moving to la marina - Page 3

thanks, they are on the list,just looking at san isidro ,coincidence,coming over in oct,but waiting for outcome of brexit, gracias.sean and anita

Hi Sean & Anita

I live in Crevillent which has the best health centre and hospital in the Costa Blanca - Vinalopo.  Also it is only 15 minutes to the airport, 20 minutes to the beach and 6 minutes to the AVE high speed train station.   It is a rich town because it has been well managed and the local (Council) tax is very low.   I live 2 minutes from town centre and have 3 acres of ground with many (300)  trees, ideal for dogs, (!)  

Neighbours are close enough but not close enough for comfort.   My house is for sale.  PM me if you are interested.

Richard

Sean and Anita 

We moved here when I was 63 hubby 74 so we took a big leap of faith, not easy at that age but we could not have moved when were younger , I wish we could have, it was my dream to live in Spain. We have a beautiful dog who only barks at passing dogs or a stray cat, but we never have any problems here in La Marina, it’s ideal for us because every amenities within walking or short drive distance. Make sure you have a excellent Solicitor to cross all the Ts and dots, and make friends with your neighbours as they are important, good luck & en

Hello thank you for you email, you have put our minds at rest, I guess I am worried not sure why. I have lived as far as Singapore Cyprus and Germany when I was younger. Maybe its because I am older, we live in a lovely 3 bed detached bungalow in County Kerry Ireland. Fantastic views small village within walking distance, an acre of grassed back garden. I guess it frightn's me if it doesn't work out we will have sold our home and have no where to go. It sounds as if you are very happy and thank you for your advice on getting a good solicitor. Thats another worry getting a good one. Anyway we will be over next month and we will be viewing some propertys. 

Thank you again and it would be lovely if you stay in touch

Kind regards Anita & Sean

Hi Sean and Anita,

Greetings from Co.Antrim.

Having read your your post and most of the replies. I thought I would add my penny’s worth!

1. If you can afford to have a property at home as well as Spain, it is definitely worth thinking about. You could rent it out while living in Spain if that worked for you.

2. Your dogs.  They should like lovely well loved animals. My cousins moved from N.I. permanently to La Marina over a year ago. They have their two dogs and tell me that they have met so many people because of their Dogs!  People stop to talk with them while out walking. There are so many dog lovers. It is my opinion that the people who leave their poor dogs to be locked up all day long and howling or barking are the spanish themselves. It is only recently that the spanish began to clean up after their dog and some still do not. When we bought in Spain almost 19 years ago, the footpaths were like an obstacle course. Disgusting but of late are greatly improved.

3. Our cousins tried renting in Oliva ( near Valencia) for 6 months with a view to buying there. Believe it or not, their climate was not as good as the micro climate around Torrevieja salt lakes so they bought in La Marina....a detached bungalow which required a lot of work to make it their home. Their hard work is almost completed and the house is transformed as is their garden. Most of the people living there are expats so there is no problem with the language!  Both John and Maggie have settled in, made friends with their neighbours and she volunteeers in a charity shop which also helps her to meet more people and integrate.

4. Torrevieja is a very large working town on the coast.  Very busy in July and worse in August when all the spanish from Madrid arrive at their properties to get away from the intense inland heat.  There is always life in Torrevieja. Stunning walks closeby along the wonderful promenades. I love going into town in the morning during the winter months, while enjoying our coffee overlooking the sea, it is a joy to watch all the people promenading. The older spanish people tend to dress more formally than we do...gentlemen in suits and arms linked with their elderly well dressed wife. I am laughing as most of these wives are my age but I refuse to grow old so tend to dress in a more modern and youthful way.

4. Sit down  with a jogger. List the important requirements for each of you.

Do you want to be close to the coast?

Distance from the airport.....cheap airport bus from airport directly into Torrevieja .

Will you buy a Car?  If not, you will NEED a good bus service near your new home.

Will you buy an apartment or a house?   Spend time walking the area, listen for traffic, noise, barking dogs.   Look to see if the houses are in good Nick. So many people have bought summer homes but no longer visit them..long grass, weedset.,

5. Simple things like parking a car outside is a must. Somewhere that you can hang your washing out is vital. Aircon with cold and hot ...a must.  I always advice that you try to keep your lounge closed off for heating during the winter. People find it difficult to believe how cold it can be at nighttime . Once the sun descends at 4ish, all heat goes!  I keep a woolly hat, gloves and anoraks for our walks when it is cold and windy. Walking along the coast is breathtaking and you can stop off for refreshments on your way back....so cheap!  My coffee in M&S here costs £2.75 while 2 coffees in Spain cost less than that.

6.Depending on how much money you plan to spend you will find that different areas are different prices.

7. Don’t get too carried away when you see a fantastic property....stop and ask yourselves if this is where  you want to live for the rest of your lives. Be wise. Think sensibly. Houses/apartments are expensive to sell so don’t make any mistakes.

8. If an estate agent shows you around and you like one of them....slow down. Think before you leap.  Make sure the price isn’t more that others nearby.  Check and see where the sun is....vital for living and reselling.  A solarium is a big plus. You can relax on it all winter long and of course, you can dry your washing there too. We have put our loungers, a rotten suite and a table/ chairs on ours and I much prefer the winter season to the intensity of the summer months.

9. If you keep a home in Ireland / Birmingham, you will probably leave Spain and return there to escape the dreaded heat during July and August. Driving will be your best option with your dogs as flying with them is either extortionate or not viable.

10.  Living in Spain is perfect for retirees. No question about it, the climate suits us best.  We would probably stay longer but we would miss our family and friends so tend to pop  back and forth so have the best of both worlds.

11.  If you would like to speak with our cousins, please let me know and I know they would love to meet with you when you visit later on. Sometimes getting the chance to  speak to someone who was in the same boat as you..helps!

12. Good luck.

Always keep your jotter/notebook in your handbag and add anything that might be important to your list. You can’t trust your memory at our stage of life.

Sit down with a JOTTER but if you know a jogger, you could sit down them them too! Predictive text drives me mad.

Hi Grannyrose

 We cant thank you enough for your advice, we were in Torrevieja in May. We found it a bit to busy but loved the surrounding areas. We walked for miles and found some fantastic resturants, coffee shops and museums  Next month we are going to Guardama and La Marina. We will be looking at some property's while there. We live in county Kerry and have a lovely 3 bedroom bungalow next to the river and sea. I guess I am just frightened of leaving my home at my age (63), and finding Spain is just a dream and not what Sean expects. He has had this dream of living in Spain for many years. I have been very lucky and lived in many country's and know what it is like to set up home in a different country. I have explained to him that going on holiday and living some where different are totally different. We have only been married 2 years and feel that we are still on honeymoon. We have children and Grandchildren between us and they support us no matter what we decide. It would be lovely to speak to other expats that have made the move to see if we can take the leap. I hope we can. We are really looking forward to our holiday. We are staying in a hotel for 10 days and then go back to Torrevieja for a few days, we want to go back to the Irish pub and see all the friends we made in May. I think if we can get a good solicitor who will help us with all the legal bits we will probably move over. Sean is now 73 and feels if we are going to make the move it must be soon. He has been learning the language every day and getting very good at it. We will have to sell our property as we are not able to afford both a home there and keep this one. We are also waiting to see what the outcome of Brexit is as I have a British pass port but Sean has an Irish one. We will be bringing the dogs with us as they are a hugh part of our family. Lady is a big white sheperd and Saorse is a collie so we are looking foe a bungalow with a good size garden for them. After reading your email we are feeling very positive and hope you will be kind enough to keep in touch with us. Once again Thank you  

Kind regards 

Anita & Sean

Delighted to hear from you.

Our solicitor in Torrevieja came highly recommended and have never let us down. We decided to continue using their service and each year,they take care of our suma and anything else that is necessary. The wonderful advantage is that Alwynne is a Scottish lady so the language is no problem! Naturally other members of staff are spanish but we always deal with her. Last year when we bought a new car, her advice and help was invaluable, couldn’t have done it without her.

We are hoping to spend 2 weeks at our house from 24th September  until 11th October. If you happen to be visiting at that time, it would be lovely to meet up.

If you would like the name and address of the solicitor, let me know. The firm is based in the centre of Torrevieja.

Many people would advise that you consider renting for 6 months or longer so that you can find your feet. The only draw back there is that it may not be the type of property that you would wish to spend your life in.

We have friends who rent their house in the U.K. and use the rental to pay for the house they rent in Spain, I personally think that is a very good idea.   They found a lovely home to rent in Benijofar , a little inland but lots of English speakers there too.

You have options open to you. You say that your husband is 73 so a bungalow may be your best option for obvious reasons. 

Keep asking questions on this forum and hopefully you will be well advised before taking the leap.

much appreciated,jan,just a well done message,sean and anita

Hi.

I don¨t know if you have found a property yet but I have just seen your post.. I live 7Kms from Orihuela city on the edge of San Bartolome ( 1 km away ) surrounded by orange and lemon groves. We have 3 dogs living with us and the garden is ideal for them A 3 bedroomed villa with pool. Should you still be interested then I would be happy to show you around.