spain..rent or buy?

[Levo-Lon]

Dad likes British beer and food...lol
he does think the world of his Mrs and its a case of lets see ..they have been there 4 times and like it But a holiday isn't like living there...
hopefully they will rent for 2,3,4 yrs and then call it a day with 50k 60k to start again back here..i really dont want them to lose it on a shoot property mistake abroad

 

[Levo-Lon]

[QUOTE 4090319, member: 45"]Out of the countries around the Med I've visited, Spain wouldn't be the top of my list to move to. I find Portugal much more comfortable.[/QUOTE]

that is also being considdered..but Spain is on the top of the list

 

[Levo-Lon]

Thanks for the very helpful replies CC ers.. its been a great help...who knows i may be free and single myself in a bit

 

[Mrs M]

I would rent.
If one/both change their minds after a few months it's easier to just come home. If they've bought then it's much harder. Need to sell property and get another at home.
Mr M and I have had the discussion but it was about Portugal. Decided now we will always keep our house here but can choose to rent abroad for a few weeks a year (winter mostly) when we retire.
Would hate to go abroad for a new life in the sun, one of us pegs it and the other is left miserable and alone in a property they can't shift.
Hope they make the right decision for them.

 

[Pale Rider]

Ive told them to rent as i know my Father very well..i dont think he will like it after a few mths..
the wife has wanted to move there for a long time..

ive sewn the Rent seed to my dad today..hope they see its the way forward..

on the keep their house..it has to be sold really as her ex husband had a 30k pay off so the house needs selling to clear that as they simply cant keep paying the mortgage...as its all due for settlement very soon.

id prefer them to keep a nest egg for the return..

I'm not grasping the numbers here.

The couple have a mortgage and an impending £30,000 debt to settle.

Seems to me the last thing they should be thinking about is an expensive and financially risky undertaking such as moving to a foreign country.

Reports I hear of health care for ex-pats in Spain are not good.

An illness, serious or otherwise, might be dealt with well, but it's the longer term home care which older people can need which is lacking.

That and no family support appears to be the reason a lot of people want to return to the UK.

 

[Piemaster]

I've got friends that emigrated to Australia (they have now been there long enough and become citizens). The aussie immigration authorities strongly advise to rent at first, stick with it for a year, then if still not settling in move to a different area and try again before giving up on the dream. Sounded like good advice from a country with a lot of immigration experience.
With those that seem to give up and return to the UK after 6 months - for me that ain't emigrating, it's a long holiday.

 

[accountantpete]

The neighbours mulled over the idea but settled for 2-3 months over Winter each year - getting good friends in Spain was important.

As it turns out it was a good decision as the guy developed cancer and died - they would have have never been able to afford the move back into our small town and would have ended up in a less desirable location having to make new friends.

 

[screenman]

A friend has just brought out there, he likes what he can buy on the roundabout (road type). Must admit I have never been there so I could not comment about the area.

 

[Dayvo]

Get yourself a camper van and join the other surfers, hippies, beach bums cyclists, etc. at Cabo de Gata near Almeria.

 

[MarkF]

I would hate living in Spain; I've lived there for about 8 months and didn't really enjoy it; I found the Spanish too noisy for my liking.

That's what I miss, they are very sociable people and as noisy as hell. On my last trip across it I sat outside a nothing bar in a nothing town in the middle of nowhere, listening to an immense racket created by about 8 Spaniards! I have read that they have a general problem with hearing loss in Spain..............

 

[Reefcat]

I would strongly recommend renting first, at least for the first year to see if they really like it. I have lived abroad, France then Portugal for most of the last 25 years & have seen many retirees return to the UK. Missing family, friends, and just not adapting well to the different lifestyle.

Personally I love it & would never consider living in the UK again, but it isn't for everybody. Portugal is a bit cheaper than Spain & has a better legal system when it comes to owning property. If they do decide to buy somewhere in Spain, they need to be very very careful with all the legal formalities. There are some real horror stories around.

 

[MarkF]

Mr R and I fully intend to retire to Spain (Andalusia).

Just say it, Benalmadena.

 

[djmc]

My parents retired to Spain. They had an apartment in Benidorm. Before they went my reaction was "Why Benidorm?". However when I went there I saw it was a very sensible decision. Good weather, lots of things to do, easy to get there, it is a real place rather than just a resort, etc. My father died about 25 years ago, my mother 23 years ago. I inherited the apartment and used it for holidays. I took early retirement 15 years ago and we moved to Brittany. I sold the apartment after coming here. I/we have no intention of returning to England without dire necessity. To some extent our decision to move was influenced by that of my parents. I think if one does move then one should be prepared to cut ones ties; there is little point in trying to be totally committed to two places, one must try to assimilate in ones new home. In some respects it is sensible to rent, before deciding to move permanently. My only caveat is that when choosing where to live one should consider practicalities like distance from facilities, social activities, hospitals, etc. Many English have moved to the middle of the countryside, and then wonder why it takes a half hour to drive to the nearest baker, and an hour to the nearest small town.

 

[400bhp]

Get yourself a camper van and join the other surfers, hippies, beach bums cyclists, etc. at Cabo de Gata near Almeria.

Bee there. Kind of a nudist beach mixed with clothed bods. Interesting

 

[400bhp]

£80k cash (tax free & easily available)?

What about income?