Moving to Spain: If only I had known

Most days my husband Hilary and I wake up and feel we´re in paradise.  I sometimes have to pinch myself when I see the Subbetica mountain range rising out of the early morning mists, and we have our breakfast in the warm sunshine overlooking the hills around us.  It´s utterly magical.  So why write a blog with the title ´if only …´?  I guess with all of life´s big decisions, there are always reflections and hindsight moments, when you think to yourself: ´if only I´d known, I would have done something differently´. 

And so I wanted to share some of these stories from my own experiences and those from my Age in Spain volunteer colleagues and other friends who live across all of Spain, as a helpful set of guidelines for people who are thinking of moving to Spain or buying a house here.  The topics below are the ones mentioned most frequently, but despite all of these ´if only´ moments, the overwhelming feeling from everyone I spoke to was that they were very happy living in Spain, and wouldn´t change their new lifestyle for the world!

The weather

Who would have thought that there would be so much climatic variation within one country!  The image of perpetual blue skies and warm temperatures that Spain evokes is true, but only some of the time and in some parts of Spain.  See below quotes from people with different experiences.

Santiago de Compostella: “Walking through the medieval city in summer is gorgeous - but if only I had known that in winter it rains more than it does in Scotland - and I'm Scottish. I advise people always to experience different seasons before making the leap”

Cordoba province: ´íf only I'd known that the climate in the hills away from the Costa del Sol is much colder in the winter, including frost in the mornings, I may have looked for a property nearer the coast or looked for a house with central heating!” 

Costa Blanca: “I thought I would be able to use my swimming pool 12 months of the year, but in fact it is only warm enough between May and September.”

“If I had known about the mosquitos in the Barcelona area and along the Costa Dorada I would have bought more mosquito repellent from the UK (Spanish stuff is very ineffective) Had I also known it was so cold with a creeping humidity that enters your bones in the winter I would have first rented a house with central heating! ”

Hot tips

If you´re thinking of moving to Spain or buying a house here for holidays, ask local people what the climate is at different times of the year, and check if the house you want has adequate heating/cooling systems. 

Another great tip is to rent somewhere first for a year before buying, so you really know what you´re getting into.

Live like the Spanish: in the heat of summer, get up early to enjoy the coolness of the morning, have a siesta after lunch and don´t go out until after 6pm, with dinner not before 9pm.

Don't throw away your wellies and rain coats, because when it rains it pours!

Insurances, banks, and lawyers

I could write chapters on this!  All expat Facebook sites are full of stories, and here are some examples from our Age in Spain volunteers:

“if only I´d known that my insurance company required two months´ written notice (via letter, not email) to cancel my policy, I would have saved myself a lot of time and hassle”

“Our bank account was opened by our lawyer in a bank near to where he lived.  What we didn´t know was that there isn´t a local branch near us, and so at least once a year we need to make a personal visit to the bank to prove that we are who we are.  A journey of nearly two hours.  And there is additional cost when we take out cash from an ATM machine from a different bank”.

“Our lawyer was recommended by our estate agent, and he was useless – it took us three years to get all the conveyancing paperwork sorted. I wish we´d taken more time, done research and received recommendations from friends or local people”. 

“Our bank manager is great, he speaks good English and really helped us with setting up an account.  We were mystified when he asked if we would be interested in buying a mobile phone, or a screen, or perhaps an e-bike.  And he also sold insurance.  He explained that this was part of the bank´s drive to become more commercial …  We politely declined all offers, but every time we go in, he will ask again!” 

Hot tips

Most Spanish banks charge for having a bank account, so it is good to shop around.  And the charges are not always transparent, so best to come prepared with questions before you open an account. 

Before settling on a lawyer, ask a number of questions and get quotes from at least three.  Don´t necessarily take the cheapest -  a great indicator of a good lawyer is when they answer your questions clearly, in full and with lots of detail.     

Learn the language

You will find that English is spoken on the coast and in touristy places, and people are reasonably fluent too. But away from the coast, it´s a different matter.  And in some parts of Spain, they speak Catalan or Basque, and not Spanish.  Or Spanish with a very strong accent that´s impossible to understand.  So here are some anecdotes and stories from friends across Spain:

“A friend of mine ended up in hospital, and he didn´t speak any Spanish.  Not only did he feel very ill, he couldn´t communicate with hospital staff, and didn´t find out what was wrong with him until he took his hospital notes to his local Spanish doctor who did speak some English.”

“My best experience in Spain was when we were invited to our neighbour´s house for a party and, having taken Spanish classes,  I managed to communicate with Spanish neighbours who were there.  As a result I now go for a little ´paseo´ with neighbours once a week.  Just having a little of the language makes me feel much more included in the local community.”

“I had no idea that Catalan was so different from Spanish, and so when I moved to a little village near Barcelona, I realised that I couldn´t communicate with anyone.  I wish I´d known and taken Catalan classes instead of (or as well as!) Spanish classes.”

"If only I'd known how long it would take to learn a second language I'd have invested more earlier and learnt it was a journey not a race". 

Hot tips

Prior to coming to Spain, familiarise yourself with the language by downloading Duolingo (it´s free!) or there are many other language learning apps, so you can learn the basics.  Use it every day, even just for 5 – 10 minutes.  It´s amazing what a difference it makes. 

If you´ve already mastered some of the language but would like to practise listening and speaking, I found Intercambio a great way for doing so.  There are lots of apps, for example Tandem or Hello Talk.  You put your details on the app, and find a partner who wants to learn your language in exchange for you learning Spanish from them – all via Whatsapp or Zoom.     

And most importantly, never give up. Plod on slowly and never give yourself a hard time. Only look back to remember how far you´ve come. The more you learn, the more you can do, the more friends you make and the more you will integrate.

Driving in Spain

Many expats in Spain complain about how the Spanish drive, and it´s true to say that signalling at roundabouts is not one of their key strengths.  But actually, driving here is not too bad, just be aware that there can be speed cameras and police checks that can take you by surprise.  A bigger issue is that if you are from outside the EU, you need to change your driving licence to a Spanish one.  Here some comments about driving in Spain:

“If only we´d known that our British car would have to be converted (at some cost) to a left hand drive with Spanish number plates, we would have sold our car in the UK and bought a second hand Spanish car locally”. 

“I was very worried about the medical test when I applied for a Spanish driving licence.  On the web, it explained about a number of tests: motor skills, hearing, vision, spatial awareness …), but all I needed to do was to answer some questions about my health, and a quick vision test, and that was it.  I was so relieved!”

Hot tips

Renew your driving licence at least 2 months before it is due, so there is time to process it and you don´t have to drive without a licence in place.  

Wearing sunglasses while driving through tunnels is illegal in Spain.

You will be fined if you are wearing flip flops whilst driving.

Car insurance and car ownership documentation must be kept in the car at all times. 

Buying and renovating a house in Spain

Most people will use an estate agent to buy a house in Spain, and in the majority of cases agents provide a really great and very useful service, as they know the area and can explain about the buying process.  But beware of overly eager estate agents who may charge for recommending builders and trades people.   Doing building work and finding good local builders could easily fill three separate blog posts, so below just a glimpse of what to expect.

“You need a building licence for EVERYTHING in Spain!  Even for a roof repair or internal works.  We once had to get permission from the local river authorities for building works on our roof terrace, and we have no river anywhere near our house!”

“When we bought our Spanish house, we had a full survey done.  The estate agents said this wasn´t necessary, but we´re really pleased we had it done, as we could get the more major (roof) works fixed before we moved in”.

“We use Whatsapp to communicate with builders and tradesmen in Spain.  When we send a message, the answer often is: we will come one day next week.  The following week, nobody comes.  We then follow up via Whatsapp, and no answer.  Three weeks later, when we´re about to go out, we receive a message: is it ok if we come now …”

Hot tips

If you receive recommendations from estate agents for builders or lawyers, check if they get a commission and who pays for it.  Also, if possible, check out reviews on Facebook.

Be patient and remain polite!

Building licences are issued by ayuntamientos (town halls).  If they are taking a long time, phone them or go in and see them, as your application may have ended up at the bottom of the pile.  The Spanish authorities respond better to phone contact or personal visits than to emails.

Health and bereavement

One of the many benefits of living in Spain is that the diet, climate and way of life makes for a very healthy lifestyle.  And it is noticeable that Hilary and I have fewer colds and ailments, and generally feel healthier living here.  But it is good to be prepared, and anyone who moves to Spain needs medical cover, in case something goes wrong.  Below some experiences of the health system here, though it is important to research this some more before committing to moving to Spain.

“My friend´s husband died recently, and my friend was covered as a dependent on his British S1 form.  She needed to see a doctor because, understandably, she could not sleep and was very stressed. But the day her partner died, her name was taken out of the Spanish health system.  She was no longer covered, and had to quickly set up her own insurance cover going forward.”

“It´s been hard getting health insurance because I have pre-existing conditions that I did not want to be excluded from the policy.  It´s cost me more than I had budgeted for, but I have found an insurance company who can provide the cover that I need.”

“If ever you need to stay in a Spanish hospital, bring ear plugs because of the noise level of visitors during the day and TVs blaring throughout the night!”

Hot tips

Live healthily, make the most of the Spanish countryside, seaside and natural amenities for walking, sports and simply getting out and about.

Check out cost of insurance and insurance providers before moving to Spain.   The cost for funerals are high in Spain, and having funeral insurance may be a useful thing to consider.

Fabulous Spain

We really love living in Spain with all its foibles.  It's been fascinating to talk to different people from other parts of Spain about how they've experienced the transition to a different country and climate, and their quotes provide a real insight of what it's like to move here.   But the quote that I identify with most closely comes from George Orwell:

 ‘I would sooner be a foreigner in Spain than in most countries. How easy it is to make friends in Spain!’