pedro pete

I can see a time when we will return to the UK; when the reasons for being there outweigh the reasons for being here. I know that is stating the obvious but it never comes down to what we dislike about a place, it is about what we like. As things stand the balance is about even, there is much that we miss about 'home' and it has a stronger emotional pull than anything keeping us in Spain.

To summarise, we would not leave Spain because we disliked it, there is little that upsets us, but because there is so much more that we like back there.

Mitzyboy

I have to tell you that since I have been back in the UK I have really not found that much to moan about. I have seen none of the terrible street crime people talk of , I haven't found the cost of living to be horrendous (but it is certainly more expensive), people have been pleasant ... no problems. My only gripe is the standard of driving here, its more aggressive than in Spain!

Strangely, I feel less stressed also!

scampicat

People say to us 'oh, it didn't work out then?' We just say yes, it worked out, it was never meant to be permanent (which is why we kept our house in the UK) and it was just time to come back.

We do tell them however that we consider ourselves very fortunate to be able sell the house without losing money .

andyrich666

The thing is all you guys have experienced what is a lot of peoples dream, whether that be for life one year or ten, you will have all gained valuable experience from it, hopefully my stay which starts this October will be a long one, but I am looking at the view of taking a year out to save money and change direction for my business.

A lot of people regret not taking the chance, I thought maybe if it works in Spain for me maybe we could consider Miami, I have never been or wanted to go to the states but that option is growing on me.

I cant wait to move over and get going, been a long time coming, the right time would have been last year, I have stalled (last Nov) and regretted stalling, so its now happening.

Mitzyboy I hope it all works out for you mate, its just a era of life, we all know when we have had enough if we have or when it is right to try something else be that moving back to UK if it has to be.

My main infulence for moving this year to Spain, is too slash a unbearable living cost but not lose a standard of living I like, to be away from the winter in the UK which shows weakness for me as I can not handle it as well as others and to generally slow life down a bit, ive moved 3 times in 18 months and I want a bit of stability without having to work my nuts off to pay a high living cost - was my choice though, so I should not moan.

Mitzyboy

Ahh, you see that's where we nailed it. Before I left I sussed out rental accommodation and we can go back for the worst months of the winter now

Cost of living though very much depends where you live. I havent found the cost of living that much greater here, but I know if you are further South in Spain in CDS people say its as expensive there to live as it is in the UK

andyrich666

Main cost for me is the rent we are paying £1200 a month + £200 a month council tax, the place we will rent in Spain is bigger + pool and cost 600€ a month, I imagine once we move I would find other places at less cost, so for me ill be saving 11.5k a year in rent, for me that is a big cost.

In my business we have to sell say 47 widgets to live a month, in Spain that will come down to 14 which is well achievable.

I need to try it, see how year 1 goes first

HBG

Mitzy, I'm sorry you sold that lovely house of yours but I'm glad that you like it back in the UK. I read that 80% of expats return home at some stage, and I'm pretty sure it will probably happen to me too.

Actually, I did return to the UK after seven years in Spain and clearly remember walking down London Road in Romford, by the dog track, when I suddenly felt the sun on my back and ran home to book my ticket for Spain.

Chiclanagir

I believe that your life moves in cycles and changes. Ours certainly have when we first moved we had no grandchildren now we have two with two more on the way this year. The pull is enormous. I grew up with my grandmother living with me and had a special relationship with her as did my children have with my parents. I miss that closeness. Yes I get to see them a few times a year but it is not the same also not being able to help out with babysitting and just taking them on "jollies".

In my life I have always felt a pull every seven years or so to move house/job just for something new and exciting, perhaps that is how it is now. I also have quite a fear about dying here - irrational perhaps but there it is.

Will we go back now, I couldn´t tell you, possibly not for a while but I would never say no.

It would be nice to have both worlds 6 months here, 6 months there but unaffordable.

I do believe fate will throw a ball and I will catch it at some stage.

Dick Dasterdly

"The Seven Year Itch" seems to be a very common thing in my experience, even with folk in a fairly contented and pleasant situation.

Mitzyboy

Strangely, throughout my life I have moved house almost always at the 7 year point

lutonlad

Brilliant reply. Funny how some people try to spark a response with a leading question.

I'm with you HBG!

Jon-Bxl

I left my country in 95, and have lived abroad in several countries since then. I go less and less to the UK, but love it every time. My wife, a non-Brit, thinks the people are really friendly and the old adage about us having bad food is long proved wrong. To the surprise of many of her friends/family. I speak for her as she sees it with fresh eyes, and says it is a beautiful country and its up to us to make sure we enjoy the good bits.... every country has its problems and it is the initiative of the person to find the good, that makes the difference.

I often look at rightmove for properties, but actually I don't think I would go back - certainly before my mid 60's, in a decade. At that time I would put a lot of value on a good medical system, and though I don't complain about the UK system, I think Belgium has the best I've seen. So one reason to keep this as a base. Though I often get hankerings to go back. I certainly am patriotic and could not even dream of giving up my nationality, and hesitate even getting a second, which I can easily... You can take the boy out of Britain ... but .............

Who knows, life is full of chapters and as my HG Wells byline at the bottom says... 'destiny' wins! Right now, anyway, living between Belgium = North Europe and Spain and South Europe is a wonderful combination for us. And we count ourselves fortunate that we have it. Even though property prices and other crisis problems are so plain to see. We try and look for the 'good bits' when we can.

I only hope that any future moves we make will be out of choice not obligation etc..

Jon

stuboy

If it's not too nosey, where in the UK are you moving back to?

andyrich666

Its West midlands I would guess, a leafy suburb of a big city ????

Lynn R

I mustn't suffer from that particular problem, in the whole of my life I have only ever lived in 4 houses!

Congratulations on the sale of yours, having seen the link I am not surprised that somebody snapped it up.