Janice Lewis and her husband Peter retired to the Andalucia region of Spain in June 2003. Janice answers some questions about the move and her new lifestyle
What made you decide to move to Spain?
It all started when we visited our friends in July 2002 who had moved to Spain earlier in that year. They had purchased a villa which was built by a couple of local Spanish guys who had just started their own company. Their home was the first home these guys had built together. Our friend was very knowledgeable regarding building and had done quite a lot of research into living in Spain.
We stayed with our friends for a week and during that time they took us to an area about three kilometres from their home, where his builders were going to build some new homes. It was a very picturesque area, between mountains and set in almond and olive groves. We had become so impressed with our friends’ lifestyle and the cost of living in Spain, and of course the weather, that we decided to purchase the first plot of land in the area we had come to see.
How long did it take from getting the idea to move to Spain to moving in?
Surprisingly it only took us ten months. When we arrived in June our home was still being built, so we rented here for three months. Actually this was quite good as we were able to watch the villa being built.
Looking back, what would you have done differently?
We don't think we would have done anything differently – although my husband thinks we should not have brought out all our furniture with us. We had lived in our house for 34 years and were very attached to many of our possessions. Plus the sale of the house went through very quickly, so consequently we did not have very much time to get rid of things. Our furniture was in store for five months.
What has been the most pleasant surprise about where you live now?
The peace and tranquillity of the rural area. We hear a lot of birdsong. We have seen eagles and often watch the goats on the mountain with the goat man. When we lived in England, although it was a village our garden backed onto a main road which fed the M1 so we had a lot of traffic noise. Actually, at the time of writing this it is completely silent apart from the birdsong.
Why Spain and not somewhere else? Did you seriously consider another country?
We often thought about moving to France and loved the country. We holidayed there nearly every year. However, property prices and the cost of living, I think, are comparatively cheaper in Spain - especially in southern Spain where we live. And as I said earlier, our friends of 36 years were here and had already done the groundwork for us and knew all the downfalls. We hadn't considered any other countries.
Do you feel your home is a good investment? Are property prices performing well where you are?
Our home has been a fantastic investment. In the three years we have been here we have seen the value double or maybe a bit more. We certainly have been following the property market in our area and have seen the prices rise considerably. Of course, the cost of living has also increased since we have been here. But it is still a lot cheaper than the UK.
We live in Andalucia, in a small village in the province of Almeria. Our nearest town is about 12 kilometres, although the next village to us has shops is about five kilometres away. The coast is about a 45-minute drive. We think our home is in an ideal location.
Can you recommend a good Spanish wine?
Obviously we have tried many of the Spanish wines and enjoy them. We are both very much red wine drinkers but have also found a few white wines which are also enjoyable. For everyday drinking we have found a quite cheap but very good bottle of red called Fin del Rio 2004, from the Castilla y Leon area - it costs only E1.85 a litre! For a better bottle when entertaining, I have found a very nice rioja 2000 reserver called Coto de Imaz priced at E7.99. For whites, a very reasonably priced white rioja comportillo 2005, priced at E1.65 and a very nice cava called Cabre y Sabate, either semi sec or sec, at E1.65. These are all purchased at the local supermarket.
What advice would you give someone considering a similar move?
I would say do it ASAP - but if they are a couple it must be on the agreement of both parties. We do know of people who are very homesick and want to return to the UK but their partners do not. We settled in very well, possibly because life was made easier for us having such very good friends here already; however my husband did have a few initial problems settling in.
We both love the weather and we have got some very necessary shady areas to sit as it does get very hot. So that is a must. The other thing which is a bonus and very enjoyable is the swimming pool. I don't think I could live in this country without access to a pool. I think another piece of advice would be to learn the language. It is not necessary to speak it fluently - I will never get to that stage - but at least to have a little understanding of it really does help. The other thing is to get sound legal advice on what and where you are buying. A lot of mistakes and problems have arisen from people not looking into things before they purchase and not getting proper legal advice.