# moving to spain



## diver620 (Jun 29, 2011)

Hi ,Im thinking of moving to spain in september.Im actively retired with a decent pension.Im thinking of long term rent as an initial option .I scuba dive and would like some advice on suitable regions, cost of two bed apt, cost of living 2011 etc thanks in advance for any advice


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

diver620 said:


> Hi ,Im thinking of moving to spain in september.Im actively retired with a decent pension.Im thinking of long term rent as an initial option .I scuba dive and would like some advice on suitable regions, cost of two bed apt, cost of living 2011 etc thanks in advance for any advice


Hi & welcome

wow - there are so many areas to choose from - I'm sure you'll get lots of suggestions!!

maybe give us a list of essentials/would likes/really don't wants??


definitely rent at first, even if you have plans to buy at some point - rental costs will vary dramatically depending on where you end up

as a general rule of thumb though, the overall cost of living here isn't very different to in the UK

if you look at the more recent posts on the cost of living sticky you'll get an idea of actual prices of various things - but again, they can vary enormously region to region


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## Leper (May 12, 2010)

Long Term Rental 2 Bedroom Apartment incl all utilities = circa €500.00 per month.
Cost of Living = Much less than in Ireland.

You have a choice of any of the Costas. Ensure your destination is not a ghost town in the off season; is a working town all year round; Shops open in the off season; local bus service necessary if you do not bring a car; you need BBC+ITV television service; accessability through airports is a major consideration. If you dont speak Spanish you will need English speaking neighbours. If you contact me you can have a conversation as Gaeilge.

Fortunately, all of the above is not too difficult to find. SNIP


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## FamilyInSpain (Jun 30, 2011)

diver620 said:


> Hi ,Im thinking of moving to spain in september.Im actively retired with a decent pension.Im thinking of long term rent as an initial option .I scuba dive and would like some advice on suitable regions, cost of two bed apt, cost of living 2011 etc thanks in advance for any advice


Hi there
We are biased as we live in Mijas pueblo in Malaga, southern Spain. However, we have lived in many parts of Spain over the past 20 years and so have a lot of experiences and opinions we are happy to share.
Long term rental is a very good option until you are certain where you want to live. Never let anyone tell you rental is dead money!
Rental prices vary in all areas of Spain and it is harder to secure a long term rental during the summer months. Think about mid september onwards for moving over ... it will give you more options.
Feel free to contact us with any specific questions 
Lisa


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

what's with all this 'contact me' stuff from everyone all of a sudden??

far better to ask for info on the forum - then others can benefit from the answers


after all - that's what forums are for


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

If I were a diver I would head straight for the Cabo de Gata in Almeria, one of of Europe´s best marine nature reserves.

Nice climate too!

Go scuba diving or snorkeling, in Almeria, Andalucia, Spain « Top ten Things to do « Almeria


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## diver620 (Jun 29, 2011)

*biased in mijas lol*




FamilyInSpain said:


> Hi there
> We are biased as we live in Mijas pueblo in Malaga, southern Spain. However, we have lived in many parts of Spain over the past 20 years and so have a lot of experiences and opinions we are happy to share.
> Long term rental is a very good option until you are certain where you want to live. Never let anyone tell you rental is dead money!
> Rental prices vary in all areas of Spain and it is harder to secure a long term rental during the summer months. Think about mid september onwards for moving over ... it will give you more options.
> ...


Hi thank you for your prompt reply
I am thinking of the nerje area as I scuba dive and was advised that the diving there is very good.My online research shows €300 to €400 per month for a two bed rental does this sound like the market average for this area.I hear broadband is of poor quality? My spanish is very poor but im teaching myself in preparation for the move. Is English spoken in shops etc.?I holidayed for two weeks in sabinillas in march and english was spoken everywhere but I dont know how much of a backwater nerje is (it sounds lovely peace and quiet)any info you can give me is greatly appreciated thanks again Tom


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

diver620 said:


> Hi thank you for your prompt reply
> I am thinking of the nerje area as I scuba dive and was advised that the diving there is very good.My online research shows €300 to €400 per month for a two bed rental does this sound like the market average for this area.I hear broadband is of poor quality? My spanish is very poor but im teaching myself in preparation for the move. Is English spoken in shops etc.?I holidayed for two weeks in sabinillas in march and english was spoken everywhere but I dont know how much of a backwater nerje is (it sounds lovely peace and quiet)any info you can give me is greatly appreciated thanks again Tom


Nerjas ok, there are a lot of british there and it is a tourist resort so you should be ok without needing to be fluent in Spanish. I wouldnt call Nerja a backwater, it maybe one of the quieter tourist resorts, but its a normal bustling town from what I've seen. As for broadband, well I guess its like everywhere else, there are good bits and bad bit. Rentals will usually go up during the summer months, but 300 - 400€s seems about right to me for something fairly decent

Jo xxx


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

This may be of interest to you. The most southerly town in Spanish territory and apparently world famous for scuba diving, La Restinga, El Hierro, Islas Canarias.

The cost of living is far cheaper than mainland Spain, diesel at the moment is 90 cents a litre, VAT or the equivalent is only 5%. a two bed apartment long term rent would be around 400€ to 450€ monthly all inclusive.

Here is a link to the Diving Centre

La Restinga - Diving Center Club - El Hierro - Submarinismo El Hierro - Bucear en las Islas Canarias

There is a link to photos of the island on my signature.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

Hepa said:


> This may be of interest to you. The most southerly town in Spanish territory and apparently world famous for scuba diving, La Restinga, El Hierro, Islas Canarias.
> 
> The cost of living is far cheaper than mainland Spain, diesel at the moment is 90 cents a litre, VAT or the equivalent is only 5%. a two bed apartment long term rent would be around 400€ to 450€ monthly all inclusive.
> 
> ...


Hepas favourite place   

Jo xxxx


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## diver620 (Jun 29, 2011)

*diving el heirro*

Ive dived el hierro on a few occassions withd the GODS (golden oldies diving society)I agree its fabulous but a bit off the beaten track for any other occasional activities but ty for the advice.


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

jojo said:


> Hepas favourite place
> 
> Jo xxxx


You are bad!!


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## jb44 (May 21, 2010)

4 words, do not do it , moving to Spain that is,you will truly regret it


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

jb44 said:


> 4 words, do not do it , moving to Spain that is,you will truly regret it


not everyone will - I certainly don't

it depends very much on personal circumstances

this has been discussed at length here


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

jb44 said:


> 4 words, do not do it , moving to Spain that is,you will truly regret it



Horses for course and all that!! Alot of us love it too. So the moral of the story is to come and see for yourself 

Jo xxx


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## Maimee (Jun 23, 2011)

jb44 said:


> 4 words, do not do it , moving to Spain that is,you will truly regret it


4 words will do for me........absolutely happy living here


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

3 words for me

Here for good.

Not my dream home, but where I ended up - and not displeased by it


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## grandad (May 17, 2011)

The only problem with the canarias is the warters soo cold get over that and your fine


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