Living abroad tips and hints for money savers

donny-gal

Just found this thread, very interested as we have a place in Spain, on an urbanisation, but certainly not a "ghetto" as was inferred on Page 1. Haven't had time to read only 1st and last pages, but will be back after I have managed to read all another day.

donny-gal

Well managed to get through all the thread, and some points seem to qualify what I had thought.

We purchased our house 4.5 years ago, already working out that "burning your boats" was not our style. So we carried on working for 5 years to pay for it, so now we have both our UK home and our Spanish one. We do not intially intend to move out permanently, but to spend long periods there, to find out what we do want to do. We are both under 60 so it will be 4 years before we can claim the first OAP, but as we both have a pension(s), feel we can handle the living expenses.

I am taking Spanish lessons, seems fine with reading/writing certainly need more practice on the talking/listening front, wonder about putting an advert in our local supermarket asking if there are any spanish would like to sit and have a coffee/beer/wine and make small talk.

CARS
Seem very expensive, and second hand not much of a saving over new. We had a option to purchases Fiats at a reduced rate via our pension (due to take overs and mergers now consider a Fiat pension) and I asked the area manager some time ago about whether we could get a LH drive one on the scheme, and he confirmed we could be had to go via a local dealer but would get the % reduction, need to find out how we can do it to buy it here and register it there. Anyone know anything about this?

MEDICAL
A little unsure here, currently covered by BUPA with work, if we go with the Spanish Bupa then any existing conditions are carried over, and certainly cheaper than UK Bupa, but only gives us cover in Spain, and emergency cover in the UK, but as we would still be a UK resident, maybe that would be OK as we have the NHS cover here, and private cover in Spain. Again any thoughts, I have a few months before we finish work to sort out and organise ourselves.

Thanks
DG

seven-day-weekend

donny-gal wrote: »

CARS
Seem very expensive, and second hand not much of a saving over new. We had a option to purchases Fiats at a reduced rate via our pension (due to take overs and mergers now consider a Fiat pension) and I asked the area manager some time ago about whether we could get a LH drive one on the scheme, and he confirmed we could be had to go via a local dealer but would get the % reduction, need to find out how we can do it to buy it here and register it there. Anyone know anything about this?

DG

We brought our car over as we would not have been able to afford a Seat Alhambra in Spain. It is an absolute pain in the a^$e trying to import it yourself. I strongly recommend you give the work to a Gestor. Before you take it to the ITV station you will need to have had the lights changed/adjusted to LHD. Taxes to pay depend on how old the car is and how long you have been in Spain. We are going to have to pay about 1000euros including the Gestor's fee.

Ours has taken about eight months to do even giving the work to a Gestor as they could not get the car to 'agree' with what the Spec said (even though it has never been modified). It once failed because the spec said 'number of seats = 5/7'. Ours has 7. The bloke who failed it said the spec must say '7' not '5/7'. We have been up against the tortuous Spanish Bureaucracy at it's worst!

It is now almost ready and we are just waiting to be allocated a Matricula (Registration Number). Then we can get the plates and the car will be done.

(Hope this is not Famous Last Words!)

Welcome to the forum!

droopsnout

And re-registering a UK car in France will vary depending what département you are in!! We did ours - not too painful. Took a couple of visits to offices once the paperwork had been assembled.

missile

Hi DG, I think you are very wise keeping two homes, as long as you can afford it. Please be advised
SPANISH; Suggest you check at your local UK technical college and in many spanish towns, lessons are free ask at the town hall. You could try the BBC on line spanish course. Once you get to a level, then most spaniards will be happy to chat to you, make new friends at your nearest bar - there are many. Chatting is the national pastime, second only to football:rotfl:
CARS; new cars are cheaper in Spain, but strangely second hand cars hold their value so tend to be more expensive. I doubt it will be cheaper to buy a new car in the UK (unless FIAT give you a very good deal). However, you can buy a LHD car for export and avoid UK VAT, your local dealer will advise you.
There are several UK companies who specialise in second hand LHD vehicles.
Many brits drive UK registered cars which is fine for 6 months, thereafter you need to re-register. In our local rag there are many adverts for dealers who will do a turn-key job, fix your lights, get an ITV, do the paperwork for €500 euros plus whatever (if any) VAT + duty you need to pay.
MEDICAL service in Spain is IMHO as good if not better than UK and free to EU nationals, no need for BUPA. Make sure you carry your EHIC card. You can obtain the spanish equivalent at your local health centre.

Depending on your own circumstances it may or may not be beneficial to apply for residencia.

"donny-gal" - I guess you may be an Irish national?

donny-gal

Thanks for the welcome 7d-wkend, droopsnout, and missile

First of all not an Irish national, a Yorkshire lass, Donny being short for Doncaster, never thought of the Irish link when choosing it.

The Spanish NHS is I understand from my neighbours brilliant, but it is how to cover myself if I take a 6 months holiday in Spain, whilst remaining a British resident. Travel insurances do not seem to cover that long, but maybe I need to look into it further. We will be retiring early so will not qualify for an pensioner rights in Spain. At the moment I do not think there is a benefit in apply for a residencia. I think my husband is about a year short for full UK pension, but will get 5 years cover if we are UK residents when he hits 60-65 in 3 years time. I have my 40 years in. Obviously this could all be fixed if the Government bring the 30ish years rule in. At the moment we are not considering looking for employment, we have worked fully since leaving school with only 6 months maternity leave for me, so ready to "do as we please".

Spanish, I have been attending lessons, into my third year evening classes, but as I had already learnt French, seem to get confused when talking, though as I said I am OK with written and writing Spanish. Something like Franspanglias. I am sure when I have time to sit and talk with the locals I will improve rapidly, I just get going when I go home again, and then have to start again.

Confused on what you said on new car prices, but I will check it out again, yes there is something ike 18% off the new Grande Punto, which we were considering. If I did it as an export I maybe would lose the Purchase Tax too? Will contact the RAC/AA and see what I can find out. Any idea what I would have to pay to import it into Spain? It would be a LHD spec, ordered special so should need no conversion at that end. Do you need an IVA on a new car, or is it like the MOT only after 3 years old?

We have seen many of the downfalls of some of the other residents, and people who do not obey the rules on taxing/insuring their cars, sorry we cannot be like that we have to play by the rules. We have planned and saved for his, and hopefully we will be OK financially, we may decide to downsize in the UK and upsize in Spanish, but we will wait and see. Living accommodation is fine, but we do not have much garden space, though a large terrace and solarium. My husband is concerned about occupying himself though I think that will be his problem in the UK too, but we have a large garage here where he can potter. I have so many hobbies shouting at me for attention, I am not worried for a while.

Sorry to ramble.
DG

droopsnout

People used to ask me what did I think I'd do, being retired inthe middle of an agricultural area. Occupying myself is NEVER a problem.

I have gardening and house maintenance till it comes out of my ears; local friends to visit; I help one morning a week at the local tourist office; we shop twice a week; and there is this laptop which can occupy me for days! This doesn't even mention my hobbies ...

It's just a bit better than working ...

missile

Ah Doncaster, now I understand.

You apply for an EHIC card before you leave UK, this entitles you to free medical cover same as a spanish national for as long as you remain a UK resident.

I would suggest you get a firm quote for your grande punto in the UK and then contact the Fiat dealer nearest to you in Spain and ask him for his best price. You can usually get a very good discount on Fiats. I would also go on line see https://www.UKnewcars.com Good idea to contact AA/RAC for their advice. I will be surprised if you can save a lot of money and for a few hundred is it worth the hassle? You may have problems getting warranty work done. In theory you can buy a car in UK and first register it in Spain and only pay spanish VAT, I have never done it but I know those who have imported cars into the UK thus. Provided your car has been type tested in Spain you will not need ITV (spanish MOT test). I took the easy option and bought a spanish car in Spain and strongly suggest you do the same.

I totally concur with your wish to be legal. So many Brits flout the law in old bangers with UK plates. Most have no MOT, tax and any insurance they may have is invalid.

I don't find it difficult to occupy my time. However many retired people find it difficult to adjust and it is best to plan ahead. Gardening in Spain is fun, exotic plants are so easy to grow, all they need is water and a little TLC.

Where in Spain are you?

donny-gal

In the "Brit" area just outside Torrevieja. It is pleasant where we are, and we have the convenience of shops and restaurants. Whether it will be ideal as we spend more time in Spain or not, I do not know. We have friends away from the urbanisations, and while like some of what they have, don't like other aspects, so are going with an open mind. The benefits are that when we are not there, we have good "behind" neighbours who keep their eye on our place for us (a quad for want of a better description) and the pool is shared, so no problems there either. These factors have been essential up to now, but we will review it with living in Spain for longer periods, we are not very tolerant of narrow minded Brits who want it to be the UK, and we certainly have some "idiots" around.

seven-day-weekend

As to how we occupy ourselves...well time is different here. We can spend all morning posting a letter or changing a gas bottle.

!Hasta la vista!