Welcome To Spain

Do you have a query about moving to Andalucia and buying property in Andalucia. Find out by posting questions and reading about other peoples experiences.
BENIDORM
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Welcome To Spain

Postby BENIDORM » Sat Oct 27, 2007 3:34 pm

Yes Welcome to Spain,

And HOPEFULLY you will make it from the airport, without having your baggage and passports etc. stolen by the local villains..

And then you will be able to buy your new home from that nice Estate Agent who is always smiling, and again HOPEFULLY without being overcharged and misled..

And then when you are buying all of those goodies to fill your new home with, from the hypermarkets, HOPEFULLY you will get back to the car park, and not find that you have been broken into..
..
And then when you change the front door and the fencing of your new home, HOPEFULLY you won't be fined by the town hall, for not applying for permission....

And then 6 months later, HOPEFULLY , you won't find that your new home is an illegal build.....

And then when you 'endure' your first summer, you won't die from the excessive heat, and in your first winter you won't die of hypothermia...Hopefully...

And then after your 'honeymoon' period, you won't die from boredom or from the effects of over-drinking..HOPEFULLY....

And HOPEFULLY you won't require psychiatric treatment after suffering all of those sleepless nights caused by the constant dog barking....

And yes...Some people would say that you are......' WELCOME TO SPAIN.'.. :wink:

ps I really do love Spain...but then I always did like a challenge.. :lol:

Campo Kenny

Postby Campo Kenny » Sat Oct 27, 2007 3:58 pm

Have you still got a place in Spain? or has one of these bad experiences made you call it a day?
No stroppy answers please......serious question.

Regards,

Kenny

BENIDORM
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Postby BENIDORM » Sat Oct 27, 2007 4:06 pm

Yes, Kenny,
I still have a 'place in Spain', and spend a lot of time there....I'm just trying to forewarn newcomers that it is not always a 'bed of roses'.....I have suffered far worse things than I listed, but I still think that it is a great place....

I hope that you continue to enjoy your 'place in Spain'... :wink:

frank
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Postby frank » Sat Oct 27, 2007 4:21 pm

Think he might have suffered them all, sounds like he's speaking from experience! :D
Regards, Frank

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

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costakid
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Postby costakid » Sat Oct 27, 2007 4:46 pm

if that does'nt put newcomers off nothing will

Campo Kenny

Postby Campo Kenny » Sat Oct 27, 2007 5:01 pm

If that's the "test piece" that the Andalucian Tourist board asked you to compile to take to your second interview for the job of "Director of Tourism" I think you've blown it :shock:


Kenny

BENIDORM
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Postby BENIDORM » Sat Oct 27, 2007 5:03 pm

S--t......I've blown it again...oh well, back to the job centre.... :wink:

Bongtrees
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Postby Bongtrees » Sat Oct 27, 2007 7:01 pm

Watching Crimewatch and Watchdog puts me off going back to the UK :shock:

Cant see why anyone should be frightened of coming to Spain they should be well equipped for most of the pitfalls now. :(

BENIDORM
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Postby BENIDORM » Sat Oct 27, 2007 7:11 pm

No one needs to be frightened about coming to Spain, after all if they

have watched Crimewatch and Watchdog, they will know who to look out

for, as most of the 'Crims' shown on these programmes are probably

living in Spain... :wink:

laclotte
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Postby laclotte » Sun Oct 28, 2007 9:55 am

Benny - I have a different version of WELCOME TO SPAIN

As in all airports do take care of your luggage - just common sense. Malaga/Granada airports are no worse than any other airport in the world. I have never been robbed or pick pocketed anywhere…but I do stay alert. :idea:

If you are planning on buying a house do your homework. Never buy on the spur of the moment. :idea: Visit various estate agents and areas and only deal with reliable, well managed companies with a good track record. I visited many agents and eventually gave one agent a request to contact me if and when they found something filling my requirements. I now have the house of my dreams.

Most sensible people never leave goods exposed on the back seat of a car…I don’t and have never had my car broken into….anywhere in the world. :idea:

Before finally signing for your new home do ensure that all the paper work is in order and at the same time enquire to the legal implication regarding any changes you may wish to make to your new property. I have done both and know the local law. All countries require building permission, details of the law will however differ. :idea:

If you suffer from excessive heat or cold I would suggest you buy reversible (hot/cold) air-conditioning units….very successful. :idea:

Hobbies, sports, clubs and individual interests can be exercised in Spain just as well (or better, mainly thanks to the improved climate) as in most other countries. :idea:

Spanish dogs bark just as much as dogs the world over. :!:

Make an effort to speak the language, even a small effort is appreciated by the locals. :idea:

I am as happy in Spain as I am elsewhere. I live with the same standards in Spain as elsewhere. I can only assume from your postings that generally Spain is a disappointment to you. :( Possibly you did not follow the simple guidelines as above? :mrgreen: :wink:
- You don't get harmony when everybody sings the same note -

Karmen
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Moving to Andalucia

Postby Karmen » Sun Oct 28, 2007 10:45 am

Well if you ever get fed up with the coast try looking more inland, I have found a beautiful little spot and hour from Granada, Huescar.

My husband and I came from the rolling hills of England 12months ago.

He said he couldn't live in Spain as it was brown all year round, full of 'Brits Abroad' you know the type, larger for breakfast then football at the local English Pub, while the wife & kids are sent to the beach so Dad can enjoy his holiday!!! eyes down look in for the local bingo aimed at the ladies with a glass of white wine (for the european touch) kids up till all hours running riot ('cos they're on holiday)

My husband said he would miss the green hills, the frosty mornings, the falling leaves of Autumn, ok not the damp miserable Summers, but you get the picture. Then we found this place, we have the rolling hills, frosty mornings (in the dead of Winter) and we get a full blown Summer over 6months of it! Its like England 50years ago, people still whistle while they work, everyone says 'good morning' as they pass you in the street, kids are respectful & still look like kids at 12 (where as in the UK they have mobiles and attitude like the world owes them)

I actually saw a young lad about 13 yrs old run down the street to help an old man with his shopping the other day, no it wasn't his relative and no he didnt steel the shopping either, and when he had reached his destination, the old guy offered a Euro or so for his time, the boy refused and said he was happy to help. No I am not making it up I SAW IT!!!

I love it here, its as it should be, the only downside, if I had to find one, I may turn vegetarian, I have never eaten so much fruit & veg in my entire life, it comes at me from all directions I have several Spanish neighbours and receive at least one carrier bag per week stuffed full of cherry tomatoes, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, melons, you name it if they can grow it I get it! one neighbour has taken to fetching me bread when he bakes. I am not complaining I am amazed by their generosity.

Oh and by the way I live in a cave, yes a CAVE, but thats another story.
Fred & Wilma - you ain't seen nothing yet!!!
I LOVE MY CAVE

Bongtrees
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Re: Moving to Andalucia

Postby Bongtrees » Sun Oct 28, 2007 12:42 pm

Yawnzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Your signature includes an estate agents web site :roll:

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Cassandra
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Re: Welcome To Spain

Postby Cassandra » Sun Oct 28, 2007 1:04 pm

Well I haven't suffered from most of the things Bendidorm mentions except for this one
BENIDORM wrote: And then after your 'honeymoon' period, you won't die from boredom...
Well I haven't died from it, obviously, but it's getting to the point where I'm gonna need this soon
BENIDORM wrote: And HOPEFULLY you won't require psychiatric treatment
so our solution is that we're buying again in the UK, not to move back permanently (at least not yet) but so that I have a bolt hole for when doing nothing gets too much for me :roll:

Not a reflection on Spain, I just can't do this retirement malarchy :( Fell into it by accident and can't seem to get back into the rat race here :?

Don

Postby Don » Sun Oct 28, 2007 1:23 pm

So, 50 something years in the UK, had car nicked and more or less wrecked as the toerags gave it a good thrashing. Tackled a burglar head on as he set off the alarm next door to my house. Constant choked roads except up in the wilds of Scotland and banks who think they own your money.

10 years in Spain and had wallet nicked once as I walked through streets of Sevilla. They took cash and credit cards and posted the rest of my stuff into my mail box at my flat. Roads which are not clogged with traffic, banks who will actually negotiate to get and keep your business and sunny October days warmer than many an English summer one. Quality and price of food and drink surpasses any offering from UK outlets. Frost never strikes and no need to guard against pool freezing over in the winter but ..... having to point out to the missus that the shower is cold not because the boiler has gone out but because you need to turn the hot tap on and you only get cold water out of the cold tap, priceless.

BENIDORM
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Postby BENIDORM » Sun Oct 28, 2007 1:43 pm

Don,
Are you sure that you live in Spain :?: ....... :?

Don

Postby Don » Sun Oct 28, 2007 1:49 pm

Sure do Benidorm, used to be in both countries on and off but ex wife got the UK estate and I kept the sunny one.

BENIDORM
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Postby BENIDORM » Sun Oct 28, 2007 1:56 pm

Don,
Well that's ok then.......I hope that you are very happy in your Spanish home... :wink:

Deborah
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Postby Deborah » Sun Oct 28, 2007 2:14 pm

OK Benidorm (whats that nick got to do with Andalucia, where do you live?), since you have unjustly, I feel, slagged off Spain pointing out your reason for someone not to come here. Can you now list your reasons for not having bogged off back home :twisted:

I love Spain and hate people in it like you who are spoiling it for others before they even get here. Not everyone is a P R A T T you know!

laclotte
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Postby laclotte » Sun Oct 28, 2007 2:28 pm

Don wrote:Sure do Benidorm, used to be in both countries on and off but ex wife got the UK estate and I kept the sunny one.
I'd say ....lucky you Don.........in my opinion you won hands down...but then again I have never lived in the UK........only read the press......I, for one, would never wish to live there, nor in many other northern EU countries for that matter. :roll:
- You don't get harmony when everybody sings the same note -

BENIDORM
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Postby BENIDORM » Sun Oct 28, 2007 2:41 pm

Deborah,
I'm not 'slagging' off Spain, I'm just telling it as it is, and I'm trying to point out what can and does go wrong....I've been in Spain since the 1980's, so have seen a lot of Expats, ( not just Brits), reduced to extreme hardship. Many arrived with a lot of money and ended up leaving with nothing...and that is a true fact..
My nickname 'Benidorm' was 'created' because Benidorm was where I had the bulk of my business premises....I now live in a small village near Loja, ( Granada), I also have a 'crash pad' in UK, which suits my Wife and I.....
So why am I spoiling it for others who haven't arrived yet...surely it is better to arrive here being aware of the problems, if you arrive here wearing 'rose coloured spectacles', you run a great risk of failing.....
So what has the nickname Deborah got to do with Andalucia..? Are you involved in selling Spanish property to Brits..I suspect so.. :wink:
Last edited by BENIDORM on Mon Nov 19, 2007 11:20 am, edited 1 time in total.


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