Depressing living here. Any ideas about moving abroad?

[Accy cyclist]

Ok i'm getting more depressed sitting here and brooding! I'm going to take my dog on a "powerwalk" then come back and go for a bike ride. Exercise is good for the mind as well as the body right?

 

[Pale Rider]

Surely they want their windows washing over there?

Doubt it, weather's too good for them ever to get dirty.

 

[ColinJ]

You could consider doing what a lot of people do and just go abroad for the winter?

I met a group of elderly cyclists on the Costa Blanca every March. They used to fly out straight after Christmas and stay until April. I wondered how they afforded it but they told me that hotel owners in Benidorm are so desperate for custom at that time of year that you could stay for not much more than the cost of being at home and having to heat the house!

 

[ColinJ]

... And maybe you could offer them a window-cleaning deal to cover part of the cost?

 

[vickster]

They might get dusty though? You'd want to understand the culture regarding window cleaning. I'm sure the companies need windows cleaning, but guessing you don't want to be in a city. Not sure about single storey domestic dwellings say

You'll want to investigate tax laws etc very carefully and also how much you would earn. Look at other potential lines of employment too, like bar work etc

Do you have a decent savings nest egg? Going with nothing unless willing to do any work is a massive risk

 

[vernon]

You could consider doing what a lot of people do and just go abroad for the winter?

I met a group of elderly cyclists on the Costa Blanca every March. They used to fly out straight after Christmas and stay until April. I wondered how they afforded it but they told me that hotel owners in Benidorm are so desperate for custom at that time of year that you could stay for not much more than the cost of being at home and having to heat the house!

That works better for those who own their homes than for those who rent them back in the UK.

 

[Pale Rider]

You could consider doing what a lot of people do and just go abroad for the winter?

I met a group of elderly cyclists on the Costa Blanca every March. They used to fly out straight after Christmas and stay until April. I wondered how they afforded it but they told me that hotel owners in Benidorm are so desperate for custom at that time of year that you could stay for not much more than the cost of being at home and having to heat the house!

That's a good thought.

Several of the people who live on my static caravan site go abroad when the site closes for the winter.

That would give you a month or two to organise a more permanent way of life over there.

@vickster is right about the window cleaning, shops and the like must want it doing, even if domestic work is limited - which it might not be.

 

[sight-pin]

Where ever you go abroad despite what some people say, you DO need to learn the local language, (1) Locals will more than likely stick to someone who can speak their language when asking for work, (2) Any official mail you get you need to understand and maybe act upon, (3) You will also need it for Hospitals / Doctor etc visits.
Do your home work first

 

[ColinJ]

That works better for those who own their homes than for those who rent them back in the UK.

I forgot to mention that!

Yes - if no rent or mortgage to pay, otherwise it would no longer be a cheap option, and is why I don't do it! Having said that, I reckon it might be possible to get 3 months out there for only about £2k more than the cost of surviving the UK winter ...

 

[vernon]

They might get dusty though? You'd want to understand the culture regarding window cleaning. I'm sure the companies need windows cleaning, but guessing you don't want to be in a city. Not sure about single storey domestic dwellings say

You'll want to investigate tax laws etc very carefully and also how much you would earn. Look at other potential lines of employment too, like bar work etc

Do you have a decent savings nest egg? Going with nothing unless willing to do any work is a massive risk

Heres a map of average net monthly income. Bear in mind that more folk earn less than the average wage than earn more than the average wage.

Then there's the cost/quality of accommodation, transport, health care, social care and an important question; how far will your pension go when you retire?

 

[vickster]

@BigonaBianchi spends time in Cyprus I think?

Malta another English speaking place...not many else, I'd avoid Spain/ Portugal/ Greece as they all have knackered economies and Italy is very expensive! If I had to winter somewhere, I'd go to Florida

 

[Pale Rider]

Where ever you go abroad despite what some people say, you DO need to learn the local language, (1) Locals will more than likely stick to someone who can speak their language when asking for work, (2) Any official mail you get you need to understand and maybe act upon, (3) You will also need it for Hospitals / Doctor etc visits.
Do your home work first

Another good point.

Language is no barrier in most countries for a tourist, but it is an enormous one for a non-speaker in residence.

Dealing with officialdom quickly becomes very tiring and frustrating, not least because you don't understand the local processes, let alone what's on the forms.

You are also ripe for being ripped off - tenancy agreements, energy supply and the like.

 

[Alex H]

I wouldn't call it a profession,i'm a window cleaner. I wouldn't even consider buying any property abroad,just renting a flat over a shop would do me. Surely they want their windows washing over there? That'd do me. Cleaning windows in the sun!

Not here - not domestic anyway, the windows open inwards (even those with a fear of heights can clean the upstairs ones)

 

[Markymark]

Don't sell up and move. Seen it with people stuck and unable to return as local property prices often do not match uk.

 

[vickster]

If you're fed up at the moment, why not book a last minute holiday after the Easter holidays in a place you might consider moving to. Go for a few weeks, get a flavour