# Summer Heat



## Tina35 (Jan 9, 2013)

Hi all. I'm from the UK. My friend has just moved to Spain and is loving it. I'm going out to visit this year - once in April and again in July/August. I love the sun but...

I will be bringing my three cats with me and none of us do really high temperatures. We are thinking of moving nearish to Malaga. I've been told the heat is different in Spain, but to me, 40 c is 40 c. Can anyone tell me if the heat gets unbearable out there in the summer. Also, we were thinking of buyng some land and building ourselves some log cabins. Do any of you know of anyone who has done this. I hear it can be a bit tricky when it comes to building regulations. Actually (and I'm not sure I believe this totally) I've been told that the local government will grant planning permission as they want to give people the work, but then sometime down the line, the national government will step in and tell you to take whatever you have built, down.

One other thing - I went out with a DJ in Tenerife many moons ago and all the expats I spoke to seemed to be really bored. What is the reality of living in Spain. Is the fantasy better than the reality? I would love to hear anyones' opinions. Many thanks. Tina.


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## annfoto (Aug 19, 2012)

I live near Malaga and if you had been here last August when the surrounding countryside was ablaze you will realise why you will not get permission for log cabins. The heat can be a little uncomfortable when it gets to around 40C but it is fine if you have a house with air conditioning and a pool is also useful.
Log cabins are an absolute no no you have probably no chance of getting permission. Just as in the UK you cannot build on rural land the land you buy will have to be urbano.

I have been here for over 10 years, I am not bored I spend a lot of time either working our little fruit farm or working at the local dog charity.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Someone once told me an interesting and very true aphorism, which she often used on her children. It goes like this: 'people who are bored have done nothing to deserve it'. Worth a little thought.

I can't understand how anyone with a functioning brain can be bored in Spain or anywhere, for that matter. Of course the kind of immigrants who spend their lives propping up Brit immigrant bars might get bored but then I would think they would be very boring people themselves, tbh.

There are very many things to do in Spain other than guzzle cheap booze: sports of all kinds, varied cultural activities, organisations to join...Then of course there are books and films here too....

I came here for a quiet life but find my time is taken up 100% with interesting, useful and worthwhile activities, all of which means meeting people and making friends. Like Ann I work for a local dog charity.

Heat...well, I love it. But some don't. It's all down to your own likes and dislikes. We get 40+ C here in summer but we have our own pool and don't need aircon as the house is spacious and airy.. Cats thrive here, we feed two feral cats in our garden...two at the last count but we suspect there are more.

When you choose a place to live outside of built-up areas there are factors to bear in mind. Fires, floods, mudslides...arroyos which after a deluge become raging torrents - Jo knows all about that....

There have been many cases here where for all kinds of reasons people have built houses in land not zoned for building because the local Mayor gave permission. But just as in the UK there are tiers of local government, town or parish, district or county, and these decisions are often overturned by regional -not national - governments because they fall outside regional planning guidelines. 

If you make sure that you have proceeded correctly every step of the way you shouldn't encounter problems.

I'm just wondering how anyone can be bored in Spain... And 'fantasies'are ALWAYS better than reality. Spain after all is a country, comme les autres...not paradise.


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## whitenoiz (Sep 18, 2012)

I have to agree with Ann and Mary.
Just a little way inland from the coast temps between 35 and 40 are the norm for July and August and the days warm up very quickly after sunrise. even during the night its rare for temps to fall much below 30C. The inland belt from Granada across to Seville is acknowledged as being Spain's hottest region. So 40C is 40C in any language. My dogs will not go out for a walk much before 10 o'clock at night and two of them are descended from Arabian stock...
As for the reality of living here... it's the same as anywhere else; it is whatever you make it. 
If you have a job then fair enough that's a big help, but in any event you will need to be at least conversant in Spanish. In anything other than a Brit enclave you will struggle if you cannot make yourself understood or understand what is being said by the locals. And don't think for one minute that the Spanish you learn in England will help all that much when you are dealing with the Andaluce dialect which tends to drop off the last syllable of a word. its a bit like trying to understand Geordie with an 'O' level in English... especially when it comes at you at what we refer to as machine gun Spanish speed...
If Spain is really a dream for you and log cabins form a part of that dream you need to think in terms of North West Spain where the weather is a little cooler and wetter during the summer. There are quite a lot of log cabins and wooden houses in the Galicia and Asturias regions.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

The way you cope with the heat often has to do with the humidity. I live near Madrid and it's a very dry climate so I can do up to 40º no prob. Higher than that and it gets a little difficult to get around. We have a fan for the bedroom at night which we put on sometimes, but it usually cools down enough to get some sleep as we are at over 800m. Height will affect temps as well.
However I also lived near Tarragona which is much more humid and at 30º there I go floppy. Same with Valencia and Nerja, so it depends on the climate and you'll just have to find out about the areas you're interested in.


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## Tina35 (Jan 9, 2013)

Thanks guys. mrypg9, I agree re the boredom thing. I earn my money online so I have that which keeps me busy but I really want to help animals - have my own rescue place or help out at another. There are quite a few in and around Malaga from what I can gather. So, that will keep me very busy. When I used to frequent Tenerife, I noticed many expats standing around all day drinking - which is fine but a day out on the booze is a real treat for me and I will be keeping it that way. Ok so it looks like I need to do a bit of digging around re what kind of dwelling I will be living in as it seems wood houses are out...

I notice there is land for sale in Spain with ruins on them - so maybe that is the way to go. If there is a falling down old brick ruin, then chances are we might get the permission to build another brick house. Hmm. Plenty for me to look into. I have another friend here who also wants to move out there at some stage. I am sooooooo over the UK - the sooner I can leave, the better...


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## Tina35 (Jan 9, 2013)

whitenoiz said:


> I have to agree with Ann and Mary.
> Just a little way inland from the coast temps between 35 and 40 are the norm for July and August and the days warm up very quickly after sunrise. even during the night its rare for temps to fall much below 30C. The inland belt from Granada across to Seville is acknowledged as being Spain's hottest region. So 40C is 40C in any language. My dogs will not go out for a walk much before 10 o'clock at night and two of them are descended from Arabian stock...
> As for the reality of living here... it's the same as anywhere else; it is whatever you make it.
> If you have a job then fair enough that's a big help, but in any event you will need to be at least conversant in Spanish. In anything other than a Brit enclave you will struggle if you cannot make yourself understood or understand what is being said by the locals. And don't think for one minute that the Spanish you learn in England will help all that much when you are dealing with the Andaluce dialect which tends to drop off the last syllable of a word. its a bit like trying to understand Geordie with an 'O' level in English... especially when it comes at you at what we refer to as machine gun Spanish speed...
> If Spain is really a dream for you and log cabins form a part of that dream you need to think in terms of North West Spain where the weather is a little cooler and wetter during the summer. There are quite a lot of log cabins and wooden houses in the Galicia and Asturias regions.


Very good info - thanks a lot!!


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## bob_bob (Jan 5, 2011)

Find a hobby or three. I'm retired but enjoy ham radio, shooting, cooking, reading, travel, started gentle hill walking again, babysitting/teaching and more...not enough hours in the day to get bored to be honest.


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## Tina35 (Jan 9, 2013)

whitenoiz said:


> I have to agree with Ann and Mary.
> Just a little way inland from the coast temps between 35 and 40 are the norm for July and August and the days warm up very quickly after sunrise. even during the night its rare for temps to fall much below 30C. The inland belt from Granada across to Seville is acknowledged as being Spain's hottest region. So 40C is 40C in any language. My dogs will not go out for a walk much before 10 o'clock at night and two of them are descended from Arabian stock...
> As for the reality of living here... it's the same as anywhere else; it is whatever you make it.
> If you have a job then fair enough that's a big help, but in any event you will need to be at least conversant in Spanish. In anything other than a Brit enclave you will struggle if you cannot make yourself understood or understand what is being said by the locals. And don't think for one minute that the Spanish you learn in England will help all that much when you are dealing with the Andaluce dialect which tends to drop off the last syllable of a word. its a bit like trying to understand Geordie with an 'O' level in English... especially when it comes at you at what we refer to as machine gun Spanish speed...
> If Spain is really a dream for you and log cabins form a part of that dream you need to think in terms of North West Spain where the weather is a little cooler and wetter during the summer. There are quite a lot of log cabins and wooden houses in the Galicia and Asturias regions.


Hey, my friend just text me - getting planning permission for a log cabin should be fine. She is further south than Malaga but it seems they are building them not far from that area so thats a positive thing.


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## RichTUK (Oct 15, 2012)

Tina35 said:


> Hey, my friend just text me - getting planning permission for a log cabin should be fine. She is further south than Malaga but it seems they are building them not far from that area so thats a positive thing.


Hee hee, you realise this is Spain?... just because you see it, doesn't mean that the right permissions have been granted for it to be there. I'd go to a local municipal architect and ask them what normally passes regulations and what doesn't. Maybe they are accepted in the area but just because you see them, it doesn't mean they are.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

RichTUK said:


> Hee hee, you realise this is Spain?... just because you see it, doesn't mean that the right permissions have been granted for it to be there. I'd go to a local municipal architect and ask them what normally passes regulations and what doesn't. Maybe they are accepted in the area but just because you see them, it doesn't mean they are.


 also permissions vary from town to town - even within towns sometimes


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

In my experience, log cabins are almost impossible to get permission for! Architects in Spain won't touch them - they just don't conform to any of the rules and regulations.


Be VERY careful.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

I very much doubt if those log cabins are legal. Tbh I'm surprised that any building permissions have been given for anything, south of Malaga. A few years ago the Saudi Royal Family paid millions of euros to Estepona Town Hall for permission to build a lot of houses. It would have brought a lot of work to an area that desperately needs it. But last month the Junta rescinded the permission -I must say I'm selfishly pleased about that, despite the job losses, as the last thing that area needs is another immigrant complex.

Even if permission were granted for wooden dwellings, think: last summer three people were killed and many seriously hurt in one of the worst fires experienced in Malaga for years. 
Houses and fields with crops were totally destroyed. The fire came to the very edge of built-up areas of Coin, Alhaurin and Marbella itself. Any wooden structure would have swiftly become ashes, perhaps with the occupants.

When planning a move to Spain it's essential to forget completely the word' dream' or the word 'fantasy' . The words 'reality', 'sensible and 'practical' should be foremost in one's vocabulary. The major fire last year wasn't the only one...these fires are a reglar occurrence all over Spain. We often watch the water -carrying planes fly over our house to pick up water then fly back to the site of the fire to drop it.
Another thing to look out for is houses by or near 'dry' river beds. When it rains these arroyos fill quickly and can also be a threat to life and property. The least that can happen is that you can be cut off for days with no access to shops or medical care if needed. Heavy rain brings the danger of mudslides. Two British immigrants were killed in 2011 a few km from here when their kitchen was flattened by a wall of mud. Their dinner guests enjoying an aperitif in the salon were unharmed.

I'm not trying to frighten you but living in Spain isn't all sun, sea and sangria as I guess you may know already. Moving to Malaga isn't like moving to Mablethorpe. I should imagine that immigrant life in Tenerife is nothing like the life most of us immigrants here lead. We are living here more or less as in the UK....shopping, doing 'good works', meeting friends, quarreling with partners now and then....We just do it a few degrees south in latitude of where we lived in the UK and those few degrees can make a difference not only in terms of climate but in the many practical considerations you need to take into account.

With the deepest respect, I should imagine that your former DJ boyfriend's life in Tenerife was as different from that of most immigrants as mine is from that of Paris Hilton..


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## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

We know of a couple, British, who sought planning permission for a new build ina natural park. Had they done their homework they might have guessed that the licence they were given by the local mayor (now in jail) was iffy to say the least. Rather stupidly, they then decided to build a splendid Canadian log cabin. It was shipped over from Canada and they built it themselves and I must say it is absolutely fantastic but with one major drawback. It is illegal and the town hall are chasing them every day to have it pulled down. To date, in addition to the cost of the land, phoney licence applications, cost of the log cabin, they have spent in excess of €100,000 in lawyer fees, architect fees and constant conversions of the house into a farm house and other stuff. In the end, if convicted, the house will be destroyed and he will go to prison for 4 years. Moral of the story, do your homeowrk thoroughly before embarking on an exercise which could ruin your life.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

There was a thread on here ages ago about someone who was looking for insurance on a wooden house. He couldn't find a company that did it.


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## whitenoiz (Sep 18, 2012)

mrypg9 said:


> With the deepest respect, I should imagine that your former DJ boyfriend's life in Tenerife was as different from that of most immigrants as mine is from that of *Paris Hilton*..)


Mmmm.... Permanent resident of La-La land that one!

To be honest most of the supposed expats standing around drinking were probably just holidaymakers or Tour Reps making the most of the Sun, Sea, Sand, Sex and Sangria thing. 

I've spent a fair bit of time in the Canaries meeting people from all walks of life and the overriding impression I got was that for most part, for permanent expat residents the novelty has long since worn off and they are happy to live a near 'normal' life albeit in a somewhat more pleasant climate than that experienced on the mainland.


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## Tina35 (Jan 9, 2013)

RichTUK said:


> Hee hee, you realise this is Spain?... just because you see it, doesn't mean that the right permissions have been granted for it to be there. I'd go to a local municipal architect and ask them what normally passes regulations and what doesn't. Maybe they are accepted in the area but just because you see them, it doesn't mean they are.


Hi - yep will defo do our homework before we make any solid decisions - you'd be a fool not to right?


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## Tina35 (Jan 9, 2013)

Erm, okayyyyy thats enough for us to chew on for now, so thanks for some of the replies. Not sure what the lala comment above means so will ignore that. Have run out of reputations so will come back and thanks some of these comments tomorrow. Thanks guys!!


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Tina35 said:


> Not sure what the lala comment above means so will ignore that.


Only that Paris Hilton is in constant lala land, which refers back to mrypg9's reference, which refers back to ....


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## Megsmum (Sep 9, 2012)

mrypg9 said:


> I very much doubt if those log cabins are legal. Tbh I'm surprised that any building permissions have been given for anything, south of Malaga. A few years ago the Saudi Royal Family paid millions of euros to Estepona Town Hall for permission to build a lot of houses. It would have brought a lot of work to an area that desperately needs it. But last month the Junta rescinded the permission -I must say I'm selfishly pleased about that, despite the job losses, as the last thing that area needs is another immigrant complex.
> 
> Even if permission were granted for wooden dwellings, think: last summer three people were killed and many seriously hurt in one of the worst fires experienced in Malaga for years.
> Houses and fields with crops were totally destroyed. The fire came to the very edge of built-up areas of Coin, Alhaurin and Marbella itself. Any wooden structure would have swiftly become ashes, perhaps with the occupants.
> ...




Very true!
Mablethorpe..............LOL


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## Anniehelling (Jan 16, 2013)

I think the temperature in Malaga is not as bad as in Granada/Cordoba or Seville(around 45C). Maybe it it too hot in the morning but the evenings are ok to go out for a walk.


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## Navas (Sep 2, 2012)

Anniehelling said:


> I think the temperature in Malaga is not as bad as in Granada/Cordoba or Seville(around 45C). Maybe it it too hot in the morning but the evenings are ok to go out for a walk.


Cordoba and Seville are the hottest places I've been to. Not even flies move around in afternoon there! Granada has never been quite as hot whenever we've been there and we found we hardly ever needed air conditioning at night. As it's quite high up, it cools down quite well even in August.


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## JaneyO (Sep 24, 2012)

Don't worry about the cats, I brought my three from the Uk and they love the warmth. They stay indoors in the coolest place they can find in the daytime in summer and keep very still, sleeping so sound I have to check they are still breathing. (Maybe we should learn something from them) but in the evenings and the rest of the year they positively bask in the warmth and love those warm summer nights.


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## whitenoiz (Sep 18, 2012)

Could do with a bit of that Summer heat right now... it's perishing!
Pouring rain, icy winds, damp dogs, wet towels, wet coats, muddy footprints all over the house, and nowhere to sit other than this office chair because the housepack have claimed all the prime spots!
Still glad to be in Spain though, the thought of tramping through inches of snow, slush and ice in the UK has no appeal whatsoever.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

whitenoiz said:


> Could do with a bit of that Summer heat right now... it's perishing!
> Pouring rain, icy winds, damp dogs, wet towels, wet coats, muddy footprints all over the house, and nowhere to sit other than this office chair because the housepack have claimed all the prime spots!
> Still glad to be in Spain though, the thought of tramping through inches of snow, slush and ice in the UK has no appeal whatsoever.


 At the moment I'm experiencing both. We're flitting back and forth between the UK and Spain. I have to say, that regardless of the snow, its lovely to be in a UK house, carpets, central heating, insulation, no damp.... Which is where we are now! In Spain, once the sun went down, the only place I could get warm was the car!!!!!

That said, Spain on a sunny winters day is beautiful and tee shirt weather. I miss sitting out on the terrace looking over the view to the sea. I'll wait til the rain stops in Spain and we'll go back!

Jo xxx


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## whitenoiz (Sep 18, 2012)

Pic from Daily Mail Sun Jan. 20th... An Audi on the M4...










... vorsprung durch moron


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