Living abroad tips and hints for money savers

mpython

Thanks for your welcome and all your replies, much appreciated. & gallygirl, you have a PM.

The place will be a holiday home for the next 10 years or so. When I retire I might seriously downsize in the UK and sell up for a larger/ different place in the Sun but that's a long way of. I'm not seeing this as an investment to provide an income, very unlikely to rent out (maybe loan to very close friends), I see it as a family holiday home. My eldest 2 will be at Uni inside the next 3 years.

I saw the advice about getting a mortgage to double check the property's legality on another forum but wasn't sure about it. I will now think seriously about it and clearing the mortgage after sale. I'm in no mad rush to purchase, just wanted to get some independent advice - I do love this site.

seven-day-weekend

mpython wrote: »

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I saw the advice about getting a mortgage to double check the property's legality on another forum but wasn't sure about it. I will now think seriously about it and clearing the mortgage after sale. I'm in no mad rush to purchase, just wanted to get some independent advice - I do love this site.

Probably the same one as I saw it on! :rotfl:

seven-day-weekend

Where has everybody gone???

Just something that may interest the forum:

Since we have lived in Spain we have not had to buy any wood for our woodburner, despite having no land. This is because we have been given it.

We inherited some with the house. When that was coming to an end, our friend Pascal cut down some trees on his land and gave us those. When this was coming to an end, our neighbour Miguel took down his old timber-framed extension, and gave us the timber.

We were just wondering the other day whether this would last the winter, when our neighbour Eduarda, whose garden backs onto our house (she lives in Gerald Brenan's house), came round and told us she is having all of her trees trimmed, there are at least twenty of persimmon, almond and fig and ....we can have all the wood! Having the trees 'trimmed' in these parts means stripping them to about three leaves. Huge branches are taken off. So now we have enough for this winter and next winter too! My husband has been happily chain-sawing all day, he's had a whale of a time with Eduarda's sons in the (very famous) garden.

Luckily we have got room to store it; in the room that used to be the stable and is now my husband's workshop, in the little 'wreck' that we bought adjoining our house, which is now part of our house.

It's a great village, ours is!

droopsnout

I'm sure that was an episode of The Archers ...

seven-day-weekend

droopsnout wrote: »

I'm sure that was an episode of The Archers ...

Oh no, my post wasn't THAT boring, was it??:eek:

I've never been an Archers fan, but I heard the beginning of an episode when I was in the UK and it consisted of ten minutes of discussion about whether someone wanted a biscuit with her coffee.

Really.

droopsnout

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

Oh no, my post wasn't THAT boring, was it??

No, not at all. It was one of those little glimpses into a different way of life that make living abroad so fascinating. So thanks for sharing it.

I could at this point write a long chapter of War and Peace following the erection of a 30kph sign within five centimetres of our house wall yesterday, which has got me all riled up.

That would be another view of village life abroad, but at this stage I'll spare you all my pontificating!

seven-day-weekend

Thank the Lord for small mercies!

Another benefit of Eduarda having her trees trimmed is that we now have some light into the back of the house! These houses traditionally have tiny windows; luckily on the front of our house we have three french windows, so there is enough light coming in at the front (by English standards - the Spaniards would keep them tightly shuttered up to keep the sun out! ). However, the back of the house only has small windows (and faces north) and one of Eduarda's almond trees was almost covering our shower room window and stopped light coming into the foot-square spare bedroom window too. Now it has been trimmed, it is suddenly 'let there be light!' It has made SO much difference - I thought the light had been left on in the shower room this morning when I went past.

Great improvements all round.

Merrywidow

Awe Droopsnout - be a devil and pontificate! Whats the point of a sign on your corner, for the one or two cars an hour? I guess its not unofficially on your land. On the other hand - accidents do happen to road signs!!

SDW - Thanks for the colourful description of your wood gathering. Can't beat the smell of a log fire. Woke this am to minus 7 degrees C and we have had snow this pm, but rain has taken over thank goodness. Watched the forecast this evening - Friday we can expect 20 centimetres - help.

droopsnout

Well, it turns out to be a little less obtrusive than I thought it was going to be, but it's totally pointless. I would have expected to be consulted about something like that. But it has been put there to prevent one loonie riding his motorbike too fast. As if!

What that means is that the Maire is covering his back in case some kiddie is run over.

I just wish they had decided to discuss it with us. We could have talked about other traffic calming measures that would be more attractive.

I confess I let the Maire have both barrels on Tuesday. I actually was cross. Doesn't happen often. Will have to make my peace with him, I guess!

droopsnout

MW, I have seen the forecast for your area. Good luck!

Happily, next week it should be better. As we leave here next week, it will be back to "proper" temperatures of 16 or so. Bit different from tomorrow, when we're said to go as low as -5.