# moving to the costa del sol



## the whyatt's (Jan 10, 2010)

hiya please can anyone help me my husband , myself (kelly) and our two boys are looking to move to the costa del sol as soon as our house sells in the uk, iam looking for advice on the best area to live i what to live in marbella or as close as we could get , also would you recommend any estate agents as we want to rent long term till we found a property we liked to buy 
thanks 
kelly x


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## the whyatt's (Jan 10, 2010)

SteveHall said:


> You have already said you want to live in/near Marbella so that's a start. More expensive than most of the coast but you get what you pay for.
> 
> Renting is an EXCELLENT way to decide where is best for you
> 
> GOOD LUCK.


hiya steve 

thanks for your reply 
would you recommend anywhere else other then marbella we visted benalmadena july last year didnt mind the area would you say its a lot cheaper to live there ? 
kelly


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## the whyatt's (Jan 10, 2010)

SteveHall said:


> Yes! It will be cheaper for accommodation like for like. You need to come to see what works for you and yours.
> 
> I like Benalmádena and also Fuengirola (others don't but I'll sleep tonight) The longer you rent the better chance you have of (a) finding a bargain and (b) finding just what you want.
> 
> You mentioned "boys" ...is schooling an issue?


yes i have two boys 5 years and 2 years old so school would be a top priority


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

When we initially wanted to move to Spain, Marbella was our first choice as my husband had some business contacts there, however, it was horrendously expensive, so we looked further east and inland. We needed to be near an airport, so we kinda drew a line between Malaga and Marbella and came up with where we are now, which is perfect! TBH, I cant work out why on earth Marbella is so expensive, we've visited there a few times since and IMO, its really not "all that"

My top tip would be definitely rent first, you need that flexibility to find out where you want to be and also what you want from a property. Its very different hoildaying or planning from your home and thinking what would be nice or what doesnt matter. When you get here and settled, you will change your criteria - even silly thinks like wanting south facing, wanting a big house.......

Jo xxx


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## the whyatt's (Jan 10, 2010)

jojo said:


> When we initially wanted to move to Spain, Marbella was our first choice as my husband had some business contacts there, however, it was horrendously expensive, so we looked further east and inland. We needed to be near an airport, so we kinda drew a line between Malaga and Marbella and came up with where we are now, which is perfect! TBH, I cant work out why on earth Marbella is so expensive, we've visited there a few times since and IMO, its really not "all that"
> 
> My top tip would be definitely rent first, you need that flexibility to find out where you want to be and also what you want from a property. Its very different hoildaying or planning from your home and thinking what would be nice or what doesnt matter. When you get here and settled, you will change your criteria - even silly thinks like wanting south facing, wanting a big house.......
> 
> Jo xxx


hiya jo
thanks for your reply
i think i'll have to get the map out lol
we didnt mind benalmadena we came over last july and really decided from there that we wanted to move to spain , what would you recommend about long term rental should arrange this before we come over or book a hol and look when we arrive, also if you know of a good rental agent that would be fab as all i can find is apartments and really need a townhouse or villa ideally with a pool as thats all dion who's 5 goes on about lol

another question with regards to work is there a lot of call for beauty therapists or should i look at doing something else , same applies to my husband he works for dhl but is a plasterer aswell is it easy to set up self employed or should he work for a plastering company first,
do you know if spain has a jobcentre website like the uk as i cant find one in my searches 

i hope you dont mind helping me as i really appreciate your help and will possibly have more questions for you 

thank you 
kel xx


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

the whyatt's said:


> hiya jo
> thanks for your reply
> i think i'll have to get the map out lol
> we didnt mind benalmadena we came over last july and really decided from there that we wanted to move to spain , what would you recommend about long term rental should arrange this before we come over or book a hol and look when we arrive, also if you know of a good rental agent that would be fab as all i can find is apartments and really need a townhouse or villa ideally with a pool as thats all dion who's 5 goes on about lol
> ...



I know agents in my own town, but I dont think they go as far as Benelmadena. If I were you, I'd come out for a holiday/factfinding mission and go to see a few agents. From there they'll arrange to show you round some properties. Dont pay them any money until you are sure and generally they take one months rent as a deposit and a months rent upfront.

As for work - hmmmm, things are grim here! The construction industry has crashed and so there is mass unemployment in the building sector - in fact theres mass unemployment in most sectors over here. The tourist industry isnt good altho hopefully now the recession is over (??????) things will pick up. I wouldnt hold your hopes up of being able to get work easily at all. We tend to suggest that its sensible to bring at least a years worth of money to live on to give you a chance to find these illusive jobs! So I would suggest your husband see's what the work situation is like before setting up as self employed/autonomo. When you're over here on your fact finding mission, ask around and see whats about work wise

Jo xxx


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## the whyatt's (Jan 10, 2010)

jojo said:


> I know agents in my own town, but I dont think they go as far as Benelmadena. If I were you, I'd come out for a holiday/factfinding mission and go to see a few agents. From there they'll arrange to show you round some properties. Dont pay them any money until you are sure and generally they take one months rent as a deposit and a months rent upfront.
> 
> As for work - hmmmm, things are grim here! The construction industry has crashed and so there is mass unemployment in the building sector - in fact theres mass unemployment in most sectors over here. The tourist industry isnt good altho hopefully now the recession is over (??????) things will pick up. I wouldnt hold your hopes up of being able to get work easily at all. We tend to suggest that its sensible to bring at least a years worth of money to live on to give you a chance to find these illusive jobs! So I would suggest your husband see's what the work situation is like before setting up as self employed/autonomo. When you're over here on your fact finding mission, ask around and see whats about work wise
> 
> Jo xxx


hiya jo
please could you tell me the details of the agents so i can see what they have to rent , would you recommend where you live do they have a good school a nice beach and good shops 

we are selling our house in the uk so we'll have the money from the sale also i have been saving so money wise we should be ok 

i was looking on the dwp website and it say's we'll receive our child benefit and child tax credit is this right and would i transfer in uk or spain 

kel x


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

the whyatt's said:


> hiya jo
> please could you tell me the details of the agents so i can see what they have to rent , would you recommend where you live do they have a good school a nice beach and good shops
> 
> we are selling our house in the uk so we'll have the money from the sale also i have been saving so money wise we should be ok
> ...


I live inland as its a bit cheaper and less touristy. My daughter goes to the local "high school", she hates it, but is that her age??? (she's 12) and my son who's 15 goes to an international school - we couldnt afford the fees for both to go there and my daughter didnt like it there either. If you have young teenage kids, think very carefully about moving to Spain. young children, tend to settle better and pick up the language quickly, but once they get over about 10, it gets more difficult

From what I know and I'm fairly confident that I'm right you cannot claim any child benefits or family credit unless the person claiming is working and paying into the UK system! Mine was stopped when we moved here, however, because my husband still works in the UK and pays into the system, he can claim child benefit for us. 

At the bottom of all my posts there is a link to an agent who I work with occasionally, they are trustworthy, knowledgeable and really helpful. They dont cover Benalmadena as such, altho I'm sure they could help and would talk you thru anything you want to know 

Jo xxx


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

I just want to add, be very wary about selling your UK property. You mustnt burn your bridges and you must give yourself an escape route should it not work out. I know people who've done this and are now stuck! Nowhere to return to in the UK, money tied up in property in spain that they cant sell... Even if you dont buy here, should you need to return and house prices in the UK rise, how and where would you go back to, if you havent got enough money and no way of getting a mortgage there???

Sorry to sound negative, but you have to plan for all eventualities

jo xxx


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## the whyatt's (Jan 10, 2010)

jojo said:


> I live inland as its a bit cheaper and less touristy. My daughter goes to the local "high school", she hates it, but is that her age??? (she's 12) and my son who's 15 goes to an international school - we couldnt afford the fees for both to go there and my daughter didnt like it there either. If you have young teenage kids, think very carefully about moving to Spain. young children, tend to settle better and pick up the language quickly, but once they get over about 10, it gets more difficult
> 
> From what I know and I'm fairly confident that I'm right you cannot claim any child benefits or family credit unless the person claiming is working and paying into the UK system! Mine was stopped when we moved here, however, because my husband still works in the UK and pays into the system, he can claim child benefit for us.
> 
> ...


 hiya jo 
just looked on there website property's in your area on there i didnt mind the villa with pool only one pic so i'll email them for more info, is it quite easy to buy electrical goods over there cos i'll have to buy all new cos if the plug difference 

i justed searched marks and spencers spain and found out they opened one in la canada shopping centre i work for them part time in the uk so might be able to transfer do you know how far the centre from you ?

sorry to be a pain but it's nice speaking to someone that has already made the move 

kel xx


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

You're not a pain, we were all like you once! I just hate being so negative, but things are really quite bad in Spain financially at the mo. The M&S in La Canada opened a few months ago, I believe they had something in the region of 40,000 applicants for jobs there and I also believe you would need to be fluent in spoken and written Spanish, but I could be wrong and of course its worth a try. As for electrical items, you dont need to buy new, just change the plugs. Altho if you're renting, most things like washing machines, ovens, dishwashers are in furnished properties - you may need a TV, dvd player, a kettle, hairdryer etc, bring those over with you cos they're mega bucks to buy here. In fact my friend (who runs the aforementioned agency) recently put in an order with my husband to buy two kettles, two hairdryers and some straighteners from argos in the UK.

Jo xxx


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## Cazzy (Nov 23, 2008)

Jo's right you can't claim tax credit and family allowance here and you do have to be fluent in Spanish to work for M&S. It is very hard at the moment, and if you need to work even harder!!

I also agree with Steve Benalmadena and Fuengirola are nice places. Marbella I think is over priced. If I lived on the coast I would live at either!


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## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

SteveHall said:


> Swimming pool?? My personal view is that you could not give one to me. Of all the things that would be on MY priority list that is well down towards the bottom.



You gotta be kidding 
I couldnt do without one in the summer, its such a relief. Even in the middle of the night to cool down.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

Stravinsky said:


> You gotta be kidding
> I couldnt do without one in the summer, its such a relief. Even in the middle of the night to cool down.


Me too, and my kids insist on having one, eventho they get bored with it very quicky. But you cant beat those wonderful midnight dips, with a cool glass of wine, the stars twinkling and the crickets chirruping (and the bloody mozzies!!!)

Jo xxxx


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## the whyatt's (Jan 10, 2010)

hiya jo
i spoke to my husband last night and we are going to come over for a month on a fact finding holiday to check out the area ,please could you tell me roughly how much you pay for your utility's a month so i can work out how much money we'll need to survive on 
much appreciated 
kelly xx


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Hi,
I didn't want to be the first to mention it, but you need to think seriously about the employment situation here. This graph says it all. (From figures published today.)
View attachment unemployment 2010.doc

That said, if you're desperate to try, perhaps you should do so and see what happens... Or perhaps you should put your move on hold for a year or so. 
You can also search this forum for employment, jobs, beautician etc. There's a lot of info here.
Lots of luck with whatever you decide.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

the whyatt's said:


> hiya jo
> i spoke to my husband last night and we are going to come over for a month on a fact finding holiday to check out the area ,please could you tell me roughly how much you pay for your utility's a month so i can work out how much money we'll need to survive on
> much appreciated
> kelly xx



I would say as a "rule of thumb" allow roughly what you pay in the UK. Electricity is about the same, gas (bottle only) is cheaper, water depends on what you use and varies from area to area

Jo xxx


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

jojo said:


> I would say as a "rule of thumb" allow roughly what you pay in the UK. Electricity is about the same, gas (bottle only) is cheaper, water depends on what you use and varies from area to area
> 
> Jo xxx


they might find though that if it's just for a month it will be a holiday rental & therefore utilities will be included

best to check when booking


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

xabiachica said:


> they might find though that if it's just for a month it will be a holiday rental & therefore utilities will be included
> 
> best to check when booking


Good point, actually at this time of the year a months holiday rental could be quite pricey, so yes I would hope all utilities would be included

Jo xxx


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## dreamerspain (Nov 17, 2009)

*Moving to the Costa del Sol*

Hi
We moved to the Costa del Sol over 7 years ago, we live in Marbella and trust me it is a great place to live, there are many schools both spanish and international. It is not as expensive as everyone says. We live in a semi detached villa with pool and pay a very good rent. We rented through a company called 365 Property Services in Marbella maybe try them I know they stretch along the coast and maybe they have other properties elsewhere.
My friend is a beauty therapist and earns about 2000€ per month so it really does depend where you work.
Have a good move and my son who is 9 is now a true andaluz!!!


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## kelli (Apr 9, 2010)

dreamerspain said:


> Hi
> We moved to the Costa del Sol over 7 years ago, we live in Marbella and trust me it is a great place to live, there are many schools both spanish and international. It is not as expensive as everyone says. We live in a semi detached villa with pool and pay a very good rent. We rented through a company called 365 Property Services in Marbella maybe try them I know they stretch along the coast and maybe they have other properties elsewhere.
> My friend is a beauty therapist and earns about 2000€ per month so it really does depend where you work.
> Have a good move and my son who is 9 is now a true andaluz!!!


hi dreamerspain
me and and husband are looking to move to marbella , after reading you post its nice to see a little positive :clap2: , could you please recommend an area in marbella to live my children are both under 5 and would go to a spanish school
i'll definitely look on the website you went with 
thank you 
k


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## bakeja (May 26, 2009)

Just a shout for my area which is down the coast from Marbella, between Estepona and Manilva. It has its detractors because it lacks the cosmopolitan buzz of Marbella and the property market is a right mess. But that has enabled us to rent very cheaply here and I really like the position between Marbella and Gbiraltar. It's also quieter and more Spanishy. I also have little uns (5, 3, 1) and they are thriving in the state school and local nursery.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

We live just outside Marbella, near San Pedro. It's a quiet area, very Spanish, not an urb. I wouldn't like to live in Marbella itself. 
A detached villa with decent-sized pool would get a rental of 1500 euros a month upwards. Utilities on top of that would be around 250 euros, maybe a bit more or less.
The ambiance is different from Benalmadena and similar places up the coast but as Steve said it's horses for courses. Some people might find this area too tranquil, especially if they have children - there appear to be none in this area!
Mind you, our respectability if not our tranquillity has been somewhat marred by the use of a large imposing villa two streets away as a brothel. To my amazement the girls advertise with address -street name, number -in the Adult Relaxation section of 'Sur'. I couldn't care less what they do as long as they're quiet and clients don't park outside my garage gates but the neighbours, understandably, are less than happy. I asked our gardener if prostitution were tolerated in Spain and he shrugged and suggested that the police and town hall had been paid off.
When I think of the money they must be raking in......eight women earning.....
As for having a pool....it's an essential and for me must be private as I really enjoy a swim starkers under the stars and I wouldn't inflict that sight on anyone, not anymore.


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## shoemanpete (Jan 4, 2010)

Hi to the wyatts, just caught up with the latest on the forum. We are arriving in C del S on Friday for our own trial period of 'x' months. Everyone is saying the right things to us. Try not to sell your property in UK if you don't have to. The rent should easily cover the rent in Spain and as prices rise in UK you will have yourself covered. We are doing that. We are hoping and praying that it works out for us as we really want a new life in Spain. 
If you look back through the threads from around Feb/Mar, you will see our threads re moving there.
Good luck and let us know when you are there, maybe meet up?


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

Yes, good luck Shoemanpete and if you're in sol Andalucie give me a shout!

Jo xxxx


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## fourgotospain (May 4, 2009)

Hi Wyatts - just paused for breath after moving to Spain in Jan, only now had time to get back on the forum!! All the above advice is bang on - we came to the area we live in (Javea, Costa Blanca) on 5 research trips in 12 months last year and have kept the UK house and borrowed against it to help us buy a business. Big gamble, big commitment and we had to bargain hard on the biz but really the only way of us standing a chance of a sustainable long term life here. 

We're renting here as well and glad that maintenance etc is not our problem - obviously we still have those costs on our UK house. Our 2 girls (9 and 6) have been at spanish school since March and are doing well, learning spanish and keeping up with the work ok. It was a big hurdle for me mentally that their education will be completely different, and because our eldest is nearly 10, this has to be a plan to see them through to University age (10 yrs +). We have all had a great welcome to the area and don't regret the move for a minute. 

If it doesn't work out (but it will) then we tried our best and have options in the UK as well. Go for it, but be mindful of the 'worst case' scenario. Good Luck and keep in touch,

Rachel.


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## Guest (Apr 23, 2010)

Just to add that a lot depends where you live in Marbella as this is not only a town but a district that stretches 26km from Guadalmina to Cabopino so prices vary widely. Your best bet when looking for rental properties is to avoid using an agent if possible. enalquiler.com is a superb way to find properly priced properties (love a bit of alliteration!), we went to see a whole host of properties priced around 400€ in Marbella centre so they do exist - they may not be what you want though of course! Bear in mind when you start looking around the expat type urbanisations with flashy villas and pools then prices do shoot up


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

ShinyAndy said:


> Just to add that a lot depends where you live in Marbella as this is not only a town but a district that stretches 26km from Guadalmina to Cabopino so prices vary widely. Your best bet when looking for rental properties is to avoid using an agent if possible. enalquiler.com is a superb way to find properly priced properties (love a bit of alliteration!), we went to see a whole host of properties priced around 400€ in Marbella centre so they do exist - they may not be what you want though of course! Bear in mind when you start looking around the expat type urbanisations with flashy villas and pools then prices do shoot up



There are some very nice quiet areas on the western edge of Marbella, with very nice houses with pools, not on urbs. 
Same goes for the Estepona area.. 
Depends what kind of ambiance you are looking for.
Prices start around 1200 - 1500 euros upwards.


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## pensionsandsavings (Apr 14, 2010)

We have been in Estepona for the past 5 months and love it. Bit more spanishy (?) than some of the coastal towns. We have a 2 bed apartment right next to the sea and are renting on a month by month basis for €600 a month. (The owner has agreed we can stay here for 2 years at this rate).
Agents can be a pain but the one we use has proved a real asset, not only for the apartment itself but for general local info as she is an expat who has been here for years with her family.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

pensionsandsavings said:


> We have been in Estepona for the past 5 months and love it. Bit more spanishy (?) than some of the coastal towns. We have a 2 bed apartment right next to the sea and are renting on a month by month basis for €600 a month. (The owner has agreed we can stay here for 2 years at this rate).
> Agents can be a pain but the one we use has proved a real asset, not only for the apartment itself but for general local info as she is an expat who has been here for years with her family.


I find agents are invaluable when first moving to a new country where you dont know the language, the protocols, the rules, where anywhere is. Altho they usually charge a finders fee, they'll also act as negotiator to get a better price on the monthly rent. At the moment it is a renters market

Jo xxx


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

jojo said:


> I find agents are invaluable when first moving to a new country where you dont know the language, the protocols, the rules, where anywhere is. Altho they usually charge a finders fee, they'll also act as negotiator to get a better price on the monthly rent. At the moment it is a renters market
> 
> Jo xxx


That last sentence is very true. We managed to get a 500 euro reduction on our rent, no haggling. Just said we weren't willing to pay more.
If we were looking for a place to rent now I think we'd be cheeky and pitch our opening offer at half the rental price asked! It's worth looking at places outside what your budget is as there are bargains around that may be beyond what you thought you could afford.


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## henrietta (May 11, 2010)

Hia Rachel.Glad to hear of a family brave enough to move to Spain!,we wish you every success inyour new home.We too are considering a move probably in 2yrs time having family in Ibiza we are not naive!.We have two daughters aged 8 & 3 & feel they would settle in well.Could i ask have you started a business from scratch or did you purchase one?If so could you recommend any agents that are honest!!??Many thanksx


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## fourgotospain (May 4, 2009)

HI Henrietta,

Just realised I've answered your q's on another thread!! Started by you I think?...

Honest agents, hmmmmm. TBH here the agent was the typical shiny suited estate agent - just the same for commercial as houses! PM me if you like as we did see a few businesses with some guys in the CDS who were very good and didn't waste our time with things we blatantly didn't want. 

One thing we've noticed is that our eldest (10 next week) is probably right at the top of the age range of fitting in to Spanish school, and that actually may have been extended as they go to a school with a few other nationalities which offers extra help to non-spanish children. She's settled well, but not as well as her little 7 yr old sister.


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