# help & advice pleeeease !!



## spacebunny (Mar 4, 2013)

Hi everybody, we have been looking at this forum for ages, since deciding that we would like to take early retirement this year, I am 55 and my much better half is 57. We are going to rent our property out in the uk, no intentions of selling, using the rent from this along with pension monies to come and live in the much warmer climes of Spain. We both know this will be a massive challenge, but never try never know. We would like to live in Moriara,Calpe, Denia areas , we have no interest in buying until we know that we are certain of our decisions, we have millions of questions , how much is food, petrol, car insurance etc, We do not intend nor want to live the life of a holiday maker, just to be able to spend quality time with each other and friends we are yet to meet. We reckon rent will be appx 650 Euros, how much do we sensibly need to live and enjoy

Looking forward to hearing from as many of you as possible

Gary & Jan


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## doro (Aug 1, 2010)

Hi and welcome to this forum!

You can check some recent forum posts and sticky's to get answers to most of the questions. In general you need a minimum 1000 euro to survive. (I did not count unexpected things).

Rent 300-500 euro, electricity 100 euro, internet/phone 50 euro, food 300+ euro, and unexpected things. If you cook in family, could save a lot of money. A lunch in the city cost minimum 10 euro per person. The cheapest one. I do not put a restaurant lunch. Pub. So for 2 persons is minimum 20 euro, with drinks, coffee can be 30 euro. With what money you spend to eat one day in city, you can get food for one week if you cook. Cheapest store is "Mercadona" and they have pretty good things at good prices.

About car insurance, no idea I have that in other country made. Diesel is 1.3-1.4 euro.

If you have any other questions ask, I am sure some one here will answer.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

spacebunny said:


> Hi everybody, we have been looking at this forum for ages, since deciding that we would like to take early retirement this year, I am 55 and my much better half is 57. We are going to rent our property out in the uk, no intentions of selling, using the rent from this along with pension monies to come and live in the much warmer climes of Spain. We both know this will be a massive challenge, but never try never know. We would like to live in Moriara,Calpe, Denia areas , we have no interest in buying until we know that we are certain of our decisions, we have millions of questions , how much is food, petrol, car insurance etc, We do not intend nor want to live the life of a holiday maker, just to be able to spend quality time with each other and friends we are yet to meet. We reckon rent will be appx 650 Euros, how much do we sensibly need to live and enjoy
> 
> Looking forward to hearing from as many of you as possible
> 
> Gary & Jan


The amount will depend on where you want to live and the kind off life you want to live - car/ no car, visiting UK/ staying here, eating out/ staying in, travelling around/ staying put, villa with pool/ flat in country... so more info is needed.
There have been many threads on this subject so you might find something if you do a search
You need to bear in mind that to live here legally you will be asked to prove that you have sufficient funds (sufficient depends on where you go and who you ask. There is not a national, stated figure, but it's probably around 600 - 700€ a month), and that you have healthcare covered.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

We have no rent nor mortgage to find and three of us plus two small dogs and a canary can manage very comfortably on about €600 per month. BUT we don't inhabit bars, don't eat out often, don't smoke nor drink. We don't live on the costas in a city or other expensive area. We don't have an expensive (to buy or to run) car.

There are so many factors to consider and you need to give us more info for us to be more specific.


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## Chopera (Apr 22, 2013)

baldilocks said:


> We have no rent nor mortgage to find and three of us plus two small dogs and a canary can manage very comfortably on about €600 per month. BUT we don't inhabit bars, don't eat out often, don't smoke nor drink. We don't live on the costas in a city or other expensive area. We don't have an expensive (to buy or to run) car.
> 
> There are so many factors to consider and you need to give us more info for us to be more specific.


That is very impressive. I wouldn't have thought that possible unless you went self sufficient.


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

We survive on 800 GBP, and run two properties, that doesn't include costs for car, and nights out. Plus we live on the island of El Hierro where the VAT is only 7%, so everything is a lot cheaper, and because of our climate we do not have heating or air-conditioning bills.

My late father used to live in El Portet, near Moraira, lovely area, I could have settled there, but the pull of the Canary Isles was too great.

Good luck with your move.


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## Ann in La Palma (Jun 14, 2013)

Where you live really can make a huge difference to your cost of living. It's not just the things like rent and restaurants, but as Hepa says, it might also be the heating and/or air-conditioning. That's one of the reasons why we chose the Canary Islands, because of the temperate climate. 
But wherever you decide to go, enjoy!


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## djfwells (Sep 28, 2009)

Assuming you are not chain smoking alcoholics with a penchant for fast cars and amatuer dramatics, I would be prepared to tuck the obligatory 'peice of string' back in my pocket and suggest EU 650 - EU 850 will see you right


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

As has been said, your cost of living will depend on (a) where you live and (b) your personal lifestyle.

We manage very comfortably on €600 per month including running a modest economical car. We are three adults, 2 dogs and a canary (!) and we live in a village in Andalucía. We don't smoke nor inhabit bars but do manage to have at least one good holiday a year, usually in another part of Spain, which may cost something in the region of €1200.


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## linken1647 (May 31, 2013)

We live in a large 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom penthouse/attic apartment with a huge terrace across the road from the beach and our rental cost of EUR650.00 per month. If we didn't rent a large apartment then rentals can be found from around EUR300.00 per month. 
Electric around EUR75-90 per month. Fresh water around EUR50 for 2 months and waste water around EUR5o for 3 months. Food costs can be as little or as much as you want it to be. Fresh fruit, veg, fish very cheap.
We drive an American truck 5.7L engine and our car tax is just EUR65.00 per year! Varies depending on where you live as car tax governed by Town Hall. Our 3rd party insurance is just shy of EUR600.00 per year.


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## Megsmum (Sep 9, 2012)

Hi

We are in the same position as you, but slightly further ahead in the decision process.

We too are in our mid 50's, we are selling here in the UK and all things being equal, we are moving to Spain early next year. We will be on a limited income initially, my NHS pension and money in the bank for plus support funds in the bank. (you have to show evidence of income and healthcare to register). 

To move onto the question of living costs, we expect it to be a bit cheaper, but what do we know we are not their and because everyone is different we have based everything on like for like. A few years back when we decided this was the route we would take, we started to live within the budget we would anticipate we would have in Spain, We excluded the mortgage costs as we will not have mortgage or rent, and also the costs associated with getting to work, petrol etc, but included out and about petrol costs, we then lived as we would have to in Spain. It has been an interesting process, yes day to day living has been fine, but there are always the spanners in the works, so we have had to adjust the finances to deal with those circumstances - brakes on car, leaking roof etc. My other tip is to ensure that when you arrive you spend money as you would at home, and not as you would on holiday. We have spoken to a few people, who have said that their biggest mistake was to spend to much in the first 6 months.

We live fairly simply here

One question - if you are renting - presumably you either rent in the UK or have a property you will be renting out. Please read about taxes and CGT etc once resident here as this could affect your finances

Best wishes


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## extranjero (Nov 16, 2012)

linken1647 said:


> We live in a large 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom penthouse/attic apartment with a huge terrace across the road from the beach and our rental cost of EUR650.00 per month. If we didn't rent a large apartment then rentals can be found from around EUR300.00 per month.
> Electric around EUR75-90 per month. Fresh water around EUR50 for 2 months and waste water around EUR5o for 3 months. Food costs can be as little or as much as you want it to be. Fresh fruit, veg, fish very cheap.
> We drive an American truck 5.7L engine and our car tax is just EUR65.00 per year! Varies depending on where you live as car tax governed by Town Hall. Our 3rd party insurance is just shy of EUR600.00 per year.


Why is your car tax only 65.00-is it because it is registered for business use. A solicitor told our neighbour to do this to lower the tax;our 7 seater, personal use only, is 113 euros!I wouldn't have thought the regional variation would account for the big difference.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

extranjero said:


> Why is your car tax only 65.00-is it because it is registered for business use. A solicitor told our neighbour to do this to lower the tax;our 7 seater, personal use only, is 113 euros!I wouldn't have thought the regional variation would account for the big difference.


Car tax depends on where your vehicle is domiciled since is charged by the Ayuntamiento. Ours for a Peugeot Partner is (I think) €68.


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## extranjero (Nov 16, 2012)

I still can't see why there's so much difference.


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## extranjero (Nov 16, 2012)

extranjero said:


> I still can't see why there's so much difference, and that car is very powerful.ours is under Cartagena, but we tax it at mazarron.


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

Our car tax for a Kangoo is €50.74. It is decided by the Ayuntamiento


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## stevelin (Apr 25, 2009)

it also goes on the size of the engine we have an 1800 Ford focus car tax 122 euro a year my parents have a 1600 Ford C max there car tax was around 80 euro same Ayuntamiento


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## spacebunny (Mar 4, 2013)

Pesky Wesky said:


> The amount will depend on where you want to live and the kind off life you want to live - car/ no car, visiting UK/ staying here, eating out/ staying in, travelling around/ staying put, villa with pool/ flat in country... so more info is needed.
> There have been many threads on this subject so you might find something if you do a search
> You need to bear in mind that to live here legally you will be asked to prove that you have sufficient funds (sufficient depends on where you go and who you ask. There is not a national, stated figure, but it's probably around 600 - 700€ a month), and that you have healthcare covered.


Many thanks for reply, we do intend to buy a car for use when needed, and we do want to see more of Spain other than where we intend to live. We are looking at moving to the Moraira/Denia/Calpe area and further south around the Cartegna area. We generally eat out about once every couple of months as cooking is a passion for me ( that's why Jan keeps me ha ha),we are very socialable people but we do enjoy and prefer the simple things in life and are more than happy to generally do walking,cycling etc rather than lots of drinking etc. We are thinking about renting a villa to start with and ideally without pool, but with a communal pool as part of the deal.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

spacebunny said:


> Many thanks for reply, we do intend to buy a car for use when needed, and we do want to see more of Spain other than where we intend to live. We are looking at moving to the Moraira/Denia/Calpe area and further south around the Cartegna area. We generally eat out about once every couple of months as cooking is a passion for me ( that's why Jan keeps me ha ha),we are very socialable people but we do enjoy and prefer the simple things in life and are more than happy to generally do walking,cycling etc rather than lots of drinking etc. We are thinking about renting a villa to start with and ideally without pool, but with a communal pool as part of the deal.


Good thinking re pool.
A pool can be expensive, can give you a lot of work, and is not very ecologically sound. A communal pool is largely not your worry (make sure your landlord is responsible for any repairs, cost of lifeguard etc) and may be a good way of meeting other people. Of course other people love their pool and get good use out of it, but I'm glad we have the communal one and that it's something I don't have to deal with.
PS Don't forget that the sun is at its most harmful from 12:00 - 16:00, so best to avoid actual sunbathing during that time and the hottest part of the day may well be from 15:00 - 18:00 so think about that when you're planning a trip out.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Good thinking re pool.
> A pool can be expensive, can give you a lot of work, and is not very ecologically sound. A communal pool is largely not your worry (make sure your landlord is responsible for any repairs, cost of lifeguard etc) and may be a good way of meeting other people. Of course other people love their pool and get good use out of it, but I'm glad we have the communal one and that it's something I don't have to deal with.
> PS Don't forget that the sun is at its most harmful from 12:00 - 16:00, so best to avoid actual sunbathing during that time and the hottest part of the day may well be from 15:00 - 18:00 so think about that when you're planning a trip out.


I look after our pool which is clear,clean and sparkling and if I can do it anyone can.
In fact, I'm writing this lying beside it on this beautiful morning.
Communal pools are better than no pool but most understandably have rules and restrictions on hours of use.
We really enjoy a midnight swim under the stars after walking our dogs. 
OH likes to swim starkers, I wouldn't impose the sight of my ageing tankini-clad body on the public....so a private pool is a must


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## Megsmum (Sep 9, 2012)

mrypg9 said:


> I look after our pool which is clear,clean and sparkling and if I can do it anyone can.
> In fact, I'm writing this lying beside it on this beautiful morning.
> Communal pools are better than no pool but most understandably have rules and restrictions on hours of use.
> We really enjoy a midnight swim under the stars after walking our dogs.
> OH likes to swim starkers, I wouldn't impose the sight of my ageing tankini-clad body on the public....so a private pool is a must



OH would like a pool when we eventually buy. Not bothered about lengths etc, just a cool off dipping pool. We are looking for a rural property some of the properties we have seen have not had pools. I am not sure about the permissions required so we are thinking of even just an above ground job - not sure about permissions for that either! My main concern is the permissions.


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## Karen58 (Aug 1, 2012)

spacebunny said:


> Hi everybody, we have been looking at this forum for ages, since deciding that we would like to take early retirement this year, I am 55 and my much better half is 57. We are going to rent our property out in the uk, no intentions of selling, using the rent from this along with pension monies to come and live in the much warmer climes of Spain. We both know this will be a massive challenge, but never try never know. We would like to live in Moriara,Calpe, Denia areas , we have no interest in buying until we know that we are certain of our decisions, we have millions of questions , how much is food, petrol, car insurance etc, We do not intend nor want to live the life of a holiday maker, just to be able to spend quality time with each other and friends we are yet to meet. We reckon rent will be appx 650 Euros, how much do we sensibly need to live and enjoy
> 
> Looking forward to hearing from as many of you as possible
> 
> ...


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## peterinmalaga (May 27, 2013)

spacebunny said:


> Hi everybody, we have been looking at this forum for ages, since deciding that we would like to take early retirement this year, I am 55 and my much better half is 57. We are going to rent our property out in the uk, no intentions of selling, using the rent from this along with pension monies to come and live in the much warmer climes of Spain. We both know this will be a massive challenge, but never try never know. We would like to live in Moriara,Calpe, Denia areas , we have no interest in buying until we know that we are certain of our decisions, we have millions of questions , how much is food, petrol, car insurance etc, We do not intend nor want to live the life of a holiday maker, just to be able to spend quality time with each other and friends we are yet to meet. We reckon rent will be appx 650 Euros, how much do we sensibly need to live and enjoy
> 
> Looking forward to hearing from as many of you as possible
> 
> Gary & Jan


Hi Gary & Jan,
650 euros will be fine for monthly expenses and 650 euros will be pretty generous for rent: make sure you say you want a long-term rental and the price will drop dramatically and don't be shy of bargaining - there's a lot of empty property over here now (except for August - you can't bargain then).
I love the coast from Calpe to Denia and the coast can be the cheapest place to stay - no heating/aircon bills. Even if you only go 5 miles inland the temperatures can be a lot colder in winter and a lot hotter in summer. The area inland from that coast is a beautiful area to visit at all times of year.


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