# winter lets in spain



## seajay

Hi everyone we are thinking about making the move to Spain but have decided to try and find a villa that is pet friendly and rent for a couple of months over the winter. This would give us the chance to explore some of Spain and look at properties.We thought that maybe somewhere around the Murcia area would be a good start.
My question is are there any good links that you know of for long lets, and I would love to hear from some of you who are still enjoying life in Spain and where you have decided on staying. 

We live in a village right now in Ayrshire near the sea and would like to find something very like what we have here. We have only been to Spain a few times so do not have the experience of knowing all about the areas there.
My husband is now retired and he is right up for the move and I just need to hear from more people who have done the move later in life we are both in our 50s.

We do know a little about the Health care system there but we have so much more to learn before making a definate decision.
Thank you
Cathy


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## Leper

If you are thinking of moving to Spain and want to decide on a specific area where you want to live or buy property. It is best to visit the area especially in the off season (Oct - April). Ensure the place of your dreams is not a ghost town from Oct - April and that it has supermarket, shops, dentist, doctor etc.


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## mrypg9

I'm not sure but I don't think you can transfer your health care from the NHS to the Spanish system until you have reached UK retirement age. So you may need health insurance.
It seems quite easy to find a rental property which will accept dogs. We have a very large dog and had no trouble finding a suitable house.
As for location - very hard to advise on this as it depends so much on taste and preferences.
We are very happy where we are, which is within easy reach of two very different towns, Marbella and Estepona. We live on the edge of a typically Spanish village, five minutes from the sea. All amenities, including two airports, Malaga and Gibraltar, within easy reach.
Many people chose to live in apartments in urbanizacions, some mainly British-occupied. We tried this but found it wasn't for us as we have always enjoyed relative seclusion and privacy - we lived in a thick-walled cottage in the UK! The two main drawbacks with these communities were for us the fact that many of the apartments were used for holiday rentals and even before we moved out in spring there was a lot of coming and going - departures and arrivals in the early hours, noise from returning clubbers etc. We also got the feeling that the 'Community Council' could be a nuisance rather than a device for making communal life easier as we heard loads of stories of quarrels, backbiting and general pettiness.
However.......that is most certainly not the case everywhere and there are many advantages to this kind of lifestyle, as I'm sure many people will tell you.
The advantage of renting is that you can try different types of accommodation and see which you prefer. Renters are at an advantage over landlords now as many properties are standing empty so don't be afraid to look at properties over your budget and make an offer - start with a 'cheeky' one. We rented this house for a year then told the landlord we would leave unless he agreed to a 500 euro per month rent reduction. He conceded.
There are loads of threads here which will give you information on every aspect of living in Spain.


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## uffington15

mrypg9 said:


> I'm not sure but I don't think you can transfer your health care from the NHS to the Spanish system until you have reached UK retirement age. So you may need health insurance.
> It seems quite easy to find a rental property which will accept dogs. We have a very large dog and had no trouble finding a suitable house.
> As for location - very hard to advise on this as it depends so much on taste and preferences.
> We are very happy where we are, which is within easy reach of two very different towns, Marbella and Estepona. We live on the edge of a typically Spanish village, five minutes from the sea. All amenities, including two airports, Malaga and Gibraltar, within easy reach.
> Many people chose to live in apartments in urbanizacions, some mainly British-occupied. We tried this but found it wasn't for us as we have always enjoyed relative seclusion and privacy - we lived in a thick-walled cottage in the UK! The two main drawbacks with these communities were for us the fact that many of the apartments were used for holiday rentals and even before we moved out in spring there was a lot of coming and going - departures and arrivals in the early hours, noise from returning clubbers etc. We also got the feeling that the 'Community Council' could be a nuisance rather than a device for making communal life easier as we heard loads of stories of quarrels, backbiting and general pettiness.
> However.......that is most certainly not the case everywhere and there are many advantages to this kind of lifestyle, as I'm sure many people will tell you.
> The advantage of renting is that you can try different types of accommodation and see which you prefer. Renters are at an advantage over landlords now as many properties are standing empty so don't be afraid to look at properties over your budget and make an offer - start with a 'cheeky' one. We rented this house for a year then told the landlord we would leave unless he agreed to a 500 euro per month rent reduction. He conceded.
> There are loads of threads here which will give you information on every aspect of living in Spain.


do you have any suggestions of agents we could contact. Like you we would like a house with a large garden or land that is somewhat "isolated"


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## kathyd55

*job offer*

I have been offered a job in Marbella and we are planning to relocate this summer..only got the offer a week ago so things kind of rushed .not starting untill sept 1st . I am 55 so scared out of my wits about the move. Have moved alot but somehow it gets harder as you get older.My husband is a TV/Video cameraman and he is also trying to source work
I have to be honest that I am not really into renting among the tourists spots and would prefer slightly inland in a similiar position to where you are now .I also like privacy .We are a family of 4 with 2 teenage girls and so it cannot be that secluded but just cannot imagine living on the beach kind of thing .
If you have any ideas would love to hear
kathy


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## mrypg9

uffington15 said:


> do you have any suggestions of agents we could contact. Like you we would like a house with a large garden or land that is somewhat "isolated"


The best thing to do is come out and see for yourself which areas suit you. Go to reputable agents and look at a lot of properties. It's a renters' market so don't restrict yourself to viewing properties you consider within your budget - bargain hard and you may get a reward!
'Inland' is definitely more isolated and cheaper but can also have many disadvantages. Isolation is great when you're in the mood for peace and privacy but not so good in winter when roads are blocked and rivers are swollen -ask Jo!
Inland areas have their share of tourists too and many have very large British communities. You may find this a plus point....or not.
If you are interested in our area - quiet, empty beaches,no high rise, esy access to Marbella and Estepona and many other advantages - feel free to pm me.
I do know a reputable, established agent here. That's how we got our villa..


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## kathyd

thanks for that information it makes a good differance when you can talk to people living there .
Yes I would be very interested in getting contact details of an agent .Also your area sounds good ,would be interested in info as well

thanks for your help!!


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## kathyd

kathyd said:


> thanks for that information it makes a good differance when you can talk to people living there .
> Yes I would be very interested in getting contact details of an agent .Also your area sounds good ,would be interested in info as well
> 
> thanks for your help!!


I am moving to a job in Marbella and so we need somewhere in that area.We are quite interested in Ojen but of course have to see it when we get out there.

If you know of anywhere in that area would be interested


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## dunmovin

seajay said:


> Hi everyone we are thinking about making the move to Spain but have decided to try and find a villa that is pet friendly and rent for a couple of months over the winter. This would give us the chance to explore some of Spain and look at properties.We thought that maybe somewhere around the Murcia area would be a good start.
> My question is are there any good links that you know of for long lets, and I would love to hear from some of you who are still enjoying life in Spain and where you have decided on staying.
> 
> We live in a village right now in Ayrshire near the sea and would like to find something very like what we have here. We have only been to Spain a few times so do not have the experience of knowing all about the areas there.
> My husband is now retired and he is right up for the move and I just need to hear from more people who have done the move later in life we are both in our 50s.
> 
> We do know a little about the Health care system there but we have so much more to learn before making a definate decision.
> Thank you
> Cathy


smart plan.too many people dive in without doing the research first

try this site for rentals

Spanish property for sale: Find 100,000 Spanish properties for sale


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## Cazzy

A friend of mine has a 2 bed town house in Teba to rent at about 200 euros a month. If anyone is interested Pm me and I will give you her details.


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## kathyd

if you could send some details that would be great

thanks 
kathy


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## kathyd

mrypg9 said:


> The best thing to do is come out and see for yourself which areas suit you. Go to reputable agents and look at a lot of properties. It's a renters' market so don't restrict yourself to viewing properties you consider within your budget - bargain hard and you may get a reward!
> 'Inland' is definitely more isolated and cheaper but can also have many disadvantages. Isolation is great when you're in the mood for peace and privacy but not so good in winter when roads are blocked and rivers are swollen -ask Jo!
> Inland areas have their share of tourists too and many have very large British communities. You may find this a plus point....or not.
> If you are interested in our area - quiet, empty beaches,no high rise, esy access to Marbella and Estepona and many other advantages - feel free to pm me.
> I do know a reputable, established agent here. That's how we got our villa..[/QUO
> 
> 
> We are now in Mijas and have been looking around .What area are you in? and if you could send me the name of that agent would be interested.
> Been getting a general feel for the areas we like .Have contacted a few places but nothing yet .


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