# highly populated english speaking expat areas



## samscokai

lol, not sure if that title makes sense, hello people im putting feellers out (so i dont rush in and mess up) for information on moving to spain with children, where are there a lot of english speaking expats settled (but yes i would aim to learn the language also) how easy is it to put english children into spanish schools and is this free and do i have to pay for a private school for lessons taught in english, (assuming this would be called an international school).... 

oh and since im demanding sooo much info from you good folks, how does one know who are the legal and above board people to buy a property from....

many thanks for any info, helpful stuff only please, i dont think moving to spain is going to be 'living the dream' lazy stress free days, reality of living in a foreign country isnt alway perfect i know. 


thanks in advance

:confused2:


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## jojo

There are lots of British expat areas in Spain, mostly on the southern coast. 

As for state schools, well they're free and they usually put children a year behind to enable them to pick up the language. Some schools do offer spanish lessons after school, but that depends on the amount of british kids who need it. The international schools that teach in English and use the English curriculum have to be paid for! I personally think that international schools are a must for kids over the age of 11 or 12 as they tend not to pick up spanish quickly enough to actually learn anything.

Jo xxx


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## Alcalaina

Regarding property, most of the corruption scams have been unearthed now so you should be on safer ground. Look for places that are "urbanised" - i.e. they have all the services like main drainage already in place - rather than on estates that are still being built. It's a good time to buy as prices are low at the moment.

It is absolutely essential to get an independent solicitor rather than one recommended by the estate agent - sounds obvious, but a lot of people got conned that way! No need to pay over the odds for a London solicitor; Spanish abogados are fine (the London ones hire them anyway and charge their fees back to you on top). Just do a web-search for "English-speaking solicitor in ..." wherever you're buying.


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## jojo

Alcalaina said:


> Regarding property, most of the corruption scams have been unearthed now so you should be on safer ground. Look for places that are "urbanised" - i.e. they have all the services like main drainage already in place - rather than on estates that are still being built. It's a good time to buy as prices are low at the moment.
> 
> It is absolutely essential to get an independent solicitor rather than one recommended by the estate agent - sounds obvious, but a lot of people got conned that way! No need to pay over the odds for a London solicitor; Spanish abogados are fine (the London ones hire them anyway and charge their fees back to you on top). Just do a web-search for "English-speaking solicitor in ..." wherever you're buying.


Before buying, you should rent to make sure that you're in the right area for you and it gives you a chance to understand how the spanish system is. Property prices here are still falling, so you wont lose much

Jo xxx


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## Cazzy

samscokai said:


> lol, not sure if that title makes sense, hello people im putting feellers out (so i dont rush in and mess up) for information on moving to spain with children, where are there a lot of english speaking expats settled (but yes i would aim to learn the language also) how easy is it to put english children into spanish schools and is this free and do i have to pay for a private school for lessons taught in english, (assuming this would be called an international school)....
> 
> oh and since im demanding sooo much info from you good folks, how does one know who are the legal and above board people to buy a property from....
> 
> many thanks for any info, helpful stuff only please, i dont think moving to spain is going to be 'living the dream' lazy stress free days, reality of living in a foreign country isnt alway perfect i know.
> 
> 
> thanks in advance
> 
> 
> 
> I live in inland Andalucia, there are a lot of expat families around where I live with children. There are a few ex-pat kids in our village and lots more in the surrounding villages. All the ex-pat children go to the Spanish state schools, and all the ones i know are doing very well!! If it is of any help to you I also work for an estate agent, so if you want any info on areas or house prices please don't hesitate to ask.
> 
> Caz


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## bex2121

I also am looking into relocating to the Andalucia region with my partner and our 2 children in the next 2 years, again very cliche but i agree to the not rushing into anything, i am constantly researching areas on the net, schools etc.. the list is rather long lol... We are planning a trip either late this year or early next for a feel of the areas i have found and schools and we are also all having Spanish tutoring as i believe this will help us all when we do make the move. I just wanted to say thanks to all the comments on this forum as they have helped a great deal :0)
Becky


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## Alcalaina

bex2121 said:


> ... we are also all having Spanish tutoring as i believe this will help us all when we do make the move.


Dead right! It's nice to have the company of other English speakers but will make your life so much richer if you can converse with your Spanish neighbours too. Not to mention dealing with bureaucracy, tradesmen etc without having to get someone to translate for you. Keep at it, it's worth the effort!


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