Where to Retire To ?

robatwork

Interesting that everyone is associating semi-retirement with "peace and quiet, scenery, beaches".

Your interests may be in theatre, art galleries, shopping. In which case as you currently live in Surrey you may be able to afford to buy something in the centre of London, or another city where you can enjoy city life. Imagine being able to walk to a theatre and then home again.

There are some quiet streets and squares in London that wouldn't be unsuitable for a retired couple. Probably cost several million of course, but maybe you can afford that.

gadgetmind

I tend to agree. My wife and myself are more city people and wouldn't really enjoy retiring to a sleepy cemetery waiting-room in the middle of nowhere.

I'm not sure about London mind you. There are far nicer cities across a whole slew of criteria.

BeatTheSystem

My current thoughts on place are






10 Months in Cyrprus
2 Months in the UK (July,Aug)




Just need the property in Cyrprus LOL


In Cyprus I believe you only pay 5% tax on retirement income.


Lets face it, anywhere in the UK is crap wrt weather apart from 1 in 3 summers.

atush

I will be 6 months in FL (Mid Oct-Mid april) and 6 months UK. Should be the best of both worlds, but we'll see.

gadgetmind

BeatTheSystem wrote: »

In Cyprus I believe you only pay 5% tax on retirement income.

Yes, and this can work well if you qualify for flexible drawdown. However, you will be charged UK tax if you return to the UK (for > 90days pa?) within five years.

BeatTheSystem

atush wrote: »

I will be 6 months in FL (Mid Oct-Mid april) and 6 months UK. Should be the best of both worlds, but we'll see.

I have thought about that but the weather is not always brilliant in the winter and when it starts to really warm up you may regret getting on a plane to the UK. Medical insurance premiums are also obscenely high.


I wonder if these days Cuba for 4 months would be possible.


Belize (based on British common law) might be a place to escape the UK winter.


Trouble with all the above is that they are a long way away and as I get older I get fed up with sitting on planes.

atush

I am american, so would (at some point age wise ) qualify for medicare. but would be resident in the UK for half the year and would keep my UK health care/pension etc. And would be happy to return to the UK in may, when the temps are warming up (and getting too hot in FL). I cannot at this time travel to Cuba, and am not sure I would ever contemplate places like the Dominican Republic.

I lived on British commonwealth islands in the area some years ago, and I prefer them to islands others nations colonized. They seem more civilized to me.

Weather is BRILLIANT in my area of FL (SW gulf coast) so that isn't a worry.

I think if I were British and restricted to the EU i'd look at Southern france, spain and portugal. But you have to say if you could afford the rent, Martinique would be great as it is a part of France legally. Antigua isn't very expensive these days, property has come down. I love it there.

kidmugsy

For the dry season, Queensland e.g. the Sunshine Coast; when The Wet starts, !!!!!! off to NZ for four months e.g. Nelson.

atush

Good idea, if they weren't so far away.

Marine_life

In my view where you decide to live is a very very personal thing. Having lived in the UK, Germany and Australia I can say that all have their merits and all have their downsides.

A lot will depend on whether family and friends are more important than location. Precisely because of that our plan is now to move back to the UK (to Wales) but then spend 2-3 months of the year away travelling.