Buying an Apartment in Spain?

[Robo]

Bit of wishful thinking here.

We were looking at our options over lunch today.
I'd love to retire, but can't unfortunately.
But I can work remotely.
And ease back my working hours a bit.

I'm hoping to walk a fair few more Caminos before age and ill health catches up with me.
So living in Spain for a few months each year is a possibility.

Potentially we could downsize here, and buy a small apartment/studio somewhere fairly central, and take breaks of a few days from work to go walk different Caminos.

Perhaps renting it out as an AirBnB when we are not there could help defray some of the costs? (or booking com)

I know quite a few members here have moved to Spain from elsewhere, or have always lived in Spain.
Any thoughts or advice would be most appreciated.

Questions that came up in our lunch discussion were........

1. Where to be based? Probably fairly close to International Airports (2-3 hours) or at least main line rail. We are not beach people. More into mountains and countryside. But it probably makes sense for a 'base' to be in a major town/city. Thoughts were Madrid, Salamanca, (been to those) Toledo?

2. AirBnB ability. Here in Australia many apartment buildings (maybe most?) do not allow them to be used as AirBnB type 'short term' accommodation. I wonder if it's the same in Spain?

3. Property Management. Given we are in Australia, I wonder who we could lean on for managing the property? Here in Australia there are companies that do it, for long term rentals. But short term? Ideally they would also manage the bookings as well as take care of the property. (edit. Looks like there are AirBnB 'co-hosts', who do this for a %)

Just some random thoughts, that might allow me to 'semi' retire and walk some more Caminos at least.

Comments or advice always appreciated.

Yet another hair brained scheme maybe?

 

[Pafayac]

My advice is to buy an appartement in Gijon, large enough to welcome pilgrims: currently, this is nearly impossible to find cheap accommodation in this town !

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

A dream which I'm sure a few of us share.
You could contact these guys for answers to many of your questions, I'm sure there are plenty of other examples.

Airbnb Management in Spain | GuestReady

Maximise your rental income with GuestReady. We are an award-winning Airbnb management company, operating in spain. Our 5-star services start at just 15%.

www.guestready.com

 

[Luka]

Interesting thoughts...

If you want to be close to an international airport your choices would be more or less limited to Barcelona and Madrid. Both expensive cities. And also getting more and more restrictive to airbnb kind of constructions, because of overtourism and housing problems. Barcelona even wants to ban airbnb by 2026 (if I recall well).

Salamanca might be an interesting option. Certainly a lot more affordable than Madrid. León maybe? Central location for many Caminos. High speed train to Madrid, so rather accesible to an international airport. Same counts for Oviedo and Gijón (though you would have to travel a bit longer). I think I would look along the lines of the AVE-network. Maybe also good options along the Santiago - Madrid connection. There is (for some incomprehensible reason) an AVE-station in A Gudiña, if you would prefer countryside.

 

[Robo]

My advice is to buy an appartement in Gijon, large enough to welcome pilgrims: currently, this is nearly impossible to find cheap accommodation in this town !

Hmm. Might have to look at that area.

 

[Robo]

A dream which I'm sure a few of us share.
You could contact these guys for answers to many of your questions, I'm sure there are plenty of other examples.

Airbnb Management in Spain | GuestReady

Maximise your rental income with GuestReady. We are an award-winning Airbnb management company, operating in spain. Our 5-star services start at just 15%.

www.guestready.com

Thanks for that.

 

[Robo]

Interesting thoughts...

If you want to be close to an international airport your choices would be more or less limited to Barcelona and Madrid. Both expensive cities. And also getting more and more restrictive to airbnb kind of constructions, because of overtourism and housing problems. Barcelona even wants to ban airbnb by 2026 (if I recall well).

Salamanca might be an interesting option. Certainly a lot more affordable than Madrid. León maybe? Central location for many Caminos. High speed train to Madrid, so rather accesible to an international airport. Same counts for Oviedo and Gijón (though you would have to travel a bit longer). I think I would look along the lines of the AVE-network. Maybe also good options along the Santiago - Madrid connection. There is (for some incomprehensible reason) an AVE-station in A Gudiña, if you would prefer countryside.

Many thanks. Some new areas to investigate........
Interesting looking along the AVE network. Good tip!
Burgos maybe. Certainly lower prices....

 

[VNwalking]

A Coruña? I have nothing helpful to add about the rest. But do wonder about a visa?

 

[Robo]

A Coruña? I have nothing helpful to add about the rest. But do wonder about a visa?

Nice idea.

I'm eligible for an Irish Passport. (EU)
That might help?
Would need to get advice on that.
Or at least on Foreign ownership.
90 days a year would be plenty.

 

[Molly Cassidy]

You might be interested in the article below. It's worth noting that whatever the Airbnb rules now, many governments across Europe are imposing restrictions, so it's very likely rules will change.

Spanish government to limit short-term rentals and tourist flats to address housing crisis - Spain in English

The Spanish government has announced its intention to modify the country's existing housing law to put more limits on both short-term and tourist lettings

www.spainenglish.com

 

[Sirage]

On a reasonable rail line, not necessarily the highest speed, rather than close to an airport.

Clearly time to have a few weeks or months being in Spain to experience the various places that are suggested here.

Include Segovia, about 30 minutes from Madrid on a good train, (and as a nostalgic bonus it has delivery vans with "Merino" on the sides because of its history with Merino sheep). It is at a good elevation above the Spanish heat.

Salamanca is good, but there are many good towns.

 

[Pelegrin]

2. AirBnB ability. Here in Australia many apartment buildings (maybe most?) do not allow them to be used as AirBnB type 'short term' accommodation. I wonder if it's the same in Spain?

There is a recent law that set 3/5 of the neighbourhood community to prohibit the possibility of " piso turistico". It is easier to find that possibility in the coast.

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

Nice idea.

I'm eligible for an Irish Passport. (EU)
That might help?
Would need to get advice on that.
Or at least on Foreign ownership.
90 days a year would be plenty.

There are no current restrictions on who can and cannot buy a property, (EU not necessary) you simply need a NIE (foreigner registration number basically), and it's strongly suggested that you open a local bank account.
There's plenty of info online. (Yes I have seriously considered this, although as a permanent rather than temporary resident).
You might want to check out this one, it seems to cover most of the basics.

Buying a Property in Spain as a Foreigner (2024 Full Guide)

According to the current data on the Spanish real estate sector, there is a significant “boom” in foreign purchases of properties in Spain: since 2009, foreign demand for housing in Spain has increased notably, being led by British buyers, closely followed by Germans and French. It is true that...

spainadvisers.com

 

[TravellingMan22]

Bit of wishful thinking here.

We were looking at our options over lunch today.
I'd love to retire, but can't unfortunately.
But I can work remotely.
And ease back my working hours a bit.

I'm hoping to walk a fair few more Caminos before age and ill health catches up with me.
So living in Spain for a few months each year is a possibility.

Potentially we could downsize here, and buy a small apartment/studio somewhere fairly central, and take breaks of a few days from work to go walk different Caminos.

Perhaps renting it out as an AirBnB when we are not there could help defray some of the costs? (or booking com)

I know quite a few members here have moved to Spain from elsewhere, or have always lived in Spain.
Any thoughts or advice would be most appreciated.

Questions that came up in our lunch discussion were........

1. Where to be based? Probably fairly close to International Airports (2-3 hours) or at least main line rail. We are not beach people. More into mountains and countryside. But it probably makes sense for a 'base' to be in a major town/city. Thoughts were Madrid, Salamanca, (been to those) Toledo?

2. AirBnB ability. Here in Australia many apartment buildings (maybe most?) do not allow them to be used as AirBnB type 'short term' accommodation. I wonder if it's the same in Spain?

3. Property Management. Given we are in Australia, I wonder who we could lean on for managing the property? Here in Australia there are companies that do it, for long term rentals. But short term? Ideally they would also manage the bookings as well as take care of the property. (edit. Looks like there are AirBnB 'co-hosts', who do this for a %)

Just some random thoughts, that might allow me to 'semi' retire and walk some more Caminos at least.

Comments or advice always appreciated.

Yet another hare brained scheme maybe?

Hi mate.

My partner and I have been looking at properties in Spain over the last couple of years and spending months at a time in possible locations.

We netted out at Valencia or Andalucia. Valencia is a great city. I fell in with an expat group there, mainly USA folks, and they were all very happy with their choice. Obv it is very connected transport wise. All the benefits of a city without the costs and plenty of good public transport. Beach close, great arts centre and lots of bands tour.

Re Andalucia - I guess Cordoba was the winner though no beach! Cadiz was attractive too though we only were there for a few days which is no time to judge! I think buying a property in Andalucia attracts smaller property purchase taxes, though you hear lots of stories about very harsh laws on repossession and so forth. For example if a property has a debt against it, in some regions, you inherit the debt. You need a good lawyer and not the one the estate agent recommends! Plenty of airports about and lots of good bus and train connections.

I recently spent three weeks in Coruna and liked it but you need good weather! I don’t like the cold so wouldn’t live in north.

I would the recommend you subscribe to the The Local and get a daily feed from it. It has everything you could ever wish to know about moving to Spain.

 

[Corned Beef]

Something for you to pass away some time on. Top of the list is €1.27m which is likely cheap by Australian standards (if my sisters are to be believed)

https://www.idealista.com/en/venta-viviendas/gijon-asturias/

 

[Robo]

Hi mate.

My partner and I have been looking at properties in Spain over the last couple of years and spending months at a time in possible locations.

We netted out at Valencia or Andalucia. Valencia is a great city. I fell in with an expat group there, mainly USA folks, and they were all very happy with their choice. Obv it is very connected transport wise. All the benefits of a city without the costs and plenty of good public transport. Beach close, great arts centre and lots of bands tour.

Re Andalucia - I guess Cordoba was the winner though no beach! Cadiz was attractive too though we only were there for a few days which is no time to judge! I think buying a property in Andalucia attracts smaller property purchase taxes, though you hear lots of stories about very harsh laws on repossession and so forth. For example if a property has a debt against it, in some regions, you inherit the debt. You need a good lawyer and not the one the estate agent recommends! Plenty of airports about and lots of good bus and train connections.

I recently spent three weeks in Coruna and liked it but you need good weather! I don’t like the cold so wouldn’t live in north.

I would the recommend you subscribe to the The Local and get a daily feed from it. It has everything you could ever wish to know about moving to Spain.

Sounds great. Though Beaches and Bands are not really our thing
We live in Sydney Australia, surrounded by glorious beaches. But never go there.......different folks?
We do sail though........
Love water, just no desire to be in it. Too many things that bite LOL

Cordoba sounds good!

 

[Robo]

Something for you to pass away some time on. Top of the list is €1.27m which is likely cheap by Australian standards (if my sisters are to be believed)

https://www.idealista.com/en/venta-viviendas/gijon-asturias/

Yes, probably an average house price these days in Sydney. (actually A$1.6m so a bit less)
(Home prices here are crazy and are making it very hard, if not impossible, for first home buyers to get into the market) Unfortunately the price of housing is not a reflection of people's earnings here.

Sadly I don't have that kind of money to throw around.
Having taken 20+ years to pay off this home, I don't have 20 more years of working left!!

Looking at more like €100-150k for a small apartment!

 

[Molly Cassidy]

I would recommend a smaller town in easy reach of Madrid or Barcelona. You can always visit the city for a few days when you want to.

 

[TravellingMan22]

Sounds great. Though Beaches and Bands are not really our thing
We live in Sydney Australia, surrounded by glorious beaches. But never go there.......different folks?
We do sail though........
Love water, just no desire to be in it. Too many things that bite LOL

Cordoba sounds good!

Sure, understood, we are all different. My main advice would be to try and spend a bit of time in any town you choose to buy in. Being in a place for a few days as a tourist is very different to be being somewhere for a few months. I don’t really regard the Camino as ‘authentic Spain’ in the sense than you are part of an international community passing through. It’s a very different feeling being in a fixed location, for a few months. That’s been our key finding anyway.

 

[Robo]

I would recommend a smaller town in easy reach of Madrid or Barcelona. You can always visit the city for a few days when you want to.

I was thinking about that too. I like Zamora and thought of there.
But it doesn't have much of a Plaza Mayor.
We like to hang out eating and people watching.
I loved the Plaza Mayor in Salamanca for example.

For us it would be a pity to spend time in a smaller town, given the travel cost from Australia etc, only to have to travel and have additional accommodation expense, visiting the places we would rather be in.

For example, I'd rather live in a small studio, a 10 minute walk from the Plaza Mayor in Salamanca, where I could wander down for a coffee or a long lunch during work breaks, than live in a 2 bed apartment or house in a small city, waiting for the weekend to travel somewhere else.

All about trade offs I guess, and what we enjoy about our surroundings.

We often laugh about where we live in Sydney.
I used to be a bit embarrassed when people asked where we live!
It's considered a lower cost area with a lot of immigrants.
But we love it! It has everything we need.

We're close to all the things we like.
Great places to eat, with virtually every cuisine you can think of. Nice parks.
Easy access to the countryside.

The 'fancy' expensive end of town is near the CBD (downtown) / Beaches and other places we don't really go to.......

Where would I go to in a city in Spain?
The Plaza Mayor, the 'old centre'.
Great food, architecture, people watching.

 

[SabsP]

I was thinking about that too. I like Zamora and thought of there.
But it doesn't have much of a Plaza Mayor.
We like to hang out eating and people watching.
I loved the Plaza Mayor in Salamanca for example.

For us it would be a pity to spend time in a smaller town, given the travel cost from Australia etc, only to have to travel and have additional accommodation expense, visiting the places we would rather be in.

For example, I'd rather live in a small studio, a 10 minute walk from the Plaza Mayor in Salamanca, where I could wander down for a coffee or a long lunch during work breaks, than live in a 2 bed apartment or house in a small city, waiting for the weekend to travel somewhere else.

All about trade offs I guess, and what we enjoy about our surroundings.

We often laugh about where we live in Sydney.
I used to be a bit embarrassed when people asked where we live!
It's considered a lower cost area with a lot of immigrants.
But we love it! It has everything we need.

We're close to all the things we like.
Great places to eat, with virtually every cuisine you can think of. Nice parks.
Easy access to the countryside.

The 'fancy' expensive end of town is near the CBD (downtown) / Beaches and other places we don't really go to.......

Where would I go to in a city in Spain?
The Plaza Mayor, the 'old centre'.
Great food, architecture, people watching.

But living in a smaller town you could get actively involved in the local community.

 

[Molly Cassidy]

I agree with travelling man you need to check out each town. They are all different. Where I lived in Asturias was small but quite lively. But worth checking out the prices first.

 

[Pelegrin]

Cordoba sounds good!

Córdoba sounds good for autunm and winter.

 

[Anhalter]

This might not be the answer you been looking for:

I do have some personal experience from my family with property in Spain. I feel that if you want to make it work, you either have to be super smart about it, put in a lot of money to have someone do it for you or put in a lot of effort by doing the required things yourself. It can become a burden. Even if you get people or an agency to do the work for you, nothing guarantees that they wont mess things up. Then you need to let them go, find someone new... the works.
I would hate to be tied down to that.

If i was to spend a couple of months a year in Spain, i'd rather rent. Yes, this will feel like spending money instead of investing money, but with the money spend, you make your problems someone elses problems. And worst case, you rent a place you hate, you rent somewhere else next time.

 

[Robo]

Sure, understood, we are all different. My main advice would be to try and spend a bit of time in any town you choose to buy in. Being in a place for a few days as a tourist is very different to be being somewhere for a few months. I don’t really regard the Camino as ‘authentic Spain’ in the sense than you are part of an international community passing through. It’s a very different feeling being in a fixed location. For a few months.

Yes, good point and I agree 100%
Though getting away for a 'few months' from Australia is not easy. And very expensive!
Also I have a business to run.
Hence we might go in as 'cheap' as possible and minimise the risk.
We'll only be there a couple of months a year anyway.

It will be a risk. But hopefully we can minimise it.

I take your point about the Camino not being authentic Spain.
But I think the more rural routes like the VdlP are probably bit more 'authentic'.
There just aren't many

 

[Robo]

But living in a smaller town you could get actively involved in the local community.

I would agree, if that is what we are looking for.
But we aren't.

We will be there a couple of months a year max, working remotely, sightseeing, enjoying the local food, and going for walks.

Sorry, we are not really very social.
We've lived in our current house for 12 years and have probably spoken to the neighbours 20-30 times.
We stick to ourselves......

We're all different.

 

[Robo]

This might not be the answer you been looking for:

I do have some personal experience from my family with property in Spain. I feel that if you want to make it work, you either have to be super smart about it, put in a lot of money to have someone do it for you or put in a lot of effort by doing the required things yourself. It can become a burden. Even if you get people or an agency to do the work for you, nothing guarantees that they wont mess things up. Then you need to let them go, find someone new... the works.
I would hate to be tied down to that.

If i was to spend a couple of months a year in Spain, i'd rather rent. Yes, this will feel like spending money instead of investing money, but with the money spend, you make your problems someone elses problems. And worst case, you rent a place you hate, you rent somewhere else next time.

Yes, good points, and that was my initial idea.
It's certainly the logical approach.
I suppose being able to AirBnB it to offset the costs was the attraction.
Not sure we could afford to rent 2 months a year.
But I'll do the numbers.

 

[Anhalter]

Yes, good points, and that was my initial idea.
It's certainly the logical approach.
I suppose being able to AirBnB it to offset the costs was the attraction.
Not sure we could afford to rent 2 months a year.
But I'll do the numbers.

Consider that you won't be the first person with the idea of co-financing their holiday home with renting it out. People have been doing that for decades. Yes, it can work, but it can also fail. Won't be easier when you're on the other side of the world.

 

[TravellingMan22]

I would personally look to rent a place if you are there only 2 months a year via Airbnb. Takes away the hassle and risk. You can also look to vary your location year on year. Plenty of cheapish places in good areas. I know how expensive everything is in Australia and you will save a fortune on food and other costs though I guess you will offset vs airfare.

 

[Luka]

This might not be the answer you been looking for:

I do have some personal experience from my family with property in Spain. I feel that if you want to make it work, you either have to be super smart about it, put in a lot of money to have someone do it for you or put in a lot of effort by doing the required things yourself. It can become a burden. Even if you get people or an agency to do the work for you, nothing guarantees that they wont mess things up. Then you need to let them go, find someone new... the works.
I would hate to be tied down to that.

If i was to spend a couple of months a year in Spain, i'd rather rent. Yes, this will feel like spending money instead of investing money, but with the money spend, you make your problems someone elses problems. And worst case, you rent a place you hate, you rent somewhere else next time.

Good point, but I could argue with that (living in Asturias, Spain for almost 7 years now).

First of all, when buying a house/appartment, always contract a lawyer. A lawyer will sort out all the paperwork and do the (very) necessary checks about the legal status of what you are buying and possible catches. You should be safe then.

Secondly, it is getting harder and harder to find a place to rent in many parts of Spain. Especially for just 2-3 months (if you don't want to pay airbnb-prices). So that might not always be an easy alternative. But not impossible of course.

 

[Robo]

Consider that you won't be the first person with the idea of co-financing their holiday home with renting it out. People have been doing that for decades. Yes, it can work, but it can also fail. Won't be easier when you're on the other side of the world.

You're far too logical!
And perfectly correct of course.

 

[TravellingMan22]

I would personally look to rent a place if you are there only 2 months a year via Airbnb. Takes away the hassle and risk. You can also look to vary your location year on year. Plenty of cheapish places in good areas and you can get long stay discounts.I know how expensive everything is in Australia and you will save a fortune on food and other costs though I guess you will offset vs airfare.

 

[naplesdon]

I was still in the market to buy after I sold my apartment in Biarritz. My plan was to move the Algarve. For the past year I have been using IDEALISTA to research properties on the market. If you narrow down you options to one or two areas, you can get notices every day of new properties that are available for sale in your chosen price range and square meter range. They send about 3 options each day which includes the real estate agent's information.

 

[TravellingMan22]

I was still in the market to buy after I sold my apartment in Biarritz. My plan was to move the Algarve. For the past year I have been using IDEALISTA to research properties on the market. If you narrow down you options to one or two areas, you can get notices every day of new properties that are available for sale in your chosen price range and square meter range. They send about 3 options each day which includes the real estate agent's information.

Indeed - Idealista very much the app for property in Spain!

 

[Skinnybiker]

A couple of additional points.

Do you want "Endless summer" or "Endless winter" because that could help you decide where to look for a place? We live in Cadiz province about 35km south of the city and reckon that mid June to mid September are the hot months the other nine months are good for all outside activities (similar climate to Perth probably).

Search for James Blick on Youtube, he's a Kiwi married to a Spanish chica and does a lot of stuff about moving & living in Spain. Also I would advocate renting to start, it's possible to get into a lot of trouble buying; as someone else above said if you buy the problems are yours but if you rent the problems are the owner's.

Another suggestion for a city in Andalucia is Granada, big enough to have all the resources but easy to get around, look at the Albaicin for rentals. Or the Costas in winter, there will be hundreds of rentals for one or two months. Malaga is Spain's third airport and has plenty of international connections.

Buena suerte Richard

 

[Robo]

I was still in the market to buy after I sold my apartment in Biarritz. My plan was to move the Algarve. For the past year I have been using IDEALISTA to research properties on the market. If you narrow down you options to one or two areas, you can get notices every day of new properties that are available for sale in your chosen price range and square meter range. They send about 3 options each day which includes the real estate agent's information.

Yes I've been using that.
Lots of rental options too.

 

[woody66]

HI Robo!
I wish you well with your plans!
I know this is not Spain; but has some relevance!
I think Anhalter has given some insight at what trying to maintain a place thousands of miles from home can be.
If you only intend to be in Europe initially for 2 or 3 months a year long term rent it's just like walking the Camino instead of paying for a bed each night; you pay a lump sum for your stay.
Less hassle and worry; places just outside cities are cheaper.
Where i stay is a suburb of Lisbon.
When i visit we stay together in an apartment (she has a large family) my next visit i will stay for a month! Cost just under 900 Euros for apartment.
I will do this until the house is finished and then apply for my D7 visa (as an old fart with a guaranteed pension; minimum income they except is about 8400single 12000 couple Euros)
When you retire same sort of possibility exists in Spain for you; however Spain requires i think 28000 Euros.

If all goes well on moving to Portugal ; my girlfriend is building an Eco house near Salvaterra de Magos (it will be 8 km of the Portuguese Central so i hope i will be the cat that got the cream! Camino on the doorstep and a new life and adventure at my age !
Have you considered Portugal it is on Spain's doorstep!
Good Luck
Woody

 

[Liica]

Bit of wishful thinking here.

We were looking at our options over lunch today.
I'd love to retire, but can't unfortunately.
But I can work remotely.
And ease back my working hours a bit.

I'm hoping to walk a fair few more Caminos before age and ill health catches up with me.
So living in Spain for a few months each year is a possibility.

Potentially we could downsize here, and buy a small apartment/studio somewhere fairly central, and take breaks of a few days from work to go walk different Caminos.

Perhaps renting it out as an AirBnB when we are not there could help defray some of the costs? (or booking com)

I know quite a few members here have moved to Spain from elsewhere, or have always lived in Spain.
Any thoughts or advice would be most appreciated.

Questions that came up in our lunch discussion were........

1. Where to be based? Probably fairly close to International Airports (2-3 hours) or at least main line rail. We are not beach people. More into mountains and countryside. But it probably makes sense for a 'base' to be in a major town/city. Thoughts were Madrid, Salamanca, (been to those) Toledo?

2. AirBnB ability. Here in Australia many apartment buildings (maybe most?) do not allow them to be used as AirBnB type 'short term' accommodation. I wonder if it's the same in Spain?

3. Property Management. Given we are in Australia, I wonder who we could lean on for managing the property? Here in Australia there are companies that do it, for long term rentals. But short term? Ideally they would also manage the bookings as well as take care of the property. (edit. Looks like there are AirBnB 'co-hosts', who do this for a %)

Just some random thoughts, that might allow me to 'semi' retire and walk some more Caminos at least.

Comments or advice always appreciated.

Yet another hair brained scheme maybe?

I’ve moved from Paris to Madrid and I’m in heaven. Living in northwest is perfect for us. We also don’t like to live in the center and we prefer a house with a big yard, which is impossible in the center. I do not use public transport, but there’s a train near. The region of the Guadarrama mountainshave a few small towns and still very safe.
Places like Cercedilla, Las Rosas, Las Matas, Torrelodones, Majadahonda, Boadilla… are perfect and very well located. I like this side of better than the East.
Finding houses here are not easy, but not impossible. You must hire a professional to help you and check all the papers before buying.
The weather is amazing, the people are the best!
I’m just not sure if maintaining an apartment empty for so long is a good idea (and safe). But anyway, I would definitely use airb&b instead and before buying, so you can know the place.
Good luck

 

[Robo]

A couple of additional points.

Do you want "Endless summer" or "Endless winter" because that could help you decide where to look for a place? We live in Cadiz province about 35km south of the city and reckon that mid June to mid September are the hot months the other nine months are good for all outside activities (similar climate to Perth probably).

Search for James Blick on Youtube, he's a Kiwi married to a Spanish chica and does a lot of stuff about moving & living in Spain. Also I would advocate renting to start, it's possible to get into a lot of trouble buying; as someone else above said if you buy the problems are yours but if you rent the problems are the owner's.

Another suggestion for a city in Andalucia is Granada, big enough to have all the resources but easy to get around, look at the Albaicin for rentals. Or the Costas in winter, there will be hundreds of rentals for one or two months. Malaga is Spain's third airport and has plenty of international connections.

Buena suerte Richard

Great tips, thanks.
Granada. Now there's an Idea.
Yes I've found James Blick (Spain Revealed). Great Channel!

I suppose the difference is............we are not 'moving' there.
Just going to stay a couple of months a year.
It's a place to 'visit'.

Our home base is in Sydney and we spend time in Bangkok with family.
Bought a tiny apartment there many years ago, (for about the price of a good car)!
It works out great.

I suppose that what's prompted the idea for Spain.

But with all the great advice here................I'm coming back to thinking that maybe we should just rent?
It would give us the option to stay in different places each year.
That's a big plus.

 

[TravellingMan22]

A couple of additional points.

Do you want "Endless summer" or "Endless winter" because that could help you decide where to look for a place? We live in Cadiz province about 35km south of the city and reckon that mid June to mid September are the hot months the other nine months are good for all outside activities (similar climate to Perth probably).

Search for James Blick on Youtube, he's a Kiwi married to a Spanish chica and does a lot of stuff about moving & living in Spain. Also I would advocate renting to start, it's possible to get into a lot of trouble buying; as someone else above said if you buy the problems are yours but if you rent the problems are the owner's.

Another suggestion for a city in Andalucia is Granada, big enough to have all the resources but easy to get around, look at the Albaicin for rentals. Or the Costas in winter, there will be hundreds of rentals for one or two months. Malaga is Spain's third airport and has plenty of international connections.

Buena suerte Richard

Malaga was on my list as love it there. I was thinking Granada but have only spent a few days there but was going to do a month there to rule in or out. Same with Cadiz but think I may end up spending too much time in that lovely old market with the lovely bars in!

 

[LTfit]

Nice idea.

I'm eligible for an Irish Passport. (EU)
That might help?
Would need to get advice on that.
Or at least on Foreign ownership.
90 days a year would be plenty.

An Irish/EU passport should do it, at least I had no problem with a Dutch passport and the steps were very simple compared to The Netherlands. Maybe it was simpler for me since I bought an albergue from another EU citizen who explained the process. I had no lawyer or real estate agent, only a local gestor who gave me some advice for less than €100 and a local notary.

 

[Robo]

An Irish/EU passport should do it, at least I had no problem with a Dutch passport and the steps were very simple compared to The Netherlands. Maybe it was simpler for me since I bought an albergue from another EU citizen who explained the process. I had no lawyer or real estate agent, only a local gestor who gave me some advice for less than €100 and a local notary.

Thanks. good to hear.

Though it's standard here in Australia to use a Lawyer who specialises in property.
I think I'd probably do the same.
We also get a valuation from the bank.
A building inspection (by a qualified builder/engineer), and
a pest inspection.

It's a big purchase!

 

[Pilgrim9]

Bilbao?

I spent about a week there, loved it, and would move there or to some more economical nearby town in an instant if I could.

Very hilly, topologically complex, and therefore interesting area with a major river, a sea port, mountains, a Metro system which is integrated with a main-line railroad, a tram line, two art museums (a respectable fine arts museum plus the completely separate Guggenheim Museum a few blocks away), a legacy industrial heritage combined with a vibrant cultural scene.

Learning the local language (probably essential) would stimulate the brain, walking up and down the hilly streets would enhance physical fitness, and experiencing the varying seasons would help prevent ennui.

Bilbao has become a tourism-oriented city which might be relevant to out-renting a property when one is not there.

Just an idea for evaluation and disposal.

 

[TravellingMan22]

You defo need a good lawyer. Sure the media hype it up but Spanish property laws seem quite a thing. I know the whole squatter thing caused my friends a nightmare and many others have had problem too! It does seem a minefield depending on regions.

According to a credible media source there are 300k illegal homes in Andalucia. Buy one of those and you may end up with a fine or the bulldozers coming in. Some will be hype but it does seem an issue. Tread carefully!

 

[ivar]

I would rent until you find your “paradise”, then buy.

 

[Robo]

When you retire same sort of possibility exists in Spain for you; however Spain requires i think 28000 Euros.

€28,000 per? Year?

 

[Molly Cassidy]

€28,000 per? Year?

Yes. Usually must be unearned income - e.g. pension.

ETA: You don't need to meet this requirement if you have an Irish passport.

 

[ShoshTrvls]

Hi mate.

My partner and I have been looking at properties in Spain over the last couple of years and spending months at a time in possible locations.

We netted out at Valencia or Andalucia. Valencia is a great city. I fell in with an expat group there, mainly USA folks, and they were all very happy with their choice. Obv it is very connected transport wise. All the benefits of a city without the costs and plenty of good public transport. Beach close, great arts centre and lots of bands tour.

Valencia is a wonderful city and my retirement destination as well (although I will probably do the 3 months in, 3 months out “thing” because of the complications in getting a residency visa).

 

[JustOneGuy]

Interesting discussion!

I had no doubt about a certain correlation between ‘I want to walk the Camino de Santiago’ and ‘I want to go and live in Northern Spain’, although for us it was the other way around: we went there to see if we liked the place as a future prospect, and started thinking about walking the Camino...

We are Italian but permanent residents in Spain and this would make things easy for us. We like the place, we speak Spanish having lived about 12 years between Chile and here, we like the rain (especially her ), we know the administration (and we do not like it very much...) and we have no problem with cold weather, actually we miss real seasons here (Canary Islands).

The only problem is that there is quite a speculative bubble on property in Northern Spain. The prices of properties are really high for what you get, specially in some areas, and being used to living in rural areas we would prefer a house with some land rather than an apartment. Also, the return from an investment is not the best, but we don't care about that relatively speaking as we are going to permanently live there, whereas it should worry those who want to rent a house to make some money. That is why we are also considering some regions in France.

I enclose two articles on the subject that appeared recently:

https://www.visualcapitalist.com/global-real-estate-bubble-risk-in-2024/

Where in Europe are the highest and lowest property taxes?

Central and eastern European countries top the list for property investment, according to a new report.

www.euronews.com

Hope this may help, @Robo .

 

[CamillaO]

Our younger daughter spent 4.5 months in Barcelona through a student exchange program last spring. We got her an apartment using Idealista. Very convenient, everything went well, and e.g. when the washing machine in her apartment stopped working, it was replaced quickly.

 

[John Crawford Howell]

Other than our primary residence, we have exited "real estate prison". Multiple properties = multiple problems as we know from experience and as outlined in preceding comments. I've enjoyed this thread because my wife and I have romanced the idea of buying an apartment in Madrid. Practical considerations always burst the bubble. At our ages, the idea is to savor life, not be burdened by problems of our own making. So, while the romance will continue (because it's a delicious sensation), we know what works for us is to do a longer term stay in a comfortable, but not exorbitant hotel. Last year, for example, we stayed two weeks in the Hotel Europa on Puerta del Sol. To each his/her own, of course, but this is our formula. And we don't need to hire a framer to fix a window . . .

 

[pjacobi]

It sounds like a great fantasy! Unfortunately, reality is quite different.

There are many retired persons that later regretted buying a boat, RV or beach home.

The few that a decision like that did work out had prepared many years in advance with financial resources and excepted the amount of work needed to make the dream a reality.

From all that I have read about retirement, it is EXPERIENCES that are most valued, not THINGS with long-term financial obligations.


-Paul

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

But with all the great advice here................I'm coming back to thinking that maybe we should just rent?
It would give us the option to stay in different places each year.
That's a big plus.

It’s certainly worth careful thought.

Something a little mundane to chuck into the mix.

Death

What happens when one of you passes away?
1/will the survivor still want to visit?
2/ if not, and the survivor sells, are there capital gains taxes? There may not be for Spanish citizens, but there may be for non citizens. Here in Germany it’s 42% for non citizens if you haven’t owned the property for 10 years or more.
3/Does Spain have death duties? (I’ve got no idea).

I’m sure there’s other consideration’s, but that’ll do for a start

 

[LTfit]

Thanks. good to hear.

Though it's standard here in Australia to use a Lawyer who specialises in property.
I think I'd probably do the same.
We also get a valuation from the bank.
A building inspection (by a qualified builder/engineer), and
a pest inspection.

It's a big purchase!

Understand. My situation was quite different. The albergue - it was an albergue turístico - was treated yearly for pesky critters, that was a health regulation which was strictly followed and one of the previous owners who did the original renovations was an architect so I assumed (maybe not correctly) that building was in order. Much of the ground work and investigation I did myself but I had the advantage of speaking Spanish, otherwise I would have had the gestor (a great resource in Spain) do a lot of the work.
p.s. given the very, very reasonable rents in Spain, I indeed would consider renting rather than buying or at least renting until you are really sure where you want to be. I had about a two month period in Spain before I would move into the albergue. I knew this beforehand so took a short trip to Spain and spent 10 days in Astorga and two weeks in Ponferrada. I quickly learned that being in a larger city was more to my liking and so I chose Ponferrada.
p.p.s. my experience is that short-term rentals are difficult to find unless you are in a really touristy area. Airbnb was quite reasonable and you usually can negotiate better rates if you stay for longer periods.

 

[TravellingMan22]

Valencia is a wonderful city and my retirement destination as well (although I will probably do the 3 months in, 3 months out “thing” because of the complications in getting a residency visa).

Yes it really is. I spent a large chunk of Summer 2022 there. I made some great friends including one Canadian lady who kinda coordinated a regular Friday morning ex pat walk followed by a coffee. It was a nice ‘check in’ for the mainly American expats who were from all different backgrounds but all very engaging. Met one elderly couple who had never been to Europe before let alone Spain. They just decided to go ‘all in’ and move. I asked them why Valencia and they said they had been looking at all the cities on YouTube videos and chose Valencia based on Turia Park. They were doing very well although I think were shocked re the amount of bare flesh on the beach. Was full of admiration for them as I have been procrastinating for years re moving to Spain.

 

[Pelegrin]

Living in Spain I can choose stages to do separately. In 2024 I have done so far Tres Cantos - Manzanares ( C.Madrid), Triacastela - Sarria, Portomarin - Palas de Rei, and part of two stages on Caminho da Geira near Castro Laboreiro. In Triacastela I had lunch with David Tallan and daughter.

 

[Keyser]

Passport

I'm eligible for an Irish Passport. (EU)
That might help?

Do this first. Numerous advantages, European Health Insurance not being the least.

 

[Anhalter]

It’s certainly worth careful thought.

Something a little mundane to chuck into the mix.

Death

What happens when one of you passes away?
1/will the survivor still want to visit?
2/ if not, and the survivor sells, are there capital gains taxes? There may not be for Spanish citizens, but there may be for non citizens. Here in Germany it’s 42% for non citizens if you haven’t owned the property for 10 years or more.
3/Does Spain have death duties? (I’ve got no idea).

I’m sure there’s other consideration’s, but that’ll do for a start

Afaik the "inheritance tax" in Spain is seriously high (maybe only for real eastate?), much higher than in Germany for example. So its not only the capital gains. This might also be worth looking into.

 

[Madamjoy]

Nice idea.

I'm eligible for an Irish Passport. (EU)
That might help?
Would need to get advice on that.
Or at least on Foreign ownership.
90 days a year would be plenty.

You can stay in Spain 90 out of 180 days. Otherwise you have to apply for a foreigners residency permit which is not difficult. Have you considered renting an apartment in Spain for 90 days and renting out your Australian home to defray costs. Also consider the tax implications of owning property in Spain plus the transaction costs of a property purchase. Transaction costs can be 10% or more (legal fees, real estate commission, property transfer tax) of the purchase price depending on location etc. Renting might be less of a headache.

 

[naplesdon]

I had not considered mentioning the climate issue. Eight years of living in Biarritz introduced me to the vagaries of the storms that come in from the west off of the Bay of Biscay. Certain weeks in the winter can be a miserable experience when you have no heat in your apartment. The same was true during my year in Cascais, there are three months of winter when the nasty, rainy, cold weather blows in off of the Atlantic, making life pretty miserable. I lived in East Killara, north of Sydney, for 4 years and never experienced those kind of extended extremes that a small fire in the fireplace would not warm up my place.

 

[alexwalker]

This has been a dream for many, also for us, but how realistic?

We are just back from 5 weeks in Kreta, Hellas (Crete, Greece, in English; but I prefer the original names).

We have been dreaming about staying there in an apartment and enjoying Hellenic life, but we have come to the conclusion that we would be bored to death. No friends, no relatives, on our own. Our dear ones far away.

We prefer our local residency, but will be traveling extensively. Me to the Camino each year, we together on holidays wherever, but have our home base where we are.

Easy for us to say, as we are living inside the EU, I know.

 

[henrythedog]

€28,000 per? Year?

Yes

 

[Madamjoy]

Great tips, thanks.
Granada. Now there's an Idea.
Yes I've found James Blick (Spain Revealed). Great Channel!

I suppose the difference is............we are not 'moving' there.
Just going to stay a couple of months a year.
It's a place to 'visit'.

Our home base is in Sydney and we spend time in Bangkok with family.
Bought a tiny apartment there many years ago, (for about the price of a good car)!
It works out great.

I suppose that what's prompted the idea for Spain.

But with all the great advice here................I'm coming back to thinking that maybe we should just rent?
It would give us the option to stay in different places each year.
That's a big plus.

I rented in Sevilla for two months in 2023, and did some hikes and walks in the region and a few 2-3 day trips to Granada, Ronda etc. At end of rental I walked the Via de la P before travelling onwards to Ireland. Great time. Meanwhile my condo here in Canada was rented to a visitor from NY. I plan to do similar trip in 2025.

 

[witsendwv]

This may be too far off the beaten path for you, but Extremedura is looking for people to relocate: https://www.euronews.com/travel/202...ra-is-luring-digital-nomads-with-15000-grants. Might be something to investigate. (I wish I were you and could do this- best of luck).

 

[Walkerooni]

Yes, both a good lawyer AND a good tax accountant would be needed. Buying a place in another country and renting it out/AirBnB'ing it, would generate income in Spain on which you'd be taxed. I agree with another poster--you'd be much better off to rent your Australia place out for the months you'd be in Spain. A lot of headaches diverted.

 

[domigee]

Also consider the tax implications of owning property in Spain plus the transaction costs of a property purchase. Transaction costs can be 10% or more (legal fees, real estate commission, property transfer tax) of the purchase price depending on location etc. Renting might be less of a headache.

I couldn’t agree more. It isn’t a cheap venture, even though the buying price may be much cheaper than in your own country.
Think carefully.
Also, renting the flat as an rbnb to me is soooo unfair on the neighbours! And how would you monitor it all being so far away? You’d absolutely need an agency. And they aren’t cheap
Best of luck though.

 

[Sirage]

So living in Spain for a few months each year is a possibility.

or just rent in Spain? no hassles

 

[Richard Smith]

This might not be the answer you been looking for:

I do have some personal experience from my family with property in Spain. I feel that if you want to make it work, you either have to be super smart about it, put in a lot of money to have someone do it for you or put in a lot of effort by doing the required things yourself. It can become a burden. Even if you get people or an agency to do the work for you, nothing guarantees that they wont mess things up. Then you need to let them go, find someone new... the works.
I would hate to be tied down to that.

If i was to spend a couple of months a year in Spain, i'd rather rent. Yes, this will feel like spending money instead of investing money, but with the money spend, you make your problems someone elses problems. And worst case, you rent a place you hate, you rent somewhere else next time.

Yes, I was going to suggest to Robo that he rent for a year.
Also, Portugal gets a good rap for digital workers, so maybe somewhere like Porto?

 

[John Crawford Howell]

Robo—this is a wonderful thread because it incites the emotion of putting down an anchor in a land we love and how best to do it. Does renting give us an anchor? Or does only owning provide that sense of being moored? Or, is it our collective experience that tethers us to Spain? How trite or how true is it that home (when not in Australia or Thailand) is where the heart is?

 

[Robo]

Robo—this is a wonderful thread because it incites the emotion of putting down an anchor in a land we love and how best to do it. Does renting give us an anchor? Or does only owning provide that sense of being moored? Or, is it our collective experience that tethers us to Spain? How trite or how true is it that home (when not in Australia or Thailand) is where the heart is?

It’s certainly an interesting idea.
"Home is where the heart is"

Or maybe as per the song "Wherever I hang my Hat"

I left home at the age of 15 and have lived in….
6 ‘countries’. (2 being 'non English' speaking)
And at last count 29 ‘homes’. I think.
By the age of 11 I had lived in 3 countries and 4 homes.

So we often reflect on where home is.
Particularly when it comes to old age.
Haven’t worked it out yet, but probably Australia.
We have lived here longer than anywhere else.
And it does 'feel' like home.
It's a great place to live.
Just a long way from anywhere!

But really we are happy anywhere.
Home for us is probably having each other, a few familiar things around us, and maybe…an environment/culture that we understand and that feels comfortable. Not so much about language. I think the importance of that largely depends on how social you are or want to be.

The renting v owning is a big part of it I think.
And that's also a bit of a cultural thing.
In some countries home ownership is not that high.
But Australia, US, UK all sit around 65%

Maybe it's more about not feeling like you are living out of a suitcase?
Having some of your own stuff around.
Being able to modify the home if you want to, even if it's only painting a wall or banging a nail in the wall to hang a picture.

It's not so much about family for us. We're not really that close with family or friends. We are a fairly independent 'unit' of just the two of us. And we're used to family being a long flight away. And staying in touch is easy these days. We're not 'hermits' I'd say it's more about not 'needing' an extended social circle to be content. We're certainly very 'social' on Camino!

So putting down an anchor in Spain?

It's a really great way of putting it. And this thread has been great to read. So many thoughts and ideas, and stuff I would never have considered.

Do we need to feel at 'home' in Spain? Maybe not.
It's more about the ability to enjoy extended visits there.
And so renting has many positives as highlighted by a few people.

Probably the main reason buying came up, was the idea of renting it out to provide a bit of cashflow in retirement and offset travel costs. But that could also be a potential minefield it seems.

So renting at first would seem to the sensible thing to do.

And there is also this...........

Do we really want to return to the same town/city each year?

 

[John Crawford Howell]

It’s certainly an interesting idea.
I left home at the age of 15 and have lived in….
6 ‘countries’.
And probably 25-30 ‘homes’.
We often reflect on where home is.
Particularly when it comes to old age.
Haven’t worked it out yet, but probably Australia.
We have lived here longer than anywhere else.

But really we are happy anywhere.
Home for us is probably having each other, a few familiar things around us, and maybe…an environment/culture that we understand and that feels comfortable.

Well said, Robo. I, too, have lived in 6 countries. Countless house changes as a kid growing up. Up until now where we live in Anacortes, the longest I ever lived in the same house was in Singapore for 7 of the 9 years we lived there.

 

[Joanne P]

Have you considered house / pet sitting as an option?

 

[Robo]

Have you considered house / pet sitting as an option?

For our house here, Yes

Might be hard in Spain though if we want to travel around a bit and go walking.

And if work commitments allowed. Volunteering in an Albergue too.

 

[John Crawford Howell]

Well said, Robo. I, too, have lived in 6 countries. Countless house changes as a kid growing up. Up until now where we live in Anacortes, the longest I ever lived in the same house was in Singapore for 7 of the 9 years we lived there.

I'm just now seeing the second part of your message, Robo. I should mention my wife comes from the Philippines where she has a lot of family. Her paternal grandfather is from Spain; her maternal grandmother is from China. We met in Manila during a business negotiation between our two companies in the mid 70s. We both share a love for Spain. This makes it easy for us to spend a lot of time there. Like you and your wife, we are very self contained. We are not anti-social, but perfectly content to be by ourselves. When we are in Spain together, there is an unspoken dynamic between us that says we are where we belong.

 

[Molly Cassidy]

This has been a dream for many, also for us, but how realistic?

We are just back from 5 weeks in Kreta, Hellas (Crete, Greece, in English; but I prefer the original names).

We have been dreaming about staying there in an apartment and enjoying Hellenic life, but we have come to the conclusion that we would be bored to death. No friends, no relatives, on our own. Our dear ones far away.

We prefer our local residency, but will be traveling extensively. Me to the Camino each year, we together on holidays wherever, but have our home base where we are.

Easy for us to say, as we are living inside the EU, I know.

I moved to Crete 2 years ago. I didn't find it hard to make friends. I came on my own.

 

[Cicada]

Bit of wishful thinking here.

We were looking at our options over lunch today.
I'd love to retire, but can't unfortunately.
But I can work remotely.
And ease back my working hours a bit.

I'm hoping to walk a fair few more Caminos before age and ill health catches up with me.
So living in Spain for a few months each year is a possibility.

Potentially we could downsize here, and buy a small apartment/studio somewhere fairly central, and take breaks of a few days from work to go walk different Caminos.

Perhaps renting it out as an AirBnB when we are not there could help defray some of the costs? (or booking com)

I know quite a few members here have moved to Spain from elsewhere, or have always lived in Spain.
Any thoughts or advice would be most appreciated.

Questions that came up in our lunch discussion were........

1. Where to be based? Probably fairly close to International Airports (2-3 hours) or at least main line rail. We are not beach people. More into mountains and countryside. But it probably makes sense for a 'base' to be in a major town/city. Thoughts were Madrid, Salamanca, (been to those) Toledo?

2. AirBnB ability. Here in Australia many apartment buildings (maybe most?) do not allow them to be used as AirBnB type 'short term' accommodation. I wonder if it's the same in Spain?

3. Property Management. Given we are in Australia, I wonder who we could lean on for managing the property? Here in Australia there are companies that do it, for long term rentals. But short term? Ideally they would also manage the bookings as well as take care of the property. (edit. Looks like there are AirBnB 'co-hosts', who do this for a %)

Just some random thoughts, that might allow me to 'semi' retire and walk some more Caminos at least.

Comments or advice always appreciated.

Yet another hair brained scheme maybe?

Good on ya Robo
I've always dreamed of living in Burgos. A bit long in the tooth to up and go now. Just do it mate! I must say though that retired and living in Sydney is pretty good!
Good luck
Cheers Roger

 

[Robo]

Good on ya Robo
I've always dreamed of living in Burgos. A bit long in the tooth to up and go now. Just do it mate! I must say though that retired and living in Sydney is pretty good!
Good luck
Cheers Roger

Yes, we love Sydney.
Just a bloody long way from anywhere.

At least we don't live in Dunedin!
(Southern tip of New Zealand)

 

[Kanga]

@Robo have you investigated house swapping? Not to purchase, but to occupy for, say, a month. Friends and family based in Sydney have tried this. It seems to work. I’ve not heard of any failures; a couple of minor complaints but nothing critical. Obviously necessary to get as much detail as possible on both sides. There are various online sites, including on social media (Facebook). It’s a walk into the house “as is” situation and cars can also be included if both parties want. Grandparents from Europe visiting their Aussie grandkids seem a natural.

 

[MikeJS]

I always think it better to buy somewhere where you currently live and rent that out. Use that income to rent somewhere in the country you are interested in staying in. This gives you flexibility to change where you stay, keeps you in the property market where you currently live if you want to return and means that the property you rent out is somewhere where you know and understand the laws. If after a while you decide the new place is definitely for you, you can then make different arrangements as required.

 

[BarbaraW]

So much experience here.
My little bit is from having my best friend move to Spain over 20 years ago. She did her research and spent some time visiting places she might live and talking to expats. That confirmed that living in a bigger place would be best, as she is solo. Several people told her that it was hard to become part of a community in a smaller place as the Spanish are so strongly family oriented. She settled in Granada and loved it. Apart from the summers too hot (so she has a place in the UK rented out when she's not there) and the winters too cold. And most of all the bureaucracy. The complications that come from having property, and income arising, in two places. Problems with the post, utilities, tax, building maintenance, neighbours. She moved to Spain for a simpler life and it's just got more complicated. Over the years I have spent many hours listening and sometimes helping to research the answers. And am shocked by how cumbersome and complicated some things are.

So do your research carefully and don't forget about ageing.

Good luck. I am full of admiration for those who have the courage to commit to such significant changes.

 

[JustOneGuy]

For long-term investments, I also consider climate change. Some regions in the south of Spain - and not only - will probably become really unbearable to live in soon (in 10-20 years, and you know how fast time goes: think about what you were doing 10 and 20 years ago).

Yeah, rain and cold may be hard for some people to bear, but it is possible, while living in temperatures of over 40°C for long periods in summer is a... "day and nightmare".

 

[Keyser]

Consider long term rentals in tourist areas over winter months. An example is Nerja east of Malaga. Beside the sea, mountain walks on your doorstep by public bus (including a Camino route) in the adjacent national park or slightly further in Sierra Nevada range. Monthly rental €600 to €700.

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

Maybe it's more about not feeling like you are living out of a suitcase?
Having some of your own stuff around.
Being able to modify the home if you want to, even if it's only painting a wall or banging a nail in the wall to hang a picture

I met a lady once who typically spent eight to nine months of the year away from 'home'. The details are unimportant, but how she coped might be relevant.

She would be deployed for a minimum of six weeks in any location, so what she did was pack an extra suitcase with a few special items. She had a favorite throw and cushions to make herself a 'nest' as she called it; a few pictures which she would swap with whatever was provided; a couple of ornaments, her bathrobe and her pillow. In addition to which she had her cook set as she called it : a handful of herbs and spices and her favorite knife. Presumably the rest of the suitcase was taken up with additional clothing, I simply don't remember.
As I see it the key would be to take items that would make you feel at home but that you could bare to lose in the unlikely event your suitcase went forever astray.

Unfortunately nowadays the charge for these extra cases is fairly substantial. Qantas for example charge $80 per kilo I believe. So you'd do better to buy Pat her rice cooker upon arrival and simply leave it behind each time.

However presumably you would both have a 23 kilo luggage allowance. Plus a 7kg carry on. Which considering that we pilgrims typically carry between 5 to 12 kilos of camino Gear each, leaves you a pretty substantial buffer.
Whilst backpacks take up a significant amount of room in a suitcase, from memory Pats was smaller, presumably a carry-on item.

Whilst you may not want to carry your favourite pictures, nowadays it's easy to get photos printed locally, you could either buy cheap frames and leave them behind, or repurpose the frames from any pictures provided.

I'm sure should you decide to follow this route, between Pat and yourself you'll
come up with plenty of ideas.

 

[filly]

Great tips, thanks.
Granada. Now there's an Idea.
Yes I've found James Blick (Spain Revealed). Great Channel!

I suppose the difference is............we are not 'moving' there.
Just going to stay a couple of months a year.
It's a place to 'visit'.

Our home base is in Sydney and we spend time in Bangkok with family.
Bought a tiny apartment there many years ago, (for about the price of a good car)!
It works out great.

I suppose that what's prompted the idea for Spain.

But with all the great advice here................I'm coming back to thinking that maybe we should just rent?
It would give us the option to stay in different places each year.
That's a big plus.

I wonder if you have ever thought of a ‘house swap’. I have done it several times swapping a London home for a Brisbane apartment. There were no issues… it certainly affords the chance to be an instant ‘local’.

 

[DoughnutANZ]

James Blick, a Kiwi married to a Spanish lady and living in Madrid runs a business helping people make decisions about moving to Spain and/or buying property. He has an excellent reputation, see:

Spain Revealed - Experience Spain Like a Local

Whether you're planning the perfect vacation in Spain, or to build a life here, we can help ensure your experience is smooth, local, and truly memorable.

www.spainrevealed.com

 

[LTfit]

And there is also this...........

Do we really want to return to the same town/city each year?

That's a really good point and you will only know once you have been in one spot for a few months. In the beginning everything is new and exciting, that wears off after a while.

I have several friends living permanently in Ponferrada (American and Dutch) who were extremely welcoming when I stayed there for 6 weeks. They are/were fellow pilgrims and hospitaleros so that helped. This made a big difference given that I was alone with my dog. I personally can't imagine renting somewhere in Spain for months on end without me having some sort of connection to the location, Camino or otherwise, but then again this might not be a priority for the two of you.

 

[CarolamS]

My husband was keen to buy a flat in a ski resort in France. I was rather less keen as I really didn't feel the finances vs enjoyment equation truly worked out. Instead we bought a high quality motorhome and spent 7 weeks in a resort in the mountains with great access to the slopes. After 3 years Covid hit and made the place initially unavailable and later far less attractive to us.

There are other options to owning a place but having your own 'home from home'. There is a great campsite; Fuentes Blancas which is about 4km from Burgos Cathedral, along the river. We've stayed there and it's a very easy walk into town. The route Pilgrims take if they've found the alternative, non-industrial route. We've stayed along the Camino Norte too.

Driving is Spain is much easier than the UK!

Just something else to consider maybe.

 

[domigee]

And most of all the bureaucracy. The complications that come from having property, and income arising, in two places. Problems with the post, utilities, tax, building maintenance, neighbours. She moved to Spain for a simpler life and it's just got more complicated. Over the years I have spent many hours listening and sometimes helping to research the answers. And am shocked by how cumbersome and complicated some things are

Err… I have had a different experience @BarbaraW . Buying a place in Spain was the easiest, muy easier and quicker than England or France. So far anyway, touch wood and I’ve been there for 10 years. Now, speaking Spanish does help!
I notice now you mention Granada. Yes, that might be different. My mother had a house in Andalucia (Almeria) and ..it was more difficult…. But it was a big house with lots of land, I’m sure Robo isn’t thinking of owning a farm

 

[BarbaraW]

That's good to hear, Domigee. My friend is fluent in Spanish but lived in a house that was not accessible by car and there were many practical issues. It can be much harder to deal with those things if you're on your own.

 

[Corned Beef]

There is a popular programme in the UK called "A Place in the Sun". They have a Youtube channel where you'll see many Brit hopefuls attempting to buy a property in Spain. Gives a good overview of many places, usually Southern Spain where there are a lot of Brits.

A Place in the Sun

A Place in the Sun is the UK’s leading overseas property media brand and a highly visible, famous name. It started life as a TV show, created by Freeform Productions, that was first broadcast on Channel 4 in 2000 and has been a part of popular TV culture ever since. A Place in the Sun and its...

www.youtube.com

 

[Rebekah Scott]

Bit of wishful thinking here.

We were looking at our options over lunch today.
I'd love to retire, but can't unfortunately.
But I can work remotely.
And ease back my working hours a bit.

I'm hoping to walk a fair few more Caminos before age and ill health catches up with me.
So living in Spain for a few months each year is a possibility.

Potentially we could downsize here, and buy a small apartment/studio somewhere fairly central, and take breaks of a few days from work to go walk different Caminos.

Perhaps renting it out as an AirBnB when we are not there could help defray some of the costs? (or booking com)

I know quite a few members here have moved to Spain from elsewhere, or have always lived in Spain.
Any thoughts or advice would be most appreciated.

Questions that came up in our lunch discussion were........

1. Where to be based? Probably fairly close to International Airports (2-3 hours) or at least main line rail. We are not beach people. More into mountains and countryside. But it probably makes sense for a 'base' to be in a major town/city. Thoughts were Madrid, Salamanca, (been to those) Toledo?

2. AirBnB ability. Here in Australia many apartment buildings (maybe most?) do not allow them to be used as AirBnB type 'short term' accommodation. I wonder if it's the same in Spain?

3. Property Management. Given we are in Australia, I wonder who we could lean on for managing the property? Here in Australia there are companies that do it, for long term rentals. But short term? Ideally they would also manage the bookings as well as take care of the property. (edit. Looks like there are AirBnB 'co-hosts', who do this for a %)

Just some random thoughts, that might allow me to 'semi' retire and walk some more Caminos at least.

Comments or advice always appreciated.

Yet another hair brained scheme maybe?

I have lots of experience with these things.
If I were you, I would put all that Air B&B availability to work for me. I'd spend my 90 days in one town I already knew I liked. Or maybe split it up into 45 days in two different places I knew had good possibilities. You do not know a town until you've spent at least a month there, IMHO. The next time you come back, get a place in another town. I also suggest you spend some of your time as volunteers in the camino albergue network -- and become a true, living part of the Way.
Once you find that "just-right" town, you'll then likely already know the people who can help you find a place to settle into.

 

[John Crawford Howell]

In my mind, Rebekah, all of Spain is a Goldilocks "just right" land, and I agree with you that that perfect fit takes some time to discover—just like stumbling on the ice cream flavor you'd been searching for all your life amid so many delicious offerings. Your formula is practical and wise, IMHO.

 

[ShoshTrvls]

I met a lady once who typically spent eight to nine months of the year away from 'home'. The details are unimportant, but how she coped might be relevant.

She would be deployed for a minimum of six weeks in any location, so what she did was pack an extra suitcase with a few special items. She had a favorite throw and cushions to make herself a 'nest' as she called it; a few pictures which she would swap with whatever was provided; a couple of ornaments, her bathrobe and her pillow. In addition to which she had her cook set as she called it : a handful of herbs and spices and her favorite knife. Presumably the rest of the suitcase was taken up with additional clothing, I simply don't remember.
As I see it the key would be to take items that would make you feel at home but that you could bare to lose in the unlikely event your suitcase went forever astray.

Unfortunately nowadays the charge for these extra cases is fairly substantial. Qantas for example charge $80 per kilo I believe. So you'd do better to buy Pat her rice cooker upon arrival and simply leave it behind each time.

However presumably you would both have a 23 kilo luggage allowance. Plus a 7kg carry on. Which considering that we pilgrims typically carry between 5 to 12 kilos of camino Gear each, leaves you a pretty substantial buffer.
Whilst backpacks take up a significant amount of room in a suitcase, from memory Pats was smaller, presumably a carry-on item.

Whilst you may not want to carry your favourite pictures, nowadays it's easy to get photos printed locally, you could either buy cheap frames and leave them behind, or repurpose the frames from any pictures provided.

I'm sure should you decide to follow this route, between Pat and yourself you'll
come up with plenty of ideas.

This is brilliant -- a strategy that I will employ, I think.

 

[Robo]

I have lots of experience with these things.
If I were you, I would put all that Air B&B availability to work for me. I'd spend my 90 days in one town I already knew I liked. Or maybe split it up into 45 days in two different places I knew had good possibilities. You do not know a town until you've spent at least a month there, IMHO. The next time you come back, get a place in another town. I also suggest you spend some of your time as volunteers in the camino albergue network -- and become a true, living part of the Way.
Once you find that "just-right" town, you'll then likely already know the people who can help you find a place to settle into.

Sound advice, many thanks.

 

[Robo]

Some very interesting views, suggestions, advice and experiences.
Many thanks to all.

I think reflecting on all of this, renting is probably the logical thing for us to do.

So maybe I should summarise that 'decision' in case others come along to read this thread or want to add additional information.

1. We don't intend to 'move' to Spain or live there for extended periods.
2. We 'live' on the other side of the World between Sydney and Bangkok.
3. So it's likely to me a maximum of 2 months / year.
4. I'm likely to remain working for the foreseeable future so extended periods overseas are hard.
5. Buying a small / inexpensive apartment, was seen as a fairly cost effective way to have a 'base' in Spain.
6. As we age (more), we suspect that our Australian homebase coupled with the expense and health related aspects of International travel, will make travelling to Spain hard.
7. I suspect that our 'retirement' in old age will be more manageable at 'home' in Australia.
8. So the usage of a home in Spain, could be limited to 10-20 months in total (over 5-10 years)
9. Spain is really a place we'd like to spend more time in, but not move to permanently. We have seen that be troublesome for relatives as they get 'much' older, moving elsewhere in Europe.
10. So this would be more of a 'holiday home'.
11. The initial thought about buying v renting stemmed from the idea of renting it out via AirBnB or similar whilst we are not using it. Once I finally retire at some stage, we will be on a quite limited income, and this could help offset the costs of travel etc.
12. But........what we had not considered were the tax implications, inheritance taxes etc etc.
13. And there are also considerable expenses in buying and selling property, no matter the country.
14. Furthermore, we would be tied to a single location / city everytime we travel to Spain.
15. Additionally, many properties won't allow AirBnB type short term rental in their buildings. We have a tiny apartment in Bangkok and are not allowed to do short term rentals with it. (so it sits empty between visits as long term rental rates are not worth it. Cleaning, maintenance, fixing etc between tenants)
16. There is also the situation of 'acceptance' by the locals. Whilst we are not that 'social' it would be nice to avoid any actual hostility toward 'foreigners on holiday'. Pushing up property prices, bad at the language, not integrating with local communities etc etc. This can be a common attitude all over the World, and in Spain there is also quite a bit of resentment already toward over tourism in places.

So I think renting would make more sense.
The cost over a 50-10 years period might only be €10-20 k, as opposed to an investment of €150-200k for even a small apartment in a town or city we like. And who knows about the long term property market. I should add that we are not 'small village in the country' type people. We are Town/City people who like to visit the country.

The challenges and potential risks around renting it out, the only reason (for us) to buy, whilst on the other side of the World, are really the deal breaker I think.

 

[naplesdon]

Sage advice is to never to buy real estate in a foreign country. I have ignored that advice twice and been very successful with my purchases. My home sale in Sydney netted me a nice profit and my experience with my apartment in Biarritz was equally beneficial. The lesson I learned in that transaction was to take the money and run, I gave the buyer 6 months to complete the transaction at a time when the exchange rate was falling from 1.20+ to 1.00. Timing is everything, in real estate as well as comedy.

 

[Robo]

Sage advice is to never to buy real estate in a foreign country. I have ignored that advice twice and been very successful with my purchases. My home sale in Sydney netted me a nice profit and my experience with my apartment in Biarritz was equally beneficial. The lesson I learned in that transaction was to take the money and run, I gave the buyer 6 months to complete the transaction at a time when the exchange rate was falling from 1.20+ to 1.00. Timing is everything, in real estate as well as comedy.

How very true!

As you will know, property investment in Sydney and Australia generally is a bit of a National Sport.
One that I have never excelled in!
I think I must be the only person in Sydney who rarely does well on the deal.

Probably best I don't try to win at an "away game"........

 

[Joe C]

This may be too far off the beaten path for you, but Extremedura is looking for people to relocate: https://www.euronews.com/travel/202...ra-is-luring-digital-nomads-with-15000-grants. Might be something to investigate. (I wish I were you and could do this- best of luck).

It's on the Via de la Plata. Merida is a really cool city with good rail links.