I dont know where to start, help!

Hi I am new here and have been reading a lot of messages which have been useful.

My story is similar to lots of others...1 hubby, 7 yr boy, 21yr boy, 18 yr girl, 3 cats, 1 dog, 1 parrot. Hubby works self-employed (we are in Scotland) and has became increasingly disilluisioned trying to earn a decent living in the UK, he works 7 days a week and struggles to get paid in time from Companies, along with tax man letters, vat man letters, we can't stand life in the UK now. It's such a rat-race....who in the estate has the best car, goes the best holidays etc. does anybody else feel like this?

We have thought about moving to Spain many times. I am very interested to hear from others in a similar situation who have made the move and made a better life for themselves. There are many issues that scare me about moving. Leaving the UK is not one of them, rather matters like I can get a Doctors appt. within 2 days, get dental treatment when required, what about school for my little boy?, will the 21 year old not want to come with us?  My Daugter lives in London as she is in 2nd year of a 3 year course, so no problem there. We have about £100k equity in our current property so at least some options.

My other main concern is Hubby working. He can do anything in the building trade, drainage, concreting, groundworks, so what are his chances of picking up work? With no mortgage to pay, we would be under less pressure so lower wages would be OK. I am going to Torremolinoes for a week next week and just know I will get bitten with the "moving bug" when I am there again, but property cost prices and schooling would be an important factor in moving as we would have no job initially or know no way to secure a job beforehand. I seem to get the impression jobs are hard to come by, yet with all the properties being in built in Spain, this seems hard to imagine. 

I also worry we wouldn't fit in...we don't speak Spanish bar a little basic stuff, and would probably like to be near other expats but in a quieter region. If anyone can offer any positive words of wisdom I would be grateful. It's such a major life decision and I tend to think of what can go wrong rather than what would be great!  Regards Margaret

Hi Margaret, can't answer all your questions but will have a go at some.

1. once you have the relevent documents you can get all you need from the Spanish health service, this is from personal experience!!

2. You will have to pay for your dental treatment, but if you use a Spanish dentist ( as I do ) it will be much cheaper than in UK.

3. You will find a school for your child.

Don't worry about the language, you can learn.....we all have had to and you will find that if you try to speak the language the Spanish will help you.

Can't speak for your 21 year old daughter. Ask her!! She will have her own life to lead and she may want to stay in the UK, but you too have your life to lead.

Work is a different issue and I do know that the Spaniards do tend to keep their building work to themselves, but a lot of English people start their own building stuff so that could be an idea.

As long as you do as much as you can before you come you'll be ok.

Hi jfj and Karensun

thanks for your replies.  We went along to the expo property exhibition today and as expected they are really pushing for you to sign on the dotted line for the inspection trip to see different properties.  We have sort of settled area wise Almeria, Vera in that region. They were pushing Almeria as they are saying it is up and coming prices rising etc. and a new airport in 2010. Their 1 bed apt. starts at 77k with a 2 bed 120k. I am sure we could buy privately cheaper. Plus, I would much prefer a garden and 3 rooms but I doubt we would get that in the 130k mark. We are considering the trip inspection to get as much info as we can, though I would prefer to sell my house before buying in Spain.

I did get the feeling from the guy at the exhibition that building sites tend to be Spanish workers mainly. However, hubby maybe get work through an ex-pat who has started up for himself. Maybe in the future he could work for himself again but for now we want to get away from it all and a break from the stress. The UK has went down the hill badly with crime as well and seems to be getting worse. It's all very scary isn't it. Haven't discussed with 21 year old yet, but like you say, where do you draw the line and start to think about your own future?  Guilt always seem to seep in with kids whatever their age!  I will keep you posted on what we do.

Regards Margaret

Hi margaret

we are looking in a different area but you may also be surprised by what you can get for your money if you look around!  We did not go on the inspection trips offered as my hubby could not stand the idea of someone else being in control of the itinery (and would have seriously lost the plot if he felt anyone was trying the sales pressure thing on him!)  So we  organised a couple of trips over a few months.  Last week we spend a number of days with some different agents, looked at different places, got a feel for what we liked and what we could get with our money.  I have to say we were pleasantly surprised.  And as they say it is currently a buyers market, so in a lot of cases what people are asking for price wise and what they are willing to accept can be quite different.  Also a number of agents who are still taking large percentages are having to reconsider this if they want a sale. 

We were looking at 2 bedroom properties with reasonable outside space (including solariums) and were looking at approx 130,000 - 140,000 Euros.    We also saw a lot of overpriced places that have been on the market forever and will continue to be (in my opinion!) and some agents who were decidely dodgy and should be featured on crimewatch!!!  If you can find a decent agent (like we did in our own dear Georgia) in your area of choice it helps greatly!  

Good luck with your search.

Margaret

We are purchasing in Vera & I have sent you a PM with some thoughts.

Noreen

AuntieEm

where are you looking about in Spain if you don't mind me asking?  We would much prefer to have an area outside as that is what we are used to and have animals to consider as well. Did you find that £110K sterling would get you what you were looking for?  I can relate to your Husband's opinion on the sales people, don't know if we would be brave enough to do it ourselves though!

Noreen have e-mailed you back thankyou.

Regards Margaret

Hola Margaret

Just wanted to welcome you really. As Em says there are loads of resales about that are excellent value. Move inland slightly & get even better value with plenty of outdoor space for those pets. Em's looking in the area my husband & I bought into which is Guardamar/Torrevieja area on the Costa Blanca. (Em's a new friend I made in this forum.)

Good luck & don't worry too much about your eldest two too much. As you say your daughter lives away & your son may not want to go with you. It's time to consider yourselves & your little boy, who will likely go to a Spanish school, get involved in a great lifestyle & be chattering away in Spanish fluently inside 6 months. My friend went to live in Spain with her two youngsters aged 7 & 9 & the next time we saw the girls they were fluent with wonderful accents. They totally love it in Spain. They lived Gran Canaria initially & now are in Mijas, CDS.

Hi Margaret

as More says we are looking at costa blanca region, both towards the sea and more inland.  We have had a good wander around and seen a number of areas including some very breathtaking mountain views.  We finanlly decided not to go as far inland as we at first intended, but thats because we are looking to buy a holiday "bolt-hole" at the moment and not a permanent residence.

Georgia, who posts on here and is an agent in the area, suggested some areas we might like to look at, which was very helpful and helped us to narrow down what we were looking for.  Basically, at the moment, we want the convenience of being near amenities, but the feeling that we are in the "real Spain" (I know its mad isnt it!) and believe it or not we found some places that even ticked a number of our crazy boxes!

I was really surprised at what you could get for your money if you were willing to look around, be focussed and ignore all but the most sensible agents.  We were also not put off by places that "needed work".  My hubby is very handy around the house and thankfully can tell the difference between a money pit and somewhere that just needs a few thousand euros spent on it to bring it up to scratch.   We were  also not too worried about having huge amounts of inside space as long as there was plenty of outside space.  My hubby has lived in Australia and in the Bahamas and understands the difference between living in a hot country and in the UK ... I have only lived in Scotland and England so have a very different perspective ..... I therefore have to bow to his superior knowledge (on this one aspect only!!!)

I have to say it all makes a bit more sense to me now. so i am looking forward to our next visit in a couple of months.  We met 2 agents who were very helpful and not at all pushy and they were a delight, and i will definitely be keeping in touch with them  .... we also met a few that are the reason that agents get a bad name and I have to say that even if they had my dream house on their books i would still give them a wide bearth. 

There are loads of people on here who are very helpful and will give you advice.  I asked a lot and listened a lot before we embarked on our "shopping trip", and it really helped.  I am still of the opinion that an "inspection trip" would have been a disaster for us, and i dont think it would have given us the opportunities to test out what we wanted in the way that going alone did.  But of course everyone is different, and others can tell you their experiences of helpful trips with particular agents.

Hi Morerosado and Auntie Em

Thanks again for your replies. Like many others have said, I am so glad to have found this site! I will be a regular poster probably from now on and hope I don't become a pest with lots of questions! Hubby and I had a big long walk today (we are having some unseasonaly great weather in Scotland at the moment, lots of blue skies and sun) and have made decisions on the future. After being "sales pattered" at the exhibition yesterday, we have decided not to go down the new apartment route for definate. our plan is to put our house on the market Spring 2009 with a view to selling first. Hopefully then rent in the area we are decided on which would give us plenty time to find the right property. Hubby is handy as well and wouldn't mind a house that needed just a bit of doing up as long as it had some room outside with a garden and privacy etc. Maybe even a place for the pool table which takes up our garage currently!

In between now and then, we will take a few short breaks here and there to explore certain areas and try to get as much info on schools etc. for the youngest. He will be nine and a half by then and I hope not too old to adapt?  I think I would prefer international school, but not if high fees. We have decided that Hubby would probably have more chance of getting building work with an ex-pat who has started his own business already over there, so that may take time to get to know contacts. If things are slow he will fly back to UK for a few weeks at a time to get work here then come back to Spain (rather like off-shore workers do).

I am glad we have made a final decision on this. I have no doubt it is just as difficult to work your own business abroad as it is here and really want away from it. Both our health is an issue as well due to stress and we are only early forties. Surely getting up to blue skies and having no mortgage would be better than this?  We have a nice house here, but hubby works 7 days a week to pay for it and try to keep a business afloat (he only has one worker).  We are taxed to death here also. Does anyone else feel like this?  I want to stay somewhere that fancy cars and houses don't really matter and spen more time outdoors.

No doubt I will have loads of questions from now on and appreciate your help. I also like reading others posts too.

gracias Margaret

hi margaret

im glad that you worked out what you want and have something to aim for now ... i think that makes a big difference ... and when you are feeling stressed you can think about and plan your "exit strategy".  I know when i am spending long days at work and getting really p'd off with the futility of it all I just think that it wont be for much longer and it begins to put things in perspective for me.  Having spend the past 10 days in Spain and seeing some of the places that i COULD live I am even more sure that after a few years of holidaying in Spain we will be looking to make "the big move". 

I know the grass is always greener and all that, and there are good and bad points in the  way both countries are run, however most people seem to agree that the lifestyle in Spain is more laid back and less hectic than here and you are right about what you say about the "keeping up with the Jones' lifestyle" that we have here.  I didnt really see that where we were ... everyone was just too occupied getting on with enjoying their life! 

I also couldnt fail to notice the difference in my shopping bill when i came home and visited Tesco!  Jezz, when did food get so expensive here????  Not to mention that everyone i spoke to in Spain had their bins emptied at least 6 times a week for a local tax of less than 200 euros a year whereas my council tax is £1900 a year and for that they will come round once a fortnight and empty my bin, there is no street lighting where we are (it is considered "in the country") and we see a policeman once every blue moon (they are usually far too busy trying to catch speeding motorists elsewhere!)

And dont even get me started on the other bills!!!!  But i do have to admit that the wages and pensions (occupational not state!) are better here and thats what will allow us to make the move and maintain a decent lifestyle abroad.  The locals may not be so fortunate.  So not all bad here really.

Auntie Em  I hear what you are saying! Council Tax is £1700 per year for us for the same services plus added "attitude" from the bin-men! I have heard food bills are cheaper in Spain though have never been self-catering there so can't speak from experience. We don't have a pension (at least nothing that will make a life difference) so that is why we want to take the equity from our house and have a better and more relaxed lifestyle elsewhere.

Hope you don't mind me asking....you mentioned looking at properties in the 130-140 (was it euros?) with 2 beds and space outside....were these properties on their own or in estates?  We would be looking for something sort of on it's own but not too far from other houses if you know what I mean.  Just with you saying you and hubby went on your own trip I am interested to hear more details on the sort of property you came across and at which cost. 3 beds would be preferable for me, or room to convert an outbuilding or extend for a 3rd bedroom. Also, what Agents did you use that you found to be reputable?

So many questions!  (with loads more in the future)

regards Margaret

hi margaret

will PM you

Em

Hi Em,

Thought my ears were burning!!!!

Just got back from a few days in the UK or "Grumble" as i have renamed it!! Blimey, spent 4 days listening to all my old friends moaning about everything!

Hope you got back ok,i think you were returning the same day as i was going,what a storm!!!!!!.

Got delayed for three hours in the airport and a further hour on the runway,due to the fact that the "lightning may cause the fuel to explode on re-fuelling" Gulp!!!!

Nice to meet you both and hopefully you took away something from your fact finding mission.

Troythecat,

Em is spot on you can find a decent bargain at the moment but you do have to trawl through a lot of dross to find it.

Regards

Georgia  

hi georgia ... we been singing your praises all over the board!  Hope your trip went ok.  We flew out late afternoon so storm was over, but the turbulance was scary!  Apparently they closed Palma airport.

thanks for all  your help .... im sure there will be a big fat cheque coming your way in the near future  (why did that sound so rude when i read it back?)

Em x

Troythecat - Margaret,

"I don't know where to start - help!" Strange, you already answered your own query by arriving at this site! Welcome aboard. You will find all the answers you need over the coming months right here. Already some good advice above.

With regards to hubbie's employment prospects - it can be very difficult for ex-pats to find gainful employment, but it sounds as though he has some very useful and in-demand skills, so that's a good start. I don't know the Vera/Almeria area, so cannot comment on propspects there, but needless to say, at least to begin with, he will be dependant on other ex-pats for work, so make sure the area you choose has enough of them!

I presume your trip to Torremolinos is purely vacational - but if you want to know anything about the area, feel free to ask. Just a word so you don't get disheartened if window shopping whilst here - property around here is more expensive than some of the other areas mentioned!

Hi Roberto!

good tip about being not too far from the ex-pats. It's trying to get everything that you want from moving to Spain which may not be that easy.

We were in Benalmadena last Christmas and New Year and were astonished at the wonderful blue skies and warm temperature then, whilst everyone back home was being battered with gales and rain! We watched Edinburgh's Hogmany bash cancelled on Sky TV and it's hard to believe you are less than 3 hours flight from home! I did notice the property prices there were quite expensive and know we will have to move further inland to get the type of property we want.

Hubby has never driven abroad and feels nervous about it But he's gonna have to learn quick!  

Regards Margaret

PS whats the weather like just now?

It's a very pleasant 26 celsius at the moment (7.00pm) and has been a hot & sunny day - as usual!

Christmas here tends to be very mild, but January/February/March can get a little chilly, and surprisingly wet at times - but it's all relative, I guess.

Driving here can indeed be challenging, but as you say, you'll just have to get used to it. However, depending on where you end up living and working, you will probably find that you are less car dependant than in the UK. I used to clock up 40,000 miles a year in the UK, now I do less than one tenth of that! Many other things have changed dramatically as well. And it's true, nobody cares whether you're in a shiny new BMW, or a clapped out old Seat