Chui2
Scottish looking for information about Spain
Forum posts
35
About me
Scottish
Lives in Valencia
Speaks some swahili though I've forgotten most, some French and German. Learning a few words of Spanish.
Registration: 14 December 2015
What to expect when moving to Spain by Priscilla
Hello everyone, Is there anything you wish you had known before moving to Spain? For example, transportation, internet speeds, types of housing, aspects of the culture or social life. In your opinion, what's the most important thing to know ...
For the last 2 years we have paid E1500 - E1600 a month (all year) for 4 bedroom rentals with pool, 30 minutes drive from the beaches. Electricity and gas cost us around E400 a month for a house that is only partially heated. This is NOT a luxury, ... Read More
Renting unfurnished
When we were house hunting we had a few owners and agents say they would be happy to take whatever furniture we didn't want out, even totally. So yes its possible. Definitely worth looking at both and asking. If you know you are going to be ... Read More
Why does no-one want to come and live in Costa de Valencia? by Barnie
I hear lots of properties being sold or people looking for properties in the mucia/and north Costa Blanca areas (Javea, Calpe etc.) Can someone tell me whether Valencia is not thought of as a place to live? why don't people look for properties ...
I don't know if our experience will help but it might explain some peoples way of thinking. We started our Spanish search in Valencia and the environs. We liked the city itself but for us city life would have been too enclosed and too noisy, ... Read More
Village/small towns to retire in north of Alicante. by mikebrealey
Hi, I am looking to move/retire to Spain, and would like to find a village, small town north of Alicante, with a local/expat community. I am visiting the area in April, and wonder if anyone has any suggestions. Thanks
Javea and Moraira are the nicest we've found in 16 months living here, having looked from north of Valencia down to south of Alicante. A good mix of expats, much more attractive than many other places, good restaurants, lots of activities, very ... Read More
Cost of living 2018 in Spain by Priscilla
Hello everyone, As per our annual tradition, we invite you to share your experiences and tell us more about the average prices of products and services in your town/city/area, so that we have updated information regarding cost of living and ...
We have found that there is a huge gap in cost of living. You can live cheaply in a small property, with one fireplace, no AC, buy at the markets, eat out at the very many restaurants that do Menu del Dias for E9 - E12. But if you want full ... Read More
Which area has the best winter sun ? by fairy108
Hello I'm glad to be here .We are coming to spain in Feb next year to look around and find a place we like enough to buy .Im from the uk and I hate the winters here brrrrr.An odd know which area has the best winter sun .Thanks :)
We came to Spain for the same reason, winter sun, and are currently in the Costa Blanca. It was supposed to be a compromise between the colder climes of the northern parts of Spain and the more arid and dusty parts of the south. We do indeed get ... Read More
What to expect when moving to Spain by Priscilla
Hello everyone, Is there anything you wish you had known before moving to Spain? For example, transportation, internet speeds, types of housing, aspects of the culture or social life. In your opinion, what's the most important thing to know ...
I wish I had known that finding modern, well built houses to rent really long term, that have both proper heating and a/c (or even fans) is incredibly hard. It seems you can get cheap with mostly just a fireplace or expensive (over E2000), there is ... Read More
Renting in Alicante by jack1730
Hi, retired to Spain 18 months having lived near Granada and currently Motril. I can't quite decide where to live in Spain and am thinking about Alicante. I don't drive and so need to be near transport links and reasonably near the sea. My ...
We are going through the same though processes. Of the places we have looked at so far we liked Mutxamel. Wide open spaces, tree lined avenues, quality properties at least in the area we drove around. Well away from the noisy centre. Don't ... Read More
The best things to discover in Spain by Priscilla
Hello everyone, What have you discovered in Spain that you would recommend to other expats? Are there any places that you enjoy visiting on the weekends, be it areas of natural beauty or shopping malls? Are there any Spanish dishes that you ...
Carajillos! Small glasses of espresso with rum or brandy. Even better, carajillo that is flambed with a bit of citrus peel and cinnamon. Tinto de verano - summer wine. Much lighter and more refreshing than sticky sweet Sangria, this is red wine ... Read More
Which area has the best winter sun ? by fairy108
Hello I'm glad to be here .We are coming to spain in Feb next year to look around and find a place we like enough to buy .Im from the uk and I hate the winters here brrrrr.An odd know which area has the best winter sun .Thanks :)
I have been told that Spain is a cold country with hot sun. Sums it up! You can be baking in the sunlight but step into shade, especially if there is a wind (very frequent here) and you need your cover up. We are looking at moving further south. ... Read More
Which area has the best winter sun ? by fairy108
Hello I'm glad to be here .We are coming to spain in Feb next year to look around and find a place we like enough to buy .Im from the uk and I hate the winters here brrrrr.An odd know which area has the best winter sun .Thanks :)
We are currently living in North Costa Blanca and froze during winter despite central heating. February was miserable. I don't know how anyone survives with just a log fire. There is a lot of damp in the air and houses are not built for it. It ... Read More
NEW TV SHOW ABOUT MOVING TO SPAIN ... AND BACK TO THE UK by ThinkingVioletsTV
Hi everyone. I'm from a TV company in the UK and we're making a new ITV series about people MOVING to Spain ... and about people who have lived in Spain but have decided to COME BACK to the UK. Are you about to make the move? Have you ...
Interesting that you are from a Yorkshire based TV company as the majority of British expats we have come across since we moved here in December 2016 are from Northern England. Which probably explains their ability to live with just a single wood ... Read More
The best services to use when moving to Spain by Priscilla
Hello everyone, What were the biggest hurdles you faced when moving to Spain? Were there any services available that helped? Which services helped you most upon your arrival in Spain? Were there any that helped you adapt and integrate in your ...
The biggest hurdle has been communication. And I'm not talking about speaking Spanish, though obviously that is a hurdle of its own. I mean the differences in expectations and perception amongst expats from different countries and backgrounds. ... Read More
Mistakes expats make in Spain by Priscilla
Hello everyone, Did you make any mistakes when you first moved to Spain? What were they? How did you address your mistakes? Did you learn anything from them? With hindsight, what would you do differently? Are there any tips you could ...
You cannot judge the climate properly from websites. Spain is hugely colder and damper in winter than we expected, especially as the great majority of houses are neither designed for cold nor retro fitted to heat them efficiently. And we are ... Read More
Cost of living in Spain - 2017 by Priscilla
Hello, Before moving to Spain, it is important to investigate the cost of living in the country. As we did in 2015, we give you the opportunity to share your experience and tell us more about products and services average recorded prices in ...
I have to correct my post - the grocery costs were in pounds sterling as we were still using our UK bank account then. So around E686 plus cash costs. We are in central Spain, north Costa Blanca. Ie the Denia, Javea, Moraira and inland from there ... Read More
Cost of living in Spain - 2017 by Priscilla
Hello, Before moving to Spain, it is important to investigate the cost of living in the country. As we did in 2015, we give you the opportunity to share your experience and tell us more about products and services average recorded prices in ...
Large gas canisters currently cost about E290 for 5 tanks. Over winter we have been using 4 every 20 to 22 days, heating water, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and an open plan lounge, kitchen, diner. This is for 2 people. So around E330 to E350 per ... Read More
New members of the Spain forum, introduce yourself here 聳 2nd quarter of 2016 by Julien
Hi all, Newbie on the Spain forum? Don聮t know how to start? This thread is for you ;) We invite you to introduce yourself on this topic, to share with us your expat story if you are already living in the country, or to tell us more on ...
If it weren't for other factors re location (work stuff) we might have considered the Canaries. Though we did read recently that they do get hit by the general dust regularly. Perhaps just not the big events. Read More
New members of the Spain forum, introduce yourself here 聳 2nd quarter of 2016 by Julien
Hi all, Newbie on the Spain forum? Don聮t know how to start? This thread is for you ;) We invite you to introduce yourself on this topic, to share with us your expat story if you are already living in the country, or to tell us more on ...
Hi. My partner and I are currently looking at the Valencia region (not in the city) as a potential for relocation for health reasons. We are trying to find somewhere south of cold and damp winters but not too hot and north of frequent dust and ... Read More
Your new local habits in Greece by Priscilla
Hello everyone, Living in Greece is a great way to immerse in a new culture and lifestyle. Have you embraced local customs since you've lived in Greece? If so, which one(s)? Did local customs change the way you see things, appreciate life ...
Customs we got used to - constant coffee drinking. We got into the Frappes (iced foamy coffee) that all Greeks drink in summer, but then went off them in favour of simple iced black coffee which is more thirst quenching. Greek coffee - we've ... Read More
New members of the Spain forum, introduce yourself here 聳 2nd quarter of 2016 by Julien
Hi all, Newbie on the Spain forum? Don聮t know how to start? This thread is for you ;) We invite you to introduce yourself on this topic, to share with us your expat story if you are already living in the country, or to tell us more on ...
Hi all. My partner and I are currently researching Spain for relocation, for health reasons. Main requirements being no extended cold damp season and minimal opportunity to catch chest infections. A goldilocks zone really, not too hot, not too ... Read More
Finding good doctors and dentists.
Are there any sites that list good doctors and dentists? Perhaps with reviews? OR can anyone recommend any? We are currently in Pissouri but only for a month. After that it could be anywhere in Cyprus. I also need to find an orthopaedic specialist ... Read More
Environmental protection in the Bahamas by Kenjee
Hi, Environmental protection is a challenging issue for all the countries around the world. Would you say this issue is deemed of significance in the Bahamas? Is the country going green through initiatives like waste management and selective ...
I am on one of the Family Islands, where there is no recycling whatsoever of anything. As a European it pains me to put everything in the bin. Glass, tin, paper, card, it all goes to the dump. I believe there may be a little recycling in Nassau. ... Read More
Buying a car in the Bahamas
we imported from Japan through Japanesecars.com and were absolutely delighted with the quality (grade 5). It was a bit nerve wracking waiting, sight unseen, for 6 weeks, but the car has been fantastic. Like new, low mileage. Thoroughly recommended. Read More
What to bring/not bring? What can I replace easily? by Chui2
I am trying to reduce my shipping considerably. At the moment I have some items that I am dithering about as they are special to us for one reason or another. Can I replace them easily in Cyprus? 1.A set of very good plastic storage containers in ...
To put our shipping in context - we are in the Bahamas and will be shipping our stuff to storage in the UK initially while we decide on where to live. That in itself involves 3 legs (small island to big island to Miami to UK) and is incredibly ... Read More
What to bring/not bring? What can I replace easily?
I am trying to reduce my shipping considerably. At the moment I have some items that I am dithering about as they are special to us for one reason or another. Can I replace them easily in Cyprus? 1.A set of very good plastic storage containers in ... Read More
Essentials to live in the Bahamas by Christine
Hi, As an expat living in the Bahamas, what would you advise the ones about to pack to bring along? What are the items you can easily find in the Bahamas? On the other hand, what is less common or quite expensive? Share with us what you ...
The first thing to note is that most people think of Nassau as The Bahamas. Whereas in fact there are hundreds of islands, of which about 30 are inhabited. What you can get easily in Nassau you might not get at all on one of the other islands. ... Read More
Pretty villages?
Thanks! How does Paphos and the surrounds compare with Limassol and Larnaca for pretty beaches and villages? Read More
Pretty villages?
Hi. Could people please suggest pretty towns for us to research for relocation? Within an hour of good hospitals and shops, and within easy reach (20 - 30 minutes) of good beaches. The latter preferably quiet (even tiny rocky coves) and not grey ... Read More
New members of the Cyprus forum, introduce yourself here by Julien
Hi all, Newbie on the Cyprus forum? Don聮t know how to start? This thread is for you ;) We invite you to introduce yourself on this topic, to share with us your expat story if you are already living in the country, or to tell us more on your ...
Hi. My partner and I are looking at relocating early next year to Cyprus, so trying to glean as much info as we can. :-) All insider knowledge welcomed please! We won't be looking for jobs. :-) Read More