Dear Rosemary, dear members of Britishexpats.com,

well, I'm new here so please forgive me if there where already answers to similar questions in the past.

I want to relocate to Spain. (I'm German born but lived in UK, now unfortunately in Munich, Germany)
I'm looking into the regions starting north of Valencia down to south of Alicante. Ideally, I would like to be near other expats, English or German, but also in an area which doesn't become deserted in the winter months. Some liveley action doesn't put me off but 24 hour party is not on my radar (being 58). A quiet village with miles and miles to the next town would be the other extreme.
So where to move to? Is there somewhere which has (some) relativeley quiet streets but also doctors, caffees, shopping, beaches, etc. nearby.
I'm planning to come to the Costas in autumn when it is not so busy, to see how the towns and villages compare and also hopefully to view some properties.

Ah, yes - proberties: looking for a little house/terraced, or a 3 bedroomed flat. Any experiences what to look out for, what mistakes not to make?

I would be really grateful for your opinions.
Ruth

Hi and a warm welcome to the Spanish forum on BE. Myself and Fred James are the moderators for the Spanish forums whilst BEVS moderates Europe. Moderators are there to ensure that the site runs smoothly within the rules of BE. This is so that members gain the information that they are looking for and find their experiences on the forums to be friendly and worthwhile.

Problems and complaints should always be addressed to a moderator who will look into the matter and deal with it efficiently and fairly. Our members who post in the Spain Forums are usually friendly and helpful with a wealth of knowledge about the issues of living in Spain. I hope that you enjoy your time participating in the forums.

Please let me know if you need any further help.

Rosemary

Try looking in the Albir, Altea area, just a few kilometers north of Benidorm, but a totally different ambiance. Has everything you would need, beaches, countryside nearby, good health centre. Plenty of expats, English, Dutch, German etc.

I would recommend Moraira , Benitachell village, or Jalon in the Marina Alta to cater for your declared wishes. A neighbour is trying to sell a 3 bed modern built village house in a street of cosmopolitan residents in a quiet street within easy reach of several of your wishes. Please give me a PM if further interest is gleaned.

Your tickboxes sound very much like Mallorca (although you may be surprised to hear that - or due to common misconceptions, even remotely believe it).

Why >unfortunately< Munich? Seems to be a lovely place to live - for some.. The only thing I couldn't stand was schicky-micky and over-rigidity. Otherwise, lovely city.

I would not purchase immediately, but rent for at least 6 months to a year so that you can experience the area and what it has to offer before tieing yourself down to somewhere that, 6 months down the line, you realise was a mistake.

Unfortunately Munich? I wouldn't mind being there if I could afford it What you are looking for can be found everywhere along the coast and the area is flooded with Brits, so I wouldn't worry there. At the end of the day it's always down to personal choice and budget, but Altea would certainly be an option.

Múnich, One of the top 3 cities in Europe by my book..... A change is as good as a rest I suppose .

Ruth, there is only one place to buy in Spain & that's Cabo Roig Costa Blanca.

So obviously you must have been everywhere else to assess the differing advantages.

Yep, well travelled me.

And of course I believe you!!

Marc be careful if you are angling for an argument… Rosemary won't be pleased with you😜

Dear All!,
Great to get so many responses, thanks so much for all your suggestions! I will certainly put those places on my list when I come down there!

Mallorca: not a good choice in my case. I want to be able to drive if necessary - for example with all furniture, ect. (from southern Germany it takes long but with an overnight stay should be an option).

Renting for a while: yes, of course you're so right! But I will need the rental income of my flat in Munich to live on in Spain. And I will get an extremely good mortgage deal which will be sucured by family. And I have a blind old cat and don't want him to suffer with lots of moving. So....

Munich: ... is a place for the rich and perhaps for students (if they have richt parents). If you're not recognised easily as an "interesting" foreigner, you have almost no chance in talking to somebody (like it is usual in English pubs for example). Everybody is busy in being cool (Germans are only outgoing on holiday). You keep talking only to the friends you came to the location with, therefore just as good to stay home. Do I need a very expensive city to do that? And also - it is very cold in winter - 10 degrees C daytime temperature not unusual - I hate the cold! By the way, I am allowed to make these statements, I was born and grew up 20 miles from Munich!

Over all I have come to the conclusion that I cannot afford to keep living in Munich, especially if I want to decrease my working. So why not move to sunny Spain!

Is there anything else, I' have to be warned about? Lots of burglaries when living in a groundfloor flat or house? Getting ripped of by estate agents (know a good website?). When is IKEA coming to the area? How good is the Spanish health care system?

Ok, I could go on forever, but better not now.
Looking forward to your opinions - Thanks!

Ikea is 5 minutes from my house, I think Ikea is almost everywhere.......
Good luck