Why was Spain First Choice & any Oversights/Regrets ???

1) What were key deciding factors in selecting Spain ahead of say Portugal, Italy, Eastern Europe, Asia  etc ?

2) Any regrets or oversights - with benefit of hindsight ?

Harry

 

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1. People, language, culture and weather.

2. None - though perhaps l'd have ordered my wood a few weeks earlier :-)

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"1. People, language, culture and weather."

For example, did you consider Portugal & if so how did it stack up ie just being the "devils advocate" ?

There are also large expat communities in say Penang & Phuket !!!

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Harry - when l said "People, language, culture and weather", l was talking about Spanish people and Spanish language - neier of these are found to such an extent in Portugal! Having visited Spain 5 or 6 times a year for the last 8 years, l had begun learning the language formally as well as informally. It's one of the most useful languages in the world, spoken as a first or second language by an enormous number of people. And it's a lovely language to speak, and (moderately) easy to learn.

So my decision was, to a degree, pragmatic. Changing horses, as it were, to a country with a different language, would have caused practical problems. And in any case, having fallen so completely in love with the Spanish people, language, culture and weather, l saw no reason to look elsewhere when it came to finally buying my own home.

There are expat/immigrant communities everywhere, Harry, but l was referring to the Spanish people, my friends and neighbours.

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Having spent 3/4 months there on 3 occasions, spread over 8 years,     it would be my choice, if for some reason I could not live in Spain

 

Hi John,

Unfortunately, Penang is constantly hot & becoming over developed/noisy - so not our cup of tea !! Much better when I first visited 20 years ago. Some parts of Thailand are interesting.

I would have thought Portugal might be a more direct comparision - unsure whether expats weigh up the pros/cons before deciding on Spain ???

Cheers,

Harry

 

 

This message was last edited by Harry07 on 25/11/2012.

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Spain to me just has "something else" It is the dream country for me since I first went their when I was a kid.

My preference would be to live in Thailand, anywhere in Thailand as long as it is about 20 miles upwards of Bangkok - never south.

But 12 hours in the air, minimum £600 (€750) air fare & lack of medical services make it impossible. Must also remember that corruption is far worse in Thailand than Spain could ever be & it is a third world country!

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Surely the biggest consideration for most people ( unless very wealthy) would be how to obtain health cover, and whether the state pension would be affected?

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That would seem to be easy.

 

If one is a UK pensioners then they would almost always be entitled to health cover in Spain paid for by the Hat Nat Health Service UK (£3,500 is paid per person for full cover). 

And the OAP is index linked as it would be in the UK,  and is  unaffected by living in Spain

 

Or, have I misssed what you were thinking about ?

 

This message was last edited by johnzx on 26/11/2012.

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 We have been coming to Spain for 6 years now and spend 5 to 6 months a year in our apartment. Nothing has affected our pension's. We also have a current SIP card so are covered medically although we have not used  the medical facilities as yet! But I like to think we are covered when there.

I also know of a lot of other pensioner's that are in the same position as us.

It is the under 60's that have a problem with health care, but would think that would be the same as any other country like America Australia etc. I know of a few pensioner's that would like to like in different parts of America and Australia but cannot afford to do so because of health care, so the answer is they do not go only for holidays.

Patricia

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A little surprised no one has mentioned Portugal as a possible option for consideration. We have been there a few times & it seems pleasant but perhaps I am missing something !

Also, I assume Asia generally does not stack up for British expats because of the distance etc !!

Harry

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Johnx-I was referring to living in Asia, which Harry mentioned, or retiring to other countries such as Australia or Canada, where you will not get free care or pension increases.

Speaking of care and state pension inrceases,if Britain left Europe, then this would be a big comsideration and no doubt result in a massive exodus to the UK.

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I love the warmth and the sea and can't afford the health insurance in Florida which have been my first choice.

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 Florida:  Can only live there for 90 days max for twice a year.  Healthcare expensive.  British pension is index linked but the falling pound makes it expensive.  Community taxes are extremely high especially in places like Florida.  Even if you don't rent your property, you are still charged rental tax (remind you of somewhere?)  Hurricanes may hardly ever happen in Hertfordshire and Herefordshire but they do in the Gulf States.  

Australia/New Zealand.  The other side of the world.  Expensive to get back or for visitors to come.  No index linked pensions.  They have lots of creepy crawlies which bite you (badly, look up funnel web spider for example).

Penang or other Far East.  Same as Australia and New Zealand plus poor healthcare facilities.

Nearer home:

Cyprus.  Very expensive.  If you think solicitors and estate agents are corrupt in Spain, don't try the Cypriot system.  Healthcare average but poor hospitals.  Legality of houses if the island ever unifies.  Many expats complain they don't have deeds to their houses after 10 years or so.  

France.  Full of French people.  

Italy.  Weather can be poor unless in the south.  The south is quite difficult to access and has a bigger manana problem than Spain.  Economy as bad and more expensive.  Availability of goods quite poor.  The north is lovely but expensive.  More geared to Germans than British unless you pick Tuscany which is cold for a lot of the time although it is beautiful.  Would be my next choice if we decide to move on except that red tape is just as bad.

Portugal.  Again, expensive when we were looking round.  Driving is expensive with most decent roads charging a toll.  Cost of living is cheaper than UK although electricity is more expensive.  After spending some time in Praia do Oura and other places along the Algarve, we decided it wasn't for us.  

Greece.  Well, what can one say?  How come all the places with the lovely climates are in such financial straits?  

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Bobaol....I love your short, but precise list of the places you could have chosen but didn't for the reasons given.  I was wondering...do you have a list of areas you visited in Spain with short explanations of why you didn't choose any of them? 

 

 

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"do you have a list of areas you visited in Spain with short explanations of why you didn't choose any of them?"

Yep that would be helpful including Canary Islands - great climate all year round so whats the downside ????

Thanks,

Harry

 

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Harry asked a few posts ago about Portugal - for me the similarities are quite high, in terms of climate, food, culture, prices etc. so then it comes down to the usefulness off the language - l wouldn't have been so tempted to put the effort into learning Portuguese because of its more limited use. Therefore Spain, because the language is useful across most of South America, and in the US, and many other places where it is a widely-taught 2nd or 3rd language. A couple of years ago when l did a week's intensive course in Madrid, the majority of the students were from the far east, as Spanish is seen as the business language of the future.

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