BBC TV Programme 31st March 2015 Shows How Tough Life is for Many Brits in Spain.

A rattled Team GB accusing me of sweeping statements, oh dear. I can assure you that I own a property not a million miles from Calahonda, but in a nice location and both the expats and locals who live near our place are nothing like those shown on the programme, all rather nice people in fact, so I do know what I am talking about

Did I say I was a Health and Safety Inspector, no, but you've made that daft assumption, just stated a fact?

You've clearly had too much to drink to bring ladders into the issue  with double exclamation marks to boot, so here's a couple of Lol Lols for you  I also don't give a jot as to whether you agree with me or not, I'm not asking you to agree either,  my observations are based on what I know of the area and what's more I shall post as I please as long as it's within forum rules LOL LOL

BTW check out the shopping baskets in those supermarkets I mentioned and see the grime, not like Waitrose, Sainsburys or Tescos even, all of which have stores near our UK property, they'd soon be in trouble with health and safety here, oh blast I've mentioned them again LOL

Mickeyfinn -"it surely matters not where you die" 

Try saying that to someone bereaved in Murcia, with a large IHT bill

I think they might wish  they had been bereaved in the UK!

Me rattled, I don't think so. No, just getting on and enjoying life, posting fair and balanced views about living in Spain. For ratttled I would read your own post again.

In the UK it's quite common to insure the eventual IHT liability, a sensible contract would escalate the sum assured and premium by say 5% p/a, I don't know for sure but I wager that the proceeds of the policy would also be taxable in Spain, this could be built into the contract if applicable.

Firstly, not even kids use LOL anymore.

Now, as everyone is ignoring the elephant in the room I'll jump in with both feet.

If Spain is so horrible, so backward and dirty, if your fellow Brits are so disgusting and the places they visit so naff, why in Hell's name do some of you stay here or continue to visit?

I have visited quite a few horrible places in the world and have vowed never to go back. I certainly wouldn't continue spending my money in a place that was obviously so disgustingly bad that I felt it necessary to go onto a chat site to slate off the place and the people.

I have learned that I am quite lucky in some respects. Firstly so lucky that I didn't buy on Camposol. Secondly that if I hear some of these comments coming out from Brits in the local bar then I can stand up and walk away rather than listening to the unadulterated rubbish they come out with. I'm also lucky that I am a member of another website where people generally like the place, like the choice they have made and are quite happy with their lot. The twenty or so I was at a get together with today at lunch (in a local, Spanish restaurant, by the way) seemed rather content (and, no, I only stuck on Fanta limon).

Still, if it means some people are happy by complaining and being so miserable then so be it. Whatever fills your day.

Mariedav were did you buy  ,and what did you find wrong with Camposol.

I know nothing of Camposol except what has been posted on here. Apparently it is 450 houses full of Brits, the only places to go are Brit community centres unless you drive, the only places to shop are rip-off (well, maybe not rip-off but definitely limited) foreign shops, the petrol is more expensive than anywhere else, red dust and rain affects the place virtually all year round, the houses are freezing cold in the winter and roastingly hot in the summer, it is cold and damp for 4 months of the year and, when it eventually comes to sloughing off the mortal coil, the government takes all the money off your relatives.

Now, I have absolutely no idea if any of this is the truth or anywhere near but this is what has been posted on here over the years.

We live in Quesada on the Costa Blanca. It has a lot of foreign residents (and, yes, a lot of them British) but still retains a certain Spanish feel. We have 3 supermarkets within walking distance and several more with just a 5 or 10 minute drive. Several butchers to choose from. Lots of bars and restaurants within walking distance (a couple of minutes), an extremely good golf course, a bowls club, a 10 pin bowling alley and a mini-golf course. 10 minutes into the main town and the main street is buzzing all year round. From the left the main street has a Spanish restaurant, a Chinese restaurant. an English Olde Worlde Tea Shoppe, a steak and grill house, a Thai restaurant (dead posh and excellent), an Italian restaurant, a Spanish bar with a good menu, another Spanish tapas bar (absolutely lovely at 20 euro for 8 dishes for two including drink), a German restaurant, another Spanish bar with both tapas and paella specialities (Valencian paella with chicken and beef or Spanish paella with sea food) and then, to cap it off, a restaurant owned by a Spaniard with an English wife. He does the starters and main courses (some of the best fish you'll ever have) and she does the desserts so you get things like trifle, apple and rhubard custard and so on). There are loads of other restaurants to choose from including Hungarian, Greek and Mexican along with innumerable Spanish bars).

Within 2 or 3 minutes walk in one direction we have a Brit pub (yep, one of those full of the man in the pub who knows it all) but another one next door which (although owned by Brits) actually cleans the tables down and is very pleasant to sit outside. Next to that is a rib and burger bar and a large Italian restaurant with a marvellous opera singer on weekends.

There are two garages who compete on prices with one being a bit expensive (1.25 for 95) but the other is one of the cheapest in the area (1.20 for 95). Along by the supermarket is a Chinese Wok (aren't there always?) a Spanish tapas bar, 2 snack bar type restaurants and a DIY shop, a butchers, a pet shops, a vets and a builders supplier).

Our houses are lovely and cool in the summer months but just a small fire in the living room makes the whole place nice and cosy in the winter. They are extremely well built, never had any hint of mould or damp and all paperwork was full and complete by the builder before buying. Ours is quite a large development with over 100 properties ranging from small flats to large villas (we are in the middle with a 3 bed, 2 bath house) and lovely gardens. Many different nationalities live here from (of course) Brits and Irish but Dutch, Icelandic, German, French, Scandinavian, Russian and Spanish (who are very friendly). If I go further afield we have huge, state of the art shopping centres within 20 minutes and there is absolutely nothing we can't get here (except for my brand of teabags which I tell all visitors to bring with them).

Now, I'm not trying to make it a utopia by any means. But we have a lovely garden, no over-oppressive committee members telling you what colour flowers you can have in your garden or clucking because your awning is a different colour to the neighbours one. We have a country club about 15 minutes from us with live entertainment, get togethers and so on and a large water park in the town. We also have an extremely helpful town hall who do the most they can for those living here and help them with paperwork (healthcard was so easy), padrons and so on and run art classes, computer classes for the silver surfers and Spanish classes.

And when we eventually shuffle into the blue, the Inhertance Tax will be virtually nothing for our daughters.

I will now be accused of head in the sand ostrich, failing to live up to reality and being airy fairy. But, you know what? I don't really care. We are loving it here with my hubby wondering how he managed to go to work with all the stuff he does in so-called retirement and I have made more friends here in the 6 years we have had the house (3 years permanently) than I ever made in the village I lived in for over 20 years.

The sensible method of avoiding IHT is to not have assets in yours or your partners own name. In the case of the TV programme I don't think it was an issue except perhaps for the elderly couple whose wife had altzimers.

Assets for the retired are best put in the name of ones children or a company outside Spain.

What an essay Lol Lol  but to cut to the chase we also have a lovely garden in Spain and never been on the market since we bought over 15 years ago, we kept it for mainly family holidays and as it's in a good area unlike some of those shown in the programme a very good place for years to come, and very pleasant neighbours Brits and Spanish. Have to say our garden in England is also rather pleasant, but a real property investment over the years. However we know so many house-trapped Brits in Spain who can't sell due to negative equity caused by mis-selling

My view is also balanced Team GB since I live in both countries and know the differences and btw you were rattled.

The programme was very watcheable but a snap shot of the worst of Spain but nowhere near as biased as Channel 4's A Place in The Sun programmes which so often makes sweeping statements about the talking up of property markets they visit Lol Now I'm sure none of us want another boom and bust again to impact on the populus.

There has been a thread recently about buying property in Spain using a UK based company and until the DGT does not officially rule otherwise the employment of a UK based company to avoid spanish IHT could be deemed tax evasion 

Mickyfinn,

You are spot on if

a) You have kids

and

b) You can trust them

A couple with no kids could fall into the Spanish IHT trap, which could leave the survivor with no savings, or even worse having to down size in order to pay it (unless the Spanish revenue allow roll over until second death). We've started moving assets into our son's name here in the UK, as we are well over the joint IHT exemption figure, we would end up spinning in our mythical graves at the thought of leaving him with a huge tax bill. 

I thought you said you only visited Spain and rented a hotel type apartment when you visited. What assets in Spain would be over the IHT limit? (Which is very high in Andalucia and also has an extremely generous reduction for spouses and children).

I never said that we have any assets in Spain, I was simply discussing the pros and cons of Mickyfinn's post, please don't give the usual suspects an excuse to kick off.

I watched the programme last night because we have a small village house in the hills north of granada.   The scenes shown were very upsetting especially the elderly lady. As for the the other people im glad we are very inland Iand do not have anything like that in the area we are, I was a bit shocked to see tge programme makers not inform the taxi driver that we do pay for health care but not surprised as it would not make great tv. As for the girls they may share one room but is it necessary for the filth they live in.

I was rather depressed to here all the bad mouthing the spanish were giving the british andbit woukd be nice to see another programme where british intergenerational work has been successful which im sure would be in the majority,  still one can go to every part of the uk and make a similar programme about low lifes upsetting locals.

Oh well, time for my Maundy Thursday evening enbibe. If my my white plazzy chair is dirty I will be very upset!

There is a beach front villa circa one kilometer away from that huge guy's place, it's on sale for €2,850,000 and it's owner has hosted King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia. I'm going to have a look at an American style detached villa not that far from it later this month, it has one of those semi indoor pools, 3 double on suite beds, a family bathroom, large kitchen diner, lounge, sauna, jacuzzi and a very large terrace with panoramic sea views, it's on sale for €325,000, circa £240,000, but it's more out of interest than desire, but you never know, if I like it and they are prepared to accept a cheeky offer, I might just take the plunge, but don't hold your breath.     

Mariedav just read you're post on why so are so glad you did not buy on Camposol ,and I am astonished that you can come to such a Daming conclusion without even as much one visit to the urbanisation ,This is why when you get called for jury service in the UK you would be asked if you are related to the. Accused or  have you read or been told anything about the case you about to pass judgment on if you answer yes to any of the previously asked questions you will be asked to leave the court room immediately ,the way you have described were you live is utopia to you to me and many other's that read the post in sounds bloody awful but a educated person would not come to that conclusion on second hand misguided information they would go and have a look their self and then pass judgment.

Hephaestus - in Spain you cannot sell your house to pay the IHT

Putting assets in children's names has disadvantages.what if, God forbid, your child. dies, falls out with you, gets divorced, marries again etc.

It is common for expats to have mirror wills, leaving all assets to the spouse,  then when they have both gone, the assets are equally divided between children. The surviving spouse needs the assets in order to carry on , buy a house , provide income , start a new life. Unless the survivor is wealthy, that money will be needed

The IHT rules in Spain can be harsh and penalising, with a huge bill for the survivor, especially if the regional allowance has been abolished -a cruel and immoral move.Spouses should never have to pay tax on assets they have built up together over many years, with money that already has been taxed.

There is no satisfactory method of reducing IHT for the average person.

The rich can sort something out to avoid it, with a creative accountant.

Putting the Spanish house into a UK company has its disadvantages, is not suitable for a modest property, and there are doubts about whether this method of reducing IHT is recognised by Spain.

Marie Dav- get it right, there are 4,500 houses on Camposol, not 450!

Many of the things you like about where you live were equally applicable to Camposol.

Also, all over Spain it is common for houses to be chilly in winter and hot in summer

You have no right to criticise Camposol, as you've apparently never been there

Urbanisations all over Spain have Problems, as they are so large,mand many have more problems than Camposol, which has a very active residents association, which in combination with a new Mayor has achieved great improvements here.

PS our garages have cheaper prices than yours,and our commercial centres have a wide range of shops and facilities!

This message was last edited by camposol on 02/04/2015.

windtalker

There are only two peopl on here that I know of who live in Camposol from where I got that impression and one of them is you. You've told use about your freezing house, the expensive shops where you get your English bacon, baked beans and Patak's curry paste. You've told us about the expensive garage and how far you have to go to get something. You've told us how difficult it was to get the correct paperwork and to get things done. It's no good posting all those negative things about the place and then coming on to defend it when someone has actually believed you.

I also said my place is NOT utopia but please read it how you will. If being close to all the facilities we have here is bloody awful (and I think that you were saying you think that but your posts are getting more and more difficult to actually read) then tough. I don't really care, especially from people who slate the Spanish and the way of life we have moved into, a place they appear to have succeeded into making one of the British ghettoes that we all read about.

Oh, and in that list of restaurants in Quesada Main street I forgot the two Indian restaurants which might have saved you a bit on your curry paste (€1.75 in our local supermarket, by the way).

Mariedav you are still relying on second hand information you should go a visit Camposol and then you will be able to pass a educated judgment ** EDITED - Inciting**

This message was last edited by windtalker on 02/04/2015.