BE HONEST...Would you stay in Spain if it wasn't for the weather?

Well done MAGGY on this subject I agree 100% with your comments

Rod

Norman, hahahahahahah

Yes Spain is no longer the happy go lucky place it was. But you could say that about almost everywhere else now. When someone finds a better affordable place, or paradise with free golf and sangria, please let me know which bus to catch.

 Moggy - I did say MANY OF THEM i..e not ALL of them.   And please don't tell me they dont exist because unfortunately they are aplenty around me.

My concern is that when they are called to account and by and large moved onto the new style benefit, how are they ever going to manage?    And what will happen to the property they currently occupy?   More unpaid community fees and more empty properties.

Dear All,

the really big puzzle to me is the crazy, totally insane suggestion that you should do due diligence, cover every eventuality, have reserves to tide you over adverse exchange rates, plus, plus, plus to infinity and then move onto a Spanish urbanisation with all the uncertainty that entails - totally crazy.

I was shocked to see my proposed "holiday" apartment - a sort of council flat with a "pool" instead of a kids' play area.

I cannot but wonder what sort of ex-pat dream these places could offer - just a lifetime of policing to attempt to live normally it seems to me.

Holiday complex - in your dreams

Regards

Norman

 Well having said to ignore the WUMs I think Norman has said something of value - amongst the rambling.   Because there is no doubt that SOME of these holiday places, country and golf or beach or whatever, both built or proposed in the heady days, were absolute CRAP.  And there were plenty of people saying that at the time.  NOW the interesting question is how anyone of any intelligence, could be shocked to see his proposed holiday apartment????   Even from the most basic of 'artists impressions' it was clear that the thankfully stopped Almanzora Country Club (to name one) was a concrete mass of cheap rubbish.  The Brits bought into it big time - no surprise that the dream turned sour.  

Of course there are good quality examples, but once again, you pay for what you get. And people get so upset if you mention council houses - but that is what they were like - only in the sun.  

Dear All,

it should not be overlooked that even the good quality ones are still only urbanisations - living quarters - with absolutely no control over the occupiers, tenants, their children, the children's friends, their tenants childrens friends their balconey dogs, their cars, their children's cars, their scrap or spare cars, their work "practices", their wider family officials and policemen, their lifestyle and their community payments, their planning permissions and generally their liberties to be "good" neighbours plus plus plus.

No hope ask Roberto.

Regards

Norman

 We always do a fact find when people are looking to buy and move here and along with the boring stuff like budgets,timescales there is a box on the bottom for comments and reasons for wanting to Live in Spain.

It is quite candid and we keep it strictly confidential which helps people to be open and honest.

We compile a report every year as this helps us with our stats..

(This is UK clients only).

The top 5 reasons last year were.

1.The effect of immigration on the UK.

2.Cost of living.

3.Climate.

4.Crime

5.Health.

Just as a note when we ask the younger people leaving Spain for financial reasons the thinking behind it.....financial assistance (benefits) is generally the reason.

The older generation generally go back because they miss family,granchildren or just get bored.

I hope that helps.

Dear All,

what silly billy brit didn't do enough due diligence before taking the plunge???????

is this where the whole population will sink to without benefits...............

"I am going to change any names to protect the innocent. I am sitting outside my lovely apartment in Formentera Del Segura which we bought just last year. We have five families who are gypsie, who are squatting in empty non sold apartments. We purchased our property last October, and visited in April there was no obvious presence back then, although we were made aware that there were many robberies of apartments. These people take delight in robbing neighbours, using the pool, gaining access from stolen keys and generally installing fear into the legal residents. They have abused a number of us in the pool, have entered apartments that unfortunate people have not double secured a door, for example, one newly arrived person forgot to double lock the front door on arrival, popped out to the nearby supermarket, taking around 10 mins to return to find both their cases had been taken! She has since seen the gypsies wearing her clothes! The advice given is don't bother calling the Police as your life afterwards would be in jepody! They entered our local bar, not naming it, and demanded the young boys to come off the pool table, the 'father' of the five families stood there and made sure his boys had the table, enough to say all the visitors left the bar, very quickly! Oh the joy of living in this community!"

from another thread

it seems that there are some things other than exchange rate to worry about, even the bargains are risky.

As far as community charges go how does the council get paid if the urbs cannot collect them??????

Regards

Norman

Hahahhah Norm I so enjoy your funny comments.  

Please don't ever get serious.

 If he ever gets serious they may consider his release.......

 I thoroughly expect to be attacked for this post for two reasons - (a) because I only have a low number of posts to my name (which I was very clearly told in another thread completely invalidates anything I say);  and (b) because I DO have an opinion on this really interesting question, despite having been a home-owner in Spain for a mere one month!

So, with a degree of trepidation, here's my personal opinion.  Isn't it all about separating fantasies of "paradise" from the realities and practicalities of living, well, anywhere frankly?  Buying a home in the place you regularly holidayed is to ignore the sensible points already made about the extremes of weather outside the standard holiday seasons.  Sitting for a week drinking sangria at a chiringuita is not the same as doing battle every month with Endesa and Telefonica.

From what I've seen and read, SOME problems arise when people want and expect to "live the dream" (not for everyone, of course).  SOME problems arise, apparently, on these urbanisations and communities, where neighbour problems, issues with managers etc make like less than paradise.  SOME problems arise in areas where SOME locals appear to be willing to "rip off" the extranjeros.

My answer to the original question is a resounding YES.  I have come here as much for the cultural and lifestyle experiences as for the weather.  My home, a small, old, traditional house in the village centre, is built to be warm in winter (thick walls, woodburners) and cool in summer.  It is cosy and homely, not grand or spacious.

I'm fortunate (or well-prepared) in the fact that I speak the language, and have spent seven years doing the Endesa-type battles for a non-Spanish-speaking friend further inland, so had a reasonable level of real-life experience with Spanish customs and bureaucracy before taking the plunge in my own right.

Wish me luck.  I love my village and my home.  I'm blogging about the experiences of a newbie here on Eye on Spain's blog list (I'm "A Foot in Two Campos", by Tamara) and would welcome comments.  Constructive ones would be particularly welcomed!

What's with the constant reference to council estates in a negative manner? That is such a patronising generalisation and an assumption that everyone who lives on one is claiming benefits!

The answer to the question....Be honest....................... is a BIG YES. I am quite happy to stay in Spain with all it's foibles, warts and all!

Mind you, I am MUCH happier now my OH is no longer Presidente of an Urb...............that was really my only downer!! 

sorry Karen,

I haven't seen a good one yet where I would wish to live though some are now coming close as Maggie sells them off.

I know nothing of their benefits other than everyone is entitled, so we only have to put up with the druggies stealing, wherever they live.

I guess it would be entirely different if there was no benefits and we were all starving.

What the devil is a dream with warts on it????

Regards

Norman

Norman, my dream has no warts but my life is entrenched firmly in reality.

Drug dealers are everywhere in every country and in ever 'class' and are not confined to council estates.

And my answer is still YES.

Well Karen,

before you decide for good - the sun came out yesterday, for quite a while - but as mostly, it came with high humidity - really bad for working in - quite exhausting - not even that hot - wouldn't grow Bob's coconuts - I'll have to stick to caulies until he completes his miracle.

As other threads have shown plus stories here of "no-go" council estates neighbours can be a big problem anywhere also.

As a potential Robin Hood myself I cannot but wonder how a society could function without benefits - perhaps charity steps in?

Is there such a big society operating in Spain?

Regards

Norman

oh yes the benefit system in UK is great !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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 Brillliant.......but not if you know what i mean.....no wonder norman is so miserable!!!

Well as Georgie tells us the Brits are going home to get the benefits rather than starve in the sun.

With no council homes left it rather looks like they will need to rent off the immigrants and pehaps bellatedly learn the system.

I wonder how many Mr Smiths you can be and get a cheque for everyone?????????

Here the mist rolled in and hid the sun for most of the day but the immigrants didn't seem to mind, they already have their tan.

On the news the local council plans to send a couple to prison for taking their children on holiday in term time because its affordable then.

Well you have got to fill the vacancies reserved for the bankers but never actually taken up, I suppose. I expect these councillors are the same ones handing out the benefits.

It is indeed a strange world, but the question remains how are the Spaniards managing without benefits???????

Regards

Norman