Well, the mortgage is just about paid off so Andrea and myself are looking at what to do next and are planning a move to Spain- more preciously, the Costa Blanca North area between Alicante and Denia.
It's obviously not going to be cheap or easy, particularly in the current unhelpful political climate but the whole family is up for a fresh start. We are looking at buying a house in an inland village and a small apartment by the sea to bring in some rental income. I plan to keep doing Electra as a going concern, as it is all internet-based and mail-order anyway.
Are there any forum members who have done anything similar and what experiences can you share?
We did similar but to Italy 14 years ago. Most important thing is do you have a guaranteed income? Knew several families out here who tried to make it and sadly failed.
Mrs H and I were both on good pensions, sadly Caroline is no longer with us but I am able to survive on my Railway pension.
Health care ? with the ***xit thing what will happen ? Here in Italy we have been told they will "honour" existing arrangements but for new comers ??
I think its a great idea but sadly in these uncertain months one I would be wary of.
Sorry to be negative but the politcal climate I fear is against you for now. Who knows what the end of the year will bring.
Jerry
I am trying so hard not to mention the dreaded B-word, as it is the one thing guaranteed to get any sensible discussion locked by the mods! It is a major concern, hence my desire to get the ball rolling as soon as I can. I have very little faith that whoever takes over Number Ten will not do something really stupid.
Income-wise we need to sit down and do some hard calculating but I think we will be OK with pensions and everything. Lots to think about.
Quote from: captainelectra on May 25, 2019, 08:46:17 PM
Well, the mortgage is just about paid off so Andrea and myself are looking at what to do next and are planning a move to Spain- more preciously, the Costa Blanca North area between Alicante and Denia.
It's obviously not going to be cheap or easy, particularly in the current unhelpful political climate but the whole family is up for a fresh start. We are looking at buying a house in an inland village and a small apartment by the sea to bring in some rental income. I plan to keep doing Electra as a going concern, as it is all internet-based and mail-order anyway.
Are there any forum members who have done anything similar and what experiences can you share?
I've no experience to offer but I wish you all the luck in the world. 12 years ago we had the chance to move to Malta, but for various reasons we decided against it, how I wish now that we had done it.
Anyhoo, good luck with the move and your new life in the sun :)
Moved to France 4 years ago - never regretted it. Am now in French system regarding health, income tax etc. Health just pay a small premium each month as top up which covers hospital expenses if needed. Income tax pay nothing now unlike when in UK, allowed to earn nearly 3 times the tax free allowance in UK before paying any plus get reduced property taxes.
We did think about Spain but decided on France as easier to travel back if family problems occurred. Life is more relaxed and would never move back. Br...t doesn't worry us as they aren't going to kick us out!
One thing we decided on is that we didn't want lots of Brits around us, join the locals they'll soon accept you.
Good luck with your plans.
Hi,
Any climate you want....here in Italy you can find it :)..
Cheers.
Marco
Quote from: captainelectra on May 25, 2019, 08:46:17 PM
We are looking at buying a house in an inland village and a small apartment by the sea to bring in some rental income.
From what I saw on the telly a couple of years ago, you need to be very careful about the Spanish building regulations. Some people have been hit financially to the extent that they've had to give up their properties.
:hellosign: We have bought a apartment in South Costa Blanca last year & hope to retire there in a couple of years time. At the moment the calculations are looking good as cost of living in Spain is very reasonable in comparison to the UK. I think the B word will be a storm in a tea cup when all is finally said & done.
Hope this helps & think positive, best of luck.
regards Derek.
Recently moved to the south of Spain in the Cadiz area in a nice inland village (near a railway :) ) for the lower cost of living and better weather. Also much better broadband internet than the UK. Working on getting our Residentia sorted before things get too bad in the UK.
I moved "temporarily" to mainland Europe (France/Belgium) 30 years ago and haven't regretted it for a single moment. While I wouldn't say that now is the best time to make your move to Spain due to the uncertainty resulting from that :censored: referendum, you should give it a try if in your heart of hearts it's really what you want to do. If I have any advice to give, it would be that you might want to try renting there in the first instance rather than buying. This should save you a lot of money and heartache if you decide, for whatever reason, to reverse your decision .
Kevin
Hi Adam,
We bought a holiday home in the fields and hills around Zarra, Valencia in 2005 and then moved over permanently when I retired in 2010. We didn´t want to be on the Costa's which are too British. Our village has about 420 people in it and at the most 30 are brits. Our area which is the Ayora Valley has 5 villages, with a few brits in each. It is a farming area with olives, almonds, cherries and honey being farmed. Amongst a multitude of other Fiestas we have a honey festival in October.
Properties tend to be cheaper here compared to the costas and there are plenty of buildings for
developement.
We now have residencia, included in the health system, informed the tax office we are here who said I can continue paying my tax in the UK as they are government pensions. We have Spanish driving licences. Yesterday we voted in the local elections.
Denia is about 160 kilometers south east of us In this area there aren't many english speakers so we take an interpreter with us to hospital appointments and we get on fine. The locals are friendly and include us in all their events. I even ride with 2 scooter clubs in Alicante and 1 in Almansa when I can. I was interviewed for local TV last year as the only brit in a Spanish scooter club.
Cost of living is generally cheaper than the UK but we have found that the price of food has got more expensive. We have satellite TV, Freesat, and Internet via dish for 18 euro's per month.
Hope this helps Adam. Let me know if there is anything specific you want to know and I will try and oblige and send you some links if nothing else. Citizens Advice Bureau Spain springs to mind and N322 Guardia Civil Traffico website which is named after the east coast main road and has all the info on driving in Spain. If you move to Denia I could pop over and pay for those NMT vinyls I owe you for!
My parents sold up and moved to the Costa Blanca about 25 years ago and had many happy years there, enjoying everything that Spain and the Spanish system had to offer. Unfortunately, I've lost them both now so I have inherited a lovely 3 bedroomed house just outside Torrevieja which my wife and I love to pieces. Daughter is immensely jealous but she knows that it will be hers one day so she's being patient :hmmm:
As regards first hand experience, there's not a lot I can tell you at this stage that's not already been said but I will point out one very important thing. Will. Make sure you have one, a Spanish one. About 4 years ago my dad was alone in Spain and uncertain so he bought a house in Scotland, intending to split his year between the two but just over 12 months ago the unspeakable happened, hence my inheriting the house. I have had a year of arguing, wrangling and fighting with a Scottish solicitor regarding my dad's estate (only child, fully notarised legal will) but the Spanish side of it was over and done with within 6 weeks. If nothing else, that Spanish are bloody good at dealing with bereavement. My Spanish solicitor has been worth her weight in gold. Useful to know if kids are part of the equation.
I've got about 6 years left until my mortgage is paid up, then I might seriously consider making the leap myself.... I've already got the house and the car. All this picture needs now is me!
Good luck and keep us posted.
ps
I can also recommend the N332 website. It's a real goldmine of information. https://n332.es/
pps
The dreaded B word. As far as I'm concerned it's a made up word for a made up concept. It's a shining example of misinformation at it's finest and as was mentioned earlier, it'll probably end up being a big fuss about nothing, a bit like the Millennium Bug (remember that one? Planes falling out of the sky and your microwave won't work any more)
I've been to many European countries in the past year or so and as far as I can see, apart from being the butt of many jokes we Brits don't seem to have too much to worry about. The average chap on the street couldn't give two hoots about B****t so why should I?
Many thanks for all the replies and advice. I think we could be looking at a Costa Blanca chapter of the NGS at this rate :-)
Well, we're off on our holidays to the Coasta Blanca on Sunday and armed with a large amount of "Favourited" properties from Alcoi to Denia. Should be interesting.
Ole.
I got my Residentia card today, so hopefully means I'll be sticking around :)
I have little-to-nothing to add just that I'm jealous and this sounds awesome. Of course, the practical details might damper some of the awesomeness, but still...sounds exciting.
Good for you. Hopefully, B****t will grind away for long enough not to affect us. :)
Quote from: captainelectra on June 07, 2019, 08:00:24 PM
Well, we're off on our holidays to the Coasta Blanca on Sunday and armed with a large amount of "Favourited" properties from Alcoi to Denia. Should be interesting.
Ole.
Hola & Best of luck Adam, I`m sure you will enjoy your time in Spain :beers:
regards Derek.
Hi Adam, I moved to Spain about 24 years ago, it has got a bit blurry now.
I think as others have said the further inland you go the cheaper it gets (don't go as far as Teruel though!!), some people prefer the Brit areas others not so, in my case due to my work and other factors I stayed well away ( I live in Castellon, and we have a flat in my wife's village Morella, 100km from coast, 1000m altitude)
For me the most important thing is to try and learn some Spanish ( in my case I was advised to get a Spanish girlfriend, which I did and then ended up marrying her!), at some point or other you will need it, and if you can trade your car in for a Spanish one, and change your UK licence for a Spanish licence.
I believe the living is cheaper here, especially further inland, and away from tourist areas, but in Spain it is definitely a case of quality over quantity.
Remember the further south you go the hotter it will get, and with global warming temperature are going up in Spain - I believe where Zwilnik is it touched 50 Deg C last year, that is not funny.
If I think of anything else in the next few days I will add it here.
Regards Tony
Hi Adam, just been for a walk and remembered more things, some quite important:
Electrical incomer, all Spanish properties have the incomer limited to 3.5Kw, 5.5Kw, 7.5 and 10. or 10.5Kw, this is normally done by a MCB and a smart meter - the problem is they charge a line rental for all the year on which ever tariff you have, so in the south you may want it high for the summer (i.e.A.C.) but in the winter when you don't need so much you still pay a high line rental, something you will have to work out when you find a property.
Electrical voltage: here in Spain it is 220 volts, two pin plugs, any moulded transformer type plug you will have to find an adapter.
Health care: there is a very good system here in Spain, but most people I know have private medical insurance also, it can be very useful, plus you can always go private, which I did last year as I had an eye problem and got it operated privately because the social security was going to take too long (again speaking Spanish helps also, local people always like to help)
Red Tape: the Spain is full of red tape, every thing has to be stamped, signed and stamped again - I think it goes back to Franco's days - it is a good idea to ask around about things and get professional help - for example in my wifes village I wanted to put a solar powered water heater on the roof, but the builder told me if we fitted it, next week we would be taking it down again as they are not allowed in the village due to visual reasons of the village overall.
Post, it can be slow, most things from Hattons and Rails take 10 days to reach me, if there is no Fiestas, and they have alot of them, local and national.
Working hours - a lot of places only work/ or are open in the morning in summer, and a lot close for the whole of August, this may affect you -the further south you go the worse it gets, the hotter it gets also - as one who has to work all hours and months I am Jealous.
Regards Tony
Have a good holiday and property search Adam. We came over for a week and looked at loads of properties but didn´t find anything to our liking. We went home and whilst I was at work my wife found a property on line we liked so we went over and bought it and set on builders to reform it within 5 working days. The house was very secluded and very small so we decided we would extend it once I had retired. On retiring we discovered that the rules had changed and we couldn´t extend because you needed 20,000 square metres to build on not the 10,000 it was. The rules have now changed again to 10,000. We had another bigger plot of land so decided to have a house built. We got a quote for the building of 150 square metre bungalow which was 70,000 euros (2010) but this was just the shell and everything else was extra and very expensive. We gave up on that idea and bought a ready built bungalow just outside the village at a good price because the english owners had already returned to the UK. We sold the original house after a few years. It has been sold again since and is on the market at the present time. We find that the main reasons expats return to the UK from here is the death of a partner or missing family. Usually it is the females wanting to go back.
A couple of points to be aware of. Make sure any property you buy is fully legal. At the present time in Valencia there is a sort of amnesty and illegal properties can be made legal. Don´t get involved with any ´black´ money. It could come back and bite you.
Hope this is of use or interest to you.
Another thing I thought off which may affect you is nobody will post paints or flammable substances (i.e. Blackening Fluid )outside the UK, has to be dedicated transport (non-air) or you get it yourself! even acrylics can not be sent, which to my knowledge are not flammable.
Tony
Vallejo sounds spanish ?
Hi Joe, dos'nt just sound Spanish, it is Spanish, made just outside Barcelona, same place as all the Cava comes from - the problem is specific rail colours, i.e. Br crimson, LNER Garter Blue etc, these are made as acrylics also, but they still wont ship them - I incidentally own quite a few Vallejo paints, and some of the excellent weathering sets they do (more for military modellers).
For spraying I prefer enamels if possible, but is possible with acrylics also.
Tony
Following my redundancy from Thomas Cook, we've decided to take the plunge and have made an offer on a property in Benissa. It's a beautiful penthouse apartment, all on one level which will be great for Andrea. There is a dog park nearby and he have a big outside terrace.
I'll have to suspend model railway activities for a while but will continue Electra Rail as usual. Watch out for some serious downsizing hitting the Nporium soon.
Ole 🇪🇸😀
Quote from: captainelectra on November 30, 2019, 08:34:33 PM
Following my redundancy from Thomas Cook, we've decided to take the plunge and have made an offer on a property in Benissa. It's a beautiful penthouse apartment, all on one level which will be great for Andrea. There is a dog park nearby and he have a big outside terrace.
I'll have to suspend model railway activities for a while but will continue Electra Rail as usual. Watch out for some serious downsizing hitting the Nporium soon.
Ole 🇪🇸😀
Good for you.
I'm assuming there will be the usual 'products are available for collection in person' option?
:whistle:
Quote from: captainelectra on November 30, 2019, 08:34:33 PM
Following my redundancy from Thomas Cook, we've decided to take the plunge and have made an offer on a property in Benissa. It's a beautiful penthouse apartment, all on one level which will be great for Andrea. There is a dog park nearby and he have a big outside terrace.
I'll have to suspend model railway activities for a while but will continue Electra Rail as usual. Watch out for some serious downsizing hitting the Nporium soon.
Ole 🇪🇸😀
That's great news, I wish you both happiness in your new life.
Great news Adam. Hope all goes well with the move and setting up and living in your new home. Keep us informed and don´t hesitate to ask for any more information.
Dave
Quote from: captainelectra on November 30, 2019, 08:34:33 PM
Following my redundancy from Thomas Cook, we've decided to take the plunge and have made an offer on a property in Benissa. It's a beautiful penthouse apartment, all on one level which will be great for Andrea. There is a dog park nearby and he have a big outside terrace.
I'll have to suspend model railway activities for a while but will continue Electra Rail as usual. Watch out for some serious downsizing hitting the Nporium soon.
Ole 🇪🇸😀
all the best to you and yours in the new chapter of your lives.
I wish you all a smooth transition to Spain and will envy you the weather just for starters.
All the best, Adam
My late father in law lived in one of those horrible new urbanisations outside of Torrveija, we visited a few times but I just never took to Spain although I love Ibiza and Menorca. When he was diagnosed with cancer the medical services were excellent and possibly extended his life a fair bit.
As someone else mentioned get your wills sorted, it has caused a lot of friction between my wifes' family and his partner who is still out there.
I wish you and the family well Adam and hope that it all works out for you :thumbsup:
It's really happening now. The house is on the market and we have put an offer in for the Spanish place. After Christmas, we will complete the paperwork to claim Residencia (and beat Br***t). Really exciting.
This does point to a possible pause for Electra, whilst the company is transferred to Spain. I hope this will be minor and I will restart operations soon after.
Might have to think of a new name. Was thinking "Electra-Tren" but this appear to have been taken already :)
Quote from: captainelectra on December 14, 2019, 10:45:03 PM
It's really happening now. The house is on the market and we have put an offer in for the Spanish place. After Christmas, we will complete the paperwork to claim Residencia (and beat Br***t). Really exciting.
This does point to a possible pause for Electra, whilst the company is transferred to Spain. I hope this will be minor and I will restart operations soon after.
Might have to think of a new name. Was thinking "Electra-Tren" but this appear to have been taken already :)
Nice one! If you drive, I'd recommend applying to swap your UK driving license to a Spanish one as soon as you have your residentia. If you can get it applied for (literally walk into the local Traffico office and ask to exchange it) before Brexit happens, Spain will process it. If it starts after Brexit, they can't guarantee it and you may end up having to do a full Spanish driving test to get a new license.
In terms of the company, unless you *really* need the whole limited company thing, it may be worth just becoming an Autonomo and trading as. As Autonomo you pay in a fixed amount per month (you have to pay in a lot more as a company director) and you get full healthcare and even unemployment benefit. The first year you only pay a proportion of the full Autonomo fee (€60 - €100 depending on age) which rises in the 2nd and 3rd years to the full amount of around €300 per month.
One big advantage of going autonomo is once you're signed up, you can get your Residentia without having to do all the financial requirements or getting private health insurance so it can be a quick route to getting into the system.
Quote from: zwilnik on December 14, 2019, 11:02:39 PM
In terms of the company, unless you *really* need the whole limited company thing, it may be worth just becoming an Autonomo and trading as. As Autonomo you pay in a fixed amount per month (you have to pay in a lot more as a company director) and you get full healthcare and even unemployment benefit. The first year you only pay a proportion of the full Autonomo fee (€60 - €100 depending on age) which rises in the 2nd and 3rd years to the full amount of around €300 per month.
One big advantage of going autonomo is once you're signed up, you can get your Residentia without having to do all the financial requirements or getting private health insurance so it can be a quick route to getting into the system.
That is actually what we are doing. We are using an agent in Benissa to help us through all the paperwork needed :)