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What people don't tell you about moving to Spain
We’d love to say there aren’t any pitfalls, but we’d be misleading you. We want this website to be honest and informative and help you lead a better life here. So below are some things to be wary of. If you’re aware of potential problems you can do your best to avoid them.

The Bureaucracy
No matter how simple a life you wish to lead here there will be times when you have to deal with Spanish bureaucracy. If you come from a culture or background where efficiency and doing what you say you’ll do is the norm then you’ll be in for a bit of a shock.

Spanish officials do things to suit themselves and can be very self-important. No matter how sad your story; you’ve just queued for hours in the hot sun with 6 children and grandma for your NIE number, to be turned away at the door because it’s time for the police to take their lunch, you won’t get their sympathy.

It’s far easier to go into any official situation prepared for a long wait and to take as many documents and photocopies as possible. Be patient and remember you’re certainly not the first to have done this. If you achieve what you set out to do with minimum hassle it’s a real bonus.

Homesickness
Living abroad can be a major wrench for many reasons, including missing family and home comforts.

It’s easy to dream of a better life, but when you’re faced with the reality and perhaps you have a sick relative at home, or someone you’re extremely close to it can be hard to live away. The good thing is Spain isn’t that far from the rest of Europe and it’s relatively cheap to get to most destinations. Technology is also a great way to keep in touch with things such as Skype being free to use.

No matter how much you love it here there will be times when you long for a walk in your favourite spot, a visit to the town you used to live in or the comfort of familiar surroundings. These feelings pass and as long as you accept them and take time to plan a visit home or spend some time talking to people that are still there, you’ll be able to accept that you’ve opted for a different life for your own reasons.

Currency Fluctuations
Until, and if ever, the UK decides to use the euro as its currency the exchange rate will always be an issue. This has worked to many people’s advantage in the past when rates were better, but currently this isn’t the case. Long term financial forecasts say that the rate won’t improve much, so if you’re using sterling to pay for things in Spain you need to take currency fluctuations into account.

Mañana Syndrome
It can be extremely frustrating when a Spaniard tells you they’ll arrive at your house at a certain time to carry out a repair, clean your pool or deliver something and then they either turn up late or don’t arrive at all.

Everything in Spain is done at a Spaniard’s own pace, not when it suits you, and just because they agree to a time doesn’t mean they’ll stick to it. It’s hard not to get cross, but worth remembering that this is the culture here and the Spanish don’t think it’s rude to be late. They’re not trying to offend you personally or cause you grief, it’s just the way of doing things here.

Buying Property and Getting it Wrong
If you’re buying property in Spain you must be extremely wary of what can go wrong. Many people seem to let the sun go to their heads and forget any sensible advice they’re given.

Always use a reputable agent and take your time. Ensure you understand every part of the purchase process or you could end up paying unexpected bills.

Use our property pages link to help you learn about buying property in Spain.

Employment
Jobs in this region are limited and if you’re a career person looking for a good salary you will need to move to one of the cities.

Most people who work here and are employed work in the tourist or service industries, which are low paid.

There are also many self-employed people, ranging from construction workers to villa management companies to translators. If you know how to market yourself, have researched the market and identified if there is a need for what you offer you will find work. However, being self-employed in Spain is not a reliable source of income and you could find yourself without work very quickly.

Many of the people that live here are those that don’t need a full time salary to support themselves and their families. There are also a lot of people who have their base in this area but work in other parts of the world as this is the only way to maintain their lifestyle.

For some people a job with lesser responsibility and less money is all they want as the leisurely pace of life makes up for the material things they can no longer buy, or the fast-paced stressful life they’ve left behind.

Visitors
Visitors – often the reality is; it’s great looking forward to seeing them, when they’re actually here you’re counting the days until they leave and when they go you breathe a sigh of relief but you still miss them! Sound a bit harsh? When you’ve lived here a while and turned your home into a hotel a few times you’ll be itching to tell us your stories on our ‘have your say’ page!

It’s wonderful to see friends and family, but the ones that come for a free holiday and don’t do anything to help whilst staying with you are best avoided. People often forget that this is your home and life still has to continue as normal: the house stills needs to be cleaned, shopping and cooking continues as normal, children still need to be taken to school and on top of all this you’re expected to serve as a guide to the area.

The visitors that hire a car and do their own thing are the best. The ones that stay in their own accommodation near to your home are even better! Then you can enjoy their company without feeling obliged to wait on them hand and foot.

Be bold with visitors and say if your home isn’t big enough to accommodate them but offer to find them somewhere to stay. After all, would you expect to stay in their home and be fed and watered for a couple of weeks? If the answer’s yes because you’ve nowhere to stay when you return to your home country tread carefully!

Development
With the current lull in construction Spain isn’t developing as fast as it used to but there’s still building work going on.

Whether someone decides to build a block of flats in the field next to you or a new road through your back garden, development is a threat. The laws here are very unique and are usually on the side of the developer. Something to remember is that there are many local laws that can vary from village to village and corruption at the town halls is still rife. The locals seem to get priority over foreigners and the word ‘fair’ doesn’t exist.

And it’s not just property buyers that are affected by development. The peaceful and tranquil village you moved to may suddenly have a new shopping centre or a main road built through it. Fine if you applaud new facilities, but if the reason you choose to live there in the first place was to ‘get away from it all’ you might find yourself moving.

If you live on the coast you’re sure to experience development of some form. Your sea view might be blocked by the neighbours building another storey or an apartment block may not only take your vista but bring the noise of holidaymakers to your home.

There aren’t many coastal plots with building permission left in this area, but if one becomes available it’s sure to be snapped up by a developer who’ll make much more money out of building an apartment block than a luxury villa.

The Heat
Our friends in the dull, damp UK or Germany may be envious of us when we say it’s just too hot to move during the summer months, but when you have to carry on normal life the heat can be exhausting.

Learning to live with the heat and slow down your pace of life is the only way to deal with it. Heat exhaustion is actually a serious illness and can be very unpleasant. It really is advisable not to sit in the sun between 11.00am and 4.00pm as it can be so damaging.

Getting up early and doing jobs around the house then is a good idea (although if you’re not an early bird you’ll need to change your routine).

Healthcare
Healthcare can be a worry in Spain, particularly if you’re a bit older. The state facilities just aren’t the same as we’re used to in the UK.

Although actual hospital treatment may be very good aftercare is virtually non-existent – in Spain it’s expected that your family will care for you, even while you’re still in hospital. If you have to stay in a state hospital you won’t be given meals – again this is up to the family.

The only option for many people worried about healthcare is to choose private medical insurance. This is very expensive although the treatment and care is excellent in most private hospitals.

All in all, if you are considering coming to Spain to live come with your eyes wide open and your head screwed on!

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