Reasons for selling up

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kevin77
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Reasons for selling up

Postby kevin77 » Sat Jan 07, 2006 2:51 pm

I have cut & pasted this reply from Lion to a question I asked in the smoking section. I think there is enough there for a new topic, if thats OK with Admin.
Quote:
Hope you sell the house (links are scrubbed by Admin by the way)
Whats the reason for going back home, Lion? Tell me to shut up, if its personal reasons.
What has the last 2 years been like, was it what you expected, better or worse? Any advice for newcomers etc.
Your comments would be of interest to everyone, I am sure.
Start a new topic if you like.


Yeah I noticed the signature had gone the next day!

We are moving back because we cannot settle, it's too different for us, weather aside we prefer the UK to live.

I feel like a child here to be honest, with regards to paperwork/taxation etc, I have to rely on snippets of information from fellow expats which is often contradictory so I don't feel in control, back in the UK things are easier (more expensive though I know) and I know where I am with regards to above.

Also we have a 6 year old daughter to consider, the levels of education in this village are appalling.

I don't regret moving here as we had to see for ourselves or else we would have always wondered "What If" but it's time to move on now.

Our house has been on the market for 15 months now though and we have reduced the price in that time several times, the Spanish property market seems saturated to the extremes to me and there is not enough demand for what's on the market, too many new builds going up leaving re-sales suffering as a consequence.
[/quote]

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Susan2
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Postby Susan2 » Sat Jan 07, 2006 4:31 pm

I agree with the 4th para - back in the UK I ran my own business, had no problems, understood and handled everything. But here? I've never felt so out of control in my life - it's scary and I'm beginning to doubt I can hack it. Good luck to you in selling your place here - I hope everything goes well for you and your family.

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Re: Reasons for selling up

Postby Bongtrees » Sat Jan 07, 2006 4:34 pm

How refreshing to read a straightforward and honest account from someone who has tried it and found it didnt suit them.

I wish Lion better luck with the house sale this year.

Mike

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Lion
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Postby Lion » Sat Jan 07, 2006 5:21 pm

Thanks all.

To be honest if we don't sell soon we are going to move back to UK to rent instead.

We have nearly 60 viewings of our house from potential buyers now and have even agreed a sale once but the elderly man changed his mind on returning to the UK (probably talked out of it by worried relatives).

Most of our viewings are time wasters from agents though, the agents bring them up to this mountain village even though they want somewhere on the coast simply because it's all they have on their books that's in the clients budget.

This annoys us as it's a waste of everyone's time.

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Postby spanish_lad » Sat Jan 07, 2006 5:28 pm

to be honest if we ever went back / moved on it would be because of the work situation i think.
Alhaurin el Grande since 99, working at the airport since 2011.

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kevin77
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Postby kevin77 » Sat Jan 07, 2006 6:13 pm

Lion, you didnt mention the work situation. Did you/ do you have employment? Were financial considerations a factor in your decision?

Midnight Rambler

Postby Midnight Rambler » Sat Jan 07, 2006 8:23 pm

kevin77 wrote:Take no notice of him Lion, the only thing of importance that would make him move back is if the cigs got too expensive. Oh and dont forget to state your preference on that all :? important topic of pedigree dogs.
I think your questions are well in order Kevin, many times you hear people moaning about their lot on the Costa del Sol but rarely do you hear the reasons why or analysis of the situation, I'll be moving there in the next 3-4 weeks, I might be the next moaner on this site, be gentle with me!

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Lion
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Postby Lion » Sat Jan 07, 2006 8:26 pm

Lion, you didnt mention the work situation. Did you/ do you have employment? Were financial considerations a factor in your decision?
I am a freelance web designer and work from home and although I am not breaking even that's not a factor as I have not pushed myself (never advertised etc.) as I realised we are moving back so am only doing jobs where people approach me through word of mouth from other clients I have done sites for.

I must admit though that if we were staying long term I would be concerned that I might not be able to find enough British clients to do sites for as many web agencies are out there now.

My wife has been doing the odd property clean for brits who have holiday homes here and we have done a bit of pool cleaning also.
spanish hopes wrote:I'm not so nosey as some lion but would you mind letting us know your blood group, ethnic group, what credit debit cards you have, etc. etc.
:lol:

Blood Group (havn't a clue :oops: )
Ethnic Group White
what credit debit cards you have, etc. etc. 2 Credits and 1 Debit, do you want me to PM you my number/expiry dates and the last 3 digits off the back :wink:

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Postby spanish_lad » Sat Jan 07, 2006 9:03 pm

errrrrrrrrrrrrrrrm so if you haven´t advertised, u cant say that its because of lack of work that you are moving back to the uk., if you had a better grasp of the language, do you think you would stay ?

would u care to list the reasons that you feel u have to move back to the uk ?

why do u feel "out of control" ?
Alhaurin el Grande since 99, working at the airport since 2011.

spanish hopes

Postby spanish hopes » Sat Jan 07, 2006 9:05 pm

2 Credits and 1 Debit, do you want me to PM you my number/expiry dates and the last 3 digits off the back
:D No thanks lion but my cousin in Nigeria may be in touch shortly as he is in charge of the family finances. :wink: :lol:

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Postby Lavanda » Sat Jan 07, 2006 9:48 pm

I hope to be moving away from Andalucia this Spring as well but my reason is that I want to leave town life (Coín) and live in the campo. I have spent some time looking at property further inland but have now decided to look MUCH further inland - Extremadura, in fact. It seems to me that I can get the kind of rural Spanish life I am looking for, have greener countryside, towns steeped in Roman, Moorish and Spanish culture, friendly people, Castillian Spanish AND land and property for less than half what such a place might cost me in Andalucia.

I do hope to work in Spain for a while before I retire but learning Spanish is still, after four years, a constant, steady one hour a day process in the UK and a 24 hour a day reality when I am in Spain.

Paperwork is difficult, long-winded and slow but I have always found someone willing to help BUT I've had to do most of the brain work because all help comes in Spanish. It is hard - but for me I cannot now imagine not having a future life in some part of Spain.

Good Luck, Lion.

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Lion
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Postby Lion » Sat Jan 07, 2006 10:10 pm

errrrrrrrrrrrrrrrm so if you haven´t advertised, u cant say that its because of lack of work that you are moving back to the uk., if you had a better grasp of the language, do you think you would stay ?

would u care to list the reasons that you feel u have to move back to the uk ?

why do u feel "out of control" ?
If you read my comments above you will see that lack of work isn't the reason for me returning to UK, I havn't advertised simply for the reason that I knew I was returning to UK so it seemed pointless.

Regarding the "Out of control" I just do, I don't like relying on word of mouth from other brits who give me contradictory information.

I admit my lack of Spanish hasn't helped matters and I did start having paid for lessons when we got here but again when we realised we were moving back I gave up on them so my spanish is very limited.

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Postby spanish_lad » Sat Jan 07, 2006 11:08 pm

i DID read your replies above, thats why i was asking. you said that you dont advertise, so obviously dont "need" the money to live here, so i was wondering why you are going back if it is not work / money related?


is it JUST because you dont feel "in control" in spain?

wouldn´t you feel more "in control" if you learnt spanish? or are you giving up and running away back to the uk?
Alhaurin el Grande since 99, working at the airport since 2011.

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Lion
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Postby Lion » Sun Jan 08, 2006 12:24 am

It's a number of reason as I have already stated, not just the feeling like a child "not in control" thing, and like I said I gave up Spanish lessons when we decided that Spain was not for us to save on expenses.
or are you giving up and running away back to the uk?
:roll:

Over 50% of brits that move to Spain will return to UK within 12 months so I am certainly not in the minority of people that don't settle.

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Postby kevin77 » Sun Jan 08, 2006 1:20 am

You do what you want Lion, sounds to me that your work opportunities were a lot worse than England, but a lot better than some who settle in Spain. Maybe you could support your life here? You need at least 2 years to get a good level of Spanish - you should have started studying back in England before you moved!! Obviously you have the child to consider. In a way you are being courageous for going back home, OK you will get certain people who label you a failure, but the biggest failures I have seen are the Brits working behind the bar on the Costa for 5 euros an hour, 15 years residence, cant speak any Spanish and they havent the bottle to go home, they are keeping up appearances. Meeting them scared the **** out of me!

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meseta
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statistic ??

Postby meseta » Sun Jan 08, 2006 9:11 am

Out of interest where did you get this statistic ?

It seems to me to be a little wide of the mark.

"Over 50% of brits that move to Spain will return to UK within 12 months so I am certainly not in the minority of people that don't settle."

Good luck !

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Postby frank » Sun Jan 08, 2006 10:56 am

I don't know about the 50% figure, but the rate of disappointed Brits is quite high. Some opt to go home, some tough it out, and some, even if they wanted to, could not afford to go back to UK and get back on the property ladder.(or face being labelled a failure) Personally, I think "Lion" is doing the right thing, if it's not for him, better that he returns "home". For those with loads of money, the situation can be quite different, but I've also seen Brits we knew, crotcheting hats and selling them in the Sunday market at Marbella bullring, trying to make a few pesetas! Others doing menial, cleaning jobs, something they would never have considered doing in UK, and for an absolute pittance. I've always maintained that Spain is a fine place to move to if money is not a problem, if you don't need to work. If you need a job, that's when a lot of the problems seem to kick in. Firstly, there are few jobs available (a much higher unemployment rate than UK), what there are are poorly paid, and most people will rule themselves out by not having an adequate level of Spanish. Some will of course, successfully sort out a well paid job, but they are few and far between. I think I shall continue to sit here on the fence in UK, and continue to just holiday there! ;-)
Regards, Frank

No soy residente, simplemente un turista, ¿qué sé yo?

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Lion
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Re: statistic ??

Postby Lion » Sun Jan 08, 2006 11:27 am

kevin77 wrote:Maybe you could support your life here?
Maybe I could have - bills are a lot cheaper than UK (especially council tax) it's something I will never find out now, but I do know that all the paperwork that goes with running your own business here is a bit of a nightmare especially if you cannot speak/read/write fluent spanish.
meseta wrote:Out of interest where did you get this statistic ?
I read it in an online newspaper article last year, I can't find a link to it now though, I too thought the figure looked too high, even I don't come into that statistic having been here two years.

Guest

Postby Guest » Sun Jan 08, 2006 11:47 am

Dear Midnight Roamer,
These stores such as "lions case" are fascinating to read. I meet dreamers (come here with no money, no expertise and no spanish all the time) and people like yourself who have a plan, many just fade away and you do not know what has happened to them.

So to my point Roamer, do you have a plan?, do you have kids?, are you retired?- it would be interesting to hear your strategy and be updated.

I do not live in spain yet although I have a house there, but I have a game plan to get me there in four years approx, and I hope my plan is foolproof then I am not a return statistic.


El Al
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Postby katy » Sun Jan 08, 2006 11:51 am

There are a few things I wouldn't do in Spain, work, educate my children, live in the campo with unreliable electric. Wouldn't live in an apartment either. A spanish man (from Madrid) once said that spain is a third world country in disguise.

Kevin, you seem to have had a bad experience in Spain and I know you speak spanish, whats your story? It could help other people.

Maybe ADC should start taking advertising from businesses in the UK under the heading "returning to the UK"


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