# How did you decide where to move?



## RyanBlackpool (Jul 12, 2009)

Hello all once again!

Im back to ask yet ANOTHER question, hopefully I can get some good advice.
Anyway, what i want to ask is how exactly did you decide on where to move?
Me and my girlfriend are planning on coming over to Spain for six months to see what life is really like out there. But how exactly do we choose where to go?

Do we go where the work is?, Do we go where its warm for most of the year?
Obviously everyone will be different, and everyone will have had different reasons for picking where they went - But if you could give me some advice on how to pick then it would be very much appriciated!

Thank you!


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## Chica (Mar 23, 2009)

Ooooh a big question!!! 

Ok. Here are my reasons for ending up in Torrox-Costa.

I really wanted to live in Turkey but it was not possible to work there so I went thru' one of the Spain guide books to find the closest I could to my heaven in Turkey and somewhere that was big enough to be able to find work. I only checked out the CDS region coz I wanted the sun too

From this guide book Nerja seemed to be the place to start. When ready, from the UK, I reserved a room in a pension over the phone for 7 nights so that I could find a long term rental and have a look around.After only 3 nights they told me I would have to get out by 12 noon the next day  as they had booked my room. Panic!!!! Had no joy with finding long term rentals via the agencies so I went into the brit bar  that I had frequented and told them of my dillema. The barmaid gave me a phone number, I arranged to meet her in Torrox-Costa the next day (had never heard of the place before) and she found me a long term 2 bed app't and a part time job to boot!!! (See, you sceptics, these brit bars come in handy sometimes...lol).

So for me it was fate that bought me here and have lived here now for 7 years. I love to visit Nerja, my first choice, but am glad I don't live there.


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## SteveHall (Oct 17, 2008)

I settled in the first coastal town on the long drive down from the French border where castellano was the main language. This took me back to Torrevieja. It took me a long time to decide I preferred other places in Spain but I enjoyed my time there. As to where there is work it's a needle in the haystack. If you find the needle, grasp it! Good Luck


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## Tallulah (Feb 16, 2009)

Really easy for me, I'm afraid - and therefore probably rather boring for you! OH is originally from this area, although both our jobs took us to France and I was mad keen on that - but having land here to build on, plus all his family over here, making it easier to settle and integrate plus get the kids into school - it just made sense!

Tally.x


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## SunnySpain (Jul 30, 2008)

RyanBlackpool said:


> what i want to ask is how exactly did you decide on where to move?
> 
> 
> Thank you!


Maybe if you gave us an idea of what you like, don`t like in Spain and what you require, we could be in a position to help 

I.E. Do you need work, if yes, what kind of work ?
Can you speak the language, do you like it hot (mum ) ?
Have ever considered living in a cave or staying in a hotel in a cave ?


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

We wanted/needed to be near a good international airport with good ties to Gatwick, Malaga!! We also wanted to be fairly near to Marbella where there was possiblity of my OH working, so we found somewhere in between the two. The costas were expensive, so we looked inland a bit and found Alhaurin de la torre, el grande and coin. We came over to look at them and chose de la Torre!!

Jo xx


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

I had been in a big city in Colombia and decided to get nearer to England where I could carry on learning Spanish and decided to go for a smaller place. I ended up in Valls, Tarragona. Smaller place, nearer England but no Spanish.:doh::doh:
I hadn't done my research, I hadn't joined this forum, in fact Internet was still only used by the USA military back then!
I did not have good time, I did not learn the language, I did not enjoy small town life.
I DID meet my husband:roll:
After one academic year there I knew i didn't want to stay, so to make sure I was going to speak Spanish and not be in a small place I moved to Madrid. One extreme to another.
After a few years of living in Madrid I got pregnant and Madrid just didn't seem so attractive after that so, as the great majority of young parents do, we moved out to a small town near. We can go to Madrid if we want but have the country side near too:blah::blah:
That's all for now folks!!


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## Caz.I (Mar 21, 2009)

Pesky Wesky said:


> I had been in a big city in Colombia and decided to get nearer to England where I could carry on learning Spanish and decided to go for a smaller place. I ended up in Valls, Tarragona. Smaller place, nearer England but no Spanish.:doh::doh:
> I hadn't done my research, I hadn't joined this forum, in fact Internet was still only used by the USA military back then!
> I did not have good time, I did not learn the language, I did not enjoy small town life.
> I DID meet my husband:roll:
> ...


Whereabouts in Colombia were you, Pesky? Just interested, as have some connections there, and my son is going there for a holiday with his dad, so trying to find out info that will hopefully help stop me from totally freaking out!


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Caz.I said:


> Whereabouts in Colombia were you, Pesky? Just interested, as have some connections there, and my son is going there for a holiday with his dad, so trying to find out info that will hopefully help stop me from totally freaking out!


will pm you Caz


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## XTreme (May 17, 2008)

We wanted somewhere rural and agricultural.....well away from the Brit enclaves on the Costas. 

And we wanted somewhere that was totally Spanish where property and cost of living was cheap.

And we found it!


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## Liberty (Jul 12, 2009)

My decision was dictated by the fact that I needed to be able to work and wished to start my own business. I ruled out all "small towns" ie, places with a population of 100,000 or less to maximise my potential market, or places with a transient population, ie coastal resorts. I also ruled out anywhere with a British population in excess of 1% of the local population, again to minimise any risk from potential competition.

On a personal level, I wanted somewhere where I could never be bored (again, ruling out all small towns) and somewhere that forced me to learn to speak Spanish in the shortest amount of time possible...otherwise what's the point of being here?? 

Shortly after finding Jerez I then met my OH who is a jerezano and so now I can also add family as a motive for staying here.


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## Chica (Mar 23, 2009)

Liberty said:


> My decision was dictated by the fact that I needed to be able to work and wished to start my own business. I ruled out all "small towns" ie, places with a population of 100,000 or less to maximise my potential market, or places with a transient population, ie coastal resorts. I also ruled out anywhere with a British population in excess of 1% of the local population, again to minimise any risk from potential competition.
> 
> On a personal level, I wanted somewhere where I could never be bored (again, ruling out all small towns) and somewhere that forced me to learn to speak Spanish in the shortest amount of time possible...otherwise what's the point of being here??
> 
> Shortly after finding Jerez I then met my OH who is a jerezano and so now I can also add family as a motive for staying here.


Liberty, that's invaluable what you have written there! A very different way of scanning down to a final decission of where to settle.


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