# Help please



## Salkendall (Sep 24, 2017)

We are looking to move to spain within the next few months , and are looking for some help and advice on the best places to move within the southern parts of Spain .
And any other help we can get would be fabulous. 
Many thanks .


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## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

Hello and welcome to the forum!! There is a huge amount of information in the 'Stickys' sections and you should explore those as well. More information from you would be useful too. For instance, how well do you know Spain, where in Spain have you been on holiday, are you looking for an area populated by Brits or do you want a more Spanish environment. How many of you are there. The more information you give the better the advice will be. Good luck.


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## Salkendall (Sep 24, 2017)

Many thanks for the reply .
We have never been on holiday to Spain ,we have been to portugal for the last 11 years however don't want to live there and you get more for your money in spain .
We don't wan to live in mainly expats areas such as Barcelona or places like that want to be and integrated with the Spanish way of life .


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## Salkendall (Sep 24, 2017)

Also there is only me and my partner looking to move out to Spain .


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Obvious questions are : do you speak Spanish? Will you be looking for work?

Whether you get 'more for your money' in Spain depends very much on in which part of Spain you choose to live.
Depending on the area, the cost of living, buying property, renting and so on, may not be much less or even more than in the UK.

As you say you have never visited Spain, it would surely be more helpful to spend as much time as you can travelling around the very different regions and provinces of Spain rather than asking for recommendations on the Forum.
Andalusia is very different from Galicia, Murcia from Catalonia.


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## Jumar (Mar 14, 2012)

Why have you ruled out Portugal as a place to move to?


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## Isobella (Oct 16, 2014)

Jumar said:


> Why have you ruled out Portugal as a place to move to?


Portugal has just come out No.1 in the best ten places to live for expats. Athough i don't know how reliable it is.


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## Megsmum (Sep 9, 2012)

Plus I think... although not sure. That you get state healthcare? Automatically


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## Leper (May 12, 2010)

I just get the feeling you just saw a programme on tv re purchasing a home in the sun and you believed everything you heard and saw. No kids involved, just yourself and partner advantage start straight away. But, you've got to look coldly at this. Don't think you're going to waltz into a good paying job in Spain because you are not. You need a substantial amount of money behind you, otherwise you're peeing against the wind. Your partner will need to be of strong will too otherwise you're onto a loss before you even start.

OK you've enough money to keep you in rental accommodation and food for six months. Pick an area and move there for a minimum of 4/5 weeks in the off season. You can pick up rental apartments in good areas for around €600 per month. You will have to pay for electricity too. The landlord probably will pick up the other utilities.

In the 4/5 weeks you will either decide to go ahead or return to the UK. But, at least your questions will be answered and of course, you will have many more.

Apologies, for not talking up your venture. I'm not in the business of telling lies and I hope you succeed in whatever you decide.


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## Megsmum (Sep 9, 2012)

Salkendall said:


> Many thanks for the reply .
> We have never been on holiday to Spain ,we have been to portugal for the last 11 years however don't want to live there and you get more for your money in spain .
> We don't wan to live in mainly expats areas such as Barcelona or places like that want to be and integrated with the Spanish way of life .





> We have never been on holiday to Spain ,we have been to portugal for the last 11 years however don't want to live there and you get more for your money in spain .


I'm intrigued by how you know this......


How integrated, do you speak Spanish fluently, enough to get by or enough to order a beer.

Do you have to work... location and area will very much depend on where you can or need to work

Do you need private healthcare 

What are your likes, coast, mountains, inland plains 

Do you need to be near an airport

What type of property do you want... where I live for instance you won't find modern villas with pools

How much money do you want to spend either renting or buying

Really and truly the question you asked will get as many different answers as there are members on here. 


So from me

Where in southern Spain do you know, what are you planning to do, do you understand residency requirements etc etc


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Salkendall said:


> We are looking to move to spain within the next few months , and are looking for some help and advice on the best places to move within the southern parts of Spain .
> And any other help we can get would be fabulous.
> Many thanks .


I think you have to help yourself first before anyone here can.
The part that has got a lot of us intrigued is that you know Portugal and don't want to live there. You don't know Spain and do... 
Then the "you get more for your pound there" ?? Where is there in Spain and compared to where in Portugal? Price of living can vary enormously just as it does in the UK.
And then expat areas like Barcelona... Can't say I've heard Barcelona described as an expat area especially although there are of course British people living there..

So I would say define more what you want. Beach, inland, size of town, budget? Also what you hope to do with your time, what your expectations are and what you don't want.

Reading up on Spain, economic climate, what issues are important in Spain today etc and also on any areas you might be interested in, (look up places by using the forum search for example Torrevieja, Cádiz, Malñaga, Velez Malaga, Madrid, Asturias, Oliva.....) will also help you to situate yourselves more


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## Salkendall (Sep 24, 2017)

Hi all 
We won't be working and iam sorry if iv not explained myself well ..
We are looking to retire and just live .
We are looking at portugal as well because we do love it over there and have many friends over there .
We are also doing our research into the places which we like the look of .
But also just looking for advice and help .
As we are new to this we are seeking help etc . Sorry if iam being a pain lol


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Salkendall said:


> Hi all
> We won't be working and iam sorry if iv not explained myself well ..
> We are looking to retire and just live .
> We are looking at portugal as well because we do love it over there and have many friends over there .
> ...


You're not being a pain!

It's just that Spain is a huge country with so many different areas,as far as geography & weather are concerned for one thing - & some areas have few foreigners, some have many & some are in between.

We of course would all recommend where we have chosen to live - but where I live might not suit you.


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## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

Well it seems to me that you have an exciting adventure ahead. You will most certainly need to spend as much time as you can visiting as many different areas of Spain so that you can begin to get a feel for the country and especially for how different each area can be from the others. There are several excellent TV programmes which could get you started, a few of which are: Spectacular Spain with Alex Polizzi, Rick Stein's Spain and The Making of Spain with Simon Sebag Montefiore. And because of your love of Portugal, perhaps you should consider Huelva Province...


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## Deiter (Sep 24, 2017)

I always like to have a quick visit to a place via Google Earth or Maps just to get an initial feel for the place, I find it very handy


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## Leper (May 12, 2010)

Salkendall is retiring and is undecided of where to retire in the sun and perhaps was being wrongly treated as an innocent by me and deserved more. Before I frighten him/her from leaving Ipswich I'll give more advice before any great investment:- 
1. Decide on any area (Coastal, Inland, City, Town, Village, Rural). Ensure it is not a ghost-town and has at least one decent supermarket that opens all year round. Proximity to airports is a consideration as is public transport, health centre, supermarket, level walks. If you have a dog/cat, then the actual apartment/duplex/house/villa becomes an issue.
2. Move to that area and rent for 5/6 weeks in the off season (January/February if you can). You will learn if that area is suitable for you.
3. If you want to rent out your Spanish property when you're not there then the resort becomes an issue.
4. I suggest you do not sell your UK property and it would be a nice little earner if you rent it out. Of course, your income in Spain is enhanced too.
5. If you are looking for the best warmth/dry spells then concentrate on the coast between Gibraltar to Murcia Region.


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## Jumar (Mar 14, 2012)

We have many visitors to our very ordinary part of the region of Murcia (they come in their motorhomes to our neighbour's motorhome parking) but for some reason, after their stay, many want to return and quite a few want to rent or buy nearby.

But ... this place wouldn't suit many people. It has few bars unless you travel 3km to the town and very little else except mountain walking and biking.

What I'm trying to say is you need to find your niche, and find it for yourself (with a little help from friends!!!)


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