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gumbud
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australia
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01-07-2018, 08:10 AM
61

Re: Could living abroad be achieved financially?

my brother once lived in Spain - he now lives in heaven I believe but his wife still lives in Spain. I think there is a genuine desire to catch up with friends and family who for whatever reason won't visit abroad and I would hazard another guess that they all still miss 'home'
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Losos
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01-07-2018, 02:32 PM
62

Re: Could living abroad be achieved financially?

Originally Posted by Floydy ->
This got me thinking that maybe someday, if I was in the same position, I would probably love to join this kind of lifestyle.
Don't just think of the sun and parties there are quite a few negatives such as:-
1)Things that are tax free in UK will be taxed abroad e.g. any wins on Premium Bonds or the Lottery and at 30% or more
2) The NHS is not perfect but don't assume the medical facilities abroad are better, you'll be at a severe disadvantage if you don't speak the language even in places like Spain
3) Any money you transfer abroad will be treated as income and could be taxed unless you go through a twice yearly interview with the tax authorities and prove you've paid tax already in England, and if we leave the EU even then they may tax it.
4) Don't assume the exchange rate will stay the same, it dropped by 40% during our overseas 'jolly' and that made quite a difference to our housekeeping
5) Some things (e.g. food and drink) maybe a lot cheaper than UK but other things e.g. car insurance will be much more.
6) On your trips back to Blighty you may buy stuff, think about how you get it to your foreign home, there's a lot of time and hassle packing up stuff, taking it to the airport, arranging freight etc etc.
7) Don't know what crime is like where you live now but chances are you'll be a 'target' for the local underworld who will automatically assume you are wealthy.

And there's more, just remember anyone living abroad will only tell you the good things
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11-07-2018, 09:46 AM
63

Re: Could living abroad be achieved financially?

you sound like the doom and gloom merchant ?? - My brother and wife moved to Spain 10 yrs ago and everything was smooth sailing - [well they didn't actually take a boat ] but lived in the same village that some very notable english poet once lived and their poetry improved tremendously - what was HIS name gerard something??
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11-07-2018, 09:39 PM
64

Re: Could living abroad be achieved financially?

In our mid 40s my husband and I burned our bridges, sold our bungalow here in the UK and buggered off to Spain. We bought an apartment out there in a predominantly Spanish town. We were totally ripped off by the ENGLISH estate agent who sold us a property for 30,000 euros more than what the Spanish had it on for. We paid 74,000 euros for it and we found out afterwards that it was up for sale with a Spanish agent too at only just over 40,000 euros!!

We of course didn't have an old age pension but my husband did have a couple of pensions from a disability that resulted in the loss of a limb whilst working for a fabric/fibre company. This is how we afforded to live out there. It was extremely cheap to live there, although electric was on a par with England and we managed fine provided we stuck to a reasonable budget.

For the first two years our healthcare was covered by the NHS but because were were not of retirement age we had to apply for private healthcare once our two years was up. Once applying my husband got private medical care no problem but I was refused because they said my blood pressure medication strength was too high, had it been 50mg as opposed to the 100mg it was they turned me down saying I was too much of a risk! I could have got medical insurance but it was going to cost WAY too much and we couldn't have afforded it so we had to sell up and come back to the UK. How can we live in a country where we are not covered medically? We can't because no one ever knows what is around the corner and should any of us been taken ill in hospital or needed a life saving op we wouldn't have had the money to pay for it. We were devastated about having to come back. We had so enjoyed our life out there, we didn't even work out there, had a life of riley me being a lady of leisure.

We lost a hell of a lot of money due the the English ripping the English off, in hindsight I wish we had bought through a Spanish estate agent but we didn't, we were naive and too trusting, more fool us.

We had to sell our property for much less than it was worth (we had put money in the property doing it up) as we needed to get a quick sale.

We came back to the UK and had to start all over again with a mortgage at 45 years old which we will be tied into for the next 10 years or more as we didn't have enough to buy another property outright.

We thought we had done our research, obviously we hadn't done it well enough, no one told us that we would be ripped off by our own people. It was disgusting. I remember the estate agent getting his car blown up, there was a rumour going round that it was a disgruntled property buyer but we aren't sure if the rumour was true.

So here we are in the UK dreaming always of one day going back. We would NEVER buy a property out there again, we would opt to rent if and when our dream every becomes a reality again.

They say God works in mysterious ways, it is a good job I am living back here otherwise there would be no one to take care of my Dad.

Incidentally I will never go again whilst my Dad is alive, he needs me now Mum and my Sister are no longer here. For now we will make do with our yearly holidays to Spain.

Spain is a beautiful country to live in.
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Panda
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Dorset/Europe
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14-07-2018, 09:12 AM
65

Re: Could living abroad be achieved financially?

I know several people who have moved to France but that wouldnt appeal to me. I also know a couple who have moved to Mainland Spain. They also come home at regular intervals and I cant quite work that out either because all they talk about is how wonderful their new life is.[/QUOTE]

Maybe they come back to see family and friends.

We spend half the year in the UK and half in Spain. Love it over there but wouldn't want to be there through the summer months.
gumbud
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australia
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15-07-2018, 01:30 AM
66

Re: Could living abroad be achieved financially?

Originally Posted by Lion Queen ->
In our mid 40s my husband and I burned our bridges, sold our bungalow here in the UK and buggered off to Spain. We bought an apartment out there in a predominantly Spanish town. We were totally ripped off by the ENGLISH estate agent who sold us a property for 30,000 euros more than what the Spanish had it on for. We paid 74,000 euros for it and we found out afterwards that it was up for sale with a Spanish agent too at only just over 40,000 euros!!

We of course didn't have an old age pension but my husband did have a couple of pensions from a disability that resulted in the loss of a limb whilst working for a fabric/fibre company. This is how we afforded to live out there. It was extremely cheap to live there, although electric was on a par with England and we managed fine provided we stuck to a reasonable budget.

For the first two years our healthcare was covered by the NHS but because were were not of retirement age we had to apply for private healthcare once our two years was up. Once applying my husband got private medical care no problem but I was refused because they said my blood pressure medication strength was too high, had it been 50mg as opposed to the 100mg it was they turned me down saying I was too much of a risk! I could have got medical insurance but it was going to cost WAY too much and we couldn't have afforded it so we had to sell up and come back to the UK. How can we live in a country where we are not covered medically? We can't because no one ever knows what is around the corner and should any of us been taken ill in hospital or needed a life saving op we wouldn't have had the money to pay for it. We were devastated about having to come back. We had so enjoyed our life out there, we didn't even work out there, had a life of riley me being a lady of leisure.

We lost a hell of a lot of money due the the English ripping the English off, in hindsight I wish we had bought through a Spanish estate agent but we didn't, we were naive and too trusting, more fool us.

We had to sell our property for much less than it was worth (we had put money in the property doing it up) as we needed to get a quick sale.

We came back to the UK and had to start all over again with a mortgage at 45 years old which we will be tied into for the next 10 years or more as we didn't have enough to buy another property outright.

We thought we had done our research, obviously we hadn't done it well enough, no one told us that we would be ripped off by our own people. It was disgusting. I remember the estate agent getting his car blown up, there was a rumour going round that it was a disgruntled property buyer but we aren't sure if the rumour was true.

So here we are in the UK dreaming always of one day going back. We would NEVER buy a property out there again, we would opt to rent if and when our dream every becomes a reality again.

They say God works in mysterious ways, it is a good job I am living back here otherwise there would be no one to take care of my Dad.

Incidentally I will never go again whilst my Dad is alive, he needs me now Mum and my Sister are no longer here. For now we will make do with our yearly holidays to Spain.

Spain is a beautiful country to live in.
well all tales are different but my deceased brother and wife sold up in UK - moved to a small village in spain [15-18 yrs ago] -purchased a house from local agents and lived there happily until his demise 4 yrs ago - he finished up in hospital in the nearest large city [Malaga] all expenses paid because they were in the EU and Uk citizens still. they swore that the medical services there were superior to UK? They enjoyed their lifestyle for sure but I'm not sure about medical services - he may have survived in UK? or is that just my wishful thinking?

his wife still lives there and has many friends some Uk who support her in her now single lifestyle.
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summer
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15-07-2018, 08:57 AM
67

Re: Could living abroad be achieved financially?

I don't know about the financial implications but I have loved this tropical summer we are having ...I would love to live in this climate forever
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Panda
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Dorset/Europe
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15-07-2018, 09:05 AM
68

Re: Could living abroad be achieved financially?

We have opted for spending 6 months in UK in summer and 6 months in Spain over the winter. It works for us especially with the fantastic summer so far this year.
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d00d
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24-07-2018, 12:52 PM
69

Re: Could living abroad be achieved financially?

Originally Posted by Panda ->
We have opted for spending 6 months in UK in summer and 6 months in Spain over the winter. It works for us especially with the fantastic summer so far this year.
I've spent five winters in Portugal and OK the winters only last a couple of months, but can be a bit miserable at times. Everything there is designed to keep you cool, marble floors etc. so come christmastime you miss the open fires and general cosiness of blighty.
gumbud
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24-07-2018, 01:00 PM
70

Re: Could living abroad be achieved financially?

Originally Posted by d00d ->
I've spent five winters in Portugal and OK the winters only last a couple of months, but can be a bit miserable at times. Everything there is designed to keep you cool, marble floors etc. so come christmastime you miss the open fires and general cosiness of blighty.
can't you cosy it up yaself??
 
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