Moving to Spain should be a great experience, a chance to enjoy fabulous weather, a relaxed lifestyle, a fresh start, maybe a new career and to immerse yourself in a new culture.
So you’ve made the decision – what next?
To make the move as smooth as possible I recommend the following Top Five Tips:
- Take a trip – before you jump in and commit yourself to a new country make a trip and try and look at your destination through the eyes of a local, not a holidaymaker: is it easy to get around?, can I get to and from the UK easily if I need to?, are there suitable schools for my children?, will i enjoy it in the winter as well as the summer? A little bit of research at the beginning goes a long way.
- Fill in the Family – Tell your family & friends you’re going – a lot of people dream about a new life overseas and never quite make it – once you have decided tell as many people as possible – then there is no going back!
- Put away some pennies – although the cost of living in Spain is cheap compared to the UK, if you have some funds behind you it will make life all the more pleasant whilst you are looking for work and getting settled in. Like most things in life, moving to a new country takes a bit longer, and costs a bit more than you might think.
- Boring but beneficial – there are certain things that are essential when moving to Spain and easier sorted out in advance. If you have time it is handy to have a few days in Spain just a couple of weeks before your big move to sort out some essentials: your new home, your Spanish bank account, your NIE number to allow you to get a job and not forgetting your Spanish SIM card so you can give your new number to all your friends back home before you go!
- Learn the Lingo – well a little bit
Although most Spanish people you meet on the Costa del Sol will speak some English a little bit of local knowledge will help enormously – this book is a good start.
Moving to Spain can be the best experience of your life, everyone of us at Apartsol has done it, and we’ve helped hundreds of other people do the same.
If you need any help or advice just drop us a line and benefit from our experience.
Make the move – we did!
Tags: benalmadena, costa del sol, holidays, moving, place in the sun, rentals, spain
