What do you wish you had known/ done/are glad you knew?
 

There are loads of threads on here that ask the same questions. Not a problem and people are still happy to reply over and over again even not always in the positive sense. But I thought it might be helpful to the newbies and the maybes to talk about what we didn't know and wish we had. And also those things we are really glad we did know. So I looked back. I thought there had been a thread "What do you wish you had known"? before. But I can't find it. So I'm suggesting we do this one again ...or for the first time. as the case may be. Maybe it will answer some of the regular questions if we show the pitfalls we have already fallen into!;)

My answers to these question would be:- I wish I had known/taken into consideration that IVA is payable from the very first euro for businesses. I think there are exceptions but for anyone dealing with foreign customers or wholesale at all must start collecting/paying IVA straight away.
I wish I had known the seguridad social levels (What some call the Autonomo) which is National insurance.
I wish I had brought ALL my furniture etc over instead of thinking I could replace second hand with second hand. (there is very little second hand available here).
I wish I had known that getting a self build mortgage was almost unheard of even at the beginning of a project and that re-mortgages just aren't done here (it seems).

I'm glad I brought my own second hand car over as it was well worth the fees to change it over to Spanish plates. (Spanish second hand is V expensive).

Re: What do you wish you had known/ done/are glad you knew?
 

I wish I had just long-term rented instead of bought a house.

Re: What do you wish you had known/ done/are glad you knew?
 

I wish I had worked until I was 50 instead of 43 and earned a shed load more money so I could have retired with no money worries having made all my money and paid all the tax on it in the UK. I might have still run the bar for a couple of years and I would definitely still have rented.

Re: What do you wish you had known/ done/are glad you knew?
 

I wish I had sold up and got out of Spain earlier

Re: What do you wish you had known/ done/are glad you knew?
 

So say many of us!

Re: What do you wish you had known/ done/are glad you knew?
 

Don't have many regrets, really. I'm rather delighted at the decision to leave Germany. I've no doubt I'd have many more regrets had I stayed there.

If I had to reach, my only "wish I'd knowns" would probably be;

Having a bit more understanding of the "take what you can" mentality that was so pervasive in the earlier days. But that's improved a lot in the past decade or so.

A better understanding of the "shadow economy" of Spain, it's advantages and drawbacks, and why it's always been an important part of people's everyday lives - whether I'd agree with it or not.

Re: What do you wish you had known/ done/are glad you knew?
 

I can agree with that. We Brits think differently even if we are outgoing and open to new ideas and so we take on the Spanish way of doing things slowly.
Sometimes we even argue that we're right and they are wrong. Usually, if they've been doing it 'forever' they're right! :D

Re: What do you wish you had known/ done/are glad you knew?
 

In the words of Edith Piaf, "Non, je ne regrette rien".

Nothing of note I can think off anyway.

Either Lady Luck has smiled on me in Spain, and probably had a good laugh at me at times as well, or else somebody up there must like me. :lol:

Re: What do you wish you had known/ done/are glad you knew?
 

Regrets, I've had a few...

Re: What do you wish you had known/ done/are glad you knew?
 

Luckily I decided for myself that work life balance is not so great in Spain, so I didn't move over and am happy where I am now. With the money I've saved, it was easy to buy a 2nd home in Spain and think I'll keep it that way. Might spend a bit more time over there when I don't have to work.

Re: What do you wish you had known/ done/are glad you knew?
 

but then again too few to mention

Re: What do you wish you had known/ done/are glad you knew?
 

I wonder if having a jar too many before taking a young lady home counts ?

...........or maybe a jar or two too many before taking an old lady home, ....for a different reason of course. :lol:.

Re: What do you wish you had known/ done/are glad you knew?
 

As someone who never quite made the leap despite teetering over the edge a few times I'm glad my best friends did it before me. I watched them transform from paella, chorizo, Serrano ham etc in the early days to talking enthusiastically about a Cornish pasty shop that was opening.

I watched their initial group of Spanish friends fall away ie the developer, builder, car salesman etc. I watched their excruciating attempt to have anything like a conversation in Spanish. Struggling with even the basics in restaurants beyond la cuenta and gracias. The supermarket vocabulary never got much further than 'no más'.

but saddest all of all was watching their slow decline with a health system they couldn't navigate and gradual withdrawal. This amazing fun loving and extrovert couple desperately wanted to live the dream and fit in with the Spanish way of life. But they couldn't.

they stuck to their principle of not over immersing themselves with the ex-pat community but this lead only to their increased isolation.

Like so many they did not have the option of returning to the UK.

Re: What do you wish you had known/ done/are glad you knew?
 

Why didn't they just learn Spanish, what was it that stopped them?

(And why not learn how to make a Cornish pasty?)

Re: What do you wish you had known/ done/are glad you knew?
 

Thanks for the smart-arse answer. Really helpful.