Living abroad tips and hints for money savers

ataylorrl

Hi

I'm envious of you! Wish we had thought of moving to Spain years ago - we're both in late 30's with a teenager.

We've bought an apartment in a very popular coastal area on Costa Blanca and appreciate that the location is not the "Real" Spain! However, where we are there the majority population has to be Irish with other Brits and Spaniards coming in lower in numbers. We could easily get by without any Spanish but this would be disrespectful to the Spanish who are very friendly despite their property prices shooting up out of reach for them (on the coast at least).

The Spanish health system is good but not as good as our good old NHS (much improved in recent years!). An Interpreter is a very sensible option at least on your first visit!

You can live as cheaply as you like - but due to the milder weather the temptation to socialise outside the bars for 9 months of the year will eat into your budget as will eating out.

My advice is to rent somewhere you think offers the type of life you strive for with your young children - be it English education or Spanish education - why wouls you want them taught in English unless they are in their Secondary stage of schooling? And of course somewhere you have the best chance of earning an honest living. That way, if you don't settle after a realistic time period then you can go back to the UK and try and pick up your old jobs.


Please, please, please be realistic and don't go with the hope of finding Little Britain as this would be a pointless move for you all.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do! Bien Viages!

brenda50

Hi folks

I am thinking of giving up my rented home here, selling most of my stuff them flying to Florida to buy a motorhome where I will get one about half the price i would pay here, and get a much better one at that.

If you stay for a year, you do not have to pay import tax on the return to the UK and I expect none of the EU counties. So you get a free holiday thrown in and there are plenty of 'wild' parking places.

Then I am thinking of coming over to the continent and heading to south Spain for the winters or maybe the Algarve if it is warmer. In spring I want to spend time in Germany where i have been spending time the last year (Berlin) and then come back to the UK for MOT and family visits.

I am 57 and get my pension at 60 so until then i will be living off my savings. I reckon i can get a good van for £10.000 which will last me for 15 years at least if i chose a good 'un.

I do wonder though how it will all work out in the long run with red tape. I can use a UK address so that will not be a problem.

The motorhome community is very supportive and they help each other out.

At he moment I am selling my stuff and learning German. By the way, I find that the best thing is to do a little each morning first thing. I've got a little book written in the 30's and it is the best course I have found, I am progressing well much better than when I went to the local college.

So wish me well :beer:

Errata

Have you checked out what the shipping charges are? They might wipe out any saving you plan to make.

brenda50

Errata

Yes I have. They are about £2.000 which is well within limits.

motherearth31

we are looking in to selling up and move to spain after xmas have started to learn spanish very slowly just wont sink in for me but i am very confused about the schools do you have to pay forall schools in spain or only international schools, any other advice would be great we are looking to go to vallencia to rent a property may be buy later but have no work at the moment lined up so trying very hard but no one wants to know til we are out there but cant aford to take the risk of moving with out jobs (would never be able to buy another house in england prices just to high)

droopsnout

How can post 360 be a reply to post 364?

Motherearth31, your post gives the impression that you have a lot more research to do.

Christmas is no time at all away, yet you seem very vague about what to expect.

Please, go to the area you are interested in and do your research before you commit you and your family to selling your home, leaving the UK, and probably not finding a job around Valencia.

It is vital, especially for your children, that you have sufficient funds to tide you through an extended period without income; that you have investigated the Spanish education system from primary to university; that you have researched house prices and what you can afford; that you can cope with the extremes of temperature in summer and winter.

You must be aware that there is almost no possibility of obtaining employment with a Spanish firm unless you are fluent - as in bilingual - in Spanish.

I am really, really sorry if this sounds harsh and discouraging, but those of us already abroad have seen too many dreams shattered, hearts broken, and children's educations damaged.

I send every best wish for a happy future, and I sincerely hope that you achieve your goals, but please do lots of research before you do anything drastic.

seven-day-weekend

Motherearth, I agree with droopsnout, you will stand virtually no chance of a job unless you are fluent in Spainish and maybe not even then. (Unless you work for expats).

Also expect to only earn minimum wage.

Also agree with droopsnout re having enough funds; we too have seen people sell their house in the UK and then come to live here with no clear idea of where the income is coming from -in fact there is a couple in our village who are living off money they have borrowed from the bank! They are intending to start a business - but they have no experience of the business, no experience of being self-employed and have not researched the area to see if there is any opposition (there is - plenty). I think they'll be goiing back to the UK soon (where they can no longer afford to buy a house).

Spanish state schools are free AFAIK.


Do your research, take a couple of years.

Hope it works out for you.

ataylorrl

Hi

I agree with droopsnout in many instances...

Research, research, and then do some more research!

Try the BBC website for Spanish lessons.

Try an excellent Spain info web coincidentally called www.spain.info
and subscribe to all the Spain newsletters as you can.

Another couple of good websites on what's going on in the area, particularly the Costa Blanca (Valencian Region):

www.alicante-spain.com

www.costablanca-news.com

www.practicalspain.com

www.costablanca-lazenia.com

www.solymarproperties.com

www.calidainternationalproperties.com

Let us know how you get on with your plans!

Regards

droopsnout

Excellent suggestions, Amanda.

Thank you for taking the trouble to post.

And, of course, for anyone who has Sky, or a non-Sky dish pointing at the Astra satellites, there's the Living In Spain channel on 293.

ManAtHome

brenda50 wrote: »

So wish me well

Certainly will, sounds like you're more clued-up than you're admitting...

What size MH are you getting - I looked around a couple of years ago (when I thought I was retiring - don't ask..) and it was around a quid per cubic foot - hopefully it's gone up a bit and you're not buying a 34ft beastie..?