morning.

its a fun life, its Spanish, but even now we still enthuse about the quality of the fresh fruit and veg and the unprocessed meat makes it all a totally different living experience. ~Every trip back gives more reasons for not going back. :thumbup:

Re: Thinking of moving to spain and have some questions.
 

then you need to add a further €290 each per month registered as Autonomo

Re: Thinking of moving to spain and have some questions.
 

We are living in strange times, people with a secure income i.e. a pension, especially a state pension, could safetly make the move, however, anyone be it employed or self employed should think very carefully before relocating
to another country as nothing is guaranteed for these people. Demands for certain sectors or services can collapse overnight. There are no safety nets for the self employed in Spain, no child tax credits, no housing or council tax benefit for anyone.

A move to the south of England would give better weather and there are plenty of good private and state schools.

Re: Thinking of moving to spain and have some questions.
 

Some other things to think of - you will have to pay social security of approx €290 per month (each earner) which will then mean you will be able to join Spanish healthcare. The alternative is private medical insirane but with both you may have to pay for prescriptions. (You can get two years from the DHSS if your stamps are up to date). There is no child benefit. If you google forums you will probably find a forum in the area that you prefer - that may be more helpful. Try a co.uk in Torrevieja. By the way don't worry about supermarkets in the area - there's enough for one each!!! and soon to be the biggest retail outlet in Spain.

Re: Thinking of moving to spain and have some questions.
 

A very valid point. Both my children spent periods of their lives in overseas Schools as either my job or we chose to live abroad although apart from Cyprus we were in English speaking countries. To be honest (this is only my view, not taking a pop at anyone) I'd never think of taking my children to live overseas unless I was fluent in the language and culture and they were of an age where they could attend local Schools and become a 'local' themselves, become 'Spanish' or 'German' etc; to do so is short changing the kiddie winks. As is so often the case, mom and dad soak up the new life while the children can struggle in School and certainly are at a big disadvantage with higher education which would be my main worry...what happens when the children hit eighteen and have to return to the UK for uni, a country and culture that by then is not truly 'home' and they to a degree are in a social/cultural limbo.

Re: Thinking of moving to spain and have some questions.
 

LOL I am probably being optimistic about what we spend just now - my rent and council tax - before anything else comes to £1200 - its just ridiculous but again, I have a bargain given the house size, we rent so what happens if landlords want the house back? God help us as we would have to move to a 3 bed in the same area and you cant get one for less that £800 - that would really stick in my craw!

I am more than prepared to make compromises - size of house, heating etc but whats the option, just trundle along as we are - we want a fresh start, a new way of life - we are not wearing rose tinted spectacles and do see many obstacles in our way but its what we want and now is the time do do it before our youngest starts high school. Thats why we are asking so many questions, have been for a number of years (from our friends mostly). My only regret is not doing it sooner:)

I cant wait to NOT have a Sainsburys, Tesco and Walmart all within driving distance - I cant wait to cook with the fresh ingredients - I just dont do it here - its all too convenient here.

A fresh start, better education and a better way of life is what we are after. I will gladly take the compromises for that :)

Cheers

Lesley

Re: Thinking of moving to spain and have some questions.
 

I know - thanks :)

Re: Thinking of moving to spain and have some questions.
 

Thanks :)

Yeah we know about the SS payment - we do qualify for the 2 years healthcare - we actually pay private healthcare (bupa) here and plan to give that up as its been an uneccesary expense (touch wood) to date. Oops didnt inlcude that in my sums!

I;ll check on the local forums - thanks for that wasnt aware :)

Cheers

Lesley

Re: Thinking of moving to spain and have some questions.
 

for a couple of centuries that is exactly what the Brit Abroad did, dad ran a plantation, the kids got shipped home to a boarding school, never truly part of England, never truly part of the parents country, in fact never trulypart of anything.

nowadays the education is more needed to ensure a "good job" and if I was lucky enough to be that young I would not want to saddle my kids with the problems this can cause.

but.....if you don't try it when you get to my age you will be sitting there complaining you had never achieved your goals.

work at it, carry out the SWOT Analysis and ensure you have a way out if it does go pear shaped.