General introduction

Hello David

I live in Benidorm therefore can't answer any queries on the area(s) you are considering. The following website will give you a good idea of what is available in your preferred area together with the current price range. You can use the interactive map to drill down to a particular area(s):

www.idealista.com 

You may also be interested in the following links which contain information issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs for Irish citizens moving to Spain:

https://www.dfa.ie/irish-embassy/spain/our-services/new-to-spain/residency-and-entry-requirements/

https://www.dfa.ie/irish-embassy/spain/our-services/new-to-spain/residency-and-entry-requirements/

The following links will explain what the requirements are to obtain a NIE number (equivalent to Personal Public Number) and the documents required when applying for residency:

https://www.dfa.ie/irish-embassy/spain/our-services/new-to-spain/residency-and-entry-requirements/

https://www.dfa.ie/irish-embassy/spain/our-services/new-to-spain/residency-and-entry-requirements/

If you haven't already got one I would recommend applying for an Irish Passport Card. This card is similar in size to a credit card and avoids carrying your passport around. It can be used for identification purposes and for travel throughout the EU/EEA and the UK. This link will provide further information:

https://www.dfa.ie/irish-embassy/spain/our-services/new-to-spain/residency-and-entry-requirements/

Good luck!

What  ever you  do ,Rent  before you Purchase,  as  mistake  can costs  Thousands,  with Solicitors fees  Estate agents  fee  and Purchase  Ta,x

Keep  a  base back in Ireland  as will  possibly  need to get  away  from Mad  😠  Heat June  July  August, 

Cost of  living  much the same  as  Ireland 🇮🇪 

Dog  are mostly  on  Leads the most of time,  not  running  around  Park  like Dublin,  I  lived there  for 26 years. I  have a  Dog  myself  takes getting  use  to

A  Car is almost  essential  as Public  transport  is  OK  but like Dublin  if  you want  to get  from North side of Dublin  to Southside  with  Public transport   3 hours,  Torrevieja  much the same,  getting  weekly shopping  home in Hot weather   think  about  it, Getting  away for a few days

You  would  like some Privacy  and Land so you could  find  yourself  on out skirts of a Town   that  had all the Amenities, Just  like Ireland  could you  survive  without  a  Car  outside  of  Wicklow   ,  Navan.

Make  sure you have  some Hobbies  to past  the time if you are not working,  Learn some  Spanish  it  will help  a lot

Drinks  and Dining  out  very reasonable 👌 

That my honest  opinion , oh  patience  is  a must when try  to get things  done ✔ 🙂 

Wherever you decide on ,rent at first . We moved here in 2016 when we retired and rented before buying . It was the best decision we ever made as it gave us an opportunity to see what an area was like ,particularly in the Winter time . Another tip would be to  try and learn a little Spanish . It is useful to be able to communicate particularly if you need to use medical services . We live in Playa Flamenca ,I dont drive but I dont find it a disadvantage as I am close to shops ,gym ,restaurants etc . Finally, the cost of living is far lower than in Ireland and even on a pension you will be able to live comfortably 

Sligogent had said it all. Yes, you can manage very well with public transport but after a while you will want your own independence and a car will give you that. Car insurance is so cheap in Spain. Buy a new car and you could keep it for years( no rust in Spain). Coming from a beautiful city like Dublin is vastly different to living in somewhere like  Gran Alicant   A car gives you the freedom to sightsee off season and there are so many great places to visit.
I totally agree that you should keep a bolt hole somewhere in Ireland for you are the family to go to. Don’t burn your bridges. Rent the place out on an air b&b basis and keep some availability for yourselves.  The winter in Spain is my favourite time. Warm enough for shorts but cold once the sun goes down ( no cloud cover). Living in Spain is wonderful but it’s not the same as a holiday. You’ll have to learn to change a habit of a lifetime. You’ll begin by walking and walking and walking. Stop for coffees or lunch. Reading and doing nothing constructive really.  Don’t even consider bringing furniture with you. Most properties are far smaller than ours and your furniture won’t suit your new home. Beds ok if you have good beds. Most properties come furnished anyway. If you like the furniture then that’s fine but if it’s not to your taste, you’d be well advised to buy locally and dump the rest. 

Having a dog will help you to strike up conversations with passers and others. Once you make some friends, that will help you to settle in. You’ll hanker to go home at certain times so it would benefit if you had a place to go to. Remember, your property in Dublin will increase in value while the properties in Spain don’t !!   Having said that, the cost of buying a good place in Spain has suddenly gone up in the past couple of years so start looking quickly. 

When you come over to look around, pop over and take a good look at the La Mata side of Torrevieja. I’d highly recommend this village. Gorgeous beach with everything you’ll need including a superb bus service. 

There’s an urbanisation between Alicante and Guardamar called La Marina.  It’s mostly residential which would suit you. A few kilometres to the beach. No real bus service so you’d need a car. Vastly English speaking. 

Guardamar is also ideal for you.  Buy near the sea, it’s perfect for walking on the boardwalks.  Dogs ARE NOT ALLOWED ON BEACHES sadly. 

in the intense heat, you’ll have to rise early and walk Declane  before the footpaths become too hot. Walk on the shady side of the road. Make boots for his paws to save them being burned. 

You are permitted to bring a dog onto the outside terrace of pubs and restaurants but not inside. 

We bought on the La Mata side of Torrevieja 21 years ago when we were your age. My husband retired early and I didn’t work so we were able to visit regularly.  We still live in N I and travel to Spain regularly.  Life has changed vastly in those years. Our children are all now married with family. They don’t use the house anymore than a week or so in the year. My daughters like to holiday in hotels where they have their beds made and meals prepared for them. They love staying with us but holidays are subject to children’s school timetables. Flights are extortionate. The house is essentially ours. We love it, we have a solarium for winter sunbathing and drying the clothes.  Great front area for dining.  Dry to find a bigger budget and buy the house that really suits you. Don’t buy one with stairs coming into the lounge as you’ll never heat that room on cold winter nights. 

Sorry for rambling. I wish you the very best for your future in Spain. 

A couple of websites that may be of help are as follows:

Citizens Advice Bureau Spain for bureaucratic stuff, and

N332 (they also have a Facebook page) for anything to do with driving in Spain.   This site is run in collaboration with officers of the Guardia Civil for English speaking people.

Bear in mind that away from the coast public transport is virtually non-exdistent.   I live in Almoradi (about a 15-20 minute drive inland from Torrevieja).   We have quite a nice bus station but not many buses.

It helps a lot if you try to learn the Spanish language.   If you attend a Centro de Salud (medical centre), a hospital, a police station or a town hall (ayuntamiento) if you don't speak the language then you will need to take a translator with you.   Although I can get by on a day to day basis by speaking in my rudimentary Spanish I always take a translator with me when attending any of these places.

Hi John, apologies for only reverting now as away in South East Asia. Fair play and thanks for the advise. Talk soon. D&C

Hi Sligo Gent, apologies  for only reverting now as away in South East Asia. Super advise and talk soon. D&C

Hi Eileen, apologies only reverting now as away in South East Asia. Great reply and advise. Tks D&C