Am I mad?

We have a house in Greece and go there for long periods of time but wouldn’t want to live there permanently. Lots of our friends do live there but we have noticed more and returning to the Uk especially if they become ill.
Definitely rent for a year to see how you get on. Would you be able to downsize and keep a small place in each country? Renting one out would bring some income and a bolt hole should you ever need to return to the UK.

I say go for it !

My sister and her husband rented out their house here 2 years ago and now rent in Spain. They have got their residency permits, drive a Spanish purchased car and take language lessons.

This is all paid for by the rent from their UK property, so they have the perfect safety net.

They did all their research before they left, rented furnished the first year to test the waters, changed property at the end of that year and then shipped out their possessions.

Its working for them !

Good luck to you .

Nonnie your friend is finding getting the licence gir her swimming pool because she should have got the licence before getting the pool installed.

We did the same thing. Had a friend that lived in Iteland and when we went to visit we fell in love with the place. Within a year we had sold up left good jobs to move over. Biggest regret ever - visiting somewhere and living somewhere is very different. Thankfully we moved back but at a great big loss. My advice is think very carefully about it - you might regret a hasty decision - but you might also do it and really thank the day you moved over

No, you are not mad to want to move, but until Brexit is sorted out you really do not know what conditions you will be living in after Brexit.

I would love to live in Spain and DH agrees with me, but as Danish citizens we would have to pay income tax both in Denmark and Spain, so it is out of the question.

Learn Spanish before you move, if you don't already speak the language, and remember that an estimate for work to be down on your Spanish property should be taken to the public notary and stamped, otherwise the workman can change the prices without telling you.

If life as a British subject becomes too difficult in Spain you can probably apply for Spanish citizenship.

You can apply to the nearest Spanish Embassy for a Spanish identification number, which you will need in order to buy property or a car, or you can go to the police once you get to Spain and apply for it there.

Friends of ours went to live Spain, they lived there for 8 years and have now come back to the UK to live. The Villa they purchased was not connected to main sewage or on main line gas so they used bottled gas that was no problem, however a year before they came back the electric supply to their row of Villas was cut off by the authorities because they were told that no legal permission had been sought or granted to have an electric supply. The residents had to buy a large generator to feed the villas with electric and maintenance cost plus legal fees to fight the case. In the end they sold their villa back to the builder at a £80,000 loss and came back to the UK. They now live in a tiny one bed flat. Before they went to Spain they owned a lovely 4 bedroom Bungalow on a large plot. Never again they say. I can’t say I blame them.

Life is too short not to take every opportunity that crosses yur path. Do extensive research and GO. Are you mad? Even if you are, Mad people are usually happy and carefree so enjoy the madness. The warm sun upon your bones.. ahhhh heaven

loving it 12 years ago we saw and fell in love with a house in Portugal so we sold up to move permanently because we had my Mum in her 90s living with us plus two large dogs. A couple of months beforehand I was having doubts (mainly about how Mum would cope) and Mum said come on we are going because if you dont go you will regret for the rest of your life. 11 years years on and it's the best decision we ever made. Mum had 6.5 years here and I am sure in part it was because of living here. You are in the enviable position of not having any dependants to consider so go, rent somewhere and have a wonderful time. Living somewhere is very different to holidaying there so renting first would be preferable. If you decide to buy dont put all your money into a place in Spain but also buy somewhere smaller in England which you could let out for more income but have somewhere to move back to should you want to return to England. You are only 68 and as they say the world is you oyster. Go for it.

Something to keep in mind if you keep a property here in the UK and rent it out while you are in Spain. I understand that new laws here will give tenants what amounts to a lifetime tenancy....no more short lets of six to whatever months. You might want to come back and find you cannot get your property back without a costly legal battle. So think hard before letting and get professional advice.

I would just say, don't burn your boats entirely. I know a few people who sold up and moved to e.g. Spain or Cyprus, intending it to be for good, but for various reasons wanted or needed to move back later, and found that house prices had risen so much in the area they wanted, that it meant a radical re-think about where to live, and whether they could afford to buy at all.

One couple took over 2 years to sell their house in Spain, and counted themselves lucky to get what they'd paid around 12 years earlier. Meanwhile the value of the U.K. house they'd sold, had multiplied by about 4.

Do you speak Spanish? If not it will be harder especially with the added beaurocracy and legal documents, and making friends, integrating in the local culture etc will be more difficult. You can't assume everyone will speak English because a lot of older Spanish people have never learnt English. (I have Spanish family members - through marriage-and many of them do not speak English)
I would do as much research as you can before making a final decision. I agree with others perhaps spend longer periods of time out there to really sample local life.
Also think about medical care carefully especially if your Spanish is not good. My Sister in law's father lived in Spain and when he was very ill she had great problems trying to understand what was wrong with him or how serious it was because she couldn't communicate with the doctors properly.
The weather is also not always wonderful. In fact we have had better weather in the UK this Easter than many areas of Spain. Although of course it is usually better there than here.
Spain is undoubtably a beautiful place and I don't want to put you off I would just say think carefully about the realities of day to day living rather than visiting on holiday.

Unless a hundred % sure I believe it is always wise and if possible, especially when thinking of making a move to another country 'to try before you buy'. So why not rent? Invest the money you make selling your present property, until the time comes when you know where, without hesitation, you want to spend the rest of your days.

Keep a place in U.K. just in case and rent in Spain. Spanish laws are very complex especially if you don’t speak Spanish and it is very difficult to sell property.
My husband and I spent ten winters caravanning in Spain until he died and we heard all sorts of tales of things that went wrong. He said “I’ve done some b....y stupid things in my life but I’ve not been stupid enough to buy property in Spain.”
I spent two further winters there on my own and because of my command of the language was called upon several times to accompany people to lawyers to interpret for them.

Sounds to me that you’ve got it all sorted, lovingit. Go for it and a year should be sufficient for you to make a final decision.

I think it's a great idea. You intend aand need to downsize anyway, and sensibly intend to rent for a year to see if it suits you.
Go for it and enjoy x

Agreed. ...do it ! So many of our age group have plans and day dreams of retirement in the sun but never do it. We retired to Cyprus to live in 2006 and planned to do 10 years there before any health prob kicked in. Unfortunately DH had a bad stroke in 2012 and we returned to live with family until our property sold. No regrets about living abroad....amazing experience but, yes, winter colder than expected and some compromises necessary but altogether well worth it! We still return every year for a holiday and to catch up with friends. One other tip.........volunteer with any charity as so rewarding and a good social life.

Learning a new language gets more difficult with age. So spend this year seeing how you get on with learning Spanish, don't expect to find enough English speakers to get all you need there. It's the reason many people come back, they think they will be able to learn, then find it's not like picking up French at school with a twelve-year-old brain. Then you are stuck in the dreadful ex-pat community who for some reason don't see themselves as immigrants.

Definitely rent out your house here (even with all the new tenancy laws possibly coming in); get a decent agency to handle it for you (via a recommendation, if possible) and rent in Spain. Think about 2 years minimum; that's how long it takes to really get to know a country. Hope that you're already learning Spanish! We are used to property prices rising here in the UK but it's just not the same in other countries and if you buy one in Spain, and need to move back, you may well make a loss (which is what happened to a friend of mine who needed to move back to the UK after becoming ill - she went to live near one of her daughters). She lost about £50,000 on the property she sold in Spain (and it took 2 years to sell) and has ended up in a studio flat. Even if you're only there for 2 years, what an adventure! I'd say go for it but, as others have said, don't burn your bridges.

Please wait and see how things go Lovingit..vis -a-vis the Brexit debacle! My brother and wife upsticks and moved to Spain about ten years ago...as soon as they got there she got I’ll ...very ill , and he was at his wits end with her in hospital and doctors didn’t speak any English, and no family there to support him. She deteriorated very quickly and she wanted to come home to England . He had a hell of s time getting the documentation for her to fly with her illness ( which hadn’t been diagnosed yet) and eventually he got her home. Of course he had no home in England as they had ‘burnt thier bridges’ so to speak . He had to rent a place near London ...she was hospitalised...he had to go back to work as the money was all tied up in the house in Spain , which was in dire straits and he couldn’t find a buyer. Altogether ...he estimates , when he finally sold the Spanish house three years later , that they lost £250,000. He then had to see his wife deteriorate ( still undiagnosed) into an invalid. He looked after her splendidly ...while working from 6am til noon as black cab driver...and spending pm’s with her. Their adventure in Spain floored him physically and mentally. His wife die just before he sold the Spanish property. A tale of woe I know. But please ... if you decide to do this...keep a small house/ flat in England if possible. You never know how much you miss something you’ve spent a lifetime complaining about (the NHS) until you haven’t got it. Now he won’t hear a word said against them or the treatment she received after their ‘escape’ from Spain. Please be careful ...think things through properly.

I have lived in Spain a couple of times, personally I hate it! But obviously lots of Brits love it! Ok you are healthy now, but what will happen when your not well? I don’t think they have the social services in place the same as here, despite them not being fantastic here, but you will not have the grasp of language, or the strength to access to get the help you need. Yes the paperwork is crazy. I would say ok give it a try, but do not sell up here, keep your options open so if you want to come back you can. There’s lots of Spanish living here (I am married to one) so I am sure there will be arrangements in place for Brits in Spain still once we’re out of the EU.

I think a lot depends on your health. My friends moved to Spain to retire and loved their life there, family went to visit in school holidays etc. However, as they got older, health issues came to the fore and they decided to sell up and move back to the UK to be closer to their children and grandchildren. Another friend recently helped his Mum return from Spain to the UK after his Dad passed away, although they had a circle of friends she felt she wanted to be home near to family.

We moved to France....sold the family home....we owned a lovely apartment in the Languedoc where we moved to initially. We bought a fabulous, massive barn in the Dordogne....this was when I was mid 50s and my husband retired. Within 6 months we regretted selling our lovely home...and our barn wasn’t trouble free....despite having a Brit surveyor....the roof was rubbish...theguaranee for the roof wasn’t worth the paper I was written on. Long story short....having spent over 150k on the barn....we sold it five years later for less than we paid for it. The ‘adventure’ cost us over 200k. If we had rented out our UK home...it would have provided us with sufficient funds to rent an amazing home in France with money left over. My advice....certainly with Brexit possible and the need for private health insurance for Brits abroad....rent. You will still have your UK home to leave to your kids....and no complications with owning a home abroad.

Definitely not! My husband & I returned to the UK two years ago for family reasons after spending ten great years in Spain. Do plenty of research, definitely rent in Spain and buy a small property in the UK. Summers can be very hot and you may want to escape in July and August. Be prepared for winters to be colder than you expect, few houses have central heating so a log burner is an asset. Try to learn the language as away from tourist areas English is not so widely spoken. Be prepared for lots of Spanish bureaucracy! In saying that, you will find lots of help in navigating the system. People are very friendly, always a lot going on in expat communities,especially with various charities, a good way to make friends. Spanish people are warm & friendly and appreciate you trying to speak the language. Health service is excellent but you will probably need an interpreter for doctor and hospital appointments. Bear in mind, if you are ill there is no real nursing care as the family is expected to care for the patient. We thoroughly enjoyed the laid back lifestyle, wonderful local markets & fiestas and keep in touch with good friends made there. So go for it but keep a bolthole in the UK!

Lived in Menorca ..where I married my husband (he was 68 I was 53)...agree the process for a marriage was not simple bur although it too ages and cost a lot (translations , attestation of the Hague, meetings with the British Consul, and then having to wait three months we eventually got married by the Alcalde in Mercadal …..wonderful place, lovely people BUT make sure you have a good abogado …..ours was brilliant ! Apply for your Spanish driving licence (driving easy on Menorca) and your Residencia asap ...and don't forget you will need a Spanish bank account (your friend can probably advise if she already lives there) now lived in France as husband wanted to try it ...been here 15 years BUT BREXIT IS going to make a difference, whatever anyone says. We are concerned that the reciprocal health care agreement may not be honoured ...the UK has guaranteed all the rights of EU citizens in the UK but NOT UK citizens in the EU ……..a quote for private medical insurance worked out at around 3,500 euros a MONTH for us (lots of on going long term illnesses !) ……….so I would say GO but buy a property to rent out in the UK so you can safeguard yourself !

thankyou everyone for giving me the advice and encouragement. Part of me thinks it's madness , especially now when it's spring and glorious in England.
Yesterday I had a lovely ride and realised how much I would miss it but the thought of a new adventure is quite exciting .
My senior gap year!!