40 questions!

Hola everyone My first post here (actually my 2nd now as I posted this in Chit Chat but was advised to move it to here), me llamo Stephen, soy de irlanda del norte, vivo en Belfast, vale thats the espanyol terminado, I've only started learning and the spelling is probably bad as I can't even spell in English! I have worked in Spain before as a (very) mature Holiday Rep but am thinking of moving to Spain permantly this year and have a few questions; I would be selling a house here in the UK, clearing mortgage and buying in Spain with cash but I will have little or no money until completion of sale here. With no deposit to fund Spanish property purchase, I guess I'll have to sell up here, move to Spain and rent until buying in Spain? I'm still undecided on which part of Spain, I worked in Salou, have been to the Murcia and Alicante regions but am also interested in Valencia region or Costa Luz. I want to be in a very mixed English/Spanish area, as I would like to make friends with both English and Spanish people. I also want to improve my Spanish and have been going to night school for almost a year but find it difficult! I would appreciate the views of people on here who've already made the move. I should have enough money to survive for few years but will eventually need to work, I know that until my Spanish improves greatly the opportunities will be limited, again I would appreciate the views of people that have experienced this. Finally, I like to play the London stock market, not sure of the tax implications of doing this offshore without a UK address, plus I'll need a reasonable internet connection, any thoughts? Many thanks Stephen

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This message was last edited by JeansSis on 5/17/2007.

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Hi Stephen,

Welcome to EOS!

Loved the Spanish bit, but didn't understand a word of it, must join the same class as you some time!

If you are looking to mix with a variety of English & Spanish, I suggest you don't buy on a coastal resort.

Most coastal resorts (well at least on the Costa Blanca where we own), are more like little Britain.

Head inland and you will find lovely Spanish villages that are still on the whole, untouched by foreign buyers.

You may find one or two English families, which will give you the mix you are seeking.

The Spanish are trying to learn English, so mainly in the coastal towns, you will speak in Spanish to them and they answer in near fluent English!

I wish you good luck with your venture and i am sure there are members on here who have done what you are thinking of doing and will have some guidance for you.

Kind regards

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Stephen, in my opinion renting when you frist move to Spain is probably a good idea anyway whilst you get a feel for what you like and what suits you.  Even after 3 years we are still unsure of exactly where is the best place to live!

Internet connections are a bit of a joke really, particularly in many rural area and even in new areas alongs the coasts.  There just isn't the infrastructure in place yet.

Best of luck with it all.

Justin

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Look up Iberbanda - they will give you ADSL anywhere without a land line. Same price as Telephonica 35€ per month but far more reliable. http://www.iberbanda.es/esp/index.html

This message was last edited by Gillespie on 4/10/2007.

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Hi Stephen, and welcome aboard. Only 40 questions? Come on, surely there's more?!

I both agree and disagree with Fibby's comments about the coastal resorts. Here on the Costa del Sol there are certainly areas that resemble El Dorado, where it's difficult to hear any Spanish being spoken, but equally it's possible to live on the coast and mix with both Spanish and English (and many others) - it's really up to you. In Torremolinos where I live for example (one of the oldest established resorts there is),  I have both Spanish and non-Spanish friends and neighbours, and you'd be surprised how few locals you come into daily contact with, such as bank & supermarket staff, actually speak anything approaching passable English. The best bars and restaurants are mostly Spanish, although there are plenty of good foreign run establishments also. Heading inland would certainly give you more chance of the "total immersion" experience, but sometimes it's nice to have a choice. You could end up feeling rather isolated. I would recommend sticking to coast initially, where facilities and infrastructure are more established. Maybe later on you'll be tempted to go native!

Justin's advice to rent first is sound. You'll get a chance to decide where you really want to be before committing yourself. Also, you'll be in a much better negotiating position as a cash buyer. From seeing the property you want to completing on it can take as little as a couple of weeks. He also makes a valid point about internet connections, since this will probably be important to you. Check out the various threads on Telefonica/Broadband (use the search facility if you can't find them). In an established urban area you should have no problems.

With regards share trading, all I can tell you is that the internet based services I've checked out all require you to be UK resident (or at least to be able to provide a UK address where you can claim to be resident!) Not sure about tax implications. Don't like taxes.

All the best for your move.

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Many thanks to everyone who replied.

I take the points about the benefits of renting first, it's just when you're used to Northern Ireland property prices, up 4% per month for last 2 years, you have a fear of being off the ladder for too long but this is currently not a problem in Spain!
Location, location, location as they say, I'm tempted by the Valencia region, altough I've never been there, I have friends who bought there about 6 months ago, they're out now for Easter and will move permantly soon. I'm also very interested in some of the properties on orangesandlemons.com. Does anybone here live in that area or know much about Villalonga, about 10 mins inland? Having lived and worked in Salou for 6 months, which was great, candle at both ends etc, I feel for everyday living, having a "resort" nearby would be great but not to live in, my liver couldn't handle it!
Roberto states that from seeing to owning could be as little as a few weeks! I was thinking more like several months. Being a cash buyer may have advantages but I'm worried about not having the protection of a bank ie, if their money is involved they'll put checks and balances in place.
With regards to stock market, I suppose I could be naughty and use my parents UK address! As for internet connection, I tried the link supplied Gillespie, the English section of the site is under connstruction, I have very limited understanding of the Spanish version but will check back regulary.

Stephen

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Sorry Stephen, I didn't mean to mislead you - when I said completion can be as quick as a couple of weeks, I didn't mean that it has to be, or even that that is the normal timeframe. All I meant was that if you have cash waiting and no ties, you can use your ability to complete quickly as a negotiating point (sometimes!) Certainly you should carry out all the necessary checks and take the usual precautions. Once you have decided on the area, find yourself an independent lawyer. Ask for recommendations from people who have bought in the area. Do as much homework as possible on the buying process and the area and the properties you are interested in. Use resources like this forum to get answers to your (many!) questions. You'll find answers to so much within this forum alone. If you can't find what you're looking for, just ask again here - someone will either answer, or point you in the direction of a previous thread covering the topic.

See you around the message boards!

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Hi,

I have 2 jobs in Spain. I trade stocks and shares as a 'day trader'  - I only use dial-up and find that sufficient and I do sometimes buy and sell within minutes if not seconds. I also help people find properties. Email me at spainops@yahoo.co.uk if you want a chat (I'm based on the Costa Blanca).

Simon  

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Hi spainops

I used to day trade pre-2000, back in the good old days of the tech bubble, buying large ammounts of shares on T10's and 20's. It was hilarious, I phoned my broker, bought shares with money I didn't have, sold later that day or several days later and he sent me a cheque for the difference!

Today, I trade differently as it's not so easy anymore and I'd end up sending him cheques for the difference! So I trade online with money that I actually have, I tend to buy and hold now, mostly "green" stocks, renewable energy etc. Things aren't going too well for me at the moment but I continue to hold, still confident for thr future.

I pay for a level 2 service, so would want an "always on" broadband service.

Stephen

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I use ADVFN Level2 and have no problems with dial-up

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I use ADVFN also but have been considering cancelling the subscription as I no longer trade frequently to enough  justify it.

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