British Expats - Where to go? Advice please.

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SandyM

Sep 14th 2013 7:29 am

Where to go? Advice please.

I appreciate this is such a broad question and asked a thousand times before, but would love to hear from anyone with experience of more than one location so they can offer comparisons.

I have an interview in 2 weeks for a new job to live & work in Spain. Initially on my own, with the boss coming out to visit when she can, then, if it works out long term, sell up in the UK and move out for good. Buying with a view to doing the property up, as I have some experience of doing this.

They have a number of places (list below) I can choose from but I have to select 1 of them at the interview. I have been to Spain & the Canaries many times but only as a tourist. I would welcome any comments. I will accept the job if offered so HAVE to make the decision. Thanks for any help.:)

Las Palmas (Gran Canaries):confused:
Alicante:confused:
Malaga:confused:

With a possibility of next year;
Barcelona:confused:
Madrid:confused:
Palma:confused:

jackytoo

Sep 14th 2013 9:05 am

Re: Where to go? Advice please.

Oh wow, must be some Company to offer all those exotic locations, or is it a call centre:rofl:

ononno

Sep 14th 2013 8:10 pm

Re: Where to go? Advice please.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SandyM (Post 10901083)

:)Well I'm no Spain expert, but from personal experiences of what the country offers, I would plump for Malaga every time.
Whatever you choose, buena suerte.
'o nonno

amideislas

Sep 14th 2013 8:35 pm

Re: Where to go? Advice please.

I can't speak for other regions, but in general, Mallorca has a better economy and lower unemployment rate than most. But that's not saying it's somehow a paradise. Getting a job at all is still difficult unless you are tri-lingual and have a lot of experience in some in-demand field (marine technologies (yachting) is a major field here.

Some advantages to living in Mallorca are;

Diverse: You can have anything from city life, to suburbia, to small village life, to quiet country life to maintain seascapes, from posh and expensive to cheap living. It's all here.
It's just big enough to prevent island fever, but no matter where you are, you're minutes from the mountains or the sea.
Decent infrastructure - good airport, public transport, roads, communications, utilities, etc
Cost of rents are still fairly low.
Good hospitals and health care facilities
~2 hour flight to almost anywhere in Europe
Obviously, the weather

Some drawbacks are;

Low wages
Higher cost of living than much of the rest of Spain (depending on where you are)
Utilities are "not cheap".
Still a lot of backward thinking - although this has improved markedly in the past 5 years.
Corruption still remains, and that way of life has only gone more underground in the past decade. But it's improving steadily.
Housing prices are still too high (but negotiable).
You have to live with a lot of tourists in the summer

In any case, having income from elsewhere is always the best strategy for living well in Spain (especially on a budget). Mallorca is no different in that respect.

Good luck.

mikelincs

Sep 14th 2013 8:38 pm

Re: Where to go? Advice please.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SandyM (Post 10901083)

I suppose it really depends on the type of job, but Malaga spings to mind over the rest, Gran Canaria may be a better year round climate, but if you have to return regularly to the UK, then the flights are more expensive and longer, also The Canaries, although being classed as part of Spain are not in the EU zone for duty, so limits as to what you can take/bring would apply.

missile

Sep 15th 2013 5:24 am

Re: Where to go? Advice please.

Spoiled for choice, but your life style may help you decide. Think of how you like to spend your free time and see which location gives you the most opportunity.

jjh	Sep 15th 2013 6:17 am

Re: Where to go? Advice please.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SandyM (Post 10901083)

Those places are very diverse. You really have to want to know what would be best for you. Do you have children of school age or are you single or a married couple without children? Lots of places have different things to offer.

DonÂ´t take any notice of the Â´call centreÂ´post. It really is none of their business. xx

SandyM

Sep 15th 2013 7:26 am

Re: Where to go? Advice please.

Thanks guys, I really appreciate you all taking the time to post and help me with this agonising decision. If only I had more time. I'm a 50 y/o professional, grown up kids that will no doubt expect a free holiday, plays a lot of tennis, not a fan of the city, but no hermit either. The idea of living on the mountain in GC intrigued me.

stuboy

Sep 15th 2013 12:25 pm

Re: Where to go? Advice please.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SandyM (Post 10902147)

If you like mountains then I suggest Malaga. Plenty of mountains just to the north with thriving but not isolated communities. Shorter flights back to the UK and more choice than GC.

HBG	Sep 15th 2013 5:21 pm

Re: Where to go? Advice please.

The big places on the mainland are Alicante and Malaga. I'm trying to keep it simple by avoiding the islands and big cities.

Both are extremely convenient for expats from the UK and the early wagon trains have settled into vast expat communities. It would be relatively easy to provide a long list of fairly pointless differences between the two regions, in reality, coldly and harshly, you can't put a cigarette paper between them.

You can almost pick a place at random, within your price range, and make it your 'own'. It's not so much what the place offers, but what you make of it.

I've lived in both but I'm not an expert on either. But I've adapted myself to fit in and make the best of it. Mountains, beaches, culture, karaoke, crowds, seclusion - it's all there if you want it.

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