When Nicola Powles went on a three-day break to the Costa del Sol in Spain with her husband, little did she know what would happen next.
“All I wanted was a spot of sun, I didn’t mean to move there,” admitted the mother of two.
Nicola Powles [Photo courtesy of DiarioAS]
Three weeks later, the estate agent had given up her job and moved her entire family, including her husband, two children, two horses and their two dogs – and she has never looked back.
2001
“I moved my family from boring Portsmouth to Spain & save £1K a month”. Nicola rents out two villas with pools and says she can eat out for £11.
In fact, she ditched “boring Britain” altogether, upping sticks for sunny Spain and urging people to “get out now while you can”.
Nicola now wakes up most mornings to sunshine and never less than an average of 17-degree temperatures and says she is better off than ever before.
“It’s a shame but Britain is quickly becoming a third world country with nothing to offer for the people who live there.
“It’s a scary country with [crime] out of control, you can’t see a doctor and ambulances don’t arrive.
“It’s always grey – where will it end?”
Nicola Powles [Photo courtesy of The Sun]
“So many things are much cheaper here, for example; eating out, alcohol and petrol.
“The hospitals here are also amazing, there’s hardly any wait time unlike in the UK.
“And mortgage rates are less, the streets are very safe, and I actually feel comfortable walking alone at night in my village.”
According to Kanan, a study-abroad company, the average cost of living for a family-of-four in the UK was around £2,200 per month, excluding rent, in 2024.
In Spain, this figure was found to be much lower – around £1,400, excluding rent.
“In the UK, life was a constant hamster wheel”.
“Luckily, my husband also loved the idea of moving.
“As our kids were only young at the time, it was easy enough to get them enrolled in school and learn the language.
“I was determined to make the gorgeous weather, stunning land and friendly locals an everyday occurrence for us.
“In the UK, we were paying the same amount of rent for one house than what we were doing for two in Spain, which both included a pool.”
2025
Nicola has now lived in Malaga for 24 years and although prices have changed, she says it’s still cheaper than the UK.
She has no plans to ever return to the UK.
She said: “Life is amazing, filled with warm days and late light evenings.
“I’ve made some wonderful friends, and I am so much more relaxed.
“I don’t fret over whether I’ll be able to pay the bills or working all hours.
“If I do miss home, I’m only a two-hour flight away.”
Nicola’s family have now returned to the UK and she and her husband have divorced. While she misses her children, she can’t bring herself to return to the UK.
“I miss my daughter and grandchildren ….., but the country has nothing to offer me anymore,” she admits.
Nicola Powles in 2024 [Photo: The Olive Press]
“The only way I’m ever returning to the UK is in a coffin.”
Nicola now runs her own company helping fellow emigrants take the plunge and move to Spain.
She’s also bought and renovated multiple properties, earning a whopping £100,000 in profit overall.
Be warned!
Nicola says that wannabe emigrants should be mindful of rules and regulations when it comes to moving to Spain.
She advises: “Always use a local lawyer …..”
“And be aware that nearly all agents share a database of all the properties available, Idealista.com, so you can choose just one agent to view anything.”
Factcheck
Everything you need to know about visiting Spain. It’s changed a lot since Nicola moved here.
The UK was a member country of the European Union back then.
Since BREXIT it’s much more complicated.
BREXIT [Image courtesy of Dachser]
- British citizens must have at least three months left on their passport from the day they plan to leave the country.
- Tourists do not need a visa if visiting for up to 90 days in a 180-day period.
- Make sure your passport is stamped on entry and exit.
- Travellers may be asked at the border to show hotel booking confirmations and proof that they have enough money for their stay.
© Pablo de Ronda
Acknowledgements:
Amy Walters, DiarioAS, Jam Press, Nicola Powles, The Olive Press, The SUN newspaper
Tags:
Amy Walters, “boring Britain”, BREXIT, British citizens, coffin, Costa del Sol, DiarioAS, estate agent, EU, European Union, Idealista.com, Jam Press, Kanan, Malaga, Nicola Powles, Portsmouth, Spain, study abroad company, The Olive Press, The SUN newspaper, three-day break