NEGATIVES OF LIVING IN SPAIN

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06 Feb 2013 6:53 PM by steve&hayley Star rating. 33 posts Send private message

Please add to both threads pos/neg I'm moving to Spain in April/may
Be nice to know both sides
Thanks



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06 Feb 2013 7:02 PM by Mungry Star rating. 329 posts Send private message

No jobs

prices going through the roof

healthcare restricted

way too many spanish people

way too many stupid english people coming here thinking they will live the dream and going home broken

but hot in the summer

bit cold in the winter



_______________________

i coldnt stay away from you miserable whining whingers for some reason




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06 Feb 2013 7:52 PM by steve&hayley Star rating. 33 posts Send private message

Wow ok point taken




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06 Feb 2013 8:20 PM by Mungry Star rating. 329 posts Send private message

would you like anymore?

i could spend a day listing all the negatives.



_______________________

i coldnt stay away from you miserable whining whingers for some reason




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07 Feb 2013 1:02 AM by eos_ian Star rating in Valencia. 506 posts Send private message

eos_ian´s avatar

 Cheer up! its not that bad :)

I'm in Valencia : negative points: 

No snow 

Only 42 days of rainfall a year

Average minimum temperature throughout the year of 14ºC 

Can't remember the last time there was ice on the road. On average, days below zero - less than 1

Only an average of 8 days of fog a year. But I can't remember even 1

Very high humidity all year round - in the summer it can get quite unbearable and in the winter it seems colder than it is. But still no comparison to the UK

Properties tend to be poorly insulated, especially villas. Look at build qualities carefully.

Spanish television is awful

If you are looking for a Job it is impossible

loads of corruption, but if you are retiring it won't affect you.

No grass - I really miss that! 

Spanish Banks are a nightmare, branches from the same bank work as if they were different banks and have nothing to do with each other or can't be bothered. No communication. Its really annoying when you can't get to your branch for whatever reason.

Utility companies will take you for a ride any opportunity they have, stay on the ball.

School books are outrageously expensive. But if you don't have kids, obviously not a problem.

Bureaucracy can be very annoying but you eventually get through it. 

I like Valencia a lot but I think I would have preferred living further up north. Mainly for the weather and the scenery.

It may sound funny, but I find the sun can get a bit monotonous at times. This year we ate Christmas lunch out on the terrace, it was really odd, can't get used to that! It just didn't feel like Christmas at all.

I'm really thinking hard now.....

What part of Spain are you moving to?

 

 

 

 

 



_______________________

Ian :   EOS TEAM MEMBER 

www.eyeonspain.com/blogs/ianandspain.aspx




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07 Feb 2013 7:49 AM by tamaraessex Star rating in Colmenar, Malaga. 508 posts Send private message

tamaraessex´s avatar
The bureaucracy is DIFFERENT (please note DIFFERENT, not necessarily worse!). It takes a while first to understand where to go for different tasks, then to find out what paperwork to take. Helps if you have the language.

The white lines on the roads are much paler or less frequently repainted - some junctions can be confusing.

Listening to moaning Brits complaining they can't get their preferred brand of Ready Brek or whatever.

We're potentially losing UK channels on free-to-aire satellite TV.

Expect high electricity bills in winter as you'll need lots of heating going on. Avoid cheap mass-build houses which can be wafer-thin and cold - a solid village house will often have double-walls as you and your neighbour EACH have a wall, not just one shared wall, and this can be better for keeping the heat in.

So hot in summer that you have to hide from the sun between noon and 4pm (and I'm a sun-worshipper!).

_______________________

 Blog about settling into a village house in the Axarquía. http://www.eyeonspain.com/blogs/tamara.aspx




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07 Feb 2013 7:58 AM by Kathyslad Star rating. 329 posts Send private message

Leave your understanding of negotiating roundabouts in the UK.



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07 Feb 2013 8:23 AM by johnzx Star rating in Spain. 5242 posts Send private message

Tamara some junctions can be confusing.
 
Tamara, If everyone who came to live in Spain studied the traffic laws and regulations, as one would if they were taking the driving test, then they would know how  to drive in Spain. It is not the same as in the UK. 
 
 There are no complications to driving in Spain,  just a lack of knowledge.
 
I bought a copy of the traffic guide from a driving school and put the time and effort into studying it.
 
I see on line at http://www.todotest.com/manual/manual_autoescuela.asp there is a free publication.  Of course, it is in Spanish so there will be many who will not be able to understand it. 
 
This may be seen as a ‘Negative to Living in Spain’ they tend to speak Spanish and do things their way.





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07 Feb 2013 8:43 AM by baz1946 Star rating. 2327 posts Send private message

After all is said and done how the hell can you be born in a country, England, grow up knowing all it's ways and rules, grow from a child to an adult in it for say 40 / 50 / 60 /  years, move to a completely different country in every way possible, and then complain about the negatives of that country........well i suppose you can if your English.

I would sooner be a stranger in a foreign country....then an English person in my own country these days....

Hang on a moment......i am a stranger now in a foreign country.....my own. 





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07 Feb 2013 8:51 AM by KathysLad Star rating. 329 posts Send private message

 I think the title of the thread is wrong. It should  "Things which are different in Spain"





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07 Feb 2013 9:11 AM by Fighter2 Star rating. 237 posts Send private message

Things you will miss from the UK if you come to live in Murcia

Having to carry a brolly and weatherproofs in your golf bag.

Being stuck in traffic jams whichever day of the week you travel

Not having a swimming pool

Not being able to go to the beach for 300 days of the year

Paying council tax on your property of at leas 1000 pound a year

Only being able to plan a BBQ after seeing the weather forecast on Thursday

Not having to put the central heating on from late Sept through to June

The rat race

Life is good here, there are some frustrations usually borne out of language difficulties, there is unbellevable and mysterious beaurocracy at times but the health service is excellent and treatments received at local and hospital level are not postcode dependent. True the sinking pound is causing problems to fixed income retireesand is something to really consider, there has been some inflation but so long as you don't need or want to eat everthing British feeding and watering oneself is still very affordable.

The lifestyle is very different, unless you live in a major conurbation shopping as a hobby is not really available but we tend to eat out more, not expensive a la carte but simple 3 course lunches or inexpensive evening meals or even a cooked breakfast all of which can be had for a very reasonable price.

One persons good experience is anothers nightmare and finally you will have to suck it and see, my advice would be do not commit your future to this country or any other for that matter until you have sampled the lifestyle, the options, the cost and your suitability over an extended period... rent and see what you think.

Good luck I hope you enjoy.

Barry

 

 

 


 


This message was last edited by Fighter2 on 07/02/2013.



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07 Feb 2013 9:30 AM by bobaol Star rating. 2253 posts Send private message

bobaol´s avatar

 One negative is that you are away from your family.  Although it is quite easy (that should be relatively easy nowadays) to get back to UK, it does mean you won't be seeing your children/grandchildren/parents etc on a regular basis.

Some people have moved over without taking that into consideration and then find they miss them more than they thought they would.  With technology nowadays, it is easy to keep in touch by phone, Skype, Messenger etc but if your family ties are strong you may feel this is not enough.  Of course, there are others who would think this is a positive thing but it's all horses for courses.

 





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07 Feb 2013 1:21 PM by Mungry Star rating. 329 posts Send private message

ian said no grass.

so saying `spain` is a bit vague.

We have so much green grass with about 50 golf courses that sometimes i would like a change of view and to see a pine forest or something. stupid example but the mileage varys from town to town and city to city.

so a negative for me is too much dambed grass everywhere and for ian its not enough grass.

you seem to be weighing up the pros and cons but there isnt any.

if you are goign to move to spain you are going to.

if you are not you wont.

just do it

life is too short.

 

 

 


This message was last edited by Mungry on 07/02/2013.

_______________________

i coldnt stay away from you miserable whining whingers for some reason




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07 Feb 2013 2:25 PM by Johnmcmahon Star rating. 335 posts Send private message

 In Murcia there are miles of empty motorways (which is good) but the slip roads on and off are very short and bends on the on/off ramps can be acute

The paint on the walls of your house continually flakes off around shoulder height, I think it's because houses don't have a damp course.





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07 Feb 2013 2:52 PM by Mungry Star rating. 329 posts Send private message

i like the sound of mercia roads

your own private racetracks

costs me about 8 euors somtimes to go blasting up and down the empty toll roads down here in cadiz



_______________________

i coldnt stay away from you miserable whining whingers for some reason




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07 Feb 2013 4:14 PM by camposol Star rating in Camposol. 1406 posts Send private message

Sahara rain which leaves everything dirty and streaked

Lack of regulation

Police tolerance of UK plated cars owned by residents

high electricity costs

complex tax laws

High costs when selling houses-estate agent's commission, plus valia etc

Conflicting advice from professionals

Lack of care for vulnerable people-homeless etc

Lack of hygiene

Inconsiderate, impatient careless drivers

Lack of respect for laws eg smoking

Invaders in huge camper vans taking over car parks

Spitting and littering;chewing gum ruining new paving

high winds

damp, cold winter- freezing bathrooms  (yes we all know it's not as bad as UK)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


This message was last edited by camposol on 07/02/2013.


This message was last edited by camposol on 07/02/2013.



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07 Feb 2013 4:54 PM by Johnmcmahon Star rating. 335 posts Send private message

 Invaders in huge camper vans taking over car parks

you're not talking about Mercadonna near La Zenia, Torreviecha by any chance





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07 Feb 2013 6:55 PM by bobaol Star rating. 2253 posts Send private message

bobaol´s avatar

 Sorry, camposol, but I know you don't like it in Spain.  You obviously miss your family, you have bought the wrong place in the wrong area and, I've said it before, if I were you I'd have packed up years ago and stayed near my family with, maybe, the odd excursion to somewhere exciting like Skegness.  However, I must take task to some of your points:

 

Sahara rain which leaves everything dirty and streaked

You obviously live in the wrong area.  We sometimes get the sandy rain but it doesn't leave it dirty and streaked.  Only the car is a nuisance and it doesn't take long to get it off.

Lack of regulation

What lack of regulation?  Most Brits seem to complain of too much rather than too little and are always trying to find ways to get around the rules.

Police tolerance of UK plated cars owned by residents

Totally different in this area.  Foreign (not just UK) cars are regularly stopped for document checks.  Again, not a Spanish problem but the Brits trying to get round the rules.

high electricity costs

I might have agreed with you a year or so ago.  Electricity in UK is now higher than Spain.  Since the recent rises, average price per Kwh is 14 to 16p compared to Spain 16 cents.  If your bills are higher in Spain, you are using more electricity.  Simples.

complex tax laws

Why complex?  You mean, as a Brit, you don't understand them.  I'm sure a Spaniard would have just as many problems understanding the eight hundred and odd pages of tax rules in UK.  Get someone to explain them to you.  They aren't that difficult.

High costs when selling houses-estate agent's commission, plus valia etc

I will agree on that.  However, UK estate agents are no longer cheap, either.

Conflicting advice from professionals

And you don't get that in UK?  Speak to three solicitors and you'll get three different answers.  The problem here are the pub experts who spout incredible rubbish and people take it as gospel.  In all my dealings with professionals I've had the same advice.  From obtaining certificates, buying a car, changing driving license and so on.  It's the Chinese whispers that make things so complicated.  Look up the UK FCO advice pages.  They don't vary unlike advice on whether red wine is good for you or not or whether you should take an aspirin a day or not which float round the UK.

Lack of care for vulnerable people-homeless etc

Seems to be a problem all over.  Go to any city in UK and see the number of people sleeping in doorways.

Lack of hygiene

Now, you just made that up.  Have you been to a loo in a pub in UK lately?  Plumbing here has improved immensely in the last 20 years if that's what you're on about.  And, remind me, where were all the MRSA cases in hospitals?  Our roads are cleaned 3 times a week, our dustbins emptied every night, not just once a fortnight.  The streets on our complex are cleaned and swept on a daily basis.  

Inconsiderate, impatient careless drivers

Have you driven in the UK in the last 10 years?  Getting flashed on motorways, people using mobile phones, not indicating, pulling out at motorway junctions etc.  It's just as bad there but there are so many more of them.

Lack of respect for laws eg smoking

Do you mean in pubs and restaurants?  Again, you must be living in the wrong place.  Strictly enforced around here.  They even took one bloke out smoking an electronic cigarette.  

Invaders in huge camper vans taking over car parks

I regularly travel from Alicante to Cartagena.  I have only ever seen this once and the local council has just moved them all on.  Unlike UK when the travellers move in.

Spitting and littering;chewing gum ruining new paving

Just like any big city in UK.  Dirty, litter strewn with fast food wrappers and boxes all over the place.  Chewing gum is a menace and spitting seems a new craze.  

high winds

Again, happens anywhere.  You must live in a very sheltered spot in UK if you don't suffer those there.

damp, cold winter- freezing bathrooms  (yes we all know it's not as bad as UK)

And now you are making it up.  It's been over 20C every day this month and only dropped into single figures at night on two occasions, it's rained here once this year.  Last January was exactly the same. Damp?  rubbish.  Freezing bathrooms?  What would you do in UK?  Stick some heating in there.  So do the same here.  FGS go and buy a heated towel rail if it's that bad, they cost the same as an electric light bulb to run.  People moaning about cold houses and so on should get off their backsides and do something about it rather than say "ooh, it's all Spain's fault, nobody told me it got cold in the winter and hot in the summer."  I spent thousands on double glazing in UK.  If it got that bad I'd do the same here.

Now, I shan't be replying to your posts.  You have problems and they seem to weigh on your mind and you appear to blame Spain for every little problem.  I have absolutely no idea why you moved here in the first place but you've obviously made a mistake.  Cut your losses, go home and live off benefits and your family if it's so great. You're simply exacerbating matters and letting everything get to you.  (no charge for the Frasier consultation, by the way).

 

 





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07 Feb 2013 7:39 PM by tamaraessex Star rating in Colmenar, Malaga. 508 posts Send private message

tamaraessex´s avatar
JOHNZX : "Tamara some junctions can be confusing."

Tamara, If everyone who came to live in Spain studied the traffic laws and regulations, as one would if they were taking the driving test, then they would know how to drive in Spain. It is not the same as in the UK. There are no complications to driving in Spain, just a lack of knowledge."

John, you have misunderstood the point I was making - it was about the pale road markings. I have been careful to familiarise myself wi Spanish road laws and the differences, and I do have pretty good Spanish. But if I can't SEE whether there's a solid line, a dotted line or indeed any line at all on the road then THAT is what I call confusing! And at least in Málaga province, it seems to me that the white lines get very pale indeed and are not topped up as frequently as I might like (understandably, given the vast road network). I did not, and do not, expect driving here to be the same as in the UK. It would help, however, if the lines that are meant to assist and guide drivers were visible!



_______________________

 Blog about settling into a village house in the Axarquía. http://www.eyeonspain.com/blogs/tamara.aspx




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07 Feb 2013 7:50 PM by eggcup Star rating. 567 posts Send private message

Bobaol and Camposol

I don't see why you two can't get on.  You both talk sense but just have very different experiences and it is legitimate for you both to express what these have been.  It is important to not assume that one's personality somehow determines one's experience.  That would be like saying you are to blame if someone attacks you or cheats you for example and you don't handle it well.  Who is to say that if someone else experienced what Camposol has experienced they would have handled it better than Camposol has?  And it is equally legitimate for Bobaol to express his genuine view of Spain as a great place to live, as that is his experience.  I think that most people just want the truth as it is seen by individuals on this site.



_______________________

My account of moving to Spain.  http://www.eyeonspain.com/blogs/olives.aspx"><img

 




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DISCLAIMER:  All opinions posted on these message boards are the opinion solely of the poster and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Eye on Spain, its servants or agents.


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