We would like to move to Spain but...

House for sale - have a look at myhouseinspain.wordpress.com
We are now ready to move again.

daisydoo If you do decide to buy a property in Spain it is essential to make a Spanish will or things will be very complicated if one of you dies and you want to sell up.
Making a will in Spain is very quick and cheap - just go to a Notary who deals with these things. Ours only cost us under 40 Euros a few years ago after one quick visit.
We bought our apartment from a man whose wife had died intestate and it cost him a considerable amount of money, having to get his wife's death certificate translated into Spanish etc etc.

absent although “nothing is agreed until everything is agreed”, it seems likely that we will continue to get pension increases and have our medical expenses covered through the S1 form from the UK. The biggest problem for pensioners is the drop in value of the pound which has undergone a devaluation of almost 20% since Brexit. This is likely to get worse given the poor economic forecasts linked to the various Brexit models; all of which make the UK worse off to a greater or lesser extent.

At the moment UK pensioners living in the EU receive the annual increase in state pension because the EU insisted that they should. Those living in some other countries – like me in New Zealand – don't. (My pension is fixed at the rate it was when I left the UK five years ago.) Similarly, I cannot legally use NHS facilities if I return to the UK for the first year, not that I have any intention of retuning. I have no idea how Brexit will affect the advantageous situation for European ex-pat pensioners, but it is probably worth trying to find out. Good luck with that!

As you already have a property in Spain, you could sell your house in the U.K. and buy a small flat or cottage to use as a base when you came back for holidays ect. We have spent the past few years talking about moving to Spain. At first, my eldest daughter seemed a bit 'off' at the idea and she had our youngest grandson plus her marriage was in trouble so we put things on hold for a good while. But we carried on talking and dreaming about it. We are now planning on selling our small bungalow and moving over to rent somewhere. She is now saying 'hurry up and go, I need a holiday in the sun'.The laws on renting are very different over there and the rents are much cheaper. We have been to night school for some Spanish lessons and have bought 'Spanish for Dummies'. Great book which also tells you how to pronounce words properly. As far as Brexit is concerned, we could wait for ever for them to get on with it. I now get gov. emails informing me of all their updates re Brexit, so not believing all the scaremongering they do in the media. I just think that at 62, I am too young to sit and vegetate, but unfortunately I have a few health problems that I have been assured by other folk who are already over there and have the same type of illnesses as me, that their health has improved. I have hardly been out this winter as I can no longer tolerate the cold for too long. So, go for it, enjoy it and then when you do get to the stage where you are having a more restricted life, you will have wonderful memories to look back on. Instead of crying 'if only'.

My friends who have ahouse in France and the UK had a health crisis in France ( which has a excellent health service because it is very expensive) so they end up in Hospital. You need excellent French to manoeuvre your way around your body.
Of course follow your dream but keep a bolt hole in the UK.
Unfortunately no one lives for ever. Being in sole charge of moving back to the UK and winding up your affairs in a foreign country, without language fluency, will not be much fun when you yourself could be widowed and ill. Be realistic.

We moved back from Spain after nearly 10yrs and how I wish we had stayed there.
We only returned when both our sons wanted to move back to UK and set up homes with their partners and work in UK rather than work in Spain.
Learn the language and mix with Spanish neighbours you will be made very welcome,rent on 6mth basis to find your feet in first instance.
Even though we have come back to UK and are settled well at least we can say we have done it and enjoyed the experience and not think what could have been if we didn't take the opportunity.

Sheilasue don't worry about an 18 year old' They just need a push at that age and maturity sets in

I was living in Germany when DD2 was 18 and we had chance to return to the UK for 5 years. I cried on the Ferry from Rotterdam and after I had settled my DH in a house etc I rushed back to see her. Of course she was doing alright in her student accomodation and after a trip to IKEA I went back to DH,
At Christmas we came home for 3 weeks and were met by 2 mature young ladies fully in command of their life and with no apparent need of interfering parents!

Like the others I think you should go because you are so keen to go and can't afford to miss it now as you will getting older......and it will alwys be a chance you missed.
Take the precautions and rent property and keep your UK home and rent that out.Living abroad broadens the mind and and if you have chance then take it. Learning the language is not going to be easy at your age but you should try and may soon pick enough up to get by. In yourcase I would start now with a private Spanish native speaker if possible

As you already have a place over there, just stay longer each time! Nice to spend the Winters there, you can learn Spanish, family can some to stay at half term, then you can decide whether or not you want to come back for Summer.
Take each month as it comes, no need to plan that far ahead and then if and when Brexit ever happens you will be able to decide what to do.

Just joined Gransnet tonight and wow, the very issue playing on my mind. (Well... apart from how to declutter and what to do with my unopened moutain of mail????) I am hoping to move to Spain too but have a new grandson and a daughter who is opposed to the idea. My dream has been shelved over the years but I'm really keen to make the move within the next 2 years, all being well. Going to read the posts again, some sound advice and lots to consider. (thanks) Live your dream DaisyDoo2...I say...go for it!! Good luck

You have to live your life to the fullest or you may regret it. Your kids and grandkids will understand. The big question is how much are you going to miss them , too much too stay away

*grown

You have to do it. You, like most parents, have probably always put your children at the heart of everything that you do. Your DD is a grow woman now,with a life of her own so now is your time. I did it, we retired three years ago, sold up, moved on to our narrow boat, untied it and just went. My DD was very disgruntled at first having lost her crèche facility that needed no pre-booking but she got over it and managed very well. She had a big geography lesson when she visited and had to find us in all sorts of places that she didn’t know existed, and now we are settled with a permanent mooring in Norfolk I visit her and my DS and DIL in Shropshire by train. It makes the visits extra special and our moving away certainly helped her to stand on her own two feet. I dare say your own DD will cope equally well once she has got over the initial shock of you going.

When my youngest started school my parents left to live in Spain. They had a lovely villa in a rural urbanisation with a 30 foot swimming pool and nice Spanish neighbours. The children flew out every summer holiday for 6 weeks of sun and fun and we tended to drive there for a week as part of one of our fishing holidays. The children have wonderful memories of their summers with Grandma & Grandad and their Uncle who lived nearby too. We did feel pressured to go to Spain every year for a holiday and we would rather have holidayed elsewhere.

Just over 3 years ago we left to live in France and start a business here just as both children became parents. Felt a bit selfish and miss seeing them grow up but there is Skype and Facebook and we all share our photos. We chose a house that would be big enough for the family to visit and on reflection we should have bought something smaller but it is a nice house and we do have lots of stuff. So far, only my DD and DGD have visited us and they flew into Paris CDG airport which was a 6 hour round trip for us to collect them. It was lovely to see them and we hope that they come again. Sadly, we were not able to afford to visit them this winter but fingers crossed for this year.

Friends did this 12 years ago and have enjoyed every minute. They sold up lock stock and barrel and since then property has risen out of their reach in England. Now in their 70s, They wish they’d left a bolt hole. Nothing lasts for ever for any of us, but no reason not to go and follow your dream.

I can see the attraction of moving to Spain or somewhere warmer and if that's what you really want to do then you should do it, whatever your family thinks, especially as you have spent 10 years helping with childcare.

However, I wonder if it will be the dream that you are hoping for. I have heard of several people who have moved abroad and it hasn't worked out as they had hoped - and not only older people. Living in a country is very different from holidaying in it.

Personally, I would much rather be near my family and play a part in my grandchildren's lives for at least a few years than be someone they seen three or four times a year, if I'm lucky. Your family may be able to visit you in Spain for holidays but presumably there are work and school considerations and the time they have available will be limited.

Why not do as someone else suggested - Perhaps rent somewhere in Spain for a few months each year and then you will have the best of both worlds.

Yes I have done it but to Portugal not Spain. We moved over 10 years ago but most of our grandchildren were older than yours. As you already have a place in Spain why not just try living there full time for a while without selling your house in the UK. I dont know anything about Spanish inheritance laws but here we just needed to make it known legally that we wanted English inheritance law for our wills which had to be translated into Portuguese. As for Brexit we still don't know exactly what will happen but we feel quite secure here in Portugal. Far from people returning to the UK more and more are buying here. I don't feel I will have tp return to the UK when I am older as the medical services etc here are very good.

Try renting for a few months in the winter. It is not nearly as warm as we imagine, houses are not built for cold weather and utility costs are very high, so is firewood.
You will probably make friends with a small group of people your age and will miss the variety of ages and people one has in England. Many Englisj residents are returning to England, fearful of the costs for elderly care and medical coverage post Brexit.

My friend and partner sold their house and moved to Spain when they retired ten years ago, however, they bought an apartment in the UK to rent out as well as their Spanish villa because it gave them more options. They have now decided with Brexit to become tax resident in the UK. Luckily this has only meant terminating the tenancy and moving into their own apartment for the requisite number of nights each year. There are a lot of uncertainties ahead so be as safe as you can with your options.

Fortunately the grandchildren hadn't come along when the grandchildren came along so the 'difficult conversation' didn't have to be had.
But, when they did I missed them so much we came back to the uk. Fortunately we still kept a property in the uk.
I think we have the perfect set up now. We take the motohome, towing a smart car, down to Spain, leave it there and take flights down when we want some sun.
Friends living in Spain and Gibraltar aren't worried at all by Brexit. They know the Spanish want them there.

Thank you, some really sound advice on here. I hadn't thought of the complicated death taxes in Spain.... something to mull over I believe. We do already own a small property in Spain, just wanted to actually live there. Much food for thought. Perhaps we will keep the UK house. There are some really wise Gransnetters. X

My parents moved to Spain (along with my young sister) when I was 25, with a nearly 2 year old (and a marriage on the rocks which I hadn't told them about, as it was their dream). They stayed for just over 10 years, they decided to come home, when my sister moved back to UK, and step-father developed a health problem. Managed to buy a small house outright near us, which meant we could support them as the health problems became more complex. I never once resented them for going, they had a fantastic 11 years, and myself, new husband and Grandchildren have wonderful happy family memories of Nanny Spain. It was however with a hop, skip and jump and an extremely happy heart that I met them on their return flight home.

Go for it

As Mamie said ^ thread, rentals are very reasonable in Spain, particularly during the winter months. I would seriously consider this option, and try it out, before selling up and buying.
We have just returned to the uk after 15 years in France. A wonderful time was had, but I always knew I didn’t want to end my days there. My husband is now 70, and it was time to make the transition back. It’s been hard work and stressful, so we wouldn’t have wanted to leave it longer. It’s great to be back. We now have grandchildren in the uk which is another positive bonus.
If I had the choice to do it all again, I would do so, but with retaining a base in the uk.
Good luck with your decision making