Dondurma

Sensible stuff Horlics.

We are too wet behind the ears re kowledge of Spain to make such a definitive commitment by buying there at this stage.

However after a season or two renting that may change. For now though renting seems for us the way to go

Sir John

Yep agree with that if we could of sold our damn sheds in the sun!

Sir John

RENT!

Sir John

I would advise from my experience having been here 10 years to RENT 1-3-6 months in the area you are thinking of maybe living carefully doing your homework drive around a lot take pic videos is the location is it SAFE AREA TO LIVE,security is it policed,are there many breakins talk to expats they will know!,sit in some expat bars talk to the locals in english the ones that are sober!,,does it have amenities,shops,chemist,doctor,hospital nearby,are there a lot of stray cats,roads maintained clean?,does it smell bad odours as you walk drive around,is there incessant dogs barking day or night,yes night remember do not just go in daytime!,nightime can show some you some shocks you might not see daytime,maybe NO STREET LIGHTS in that nice place you like that lovely villa next door neighbour might have 4 barking dogs!,maybe only bark all night or all day.

As for the EURO you will get an good rate exchange from sterling to euros,it can be variable moment within cents when i came out here it was 1.5 euros pound very good then crisis hit spain 2008 and it dropped down down it did drop down scarely to 1 euro-1 pound briefly then picked up 1.1/2/3/4.

My advice keep your money safe very safe in your own country!,by all means rent here and give it a try nothing ventured and please do your very very thorough homework,bring enough with you to cover your trip expedition!
Beurocracy is absolutely ridiculous here spain, i believe the same in france too just youtube "036" video thats how it is!,paperwork gone crazy.

Remember that spain is in financial CRISIS here no jobs,no building work,companies shutting down and shops right left centre,people begging ouside shops children,red cross inaudated for help from people no money no home no food children sad,yes you can buy a real bargain for peanuts villa pool 110.000 euros+- its a buyers market and a sellers nightmare that is if you can sell what you have,i known people taken 6+ years to sell here and lost sheds loads of money between 40-60% of what they paid for it,heart breaking soul destroying,people crying.
So if its for an investment no one know if/when spain economy will improve?,talking to many people in the know estate agents,gestors,solicitors,real estate speciailsts could be 5-10 years a big maybe,as house prices here are continuing to drop(please don't believe the hype or what spanish government likes you to think 100% untrue),yes properties are selling moment ......at ridiculous low prices!!.,and where are lots going to?,back to their own country uk,germany,france mainly where the economy more stable better,just look newpapers uk expats flood back uk.
Some people see only whats in front of them with rose tinted glasses and never really see the truth even if it slaps them in the face,i think you are wise and sensible people from your post so,poco poco as the spanish say slowly slowly..

Finally so as to give a balanced view with good points:-

I have enjoyed mostly everything about spain,yes its been a big challenge and a change of lifestyle and thinking,YOU MUST LEARN SPANISH!,so important it opens so many doors for you,so not just the climate everyone talks about obviously great proud people integretity good healthy food,culture,lifestyle,healthcare excellent,politeness,helpfulness,cheaper to live mostly,when you have spanish friends they are true genuine people,spend many good evenings with them eating and in their homes ,fiestas here great fireworks street parties eating out cheap and if you enjoy wine cheap,a healthier lifestyle if you want it.....more laid back also everything.
Cheaper properties much!,cheaper rates,few months only heating 2-3 months year depends where you live.....many many pluses.
Hope of some help you get it for real from me and
i wish you good luck in whatever you decide future,remember if it does not feel right it isn't..go with your gut feeling.

Sir John

In hindsight many people would have not done many things in life eh,you cannot change time past only go forward,so yes a good time to buy extremely cheap still going down i see at the immobolarias windows and on fotocasa.es as an example they still showing reduced prices still last week so crisis still here not going way yet for some time.,just remeber what price you pay to buy that dream cheap home to add spanish 10% TAX on top purchase price!!!

As an Investment buy in 5 years NO,in 5-10 YEARS i doubt you'll get what you think you might gain from it going on what experienced advisers and estate agents think i talked to in spain,if you do the hacienda will hit you for as many taxes and other non-tax charges it can bleed you from which includes capital gains tax for sure they love expats here money for nothing!.,ooops forgot the assett declaration

RENT!....try it out,,do your homework...if you live here how are you going to support yourself with no work here,here is just financial crisis?...unless you are retired good pension!...

Sir John

Good advice...

Sir John

Absolutely 100% correct uk is good investment property future sell having friends uk they sold their property 10 days after advertising some others 2-3 weeks and made a good profit over 8 years.

Mitzyboy

Sir John, personally I wouldnt advise anyone to buy a property in Spain as an investment. Back in the day it may have paid off, but these days ....... the chances of making any money are slim, to say the least and the chances of selling easily when you want to are also much reduced.

In the UK I made a lot of money over the years out of properties we bought .... it's a cost effective way of living now in the UK as opposed to renting, but it's no longer the cash cow it used to be.

Sir John

Hollyhock

I've just read this thread with great interest, as we are looking to retire to Spain in a couple of years.
I understand that it is not a good idea to buy for investment purposes, but we won't be doing that anyway.
The question I would like to ask is why are Brits selling up and leaving? I can't find a definitive answer online to this.

Also, as we are retiring there, we have no intention of returning to the UK, are there any retired folk who are determined to stay, even if they have lost a partner, or decline in health? I know that sounds a bit morbid, but we genuinely believe that when one of us 'departs', the other would prefer to stay in Spain.

Sir John

May of be of interest..can't find a definitive answer online to this here you go.

Has the sun set on the expat dream in Spain? - Telegraph

Expats flee Spain thousands poorer - AOL Money UK

'Our €250,000 Spanish villa sold for just €87,000' - Telegraph

'Any expats who could move back to the UK already have. The rest of us are trapped' - Europe - World - The Independent

you said "genuinely believe that when one of us 'departs', the other would prefer to stay in Spain",that's a very big supposition to make,and until it happens god forbid and you are in that situation you will be in the vast minoroty NO never heard of it here sorry,most expats return uk if they can sell unless you have ties and family expat neighbours to help you living here to give support ect and lots of friends.

Rosemary

There are many reasons that people sell up and leave amongst them are lack of work opportunities, unable to maintain their house or family, ill health, age, missing family in UK, grandchildren in the UK, income changed due to exchange rate, bored with sun/heat, generally wanting a change or many, many other reasons.

We bought our house as a home not an investment so whether the value lessens or increases is of no interest. When we made the decision to move it was primarily my husbands idea and I agreed to give it a try so we thought that we might only be here a shortish length of time.

However, we had lived here three years and my husband became ill and 31 months later he died. I am still living here because although I was reluctant in the beginning I settled quickly and like my life here living an ordinary life in an ordinary Spanish town.

To be fair it depends totally on what you want and expect from your life in Spain so making the right choice in the beginning can colour how you view and experience it.

Rosemary

Sir John

Sir John

Sorry to hear of your loss husband forgot to mention.

Neptuno

In my experience, its unusual for people to continue to live in Spain when they are bereaved, unless they have other family members close by.
It is much harder to come to terms with the death on your own, and as Rosemary said, coping with the maintenance of a property and pool becomes harder with age and no suppport.
Even if you have the money to pay someone to do it, its not the same and your heart isnt in it.
Rosemary summed it up well
Until it happens to you, you cannot forecast how you will feel.