retirement, semi retirement abroad

Don't sell up in the UK. I've seen too many ex pats here in Spain returning to the UK and Ireland and not being able to live where they would like to. It will be either old age or illness that triggers the return. Also if you are buying in a community (apartment) make sure you see the audited accounts to see how many owners are paying the community fees, this impacts on running a pool or painting etc etc. if you are thinking spain /Andalucia let me know and I'll help if you need information.
 

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My cousin sold up his haulage business in the UK and his house and he and his wife moved lock stock and barrel (and Africa Twin ) to Cyprus for the good life, the credit crunch and Cyprus joining the EU meant meant spiralling costs and prices so they ended up working harder across there to keeps their heads above water.

Eventually due to a rapidly falling standard of living they moved back to the UK 4 years ago, couldn't sell their house in Cyprus so ended up renting it out and until recently in living in rented accommodation across here .

They both have had to work extremely hard to get back to the standard of living they had before they left the UK and now at 50 are faced with a mortgage for the next 20 years .

The dream can quite easily jump up and bite you in the backside
 
I thought about buying in France but have gone for a nice motorhome instead.

Certainly close to the price of a small French 2nd home, and I acknowledge depreciates, but:
I expect it to outlast my functioning remaining years (the dreaded 7th age of man awaits us all if we don't croak first).
I don't need to paint or cut the lawn when I arrive
I can move on where I want - this spring I skied in Austria and Italy, spent good days in Provence, Easter in Barcelona and Whitsun West coast Bordeaux.
It's parked outside the house when we are in UK
I avoid sleazy jet etc


So far happy with the decision.
 
Good for you - sounds like a plan.

I fancy a boat on the French canal system in retirement, but will probably only be a pipe-dream..........

Al
 
Do you know that 16.7% of registered property in Spain belonged to UK citizens?:) Typical British buyers in Spain are men and women aged 45–64 who purchase houses and apartments exceeding 100 sq m. The average buying price is €200,000 and the property is usually located in resort towns by the sea (according to https://tranio.com/spain/analytics/buyer_profile_meet_the_british_who_purchase_real_estate_in_spain_4784/)
Retirement in Spain is not a bad idea at all. Spain is getting back on rails at least on 5 local markets: Andalucia, Catalonia, Valencia, Madrid and Canary Islands. Just be sure that you hired an independent, qualified and registered lawyer specialised in Spanish land law
 
This is January 2015 in South Spain. What's not to like.
I still say Motorhome or US RV,
Good weather makes easy living.

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I thought about buying in France but have gone for a nice motorhome instead.

Certainly close to the price of a small French 2nd home, and I acknowledge depreciates, but:
I expect it to outlast my functioning remaining years (the dreaded 7th age of man awaits us all if we don't croak first).
I don't need to paint or cut the lawn when I arrive
I can move on where I want - this spring I skied in Austria and Italy, spent good days in Provence, Easter in Barcelona and Whitsun West coast Bordeaux.
It's parked outside the house when we are in UK
I avoid sleazy jet etc


So far happy with the decision.

Interesting logic.... Worth thinking it through, though buying anything with moving parts ....compared to bricks n mortar.
 
We rented out our house in Bristol for a year while we had some time here in Costa del Sol and we are looking forward to going home to England. We were new to retirement and weren't sure if Spain was right for us, but we wanted to do something different. It was good in parts, not so in others, so here are some of the reasons for our decision.


For Spain (Fuengirola, where we are):-

It rarely rains.
It's a pleasant 15C in the coldest month and an even better 20-25 in spring
There is little traffic outside the towns
The mountain roads are fantastic (but not without potholes etc)
Food is cheap, fresh and high quality
Housing can be cheap (we pay £525 per month for a 4 bedroom flat including rates. A bottle of gas, 14 euros, lasts 6-8 weeks. Electricity is reasonable too)
San Miguel for 1 euro/pint if you know where to go. Gordon's gin 10 euros/litre in supermarket.
Fantastic beaches
Friendly locals, if you learn a bit of their language
Cafe culture is good
Lots of fiestas, so lots of parties

Against Spain

Bureaucracy!!
Obstructiveness from minor officials (jobsworths)
It is often very, very windy (It was the Costa del Viento, the windy coast, until they realised that didn't do much for tourism)
It's very, very hot in the summer,often over 40C in the shade, so mid 50s in the sun. Try carrying the shopping home in that! It's often too hot to ride!!
It's rarely below 30C in the flat without aircon
Nights are 25C, so sleep can be a problem
Air quality is awful. It's very polluted, dusty and causes breathing problems
Lack of Spanish language limits us. Not everyone speaks English, and why should they, but our Spanish is limited
The property market, although improving, is still dodgy. Good for buyers, poor for sellers. Expect your Spanish house to take 5 years, on average, to sell. If you need to move back in a hurry you may not be able to.

There are plenty of other pros and cons, but that's a start.

Are we glad we gave it a try. Oh, yes, without a doubt, but it isn't for us. My recommendation is to not sever ties with UK. Rent your UK home and rent abroad to give it a try. You might love it and want to settle, or you might want to try somewhere else again, or you might find that you prefer UK. Whatever you choose, good luck and remember, it's better to regret the things you did than the things you didn't do
 
I like the large campervan idea, move around, buy a LH drive in the UK if you can find the right one.
 
I moved to southern Spain just over 3 years ago.
Best thing I ever did. I just wish I'd done it sooner.
Its not perfect but far better than the UK.
You can ride the bike just about every day but it can get a bit warm in the summer:D
 
If you can afford to, "keep a foothold in the UK", has been the advice given by expats I know in Europe.
 
I agree with G&T to keep a foot hold in the UK. Rental is cheap in Spain. Around 400 Euro per month for a 2 bedroom apartment if you take it all year around. I have seen to many people unable to return to their homeland and unable to buy back in. You test ride a bike before you buy it and this works the same for moving overseas.
 
Just looking at moving to Cyprus (posted a thread asking for advice earlier). Some great honest advice on this thread
 


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