Better Fuel Prices in Spain

A photo taken by John Robinson last week (July 2010) in the Antequera region of Spain to show the fuel prices in Spain which are approximately 16 - 18p cheaper than the UK depending on the current exchange rate.

John was in Spain to help with an independent mobile home park inspection visit to Sant Jordi.

 It has been a while since I published anything of Spain related use, although the update about the Amazon scam has helped a few people dodge a bullet out so I was pleased that I mentioned that.

I wanted to put out some more information about those about to start or still looking at relocating to Spain and considering a leisure home lifestyle on a residential or holiday park. I thought I would talk about what is involved with an inspection visit, done either independently or with a guide.

Independent Visits

There are two options you can explore when considering an independent visit. 

1. Combine a visit with a holiday to Spain. Some of the residential and holiday parks can be reached easily using the public train or bus services. Ask your prospective company about the hotel / resort you are staying at and how you could reach one of the parks and have a look around. You may even find that the company will liaise with you and even offer to pick you up as long as you are not over a certain distance away. Always pays to check!

2. Visit the park directly with a hired car. Many people go over to Spain to have a look around, especially at the residential parks and hiring a car is a great way to get around the regions / Costa's to see what is available. Just get in touch with the company promoting the mobile home park and sort out a convenient date and time for you to visit. Sometimes the company will be able to attend, but other times they will liaise with the park and the owner or one of the residents acting on behalf of the company will meet you and show you around.

Whichever way you choose to do it, ask questions. The company promoting the leisure home park will no doubt be able to offer you guidance maps and sat nav codes to help you reach your destination easily. They will also be able to help when researching flights, hotels close to the parks and even the best hire car company to use to help you get around Spain easily.

Fully Guided Visits

If this is your first time at visiting another country on a fact finding mission, it may well be prudent for you to consider a fully guided tour. The company will help you with the flights, pre-book the hotel for you (normally under a trade rate to offer you a better discount) and over the course of approximately 2 - 3 days, the company will take you to the park of choice, showcase the facilities and let you take the atmosphere in, meet the residents and get a taste for the lifestyle. The visit will be suited to your requirements and the company will keep it to a pace that suits the individual. 

Remember to ask plenty of questions. Going back to the UK with a head full of knowledge will mean that you are always fully conscious of your decisions and never feel that you cannot ask more and more questions until you are fully satisfied.

At the end of the day it gets dark, but apart from that, being able to have total peace of mind when looking into buying a mobile home in Spain is paramount for a happy Carefree Lifestyle.

HI all,

I know this is not related to mobile homes in Spain, but it's apparent this morning that a new AMAZON.COM scam is making it's rounds on the internet and as many people use EyeOnSpain, I just wanted to make sure that as many people as possible knew about it.

The email comes in and looks like a regular Amazon email telling you that ((email address)) has just bought ((item)) for ((££ / €€ / $$)) and to log into your account.

If you move your mouse over the link without clicking it, you will notice (on a web link identifier) that the link does not go through to Amazon.com.

Just be wary, this fooled two people in our office and they were in a panic until we looked at the email closer.

Regards

Carefree Lifestyle 

Their is a large on-going debate about property being on the rise and a slow economic growth making the move back to Spain a positive and welcoming experience, but of course, there is the dark past where realtors and land owners have caused quite the mess for new buyers and old trustees.

Reading a forum post or a long detailed blog, or even a newspaper article cannot easily convince you to believe in Spain again. The best way to find out for yourself is to talk directly to the people living there. On a residential mobile home park, especially one such as La Posada, talking to the ex-pats living there is the only way to give yourself peace of mind (if moving to Spain is something you have considered but felt worried after the barrage of historical darkness property is shrouded in throughout Spain)

Word of mouth is a powerful way to either make or break something. Take your time and find out as much as you can to make an informed decision.

Thanks for reading.

One of the first questions you must ask yourself when you begin your journey into Mobile Homes in Spain is the type of park you want to enjoy your day to day activities. The difference between the residential park and the holiday park can be subtle and it can be vast, so paying attention to the differences can be paramount in choosing the right park that suits you best.

Residential Mobile Home Parks in Spain

The lifestyle on a residential park is similar to the lifestyle you might expect to find on a UK mobile home park with some of the major differences being better weather and the option to use the park swimming pool without the fear of frostbite.

Routine

The daily lifestyle you find on a residential park can mirror your lifestyle now, routine being a major driving force. I myself will not leave the house until my porridge and coffee have satisfied my morning hunger, but I would gladly give up the drive to work in order to pop on my sun shorts and chill out on decking, watching the day pass by at a pace I enjoy. Knowing I could jump in my car and drive down to the beach or nip out to to the local bar and watch a world cup match or two. It's the things you always wanted to do, but always found an excuse not to do it for fear of breaking that routine! Well, be comforted to know that your routine can stick, you just end up getting the bonus of exploring daily activities you might not have considered before.

Security

Security is paramount in any mobile home park, making sure the residents feel safe and secure is handled with great importance which gives everyone greater peace of mind. If you wanted to take an evening stroll to the local bingo night, you want to know that you can do it safely and securely, never looking over your shoulder or worrying about who you might run into, unless it's Doris and her really obvious blue rinse mishap!

Neighbours

No matter where you live in the UK (unless you own the land or live like a recluse hermit), you will have neighbours either to your right, to your left, in front or behind. Housing estates seem to cram as many new housing developments into one space as they can to maximise the land use. What can often happen is perfect neighbour harmony, they are similar to yourself in many ways and share a common lifestyle interest, then again, you could end up with Nick and Nora Mentalcheeks, blasting away to heavy death metal until 3 in the morning and laughing in the face of noise pollution. Turn the page to a mobile home park and your chances of being asked to pierce your nose with a home made knitting needle is greatly reduced. Mobile home parks offer the chance for like minded people to spend quality time in each others company, sharing a common interest in the lifestyle and the pace of life that suits them best.

A residential mobile home park offers a slow and relaxed pace of life where day to day living is conducted in comfortable normality, enjoying good company and an environment that provides so much more.

Holiday Mobile Home Parks

The main draw to a holiday park is the plethora of activities and events taking place. The parks themselves are normally larger than a residential park, allowing the park owners to pack in the swimming pool complexes, sports centres, bars, restaurants, daily entertainment and facilities. They are family orientated especially during the summer months when the parks become a haven for holidaymakers.

If you are someone who enjoys a constantly changing variety of events, a mobile home holiday park would suit you better, being a great place to enjoy for extended periods, but they would not be ideal for anyone looking to relocate permanently, because they offer a faster pace of life, drawing everyone towards the facilities and entertainment, normally starting early in the morning and running until late at night. Mobile home holiday parks are perfect for anyone that likes the constant noise of children enjoying themselves and for those who rarely need routine in their lifestyle.

Variety

The best thing about a holiday park is the variety. When you go on holiday, especially if you are a family, you expect to be able to explore new and different things each day, explore the local area, use the park facilities and get your money's worth each and every day. Mobile home holiday parks are idea for this purpose, providing daily entertainment such as concerts, dancing events, talent shows, firework displays and continental markets. the park wants to provide it's clients reasons to come back year after year. Once the summer periods is over, the parks slow down and becomes more of a residential mobile home park, being host to fewer families and more about the mobile home owners themselves using the park facilities regularly.

Neighbours

It would be unfair to try and only offer the positives of constantly changing neighbours, but, it can offer you an insight into new and interesting holiday friends that can turn into long term friendships. Yes, it's true, Nick and Nora Mentalcheeks could move in for two weeks, but this is something that you would need to be fully appreciate of when buying a mobile home on a holiday park in Spain. If you were a people person, a mobile home holiday park would suit you down to the ground.

Sum up

The choice between a residential mobile home park and a holiday mobile home park are clear, but in the months that are not defined as "high season" on holiday parks, you can experience the residential style of lifestyle, forging stronger friendships with those who bought into the holiday park scene such as yourself. This is probably why in the high seasons, mobile home owners on holiday parks vacate their accommodation and return to the UK to enjoy the company of friends and family, knowing they will be back in the lifestyle they embraced just before the lower temperatures set into the bones!

As I awoke, my restful eyes drifted towards the window. Bright luminescent rays of golden sunlight swept across my face and I pulled the bed sheet back over my head a little, allowing my eyes to adjust to the childlike eagerness of the morning sun. After a few moments of admiring my chest hair, I pulled back the sheet and lay still for a moment, listening to the morning unfold. I heard the odd bird chirping, some distant whispers of conversation and my wife lightly snoring. I laid for a few moments more, contemplating my day a little, what to do what to do...

I knew my first task was to get myself out of bed!.... Having the best night's sleep meant every morning began like a tug of war between a day filled with possibilities and a bed that knew how to keep me happy. My morning was a strict routine up until I was fully awake. I would get up, make my way into the kitchen and pour myself a cuppa, pop on my shorts and head out for a paper. When I get back, I'll wake Mary with a cuppa and then pop out onto my decking, clip on my sunshades and catch up on the latest news. I know, it's the simple things in life that make me happy.

Ted will no doubt be out tending to his plants and watering his hanging baskets. It may not be manly, but nobody worries about stereotypes here, we just enjoy each others company. Maybe Mary and I will go for a walk round the park today, or take our towels and head down to the pool. That reminds me, on with the sun cream before I settle down with my paper, remembering to dry my hands thoroughly so I don't smudge the ink.

Living in the UK meant that remembering sun cream most day's wasn't a priority! but here, under the ever present sun in southern Spain means slapping on a layer or two before my daylight escapades begin. Mary did get burnt, once we passed what I like to call 'Two week syndrome' in which you enjoy yourself in a holiday mode, heading out to see everything you can, using the pool excessively, finding the nearest beaches, restaurants, shops and enjoying a holiday lifestyle .

Once that passes, maybe about the fourth or fifth week, you settle down a bit, slow down and incorporate more of your lifestyle back in the UK, worrying less about the time, the sunbathing, swimming, etc.. just realising that this is now something you just have as opposed to need. Mary forgot the sun cream one morning, busy putting together a bingo evening and calling on neighbours. It was a fun night, everyone carefully avoiding her exposed red back and enjoying a light chuckle to ourselves of which she joined in. Again, no stereotypes, no concerns or problems, just a relaxed enjoyable lifestyle.

A lifestyle in a mobile home is not like being in a caravan on the weekend, hoping that the weather won't turn. It's not like having an apartment, traversing floor after floor to get to your room, mainly surrounded by other people, above, below, right and left. It's your own piece of land, your single level home, luxurious and welcoming. Even if you do spend most of your day outside, knowing it's there, knowing it compliments you is why a lifestyle in Spain, especially on a residential mobile home park, suits just about everyone willing to find out more.

Bed, you have bested me again. I'll try again in about 30 minutes, making this my fourth try this morning.

 The two mobile home air-con units I will be talking about are:

Trendclima and Syntek

These two models appear mainly in the Sun Roller mobile home units and a friend of mine who visits Italy (sorry for the blasphemy) on a regular basis mentioned them to me and I thought a quick explanation of their workings might come in handy for anyone that recently purchased a resale home and found one installed.

Syntek

The design itself is quite simplistic, finished in a nice clean white, this air con unit has:

A. Flick switch operating the cooling and heating elements of the air-con unit.

B. The fans have three speeds on a simple flick switch allowing you to choose how warm or how cool it gets over a certain period of time.

C. The temperature control dial turned clockwise or anti-clockwise will alter the temperature setting on the digital display. Once the desired temperature is reached the air-con will begin it's ascent or descent to the desired temperature.

What you will also find is that the rooms throughout the home have adjustable ceiling plates. Simply reach up (or climb on some step ladders) and turn the plates open or closed depending on how much of the warm or cold air you desire to be released into the room.

Trendclima

This air-con unit is a little bit trickier to master, yet it provides the same functionality as the Syntek unit and offers you a more striking black finish with a larger digital display to your mobile home in Spain.

A. Power On / Off

B. Mode Display (Heat / Cool)

C. Temp Display (Room & Set Temp)

D. Fan Speed (Auto / Low / Med / High)

E. Mode Selection (Press to change)

F. Room Temperature Setting

G. Reset Button (Press once to reset)

To begin the cooling / dehumification / heating operation.

1. Press Power (A) button to start the air-conditioner

2. Press Mode selection (E) to heat or cool (Never choose Auto apparently)

3. Press Fan Speed (D) to Auto

4. Press Room Temp Setting (F) Up or Down to desired temperature (Up for warm, down for cold)

When desired room temperature is reached, the unit will automatically go into standby mode.

Points to remember

1. Never use the auto setting for B, this will cause the fan to run constantly and prove inefficient.

2. Doors and windows must remain closed for the operation to complete successfully.

3. Use it wisely.

--

There you have it! A how to guide for two mobile home air con unit makes, simple, easy and useful if you own a syntek or trendclima air-con unit ran mobile home!

It was nice to see on GMTV this morning, 2000 Brits being saved by a cruise liner, bringing them back to Blighty from Bilbao.

It does make me consider two things though:

1. I wonder how many presentations they will have to sit through on the wonders of a Cruise Holiday.

2. If they only knew a family member or friend with a mobile home in Spain, it would have eased the trouble considerably!

Now comes the fun part of trying to get recompense even when Ryanair and BMI have stated they will not offer customers the costs of accommodation and extra travel even when it is in direct violation of the European Law!

This will rage on for many months to come!

'Thanks goto Which Holidays for their information this morning on GMTV'

If you are thinking of moving to Spain and starting a new life in this rich and diverse country, spend some time getting to know some of the facts and local known traditions and festivals. Take a camera with you, capture everything!.

Facts you may not have known about Spain

1. Spain is 5 times larger than the UK but only has two thirds of it's population.

2. Food in Spain (believe it or not) is not spicy! Although they use a lot of Chile peppers, the food comes out more tangy than hot. You will be able to take the Garlic though!

3. Hot chocolate in Spain is so thick, you will think your drinking warm pudding.

4. Spain does not have a 'tooth fairy', they have a 'tooth mouse' called Ratoncito Perez.

5. The guitar was invented in Andalucia, originating from the Arab Lute, and in 1790, a sixth string was added.

6. California, Los Angeles and Las Vegas and are Spanish words, not English.

7. In Spain, everyone has two suranames. Their first surname is taken from their father and the second from your mother.

8. Prescription medicine is available over-the-counter in Spanish Pharmacies.

Festivals and Unique Opportunities for a Kodak moment!

Spain can be a unique and surreal country. In August you might hear Christmas carols, in February and October, fountains in certain villages are filled with wine and you will find that Madrid is host to a marching band of sheep, just because the farmers can! Spain is a country that flows with it's own energy, taking the traditional and performing their own twist on events. It's fun, very entertaining and it makes for a carefree lifestyle.

One of the most bizarre festivals is the 'Tomatina tomato fight' and in Alpujarras (near Granada), the locals have a giant water fight in June. Maybe you would be more interested in the 'Batalla del Vino' in horo, La Rioja, where locals fight each other with wine! (Just make sure you keep your mouth open).

For the ladies, the Batallas de los Flores in the Valencia region is a romantic event where the local town battles it out by throwing flowers at each other. Just group some up at the end and present them to your significant other, or pick them from her hair.

These are just a taster of the unique events you could enjoy whilst living in Spain. There are plenty more all over the regions, including the Fiest de Santa Marta de Ribarteme and the El Colacho festival, but we will let you find out more about that yourself. (Just make sure an adult is present!)

A new carefree lifestyle means a new way of looking at the world, new experiences and new memories. Spain has it all.

Thanks for reading!

I just wanted to make people aware they can view park photos in a video format on YouTube along with images from a collection of homes, made by UK manufacturers including Willerby, ABI and Cambrian.

www.youtube.com/user/mobilehomespain

There are other companies showcasing their videos on the site as well. Something else to view to give you a more in-depth look at park home lifestyles in Spain.

Thanks!