Why would anyone still want to move to Spain?(unless they are rich, with a good accountant)

Recently, in this and other forums, there have been requests from people who want to move to Spain. It is clear they have done very little or no research into what is involved in moving here. If they had they would know it's not a place for people with severe health problems or children at a critical time in their education. Why do they ask about job opportunities when every TV news programme or paper is full of Spain's unemployment plight? The responses , on the whole have been pessimistic.Apart from the weather, and debatedly cheaper cost of living and ?less stressful lifestyle, why would anyone want to live here now with its harsh and punitive, not to say unjust ,tax regime, fines, complementary tax etc.The tales of woe and unfair treatment by authorities are not always from naive, ill informed people. They have often been let down by people who abused their trust.There have been horrendous experiences related on EOS.

The best answer to give these hopeful people is have nice holidays in Spain, when you can relax and not have all the stress and strain that comes with living here. Of course I expect a barrage of replies from those who won't hear a word against their beloved Spain. I can only say that the pendulum is swinging away from Spain, and will continue to do so if the golden goose's neck is wrung much more!

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 I will step in first then.    I love Spain, but I am not retired and I am reasonably well off.  And I speak Spanish pretty fluently - which means I have access to much more information.    But the answer to your question I believe is that a lot of them are WUMs just wanting to provoke arguements.   You are quite right that if they have done no research, they are unlikely to find happiness.  So I sort of agree with you, but think that unhappy Brits in Spain to some extent bring it on themselves.

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It seems clear to me that when they talk about finding a job in Spain, the reason is that they don't watch the news or try and find out what is really happening in Spain, but instead like to dream and base their ideas on repeated episodes of A Place in the Sun.

And rich people won't want to move to Spain because the Government will just try and get hold of a big wad of their cash.

The latest developments related to tax, regulation like EPCs, attempts to ban people from renting out their houses and so on, are only going to make things worse. I think the lunatics have finally taken over the asylum.

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I think, at the end of the day it's still many peoples' dreams.  They may have dreamt of moving to Spain in the future and they can be a little blinckered sometimes.

But despite the crap government, unjust taxes, high unemployment and continuing corruption....Spain still offers a lot, and I don't just mean the weather.

And uprooting and moving to another country with a foreign language is still a brave move.  Personally I would rather die trying than have never tried at all.

It can be tough in Spain now and it's definitely a lot more expensive than it was but this country desperately needs an influx of foreign money again...I just don't think it's going to come any time soon.

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To answer the question in the heading - because it's a great country, with culture, language, scenery, weather, people, food, music etc that I personally love. I'm not rich but I'm not looking for work here, and I speak reasonable Spanish which helps as Roly said.

I agree there are many people who have under-researched, or who believe they can get work here without learning the language properly first. I agree there are many people here who want to sell up and head back to their home countries. None of that has any effect whatsoever on the many people who have recently moved, are currently moving, or will shortly move to Spain to make a fantastic new life here, successfully, and who will enjoy the food, weather, culture etc for many happy years to come. Individual factors will always come into play. Do not paint everyone with the same brush.

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Hi Camposol,

I will ask the same polite question I asked of you some weeks ago on a similar thread but never got a striaght forward answer....

Why with such a blighted opinion of life in Spain do you stay here?

We live not far from each other in the area of Mazarron but whilst life is not perfect, I think that statement applies to anywhere in the world just now, life is very very good in this place.

Barry

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I would imagine that the reason Camposol stays is because she is unable to sell her property, together with thousands of other people who feel trapped in Spain. Most people do not have the financial resources to simply abandon a home in Spain and buy or rent another in the UK. And of course it would be madness to rent out your place long-term in Spain in the hope that the rent would cover your rent in the UK, as tenants in Spain know that they can simply stop paying the rent and it will take years for the owner to get them out. Life is not that simple.

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I'm sure that you are right about Camposol's reasons for staying, Eggcup, and I think she may have mentioned being unable to sell some time ago in another thread. But there is still a question about whether it is preferable to spiral down through negativity into a potential depression, or to play the hand life has dealt. And though Camposol is clearly angered by taxes and unemployment etc, presumably some of the reasons she came have NOT changed .... such as the weather, great food, more relaxed lifestyle etc.

It must be horrible to be trapped somewhere you don't want to be. That's why the nightingale doesn't sing in its cage. But it doesn't sit on the internet all day telling all the other nightingales not to sing either!

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Don't you people think that many reasons why folk cant sell the house is that in more often then not the house is all wrong, like as in area, or high rise, looks a bit to English everywhere, price is a major issue but then understandable you cant be selling to low. 

Granted as well it doesn't help with all the negative reports coming out about "Still knocking house's down"...."Stupid tax laws".....Robbing banks".....etc etc.

But after selling what i considered to be a superb house in a superb location, and looking at plenty more around, and then wondering why on earth did someone buy this in this location...must have been dirt cheap.

Perhaps it's only me but everything i have ever bought i have always asked myself..."Would someone else buy this of me", we  have looked at Camposol area, and many others, and while i am sure these are great places to live, i struggled to see how i would sell again.

So for me Location...Location...Location are thee best words you can remember when buying in Spain.

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I agree Baz. I've never been to Camposol, not even sure where it is, but have just done a little trip along the coast around Marbella, and called in on Elviria, Nueva Andalucia, Calahnoda etc, to see what these big urbanisations are like. Exactly as you say, they suit a lot of people but are not right for me. And anyone selling there is always competing with a hundred other identical properties. Unlike you I DON'T wonder whether someone would buy it off me, as I plan to stay in my little casita for life, but I know what you mean. Something with character, in decent condition, at a reasonable price .... well those ARE selling. After all, I bought mine less than a year ago, and appeared in the statistics that just came out about 2012 property sales!

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Eggcup got it right.  The weather cannot compensate for all the problems in Spain but it helps. Relaxed lifestyle? matter of opinion.Ask those poor folk on Camposol about their embargoed properties for example.

Those who moved here with a great big retirement lump sum, and handsome pension are not going to worry about the exchange rate,iva etc.hence the brackets in the title.

Those under the radar won't care about assets laws or illegal cars. What a joke it must seem to the spanish, when they see our concern at such things.

It's those on modest incomes, trying to do things legally  who find lfe stressful

I am not a lone voice-To paraphrase the film title: Spain is No country for old men (or women)

Fighter 2-I do not have a "blighted opinion" I have a realistic view of Spain.If you think life is very, very good for you-Bully for you! We all (including me) enjoy nice views, places to visit, eat, Fiestas, emphasis on family life etc, but the nitty gritty of life here is not compensated by these positives, and when all these people ask for advice on living in Spain, I tell it as it is and wish I had had that advice years ago.

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................................ but the nitty gritty of life here is not compensated by these positives, and when all these people ask for advice on living in Spain, I tell it as it is and wish I had had that advice years ago.

 

 

 

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It is so that those with an unhappy life see only the negatives that confront them.... for themand also for him/her Camposol is one of those people in that very unfortunate position.

The facts are that very many Northern Europeans enjoy a good life here, many many more than do not but for those that don't nothing can be said to appease their outlook on Spain.

Were I in that position I would return to the UK, or from where I came, because life certainly is not all about money and should it be the UK there is a very good support system and probably family to help. A house should never determine the life that you lead if that life is miserable.... the pension you get here in Spain would be there back in the homeland, a property will always sell it is just about the price,  lifestyle and happines, especially at the retired age is more valuable than property. 

Barry

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Equally, those with their rosy specs , or blinkers, only see the positives until the tax man cometh perhaps, or they have a bad hospital experience or any of the other unfortunate things that others have experienced.Still, that hasn't put some off. I think Johnx got it right when he said it wasn't a good idea to die here......

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right when he said it wasn't a good idea to die here......

Where is?

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Campo,

                         I think Johnx got it right when he said it wasn't a good idea to die here..

 

 

 

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