projo669 says:
It would have been nice to have listed the reasons to move to Spain. We move to the South of Spain in less than two weeks. There is always going to be at least one thing on you list that applies to one person. I've been thinking about your list all morning and where as I was absolutley sure before- now I'm concerned. Surely its not as bad as all that is it?
21/08/2007 08:53:00

jaldridge says:
Don't worry projo669, we live in Spain ourselves and are very happy here. There are MANY reasons FOR moving to Spain, I'm sure we'll start a list "FOR" very soon. Justin
21/08/2007 09:10:00

projo669 says:
Thank you. I appreciate that. We have no furniture as its been sold and we're really just in limbo till we leave on August 31st. For the record- we are learning Spanish, we're hard workers and this isn't a long "holiday". We love driving, the heat and foreign people and we want to make lots of friends. I am scared and people are shocked since we only decided 6 weeks ago but I'm also excited. Our family think we are so brave but its only because people are naturally scared of the unknown. Thanks JAldridge!!!
21/08/2007 10:12:00

shar says:
There are pros and cons for anyhting and these are all good valid points to consider bet you couold write a longer list about not staying in the UK.......

Its not all as bad as that honest but too many people move out with rose tinted spectacles I would ammend at least one point on the list though and that is the one about........
You don’t have enough money to pay rent and support yourself and your family for at least six months.
Make that at least a year .......... too many people move back becasue they have not planned and run out of of money the cost of living is cheaper but so are wages and job opportunities fewer unless you speak the languages.

Justin could I use some of the points on this list on my site please great idea for both sides of the coin I always like to point out the good and the bad sorry I didnt think of it first ha ha.........
21/08/2007 10:18:00

Roberto says:
"You don’t like driving. This is applicable to people moving to the coasts where everything tends to be spread out."
Not necessarily so. Research the area. I live in the centre of Torremolinos, and really have very little use for a car. Everything is on my doorstep, and what isn't, there's trains & buses etc. Head inland however, and you will definitely need a car. But, if you do like driving, and "You expect people to drive well and use their indicators", prepare to be very frustrated!


21/08/2007 17:04:00

dannyboy says:
dont move to spain if you dont like getting ripped off you never seem to get what u appear to be paying for
21/08/2007 20:26:00

ckthedj says:
I was impressed by the Don't move to Spain article - an ejoyable read so here is my reply...

DO move to Spain if…..

Do move to Spain if you want to get away from mass immigration as there are less people immigrating into Spain than into the UK.

You like a mix of nationalities. Depending on where you go you can find a lovely mix and of course with that comes a colourful variety of restraunts too!

You have looked into your finances. Working or retiring? Cost of living is generally cheaper but not by a massive amount...

You have relationship problems - Just the simple change of lifestyle can make all the difference.

Your children want a bilingual education as Spanish law states that all residets must have good access to local schools. There are also many international Schools available too.

You don't like driving. If you are living by the coast it could be near a resort so all the everyday facilities are only a stroll away and in more rural villages.

You like driving. Spain is a large country of a lovely variety of landscapes which are great to explore.

You like a hot/warm climate varies massivley upon location) and you don't forget the sun-block!

You need job security and a high salary.

You prefer to live a life rather than earning a high wage to be spent on tax, nursery fees, high service call outs, etc etc

You want to learn Spanish. Not essential if you choose a tourist area but get the basics.

You want to lose weight as the food is so much more healthy and in many areas you can buy straight from the farmer. You have a choice

You are a relaxed person. As you get into the Spanish way of life - Mañana Mañana (which in a lot of cases actually means "not today" - as opposed to "tomorrow"

You like to be kept informed.

You are prepared to install "green power" to save worrying about the occasional power out. (I live in Almería and have had 1 power out for 15 mins in the last year - I moved from Hertfordahire, UK where I had about 7 power cuts for more than 3 hrs each in a 6 month period. do the math...lol)

You want a change for the better.

You expect people to drive slower on average than the UK and get caught up in no traffic jams.

You don't like big brother watching down on you and council services doing nothing for your hard eanred money

You are prepared for like dust

You don’t like scaffolding or cranes

You need choice ie supermarket choice - not only can you get a great supply of UK stuff but it is easier to find more European influences too - My girlfirend sells Avon and my mate imports Argos!!

You are a big reader - all english newpapers are readilly available and there are tons of book swaps - most of the local cafe-bars have something going on like this and love to hang out in (book shops - no thanks)a nice cafe bar watching the sun go down over the Med. knowing that I am having a better life and glad I made the change - I have been living in Almería for 2 years now and it has been a rollercoaster ride... a lot of it hard work, and the occasional "what the hell am I doing here??"- but it is all worth-while.

Any one else for a comment?
Karl

23/08/2007 09:48:00

pieeater says:
The driving thing is even more applicable in the country as shops are few and far between and the public transport links are rather less well developed than on the coast!

Do you REALLY believe that the UK doesn't run on mafia-style corruption? Half the legislation introduced by TB & Co has been to put a facade of legality on it!
24/08/2007 11:17:00

belch says:
you dont like flies, or other crawlies
23/01/2008 00:12:00

TechNoApe says:
Well, 18 months after buying a property in Spain we are moving!

YEEESSSS!!!!!!

One comment on 'Reasons why you SHOULD move to Spain' - The spiraling cost of living in the UK!

Anyway, look out Duquesa, Manilva and Sabinillas ... cause here we come!
01/02/2008 02:59:00

jane b says:
You can't live without fresh raspberries at an a affordable price or fresh rhubarb at any price: I have recently been informed that if you grow rhubarb you have to keep it well hidden as it is illegal because the leaves are toxic. No idea if it is true but you certainly don't see it in the shops



10/02/2008 19:48:00

vioricavoa says:
Oh, dear God, this topic is great!
We are planning our moving in Spain in the begining of this summer.
YES, we think we can "deal" with the new life in Spain.
But... We will have our house, not rented, without any mortage, we will have our car and our money for at least 6 months without any income (i hope we can get what we desire).
I will celebrate my 40 birthday in Spain, if God will help us:)
Good luck to all of you! :)
22/03/2008 20:41:00

amc87 says:
Hello everyone,
im just planing to move to spain with a good friend and we are a bit nervous because my friend and i can't speak any word spanish, so we dont know how to get a job and a apartment without speaking spanish. We are planning to move to alicante. We are planning to go for a few weeks holiday firts to see if we can find a job and a apartment. I mean im only 21 and he is 26 so i hope we can learn the language quick. I speak and write perfect english and german and my friend german and a little bit english (good enough), so im hoping to get a job in a hotel or something like it because of my languages. If you have any tipps for me please let me know i would really appreciated.
24/03/2008 13:10:00

Paul says:
There are many deficiencies which Spain has which are not apparent until you have lived here for a while.

Don't come if you expect some sort of cultural infrastructure. Someone above mentioned large bookshops. There are none. Theatres? Forget it. Art galeries? Nope. Cinemas? Likewise. You can get all this in the big cities like Barcelona, but not out here on the Costas. Out here on the coast it is a cultural desert. On the other hand if your cultural needs don't extend beyond getting drunk in deafening sports bars and going out for meals like fish n chips, pizzas, kebabs, chinese and curries, then welcome to Heaven.

The seasons don't change much here. Forget the leaves turning golden in the Autumn. Forget the fresh, new greeness of Spring. The sky is generally always blue and the earth is sandy. If you want to know what time of year it is, just see how many cockroaches, crickets or mosquitoes you can spot.

Don't come here if communication is important to you. The postal service is a sick joke and getting a phone connected can easily take 2 years or more.

Don't come out here if you are offended that Spanish people put other Spanish people before you and discriminate against you in a way you would never do to them in Britain.

Don't come out here if you are a go-getter who wants to make progress real fast. You haven't a hope. Spain has two speeds: dead slow and full stop.

I could go on but I'm merely reminding myself why I have had a bellyful of Spain and will be leaving in 10 days' time. Bye, Bye, Spain.....
06/04/2010 22:38:00

chris says:
hi, i live in a tiny totally spanish village, there are only 100 people here, i came here for the life style, i spoke virtually no spanish,but since i came here i now speak the language paint and decorate for my spanish friends, they love it when i transform their homes,and i now have a steady income, bonus to me which i didnt expect, it can be weeks before i ever see any english people, so please come to spain and enjoy their culture,
01/08/2010 22:37:00

Joey says:
Everyone here is talking about moving to southern Spain when talking about reasons to move/not move there. But is anyone interested in moving into Madrid? I want to move to Madrid for it's arts, economy, cafes, people etc & just haven't heard anyone mention Madrid. If not, why not? Is there something wrong with Madrid? I mean, it is the third largest city in Europe.
18/08/2010 06:08:00

Joey says:
Everyone here is talking about moving to southern Spain when talking about reasons to move/not move there. But is anyone interested in moving into Madrid? I want to move to Madrid for it's arts, economy, cafes, people etc & just haven't heard anyone mention Madrid. If not, why not? Is there something wrong with Madrid? I mean, it is the third largest city in Europe.
18/08/2010 06:10:00

Veronica says:
Thank heavens some people write positive comments to this article because I couldnt believe what I was reading. Just I have to say: dont move anywhere if you want to live the same way you were living in your own country.
26/06/2010 11:59:00

Azu says:
Madrid!! What a lovely city! I was living there from 2001 to 2006, and I love it! I'm spanish myself (living in Ireland at the moment), and I dont agree with lot of the opinions here...
I dont know about the south, but not only big cities have bookshops, theaters, cinemas!!! C'mon! We might not be like Germany, but we do like culture!!!
Some of the people here are generalizing, Spain is not only sand, heat and "playa", go to Valladolid, Burgos, A Coruña in winter and try to wear shorts and a T-shirt...
@Joey: Madrid is a lovely city with lot of things to do. It might not have a beach, and be stressing sometimes, but I strongly recommend you to give it a go, and add an enriching experience to your life. :)
28/09/2010 00:57:00

tayleze anderson says:
spain has alot of killers so if you want to move spain should be your last choice
25/10/2010 19:54:00

Danielle says:
My husband and I have moved up and down the Costa del Sol. Wherever we went, we were ripped off left, right and centre. The words customer service do not form part of the Spanish vocabulary. The red tape is amazing. Name me one mayor who is not corrupt. I could go on and on and on, sadly...
08/11/2010 14:33:00

kishay says:
i think there are diffrent pros & cons about spain.
22/11/2010 19:47:00

Viceversa says:
For those who had a bad experience in Spain. I am Spanish and lived in Bradford for 8 years. No other comments necessary!!!
17/03/2011 15:47:00

Phill says:
Lol, this a great article - as someone said easily, it's very easy to approach a relocation through dreamy eyes but to get the gritty truth is very useful. Thankyou!
19/04/2011 21:47:00

Antonio says:
I am Mexican American and I dream with living in Spain. I am, like most Mexican half Spanish and Half Amerindian. My last name is from the north of Spain. My only concern to moving to Spain is the fact that I am studying Latin American Studies and I don't think there is much use for that there
=( I don"t care about making boat loads of money. I have family in Mexico, so I know what being poor is. How much worse can Spain be than Mexico lol. I'd love to move to Navarra some day (sigh).
19/07/2011 04:43:00

kalindra says:
Spain is at the top of my bucket list, so I read all the comments. It seems to me that Spain is no different than any other country. @Danielle so you think the politicans in Spain are corrupt, are they any different than the ones in the US, is the red tape any different for foreigners coming into the US, as for customer service is also almost non existant in the US. Sounds to me like you should have been on a cruise instead of trying to live in Spain. I know when we go to Mexico I am at home, when we come back to the US, I cry my eyes out because I don't want to leave. If you do not feel like that when you visit another country than you certinaly shouldn't move there. Americans are spoiled and think they are entitled to certain things, guess what were are not. When we go to another country we are at somebody else's house and if we can't speak the language or don't understand the customs and things go wrong than shame on us for not finding out just what is expected.
The list that started this conversation is BS, but the comments that have come from it are awesome. Thank you so much
22/07/2011 18:14:00

inlovewithspain says:
ok.. these are crazy reasons not to live here. I am a foreigner from an english speaking country that moved to spain 2 years ago. this list is absolutely silly. none of these reasons should be why not to live here.
I have to ask have you actually ever lived here or actually given it a chance ??

Do not move to Spain if you want to get away from mass immigration as there are people immigrating into Spain from all over including Romania, South America and er the UK.: have you been to other countries?? Canada, Australia, The US for examples.. go there and see how many people are from there.

You don’t like foreigners.: if you go to someone elses country.. u are the foreigner.

You don’t have enough money to pay rent and support yourself and your family for at least six months.: i dont know what this comment even means.

You have relationship problems and you intend to bring the partner with you.: u shouldnt move anywhere with a partner u have relationship issues with not in particular spain. but maybe a new life in a different country can help u realize how much u need each other..

Your children are in the middle of their GCSE’s or A levels, it is better to wait unless you transfer them to an international/ British school.

You don’t like driving. This is applicable to people moving to the coasts where everything tends to be spread out.: every city you have to drive. if you live in the country anywhere on earth u need a car.

You don’t like the heat.

You need job security and a high salary.: people get contracts here and there is high paying salaries. there is a global recession.. so..

You don’t want to learn Spanish: u dont really have to depending on where u live here. but u are moving out of your country and u would expect people who move to your country to speak english... works both ways.

You want to lose weight as the food is so tempting and you tend to eat out more: Mediterranean diet and tapas, you not gonna gorge like other places.

You are in the least bit impatient.: in hot countries this is a norm, but really like if ur impatient that sounds like a personal problem, not spain's

You like to be kept informed.

You have a problem with frequent power and water cuts.: never has happened to me or anyone else i know here ever..

You don’t like change.: things change everyday no matter what. so a move is no different.

You expect people to drive well and use their indicators: i have been to countries with worse.

You don’t like mafia style corruption

You don’t like dust: really cause the rest of the earth has no dust

You don’t like scaffolding or cranes: this means ur country cares and is doing well economically that it can afford renovation and new construction.

You need choice ie supermarket choice : corte ingles??? carrefour?? and like 10,000 other small grocery and shops offering everything u could ever want.

You are a big reader and love to hang out in book shops : u can even go to carrefour now in there book section. they have comfy chairs and a nice atmosphere.

ok rant over





22/07/2011 23:14:00

John says:
We go to Spain at least twice a year and have for the last 10 years. Where can you go where there. is no construction, traffic problems, immigration concerns, and poor service? My suggestion is to go to New York and see how you feel about the warmth and hospitality you feel there. My suggestion for those culturally ignorant people anticipating making a move to any country, especially, Spain...stay where you are. There will be more room for my wife and I when we move there next year.
14/10/2011 19:02:00

chris says:
hi i have lived here now for over 4 years and the nearest town to us is lorca in may it had a huge earthquake,the spanish people were beside themselves but they all rallied round they even had buses coming round the villages collecting blankets clothes and food, remember when this happened it happened to all the different nations who live here, but every one still did their best, i wouldnt move from here for the world, i love my totally spanish life and spanish friends, if you try tobe part of spanish life you have won the battle....
20/11/2011 22:26:00

chris says:
hi i have lived here now for over 4 years and the nearest town to us is lorca in may it had a huge earthquake,the spanish people were beside themselves but they all rallied round they even had buses coming round the villages collecting blankets clothes and food, remember when this happened it happened to all the different nations who live here, but every one still did their best, i wouldnt move from here for the world, i love my totally spanish life and spanish friends, if you try tobe part of spanish life you have won the battle....
20/11/2011 22:26:00

susieenespana says:
Ah, people. Spain is one of the most civilized, lovely and varied countries I have lived in (I live in Oregon now). Having benefitted from billions and billions of Euros in the nineties, the infrastructure is second to none. My only caution--watch your pocket. There are thieves operating little scams all around the coasts. They are not opposed to crawling through open windows, but they usually want only cell phones and cash. I spent a year in La Herradura, near Almunecar (near Granada), and I just have to say, if you ever want to see a perfect, real Spanish beach town, check it out. I wanted to follow the election (2008) so forced myself to read "El Pais" every day cover to cover--best newspaper in the world, bar none. Now I am completely literate in Spanish, and use my Spanish here in Oregon, where there are many Hispanics. Did I mention? when it came time to leave, and I looked out the airplane window back at Malaga, I sobbed and sobbed. Thank heavens, I have been back, and will again. And, as someone said, if you go to Galicia, as you must, to see Santiago de Compostela, take your umbrella. Here is my tip for getting to know Spaniards--do not act like a "unit" if you are a couple. Interact individually with Spaniards, not through someone else, whether in a bar, shop or next door, in other words, don't insulate yourself behind coupledom. I was a single woman, and I really had to make my own way (having a cute teenager helped, I admit), But I always used Spanish unless the other really preferred English. I find Spaniards deeply kind and patient, even the police. I have to admit, tho', no offense, they like Americans better than Brits, I think. But they can't tell the accents apart, so, what the hell, tell them and you'll get a smile. And, oh my God, the men are so beautiful, OK bye for now.
05/12/2011 07:01:00

Yaro says:
please can someone advice here on domestic partner. am having stress in sabadell please
18/12/2011 11:00:00