Read our guidance on working in an EU country. The patient moved into a large assisted living facility in Raleigh, N.C., in 2003. - House maintenance. I could extend your list to the traffic, the almost inability to find competent professionals,rising prices and crime etc. Spain is quite family oriented and here, kids are still kids. Scotland has challenging weather, no doubt. Because we would be so agitated and lacked movement, we wouldn’t sleep properly. This, in turn, made us kinda hate going out. It's simply stunning. It is so difficult to find the right place. During our long drive in Europe, we visited Seville and fell in love with the city. disliking spain for seville is like liking UK for London. While people are friendly, they can be extremely slow. The house/living quarters can be a primary residence or a part-time residence (weekends, vacation property) and is often located on land utilized for hunting, fishing or other recreational purposes. Don’t mix well together in any way, shape, or form. There is no pro to bureaucracy. find schools that are suitable for your children and their learning needs. I hope you will enjoy it. I totally get you. Food in Spain is seasonal, fruits and vegetables have great taste. All the best, This article is not about living in Spain, but living in Sevilla (a city in the south of Spain). It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. So sorry you’re not loving where you’re living right now. Please let us know what you think in the comments section below. The beaurocracy is a nightmare for sure - To move from San Sebastián to Tarragona, buy a car and become self-employed required 29 separate trips to various meaningless offices. And please don't go where all the English people go because if you do you will regret it. They said it should be fine for about 6 months and to call them again if we start spotting roaches again. I found Sevilla slightly difficult to transition to at first, but after a month or so I really fell in love with it and was very happy living there. I have been also in Seville in summer time. With more than 350,000 Spanish homes for sale and rent from the leading real estate agents in Spain Many other expatriates come to this country to open tourist facilities such as bars, cafes and night clubs. Want to try a dress on? We moved to Spain in June 2017. My partner and I made the wrong decision to return after living in a civilized country (we are entrepreneurs) and after a year and a half we are bitter and looking for a country in which to feel good to get away from this definitely. In conclusion, there are many pros and cons when it comes to living in Spain. Spanish guy here... Actually one of the next greatest problems of Spain is low natality rate. not Seminyak or Sanur or similar - in Bali, Indonesia. Cory, your brutal honesty was refreshing and helpful. We prefer peace and quiet and would trade a silent place for lively Spain any day. Spain is super animal-friendly. One major area contributes to this fact, as rent is on average 33.19% lower in Spain than Britain. And you are so right, Berlin is brilliant, but not for living there. Thanks! We know very little about Croatia but we have friends who already live there. Partly because of how dirty it was. Maybe it is because you arent a mom but some kids are quiet, some are loud, at the end of the day they are children and should be able to enjoy life too instead of constantly being told to quiet down. Whilst is awesome that you can save so much in rent, it’s a little sad that you have to pay a lot of money for utilities. You had similar experiences to what I've experienced here in Argentina -- the bureaucracy, loud dogs, children and people on the streets, cockroaches, the animal cruelty, dog poop on the streets, searing heat, lack of customer service, organization and people who have a similar level of ambition (—and luckily you're in a couple so maybe you didn't have to deal with machismo as much?—). (And the famous Spanish sunshine you get for free.) This three-bedroom house in a tranquil setting was built in 1960 by the renowned development company Span. We also LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Seville. Hi! Every time we would switch the TV on, the news would be all about people complaining it’s too hot. We need a place where we can go, go, go, but also find things to do which relax us. As a Spanish I appreciate the effort you put on this article and I really like to read about Spain from people who are not Spanish. Personally I hate Sevilla. The health service is good. Ok, so we did choose a hidden place, a resort which is kind of dead in winter. It’s so fair to say that everyone in Spain seemed super friendly and open. Gallego, which resembles a mix of Portuguese and Castellano and is spoken in the Northwestern province of Galicia. Event: Sibert… I already turned the internet upside down for solutions. It is not that I am surprised by most of the cons you mention. The cost of living in Madrid is far more reasonable than many other capital cities. It was nice. identify areas to live in that suit your lifestyle and budget. We travelled quite a bit since lived in Portugal for a while and then decided to settle in Seville. We are currently settled in Germany and we love it here. I must say I am a South Spanish living in the UK. I live on Catalonia and what you say is true: There are many kids shouting and yelling, and the cities are very dirty. If you are not living in Spain at this point, it is advised you give a solicitor access to your bank account through a power of attorney so that he can go to the bank, collect the bank cheque and then head to the notary to sign in your name, pay the seller and pay any taxes due. Rent in Spain is, on average, 44.11% lower than in United States. I had an accident on January 21,... western union is reasonable i send money all the time via western union to my spouses family in the philippines directly to their bank account, Relinquishing Citizenship and Passport Surrender, Catalán: is spoken in the province of Catalunya (Barcelona), Valenciano is used in Valencia and is closely related to Catalán. Kind Regards and Good luck finding a great place :). Today is the day! And if you think that’s awesome, think again. Byebye. I currently live in Sardinia, a beautiful island. Even when we came back from 3 days in Vienna in October, we had to change into our shorts before driving on the Spanish motorway. Most geckos are nocturnal, hiding during the day and foraging for insects at night. Rested several times in Spain, I liked everything. If you want more variety you should go to El Corte Inglés or specialized groceries or delicatessen, but of course they are more expensive, as are delicatessen expensive in the UK. I find some food items unreasonable expensive in Spain: oranges and olive oil. I was about to move to Bristol but changed my mind last minute due to Brexit etc. You can buy freshly baked bread from pretty much any shop in your area. If you love seafood, then you will find plenty of fresh fish at your local shop. It is a perverse system full of catch 22 situations, at least for foreigners. In my case I love hot weather 40 Celsius degrees are fine with me (I grew up in San Juan, Argentina where the weather is like that). Anyway, he's not happy so I need to compromise, the nice hot weather seduces me but I am worried about all those cons that you are describing :( Clear-span construction eliminates the need for interior load-bearing walls, giving you the freedom to plan a floor plan layout that best fits your lifestyle. After one week of vacation in Andalucia, I'm really to go hone and leave all the noisy children behind. Good luck! Our relationship with Spain was not a smooth one, but a bumpy ride which made us hate the place. I hope you will never see cockroaches...EVER! Feel the charm of country properties in Spain with this one. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Since we loved our life in Tokyo, we enjoy a place which is robotic, automatic and efficient. Spain is a good country for fresh produce, but not so much for international options. I’ve heard from other expats that parties are ideal for meeting new people and making great friends. A lot of the cons you mentioned are things no one really talks about (children, barking dogs, neighborhood things) and I appreciated it, as these are things we look to avoid in our living situations as well, and I always worry because no one ever discusses them. Meal for three in a mid to upper-class restaurant (three courses and a bottle of house wine)- $55.00. As for Japan, I can only hope it is changing for the better. I may still visit spain and wales and see how that goes, but I guess you really have to live in a place to understand how it works. My dream is to retire to Spain in two years from now, but the noise ( people, children, dogs, roosters, scooters, etc) worry me a lot. We can't comment on life in an apartment as we only lived in houses while in Spain. I am retired and live by the coast in Margate, UK. Living spaces are well designed, fully furnished, with incidentals and utilities covered by one bill. I didn't see a lot of dog poo, it didn't seem messy and the customer service was great! There is no entertainment, the same in Austria and all the surrounded countries, so when you move south to Spain, Italy or Greece of course you get issues with bureaucracy but you get also the pleasure to go out with friends and enjoy life. Reading through this I kept saying “she hates everything good!”. If you want to live in Marbella, for example, the weather will definitely be a pro as you have mountains and the breeze from the sea. House prices are most certainly a great advantage for Spain. Whilst all reasonable care has been taken in the preparation of this publication, the owner of Expatinfodesk.com does not accept any responsibility for any loss suffered by any person acting or refraining from action as a result of relying upon its contents. I keep reading a lot and I still have almost two years to find the right town. We didn't mean to upset anyone, but to share our experience as they happened. Maybe one or two in the summer. It is well known in Spain that Seville is the second warmest cities, in Andalucia things happen slower and they have a particular way of life. As European citizens, this is not unusual for us, but we are aware people from the USA find this an attractive pro for living in Spain. Of course, there needs to be a balance. Wow. If you are a young professional, maybe you don’t want to be surrounded by loud kids.". Although we live in a residential area with villas and large pools, people deem necessary to have chickens and roosters around here. I don't know why everyone is so up in arms about your post - it's your opinion and experience? I am aware Spain is not the same everywhere and we are considering trying the North for sure. Maybe look for a house with trees all around it to further soundproofing. He called an emergency pest control company who came within a few hours to fumigate the house. Granada is even more impressive, with its gorgeous peaks. A good read. Summary of cost of living in Spain. I have now read your views on Spain. Since cats are more incognito, they are not as obvious as say... five huge great Danes in the middle of the street. Thank you, an interesting read. I am so disappointed in Sardinia. The part that concerns us most about culture in Spain is how many events are cruel towards animals. Really good summary so far. Perfect for silence. The house is much bigger, well organised and nicely decorated. We just came back from a holiday around Croatia. The cheap plonk is fine i suppose if you like local white 'young wine'. In general I really appreciate your perspective on Sevilla and I understand your frustrations! It would be possible to still frame the floor in the same way as above but just run the floor joists in the opposite direction (looking for a lumber size to span 13') but for our example, we are going to keep the floor joists running in the same direction. Living there, it's another story. Share on Facebook I do hope you learn a little from our bad experiences and know what to search for in your new life in Spain, to avoid making the same mistakes. My decision it is the "Costa del Sol" one of the little towns there. settle in to your new life quickly and easily and find the help and assistance you need, when you need it. Miguel Ángel Rolland created a documentary about animal cruelty in Spain during the 16,000 religious festivals across the country. I was considering to move to Spain but this article made me think as I used to live in Seoul and really like efficiency. I wonder if maybe you were just not in a good place for your needs in Spain. Hi, first of all sorry for my english i hope my writting is understandable. For example, Barcelona was a lot more fast-paced than Seville. Thank you for the candid perspective. Here in Milan everything works, health system is good, bureaucracy has gone digital. It's crucial that you explore the part of the country that interests you the most before deeming it perfect to live in. I would avoid Seville in the summer, but rather aim for something in the mountainous regions such as Granada. I run a Naturist Guest house in Sunny Southern Spain and would love your help in keeping the property clean and tidy but especially in enhancing guests holidays making them feel welcome and special. Whether you’re thinking of working in Spain, in one of the major cities, such as Madrid, Barcelona or Valencia, or retiring to the Spanish coast, you can find your perfect place in Spain.. I think that Sevilla has some very beautiful traditions, such as Semana Santa, the feria and sevillanas music and dancing, and more. Official information for UK nationals living in or moving to Spain, including guidance on residency, healthcare and passports. Thank you for your message. I have like 10 in my list. Find your dream cheap cave house for sale in Spain, on Kyero. Yes, Span houses are postwar, but they're design classics. But I wouldn't say that Spain is a good place to live in. We had friends over for a week and they couldn’t sleep in the spare room because of the rooster. For all it's pros and cons though, I do love the country, and definitely want to try living there at some point. Hi Erika, we are still searching for a place with good weather which happens to be efficient. I loved going on vacation and discovering new places and cultures. We LOVE Spain as tourists. Find your dream country house for sale in Spain, on Kyero. P.S. I do agree with your thoughts on cleanliness! Hey, I’m Cory, a Romanian/British travel writer and photographer who left my career in law to become a full-time traveller. although after 3 days I was looking at changing the flights. 6.30 am - barking - 1.30 am (in the night) - barking - and we live in an apartment with faily little dogs around it. True floor joist span calculations can only be made by a structural engineer or contractor. Spain is a very diverse country in terms of languages, cultures, and traditions, so someone's experience living in Andalucia is probably pretty different than another's experience living in say, Barcelona or Bilbao or Santiago de Compostela. Euskera/ Vasco is the traditional language and is spoken in the País Vasco and northern Navarra. The weather there is completely different from other cities in Spain. And that's super cool. Even the lady from the bank, the local baker or the lady from the fish counter. But that’s not all. A floating house can be define d as a house for living space that fl oats on the water with a floatation system , is moored in a permanent location, does not include a water Do you have a pro or con about living in Spain? We moved here to test it out and im quickly coming to realise i want nothing more than to move to the UK again. For example, we are self-employed so every minute of work counts for us. Most English say "International food" when they just mean using a lot of curry and hot spicy sauce everywhere, making all food taste the same and masquerading the real food flavours. I hope Alicante will treat you well. Whatever your decision, you know know the advantages and disadvantages of living in Spain. For me, this is an issue and I prefer an organised, clean neighbourhood. I desagree in almost every point, but I won’t discuss, it’s your opinion, except for.... bureacracy. I forgot about the cons! It's perfectly ok for you to not agree with everything we experience. I know visiting is different from living, but this article addressed some of my concerns. It was a nice place to visit but definitely couldn't live there. In Spanish cities some neighbourhoods are clean some other not, but the same happens in the UK, where districts with cheap houses are really dirty and abandoned. Don't get me wrong though, I love Andalucia still, but you are right, visiting and living...different types of soup! One thing after another, it all went downhill really quickly. We actually left Spain just on time as it was getting really cold at night and same as Italy: no central heating. At the end... most people misses his country, his people, his language, his weather, his food. I’m about to move to a new country myself and am nervous about culture shock, but I know we love the place given we’ve spend over two months there already. Apparently, this is totally normal. We moved to Spain in June 2017. If you either own a Span property and are thinking of selling or would like to buy into this attractive way of living please contact us at thehomecloud.xenacia.com. It was designed by Eric Lyons, a celebrated architect whose work has been widely published and is still much admired today. Long comment, sorry, but , yes, I get you. Span Housing is the name given to the homes made under the company co-founded by Eric Lyons, Geoffrey Townsend and Leslie Bilsby in 1948. Thank you for having the courage to write this article! As well as showing an interest in holistic living, you will help with the following tasks: - Gardening. We were shocked to see people eating out, having their windows and doors wide open when these creatures would virtually be everywhere on the house walls, roaming on the street, on the fences. We are not American. With 17 autonomous regions, you can expect an array of cultures in Spain. Niall Burke September 6, 2018. If you are keen to move to Spain, then take this article with a pinch of salt. User-Created Clip by Melodie Miller January 5, 2017 2017-01-05T10:15:52-05:00 https://images.c-span.org/Files/75d/20170105101619003_hd.jpg Espionage and Living in a Glass House makes it … Seville, though, seems spotless. This was not a pro for us, but I like to mention it because I am aware of how much people love this lifestyle. The difference is in Seville the soil is dry while in the UK is a mix of grass and mud. I'm sorry for your experience but there are still cities you can visit! We are spoiled in the UK that everything can be done over the internet. UK citizens need to check how to get access to the Spanish health care after Brexit. She is absolutely right. We all have some fears, but cockroaches are my worst nightmare. We'd go back to Portugal in a heart beat! Everyone has a different experience when living abroad. I must admit, looking back, even I wince at some of the paragraphs. It might be what we were looking for.., Hi Davi, honestly, so many people LOVE Barcelona. The weather just makes me depressed and all time sick with sth. Italy is very regional... so when you visit another region of Italy is like going to another country. Family of four estimated monthly costs: €2,951; Single person estimated monthly costs: €1,484; Spain is the 3rd cheapest country in Western Europe (14 out of 16) Cost of living in Spain is more expensive than in 64% of countries in the World (28 out of 75) Thanks again! Adios! - Cleaning. Shaye and Tom's Tiny House is nothing short of spectacular. Haha! Spain is a major destination for international luxury real estate hunters. Above all, the service was too slow, bureaucracy unbearable and nothing fell into place. After all, you just want to take it easy and enjoy your time. Do you love parties? There are plenty of other options with good weather and reserved people :) Unfortunately, Spain isn't the place for it. I can swim in the Med 7 months of the year, have local mountains, can drive to the Pyrenees in 2.5-3 hrs and have Barcelona a short train ride away. But the weather has 4 seasons. That's another story. I hope you have found your happy place :) I am Sorry to ear you didnt have luck in Spain and hope you are happy what ever you are. If you like it, why do you wish to move to Spain? Our Spain real estate section will include real estate listings from expats and real estate brokers. After dark, everyone would be out, hence the place would be too loud and not at all relaxing. but we are not ready yet. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. Anyway, thanks for your article and I hope you enjoy the next city! If you outrightly have the money for purchasing a home then there should be no problems. I can see news about how women are becoming more respected and their voice are being heard. I am Spanish although I have lived in several countries. Which means, for the short but cold winter, you need to get an electric heater, which...yes, you guessed it...inflates your bills yet again. Small Space Living In Spain. Before starting your life in a specific neighbourhood, make sure to drive around so you can get the feel for it. I love the exotic gardens, the amazing architecture and absolutely adore how clean its streets are. These people love and know how to party. without a doubt if you had come to the area where I live, Asturias, things would have been different since many of the cons you mention here simply do not exist. Did we forget something? It also made me more inhefesfed in Great Britain, haha. I would say that Spain is a large diverse country and perhaps you where just in the wrong place? If you love dogs and don’t mind the barking, then awesome. When we go for our evening walk, we enjoy the gorgeous sunset over the palm and banana trees. But for now, a child-focused society is a definite no for us. We think Portugal was far better. Oh the warm weather. My pick could be Torrox which has the best European weather. We have lived from north to south of Spain in different cities and the only place where we can stay longer without feeling too bad is Madrid city center. Cheers. My brother who lives in the US for the last 30 years, is both a Greek and US citizen. No! I was just thinking the other day (it's cold here in Central Europe) how much I miss the sun tho :P, You Could Travel © All Rights Reserved 2016 - 2021Privacy Policy | Disclaimer. In the UK you can find almost everything, but only in some areas of London, if you are living in a small city like Seville, life is also very boring and the variety of products very reduced. We offer a diverse range of programs covering areas from digital literacy to art, health and wellbeing to gardening. Property prices in Spain increased by 4.68% during the year to Q3 2019, however they were increasing at a slower rate than the previous year. There are lots of cats in Spain too. The sun is nice. Including barking dogs. Sincerely, Spain is a country for a quick holidays to enjoy the sun, beach and food; nothing else. But I'm confused as to why you talked so much about the pros and cons of living in Spain so much throughout the article when most of what you're talking about is unique to Sevilla/Andalucia. If you see yourself living in Spain after Brexit, read on as some of the points we address will help you make up your mind. Either way, this is something to consider and check before signing the lease agreement. But they only sell spanish - and if i wanted a bog standard sauvignon blanc i would have to pay €30 for a bottle. All things living and non-living wear out with age, your homes included. Otherwise, they could kick you out early. Definitely wouldnt love seeing loads of dog poop and paying a crazy amount for food. However, if you are retired, you do not care about the lack of honesty and discretion, you do not mind the noise, you have a lot of patience and you only enjoy the parties, sun, beach and food, it is undoubtedly your country. Seville is in a poor region. Britain's Span Development houses are iconic – be it in Blackheath, Kent or Richmond, the properties created by Eric Lyons and Geoffrey Townsend with landscape architect Ivor Cunningham in the 1950s and 1960s set at their time new standards in design, layout and landscaping.