Building Complete

I have to agree with Keddyboy on the cost of living in Spain. Although our apartment in Tenerife is smaller, many people do live in them all year round, including our ex-pat neighbour. Our cost 230€ a year community tax, I pay £1700 in the UK. No heating cost, even in Winter it remains above 16 C. Water no more than 10€ a month even when we are there, 20€ for the electricity. Even food which most has to be imported is cheaper. Roll on retirement when my standard of living will go up!!

Thank you Keddyboy,

that's great but I am still unable to understand a granted house.

We often visit a tiny hamlet inland from La Rochelle near Civray, South of Poitier. The summers are usually pretty good and the farmers have to do a lot of watering with new wells being drilled ever deeper.

We are near Herne Bay and know Woodchurch, very nice village.

Your present situation sounds ideal for someone a little younger and more active than I, we were sold a luxury closed holiday development that turned out to be just another cramped urbanisation with balcony dogs, break-ins, unsatisfactory build etc. etc.

We did not complete and are hoping to extract our deposit from all the corruption engineered by the lawyers.

Community charges on these urbanisations are not cheap and they spend a lot of money trying to provide something of what the developer has left out. They have no hope of course but battle on making the best of things.

Are you available for interview?

Thanks again.

Norman

Normansands,

It's not a granted house. It's granted, houses were cheaper but taxes, rates etc were outrageous. Or in other words, "I grant you houses were cheaper but taxes, rates etc were outrageous".

Now do you get it?

Thank you for the clarification,

I don't recall seeing many cheap houses on our French visits, though they have an awful lot of derelict country properties away from major centres that seemed cheap.

We have seen French locals ignoring these and building new on the edges, whereas some French retirees from big cities love to renovate the oak and stone buildings as do lots of Brits'.

From what has been said to us by French friends their country taxes are quite low compared to the £2,000 council tax we pay and I believe their car tax is zero.

We have had a spell of good weather here ending in a thunder storm, rain, high winds and a temperature drop sufficient to put us back into woolies. Still we can't make hay with no rain, but it can catch you out in the sudden changes.

Should have joined Keddyboy ten years ago, I think.

Regards

Norman

 Our original plan was to have a holiday home in Texas when we retired but we decided the travelling would be to much and we would see little or nothing of friends and family.We then went to a Living in Spain exhibition and decided to take the offer of a low cost viewing trip. The blurb about the weather and health advantages was a big attraction.

Almost bought an apartment in Villamartin but then decided we might like to make the move permanent and would need something bigger.Next step was to arrange a trip over under our own steam for a pressure free look around. Then I got talking to Georgia ,he is from the same part of the UK as us,and he offered to show us the area. First few urbs and villages were nice but did not really grab me.Then we arrived at the place where we eventually bought at and I felt comfortable as soon as I got out of the car.

We love it and the fact that my health is definately better here is a bonus.It is easy to keep in touch with close friends and family by Skype and a few visits have already been arranged.