Life in Guardamar in winter - Page 2

Hey Andrea , thanks so much for all the info will have a read online . My hub says that there being craft shops etc are a disincentive to moving to Spain ( think he is fed up of me craft shopping lol ) I know you get people everywhere who are just lovely and helpful like you and others who it is best to distance yourself from . Thank you so much for your help you have been great xx🤗

You are welcome.   Also, tell your husband that there is lots to do out here NOT JUST CRAFT, I do not have time for craft and I used to make all my own and my son's clothes, just too much to do out here.   Time for a change maybe?   Crafting a little less and something new with hubby like dancing?

Hi Andrea told him he said thank goodness for that . I have been thinking for some time that I need to stop spending so much on craft , I literally have a shop full of stuff in my double spare bedroom . It’s all in the future and I’m so looking forward to it . Xx🦋🤗

Life in Guardamar in winter...

My husband and I regularly drive over to Guardamar during the day to have a coffee or something to eat on the seafront.  The sun shines( usually) all day and the promenade is bussing with people relaxing and enjoying their coffee overlooking the stunning beach. The shops in Guardamar are lovely and the town itself is very attractive.

If you can afford to buy in a Guardamar, then give it serious consideration. Guardamar has a good market on every Wednesday morning which draws people in from out lying areas. The town is close to Torrevieja, La Mata and if you go towards Alicante,it is near Santa Pola too. Many people enjoy eating out at lunchtime and making that meal the main one of the day...menu Del Dias are superb value for money. Elche City is closeby too and a great place to wander through.

The winter in any town in Spain is going to be quieter and after a while,you will come to prefer that. I love getting up and dressing in lightweight clothes instead of heavy sweaters and a coat!  The best advice I can give you is to be certain that you have access to British T.V channels. Perhaps I am wrong, but normally people stay at home in the evenings and relax in front of their telly and that is what most people do in Spain. Of course,there are numerous bars and restaurants open should you wish to visit them.

More and more Scandinavian people are coming to the Costa for the winter, they are very friendly people and usually speak very good English. You could consider joining some clubs and organisations. This forum will offer you lots of advice as will the Talk Quesada one.

Will you have a car....that is the big question ? If so, the world is your oyster! So much to see and do no matter where you are based but Guardamar is idyllic and if the enjoy walking,then that is the place for you.

Give it a try and let us know how you fared.

Hi Rose ,thank you so much for all that info .We have been to Elche loved it there especially the old part .We did much as you do going to Guardamar for coffee and lunches lot of the time , out all day and as you say home in the evening to watch tv .My hub went down the hill at Rojales to watch football and walked back ( I couldn’t do the hill ) .We can buy in Guardamar but I keep reading that Quesada,Rojales,Beniofar etc would be more lively and more going on what do you think?

Oh yes we I’ll have a car I don’t think we would manage without one .We are definitely up for joining clubs etc ,I’m a very friendly well we both are so I think if we join stuff we will be ok .When we came earlier this year for a month I found the beds very hard as per usual and I was so cold luckily I always bring my hot water bottle so I was good .We stayed in Rojales up a very steep hill I nearly had kittens the first few times but got used to it.Will be making sure we have British tv we were so thankful for it last time .

I’m so looking forward to coming back .Thank you so much Rose for taking the time to speak to me via this forum much appreciated.X 😇

Fairy108, keep encouraging the husband about lots of other things to do and join, will help you lots.   Good luck,

Morning Andrea ,oh don’t worry I’m on it I keep telling him how much money I will have when I’m not buying craft .Thank you so much .Its lovely to talk to people who are already living my dream .X😇

Important.

When viewing a property, always make sure that you can shut the sitting room door and do not have stairs coming into it. If not, you will find it nigh impossible to keep your sitting room warm in the winter. Use the hour aircon in the bedrooms when getting dressed or undressed. Make sure you have a good wall heater in the bathroom. People forget how cool it becomes in the evenings and remains so until after 10 am.

It is the little things that matter!

Look for a good area for drying the washing, preferably not on your terrace or balcony. Look for good storage for suitcases etc., people become over excited with the idea of becoming home owners in the sun and forget the basic needs. I could write a list of vital requirements! Rent in Guardamar if you can otherwise you will never know if you have missed out or not.mwould you consider La Mata?  I love it and would consider buying there if I started again. It is on the flat, all properties are within walking distance of the beach, loads of eateries, great bus service into Torrevieja, a stunning boardwalk for exercise which is used night and day. You always see people playing bowls or petanca as the spanish call it. Rent if uncertain.

We were very fortunate as my sister in law and brother in law marked our card for us and picked a wonderful house which we have had for over 16years. Looking back, I am not certain How or where we would have decided to buy. 

We spend about 6 months every year going back and forth and count ourselves fortunate to live this dream.

If I can help in any way, let me know.

Best wishes,

Rosemary.

Wow thanks for all that very good tips there and especially the one about not having stairs into the lounge would not have thought of that .We have heard of La mata and it’s one of the places we will look at when we come over .Its so good to have some insider knowledge I can’t tell you how grateful I am .

Do you still have a property in uk we are undecided if we should keep one ,we were once told by a guy On a plane not to keep a uk home as we would never settle anywhere .What is Torrevieja like for shops and where do you shop for clothes gifts etc ,we found c&a in La zenia last time .Rosemary thank you so much 🤗🦋😇

Yes, we still keep our home in the U.K. We love Spain but would not consider pulling up our roots. If you can afford to have both, do what we do and come and go. There is always something going on at home and having your own home in Britain is a plus. At present, we have booked to go to Spain on Monday week but our daughter needs us at home so we are probably going to cancel Spain and Do what is more important and support her in her hour of need. Believe it or not, we are in London now doing our grandparent duties.

You must decide if you really WANT to live in Spain and leave home. If that is the way to go, then that is fine. Many people have pulled up their roots and adopted Spain and embraced the lifestyle and love it. In our case, we never intended to leave Northern Ireland, that is our home. In saying that, we absolutely love having a second home in Spain and as said before spend a lot of time there...particularly in the winter months. I could NEVER be in Spain during the month of August as the heat is unsuited to my body and all the aircon in the world would not help to change my mind. I do not enjoy the dark winter days at home so embrace the spanish climate at that time. 

When buying your spanish property, make sure that it is in a good area and can be resold easily. All too often people have bought some distance from the beach or in an undesirable area and lost their hard earned money. Buy a notebook and drive around the whole area and record what you see, what you like, what you dislike, check for a good bus service...you may not need it but when selling,it will help. Look for schools, churches, shops etc.,and see what state they are in. Be wise, open your eyes and before long you will know precisely where you would consider buying.

If buying an apartment, check to see how many are lived in, look for rental signs.

A lot of apartments are rented by spanish people and this may not suit your lifestyle. It may sound awful to say this but in my opinion a lot of spanish are not as House proud as we brits!  The walls are paper thin and you can hear every word or shout from the neighbours. In truth, it is a mine field! Choose wisely and all will be well.

Good luck and happy house hunting.