Hi from Alicante Spain

tonymar

Hi from Spain

I have been here for 12 years now , noticed houses are now selling again .

I think for people who are retiring , Spain could be a good place to save money , and free capital from a Uk property

prices are low here and the exchange rate is good

If any one has any questions what its really like living here full time .
or info on the local area near Alicante City

I will try my best to answer

Cheers Tony

G_M

Thanks Tony. Sounds like you know what you're talking about. Are you a professional out there?

tonymar

G_M wrote: »

Thanks Tony. Sounds like you know what you're talking about. Are you a professional out there?

Hi GM

I Worked as a self employer builder for many years here ,
When we bought our place 12 years ago it needed a lot of renovation

we paid more for it then , for the same money now you could buy a house ready to move into .

House prices in the Uk have continued going up over the years , but here they have been going down ( but I feel we have now reached the turning point as have seen new ex pats starting to buy again )

Now in my opinion is a good time to buy here , as there are many bargains to be had combined with a strong pound , good seling prices in the UK

The work situation is not good here , but if you are retired and have finances Spain is a great place to live !

Cheers Tony:)

ognum

tonymar wrote: »

Hi GM

I Worked as a self employer builder for many years here ,
When we bought our place 12 years ago it needed a lot of renovation

we paid more for it then , for the same money now you could buy a house ready to move into .

House prices in the Uk have continued going up over the years , but here they have been going down ( but I feel we have now reached the turning point as have seen new ex pats starting to buy again )

Now in my opinion is a good time to buy here , as there are many bargains to be had combined with a strong pound , good seling prices in the UK

The work situation is not good here , but if you are retired and have finances Spain is a great place to live !

Cheers Tony:)

Hi Tony

Thanks for the input it is useful to hear first hand. It does make me wonder whether it is a sensible thing for a retire to come out of the UK property market at this time to buy a property in Spain.

I have yet to hear of anyone buying a holiday home anywhere who has made money on it, it would be great to hear some stories of wealth generation in holiday homes.

I am of course aware it's about lifestyle and not about money but when you buy a home abroad you need to be aware that at some time in the future you may want to return to your homeland due to death, health or just homesickness.

I say this as someone who owns a holiday home ( not in Spain) I could probably get out what I put in but not more. I have enjoyed the property but also have felt it is a big tie. Would I do it again, NO and interestingly nor would several friends who own properties abroad.

So my opinion is be very careful, rent for at least a year before you buy and always consider your exit stratergy!

tonymar

ognum wrote: »

Hi Tony

Thanks for the input it is useful to hear first hand. It does make me wonder whether it is a sensible thing for a retire to come out of the UK property market at this time to buy a property in Spain.

I have yet to hear of anyone buying a holiday home anywhere who has made money on it, it would be great to hear some stories of wealth generation in holiday homes.

I am of course aware it's about lifestyle and not about money but when you buy a home abroad you need to be aware that at some time in the future you may want to return to your homeland due to death, health or just homesickness.

I say this as someone who owns a holiday home ( not in Spain) I could probably get out what I put in but not more. I have enjoyed the property but also have felt it is a big tie. Would I do it again, NO and interestingly nor would several friends who own properties abroad.

So my opinion is be very careful, rent for at least a year before you buy and always consider your exit stratergy!

Hi , yes renting first is best if you can afford to do so ,
when we came over to Spain years ago property prices were going up on a weekly basis so we had to buy to avoid missing the boat

I do feel now prices have reached bottom and can only increase ,
Uk property will always be a safer bet ,but I think Spain as you say can offer a good life style a better property for the money and scope to free up capital in retirement .:)

Of course it is not for every one and needs serious thought before hand !

Cheers Tony

ReadingTim

Hello Tony,

Can you get spam in Spain? I won't retire there without it!

C_Mababejive

How would you know what the better areas are ? How would you avoid buying in a rough area? How would you avoid dodgy spanish builders estate agents and local officials who have wrecked all trust in the Spanish housing market?

Pete9501

ReadingTim wrote: »

Hello Tony,

Can you get spam in Spain? I won't retire there without it!

Are there any jobs for Brits out there? or do Brits rely on living off the backs of other expats and working under the radar to try and support their life in the sun? Is there an opportunity to set yourself up as an expert to advise others thinking of moving out?

tonymar

ReadingTim wrote: »

Hello Tony,

Can you get spam in Spain? I won't retire there without it!

Hi Tim

I think you can buy it in Iceland or other Uk food shops that operate
here in Spain !

Cheers Tony:)

tonymar

Pete9501 wrote: »

Are there any jobs for Brits out there? or do Brits rely on living off the backs of other expats and working under the radar to try and support their life in the sun? Is there an opportunity to set yourself up as an expert to advise others thinking of moving out?

No there is not much work out here at the moment , In my opinion it is a good pace to retire if you have funds to support yourself.

I have been here for 12 years , working and bringing up children
I am not an expert in re location , but would like to be helpful

I remember when we moved over it was a big deal , a gamble with our lifes savings , a big worry .

We knew nothing about Spain , areas ,laws etc etc.

So I will just try to answer any questions biased on my own knowledge

Cheers Tony:)

tonymar

C_Mababejive wrote: »

How would you know what the better areas are ? How would you avoid buying in a rough area? How would you avoid dodgy spanish builders estate agents and local officials who have wrecked all trust in the Spanish housing market?

Hi

Well regarding areas its best to speak to people who live there , and ask their opinion.

Ask people who live here to recommend builders

Use common scene when buying as you would in the Uk

I personal think Spain has had a bad press I am sure there are many more happy ex pats than un happy ones !!

Most of my friends are Happy to live in Spain , its not for every one
and I would not force my opinion !!

Cheers Tony:)