If you did it all again

Wished I had moved 20 yrs ago lol! 

Thanks jean Lol 

Hi Lyn,

Good question!

I would have talked to the neighbours in my Urbanization.  I did get very lucky with my neighbours but i realize what a dodgy situation I might have been in had these people not lived there.

Also if you buy into an Urbanization, take special notice of the Community rules (or sometimes lack thereof) so you don't find a surprise later such as someone adapting their balcony that suddenly blocks your view or some big expense coming up that could double your fees.

Also check the neighbourhood for barking dogs.  Some people seem to think its ok to leave their dogs 24/7 on a small balcony or in a cage and it could make your life miserable.  Of course the poor creatures have a miserable life and why they bark all the time.

And finally, I know it sounds obvious but I believe that many, like me, underestimated the challenge of learning Spanish and that Spain is definitely not the UK.  

Like every Country some like it and some don't.  Hope you find it suits you.  :) 

Off the back of this topic and I hope that's OK. 

My husband and I are hoping to move to Spain next year. At the moment, looking at all the taxes, health care, insurance , costs for lawyers, costs for estate agents, residency etc it all feels a bit overwhelming for me. I keep wondering how is it cheaper to live in Spain than Scotland. Does it all settle down once you become resident? 

Also, can't seem to find an expert in Glasgow who is experienced in UK and Spanish tax laws to help us. 

We will both be below 60 when we hopefully make the move, so I'm worried about private pension and NHS pension and how much we will be taxed on this. Although there is information out there I feel I am drowning and not making much sense of it!!!!!! 

Anyone else experienced this and any help or encouragement (hopefully 🤞) on this site or private message would be great. 

We are also moving to la cala de mijas at the end of this year beginning of 2021 , we have a Spanish lawyer who has got all we need in place , ie NIE number, bank accounts etc. but like you are finding it very overwhelming, as not sure what else we need to do after the transition from Brexit.

so any reply would be gratefully received

I have said this in other posts and will repeat it here.

Besides the purchase of the home,  which is pretty straightforward if you have a lawyer and in Spain I would never do it without one.  Just check around and do not automatically use the one recommended by the agent, the two most important things to figure out is about tax and healthcare.  Every situation is different so you should not take anyone but a professional's advice.

Healthcare is probably straightforward in that you could reach out to a couple of Insurance Agents.  I made the mistake of speaking to a translator person who set it up but then no one on the insurance side spoke English.  So make sure your Health care insurance agents put you in touch with a company that has an English speaking line you can call when you need approval for anything.  If you have pre existing conditions you may find the insurance higher than you are used to as in the UK its all "free".

The other important thing is to know what your tax liabilities will be IF YOU ARE A FULL TIME RESIDENT OF SPAIN (183 days per year or more) because legally you MUST submit an annual tax return with your world wide income presented.  In the past Brits have used Spain like an extension of the UK and it certainly is not.  They keep their money in the UK and draw from it.  The Spanish Tax Authorities want to know about your world wide income and if you pay tax in the UK then fine but the Spanish authorities will want their piece of it if (the personal tax allowance is lower in Spain than the UK).  You NEED to talk to a professional Accountant (not a Gestor - unless he/she is a full qualified Accountant) and discuss your income and tax liabilities.  Then you will know for sure.

All Countries have pros and cons.  All Countries have some things more expensive and some cheaper.  Then there is the quality of life to consider.  All these factors need to be weighed up.  You might spend more on healthcare but you feel its worth it because you can live the life you want to live - what is that worth to you?  

If you come over to Spain for a couple of weeks you can talk to all the people you need to talk to and figure these matters out and make a decision.  

Just one final word of caution - Just because someone is from the UK you feel you can trust them but they are not all trustworthy - there are alot of folks from the UK who will take advantage of your lack of Spanish.  Talk to a few people on each subject and you should get the information you need.