Moving to Spain - What You Need to Know

Eight top tips for those contemplating moving to live in Spain

The dream of living abroad is one that’s reeling more and more people in if the relocation and lifestyle exhibitions in the UK are anything to go by.  The numbers attending these ‘Live Abroad’ and ‘Get a New Life’ type exhibitions are up year on year and time and time again one of the most popular locations being researched and dreamt about is Spain.

In this article we discuss what you need to know before moving to Spain – we’ll detail eight essential facts for you to consider, keep in mind and get to grips with so that if you do intend to turn your dream of a new life in Spain into a reality, you manage to move to Spain effortlessly and successfully.

1) Rent before you buy

No matter how certain you are that you want to be living in Spain and no matter how convinced you are of the location that will suit you and your family best – don’t rush in and buy property in Spain as soon as you’ve moved to Spain. 

There is plenty of rental property to choose from in Spain because it is becoming more and more acceptable to rent – and what’s more, it’s possible to find affordable rental options slightly off the beaten track that will give you a chance to save your pennies for when you do ultimately decide to purchase.

Spend time getting to know more of your new country – speak to expats and locals and learn about hidden oases that are lesser known and also about properties that are for sale but not being advertised.  If you take this approach you’ll likely end up with a better house in a better location than if you just buy the first thing you see when you arrive.

2) Get central heating

If you’re planning on living in Spain year round you will need some form of heating no matter where you live.  This is because in the southern coastal regions of Spain you acclimatize so well to the summertime heat that it can feel too cool of a winter evening, and if you move to live further north in Spain or in the mountains the temperatures drop significantly in the winter.

Most people moving to Spain fail to consider the fact that it does get cold in winter – even in Marbella!  So get heating and you’ll not notice the climate shift so much because you’ll be enjoying blue skies from a thoroughly warmed house!

3) Consider communal facilities

For most of us the thought of a house in the sun usually comes complete with swimming pool in our minds – but if you consider getting a property on a development with communal facilities you will not only have more choice in terms of leisure activities available on your doorstep such as pools, tennis courts etc., you will have a far lower personal outlay for maintenance for example.  It costs a lot of money and takes a lot of time to keep a pool clean – if you buy on a development with communal facilities you’ll be sharing the cost and having to invest in none of the time needed for day to day maintenance!

4) Pre-plan your children’s school options well in advance

If you want your child to attend an international school in Spain you need to find out about the availability of places well in advance of your move to Spain because the best schools are always oversubscribed…

5) Get yourself in order financially speaking

Before you move to Spain you need to get your financial affairs in order so that you have enough money in the bank to make the move comfortably and survive well in Spain fiscally speaking.  Then, when it comes time to find somewhere to live and you’re contemplating buying Spanish property you should find out all about mortgages in Spain well in advance of you making an offer on a property so that you know how large your budget is going to be. 

We recommend Barclays Bank as your first port of call because they are a British bank with a strong lending presence in Spain and what’s more, if you click here and complete the application form you’re redirected to, an adviser will call you back and discuss all your mortgage and financial options with you.

6) Learn Spanish

You will get far more out of your life in Spain if you make an effort to learn and speak Spanish….there are no two ways about it!

7) Get a lawyer

If you decide to buy a Spanish property you need to get yourself a lawyer – many agents and expats will tell you otherwise but the fact of the matter is this, while the conveyancing process is simple in Spain, you will be committing a lot of your money to a significant purchase and you should therefore take all the precautions you can and get it right.

8) Work to live don’t live to work

And finally – the whole point of moving to live in a place like Spain is that you take it easy, you enjoy life, you make the most of the sunshine, the landscape, the lifestyle and the cuisine – learn to work just enough so that you have enough to live on and spend the rest of the time loving life in Spain.