Hello everyone.

Hi Lin and Paul and welcome to the forum.

We moved out here in 2018 and love it. The Spanish people are very welcoming and helpful. Keep asking questions here, it's the only way to learn about the areas. It's mid November and we spend a lot of our time on the beaches. 

There are a lot of brits out here so language shouldn't be a problem but try and learn a bit of Spainish.

Welcome to the forum, when this pandemic allows try renting in the area you are interested in, that way you can get a "feel" for the place before you commit to buying.

Some areas are mostly residential which means there will be more people about during the winter months whereas mostly holiday home areas will be much quieter in the winter months and possibly quite noisy in the summer months.

My advice would be to buy somewhere near amenities and a medical centre as there may come a time when you can't or dont wish to drive.

If you dont speak Spanish dealing with bureaucracy and hospital and Doctor appointments can be difficult and you may be asked to bring a translator with you, which of course will be at your expense.

Medical treatment here in Spain is very good, but little or nothing in the way of after care, another thing to think about. However not being in receipt of UK state pension means you will have to take out private medical insurance.

Not all Supermarkets deliver, for instance I have a Mercadona less than a kilometre away yet they dont deliver to our Urbanisation, very few supermarkets sell newspapers and magazines it's nothing like the UK where you can get practically everything including picking up a prescription and getting your eyes tested under one roof. There are no little corner shops to pop to if you forget something or just fancy a bar of chocolate! There are no Boots type shops but the pharmacies are very good and the staff who work in the pharmacies are very knowledgeable.

Winter can be very cold and damp recently we had 4 days of rain when everything felt damp and very cold, my advice would be bring your electric blanket, brushed cotton sheets and plenty of warm clothes.

July and August are stiflingly hot and humid, very uncomfortable.

Plenty to think about, take your time dont be rushed into making any hasty decisions. You will know what's right for you.

As a footnote, if you ever think about getting some building work done go on personal recommendations and never, ever pay up front. You will find a lot of what I would call false friends ie Brits who offer to do work for you, and I think we have all fallen for the " a brit would not rip off another brit" scenario until Brexit forced peoples hands there were a lot of so called tradesmen working illegally cash in hand paying no tax and not insured, they may give lower quotes for the work but there will be no come back should things go wrong.

I know it annoys the tradesmen who do everything by the book, pay their taxes, are insured etc as they can't compete with the low prices the others charge.

Good luck with your search 🥂

Can I suggest that you have a look at the Citizens Advice Bureau Spain website for bureaucratic things (and there are a lot of those) and the N332 website for anything to do with driving in Spain.   The latter is run in collaboration with officers of the Guardia Civil (their relevant department is Trafico) for English speaking people and it has an English version of the Spanish equivalent of the Highway Code.

Also, be aware that there are two places called La Marina in the area to which you refer.   One is the actual village on the sea side of the N332 road (this comes under the jurisdiction of the town of Elche) and the other is an urbanisation (estate), on the non-sea side of the N332, and this comes under the jurisdiction of San Fulgencio.   Both are just north of Guardamar which is north of Torrevieja.

Hi Lin & Paul, I’m not wishing to dampen your enthusiasm about planning a future out in Spain, but are you aware of the new post Brexit requirements for people either wishing to move and live full-time in Spain, and also for those wishing to purchase a second home for regular visits.

There are stringent financial requirements that need to be met, as well as taking out private healthcare insurance so, if not already read, please take the time to search this forum, and others, for this information - there are plenty of posts about it !

Thank you all for your replies.

We certainly have so much to think about and to be honest, I think this pandemic and Brexit rules have certainly had a big impact on whether it would be viable or not for us.

The previous replies have all been spot on. If you are both free from work and in a position to travel to Spain, your very best move would be to rent and do your own research by driving around the coastal and non coastal areas and find an area that appeals to both of you. Personally, I love being beside the sea and there are many wonderful coastal areas that you too would love to spend time in.

My honest advice is to keep your home in Bath and rent it out through a good agent. You should receive a good monthly income which would allow you to rent in Spain and gave money over as well. Yes, there is a 90 day only rule but you could go at the beginning of January and stay until the end of March. Return in September and leave at the end of November. Return again at start of March for another 3 months.  Bath is such a popular tourist area that you could do Air B&B where you could mark off the times when you would be in residence and take bookings for when you are in Spain.  Houses increase in value in the U.K. but don’t do much in Spain. Not great if you sell up and buy in Spain and some years later need to return home to Bath. Impossible to buy because the houses will be too costly. I cannot impress the importance of thinking about all eventualities in the future. Be wise. Sometimes people’s don’t stop to think of anything other that Spain’s good climate.  It’s a mine field. Research, research, research. People who become residents have to pay more in tax than we do at home... that’s a biggie. 
Good luck.

hello I read your post about moving to Spain  very helpful- I am a single mature lady very interested in moving to La Marina to be close to the sea..and  within walking distance of amenities and beach..  Being single I am wondering if there are any groups and volunteering opportunities in the area.  Which of the Urbanisations are closest to the beach.?  thanks again. Julia 

They are not Brexit rules as they have been in existence for some time for anyone moving to Spain from a Third Country, i.e. not an EU country.