help ! any ifo on moving to spain x

hi everyone iv just joined this site and im really excited as everyone seems really friendly and helpful!! my family and i ,me,9 year old son partner and cat and dog are planning a move to torrevieja or the surrounding areas, i would love some info on what the area is like for living in. we plan to move this year we will be putting our house on the market in april and then its all go depending on how long it takes to sell. does any one know if there are long lets available, im sure there are but what i ean is how available as i dont think we will have enough money to buy a property so will rent for a few months untill we know what the situation is. any info woulg be great.xx

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Torrevieja is busy, good beach and for some great as it has all the facilities on the door step

Some find it a touch hectic and of course there is a difference between off an on holidayu seasons

But lost to do, good schools and health facilities

As an indication of prices, we have a new 2 bed maisonette near by with solar for hot water ready circa Sept 2008 for 104.000 € need a 30 % deposit and subject to status, just like UK. you can get a good mortgage with an interest free period So may be worth while considering buying straight away

Short and long term rentals are available and some do decide to rent first but with a little research and professional help many also find it relatively easy to decide on a location and buy straight away...you can then settle in and get on with your new life without having to think of a future move

Do a search on EOS nor google and you will find the range and cost of rentals so you start to plan  your move to Spain

Any more info just get in touch

  

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thank you for that! i have checked many rentals on line but i still find it hard as i dont know where to start. is it best to enquire on line or to be there and actually go into estate agents? i know that only we can decide but id like real life experiences of peoples lives while starting their dream move.we are hopefully going to visit torrevieja before we move to get more of a feel of the place. any more info welcome..thanks aain x

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Don't know if you've already found this but you can read one of the free english newspapers on-line.  At the end they have some adverts for jobs and places for rent/sale.

I'm sure I read in there this week about Age Concern in Torrevieja, never been in there but I think they wanted volunteers to work in the shop which was mainly a charity one, clothes books etc.

Last time I accessed the paper I had to register details before I could do so, once on site you are reading the latest issue, can turn the pages and zoom in to actually read it.  Very handy for us non residents.

Site is www.roundtownnews.co.uk

 

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1.  Good luck on your move.

2.  Lots of long lets available.  Do some homework as price varies greatly between Summer and Winter (ie more than double July to September).  Check out this site and others like it (not that there are any as good as this) and they will all have a rental section.  It will give you a good idea on prices.

3.  It is an all year round area.  Lots of places in Spain are very seasonal but the Torrevieja area is definitely an all year round location.  Also has more expats than Spanish (not all Brits).  Many things are geared up towards the expats.

4.  Renting for a few months is a great idea but you might find it difficult with pets.  It will give you a chance to look around and pick an area as the places around are very different.   Look on other threads on this site and they will point out some of the good areas and not so good areas.  Lots of small and large communities around the Torrevieja area and I am sure you will find one that you like.  I don't know what your experience of the area is like (I love it) but it will give you a chance to see if it really is what you are looking for.

5.  If you do eventually buy, there are lots of great bargains out there depending on what you are looking for.  Make sure you check on schooling, amenities in the area (not what the agent tells you is going to be there) and find a good, independent solicitor.

6. Best of luck to you and your family.  I have been going there for about 6 years now.  Started off twice a year but now up to 5 or 6 times.  We are really looking forward to moving permanently but have chosen a different area to where we first bought. 

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thanks! i have been looking this morning on the long lets on this site and from what i have seen so far they are ok priced to some of the other sites .so it may be a problem with our pets that s not very good as i couldnt part with them they are my babies!!x i have actually emailed a few thismorning to see if pets are ok just waiting for some replies i know its early days as not even got the house up yet but not too long now.

so the age concern is a charity shop i thought it was, dont suppose anyone knows of any other services age concern have in torrevieja?  thanks once again.

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       I know their is an Alzheimers society, but I do not know what qualifications you need psychiatry I would think if it is the same as UK.    Pat 

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I have to express a certain amount of concern over this thread and I´m sorry that I cannot be more positive. Moving to Spain is usually an expensive process. Renting a property can drain recourses over time. School books, uniforms etc. are another drain, not to mention running a car, and all the other usual expenses. The real concern for me is that you will be looking for work There is very little of it without good Spanish language skills. Most Brits here earn a pittance in shops and bars etc. Around 6 euros or 4 pounds an hour is never going to fill the coffers as fast as they empty. I have friends who have been offered a move through work to come to spain. He will earn 44,000 per year, but has turned it down as it will not be enough. As you say c.jenko, it is a nice dream, I applaud you for your determination, courage and enthusiasm. Please re-think your finances before you make the move. You can always put it off for a year or so, even do Spanish lessons in the UK. You will find work easier to get then. Please also note the bottom line of my message, I wrote it with someone else in mind, but, it is rather true at times.

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i COULD NOT AGREE MORE. I CAME OUT HERE THINKING THAT I COULD STEP INTO A NURSING JOB BUT WHO WAS I KIDDING. AFTER SPENDING HOURS UPON HOURS TRYING WE FINALLY SET UP OUR OWN BUSINESS. BECAUSE I AM NOT REGISTERD IN SPAIN I WAS OFFERED A HOME HELP POST AT €5 PER HOUR WITH NO CONTRACT OR GUARANTEE OF WORK, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN AS AND WHEN REQUIRED. YOU REALLY NEED TO MASTER THE LANGUAGE BARRIER, I AM GETTING THERE SLOWLY. AS MY GRAN USED TO SAY : FAR AWAY FIELDS LOOK GREEN: AND THINGS MAY BE QUITE DIFFERNT WHEN YOU GET THERE. NOT BEING MORBID BUT REALISTIC.

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Indeed Mervy, it´s so easy to have the shine taken of the dream when the financial reserves are straining. I have seen hundreds of people over the years come and go. I have sent clients back to the UK without selling to them because their finances would have landed them in major difficulties. I decided long ago I can do my job well enough without jepardising an underfinaced nice family with a decent dream but little in the way of a saftey net. Some came back and purchased from a better financial set of circumstances and they gave me more pleasure than multiple sales to wealthy investors. Dreams can be put back a year or three, but financial ruin can last forever. I´m pleased you are getting there Mervy, your efforts and fortitude will have made the difference.
I edited this post because I am a rather careless ass of a typist.

This message was last edited by Gillespie on 2/21/2008.

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My advice would be if you have to find work then do not move out to Spain until you have enough money to last for two years'

It may be a drain on your finances to rent but if you rush into buying even after 3 months, you may loose even more money if it all goes wrong.

I'd make a spreadsheet and work out how much it would cost for those two years.  Find out all the hidden costs before you commit.

BE REALISTIC IN YOUR DREAMS

Read other forums, quite a few have people who are returning home after living here and working for over 4 years.

One thought If you're both working who is going to look after your son?

Don't want to be all doom and gloom but I hear of so many people who have dreams that you know are unrealistic.  And others who start off small, tiny house, children sharing bedrooms but they are happy.  They have the family life they dreamed of, children settled in school, speaking Spanish like natives. 

It can happen but it will take time and a lot of hard work.

Time to ask you a question - Why Spain?

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hi everyone!

well thanks for all your replies. WHY SPAIN? all i can say is i have always wanted to live there  even from being a young girl it has been a dream of mine for years and   iv been planning and researching although the research never stops there is always more i want to know.i do understand that people realise its not what they thought or maybe cant make ends meet while living in spain but also there must be many many who do make it work. another reason is i really dont want my son going to high school here there are so many bad points to growing up here( we live in manchester) high school was bad enough when i went some of the things i saw and found out are terrible, now i know this is all part of growing up and i know spain isnt heaven either but all in all i feel he will have a better chance rather than going down the wrong road here. i havent explained that very well i know but not sure how to word what i mean.

i hope my dreams are realistic i just want us to move there ad be ok, we dont want to be rich( i wouldnt give it back if i won the lottery though!!)here in uk i have an ok job with room for promotion as i am very dedicated and commited but its not what i want, there will always be something to stay for while all the time, time is ticking away and the dream fades, i dont want to wake up in 10 years time and still be stuck here because i can earn a bit more money.i dont want to be stupid either and just move and it not work but for me failure isnt an option, its something we all want as a family.

my friends dad lived just outside torrevieja he moved there ast year and has just moved back to uk this month as he was struggling to survive.

we wont rush into anything though and research everything, we will hopefully go out there in may for 1-2 weeks for a good look around and check out schools ect and when we do move we will rent for a while so we can see the different areas ect.

i do thank you all for all replies.x

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Well i would like to wish you all the luck in the world, you really do want to follow your dream. My daughter is nine in 2 wks time and is in spanish school and i cannot fault the school at all, the teachers are fantastic. I hope it all works out for you.

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thanks mervy. x

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