Consider renting before buying
Spain is a vast & culturally diverse country
The vast size of Spain means that there’s something for everyone. It is made up of 17 autonomous communities, divided into 50 provinces. Each autonomous region and province of Spain has its own identity.
Buying a property in the right area of Spain is essential to your happiness. Take your time if you are unsure of what part of Spain you want to live and buy a property.
Renting in different areas will allow you to experience different areas and lead you to your new happy life in Spain.
Location is Important !
Once you have decided you want to move to Spain one of the big decisions is the location where you want to live.
You may already be familiar with some areas of Spain from previous visits. The knowledge you already have about Spain may lead you to the place you want to live.
Be mindful if you are using this approach to discover where you want to live. Very often people fall in love with a place during the hight of the holiday season. This can be misleading in a lot of cases as it gives the impression a place is busy all year around. Very often costal tourist areas can be very quite out of season.
We all have a reason for wanting to come and live in Spain, such as the sun, culture and sleepy way of life. If you are wanting to live. Regardless of the area you want to live in Spain most places are sunnier and warmer than any area of the UK so that doesn’t really need to be considered when thinking of were you want to live.
If you want to come to Spain for the culture and Spanish way of life then doing your homework is important. In a lot of the tourist areas its sometimes harder to find the real Spain. It will be there as Spaniards will be living and working in these areas but you will need to wade through all the tourist stuff first to find it.
Pros
Cooler in the summer, warmer in the winter. Holiday feel during the April to October. Quick access to the beach. Lots of choices to eat and drink. Lots of entertainment.
Inland
Pros
Authentic Spanish feel. Consistent population. Less tourism. Quieter way of life. Easier to integrate in the Spanish community. Places less likely to close over winter. Can be more peaceful and quiet in the countryside.
Coastal
Cons
Busy with lots of traffic in the peak season. Quiet in winter. Lots of bars and restaurants closed in the winter. Lots of holiday rentals and tourists. Harder to integrate in to the Spanish community.
Cons
Longer to travel for the beach. Hot in Summer, cooler in winter. Sometimes less choice in places to eat and drink. Sometimes longer distances to travel for entertainment.
Pros
Near to everything. Less dependence on a car. Easier to access transport hubs. Easier to access town events and fiestas. More likely to have to bars and restaurants within walking distance. Better utilities such as mains gas and fibre internet.
Country
Pros
Generally quieter. Bigger properties with gardens. More private living. more properties with their own pool. Pockets of immigrant communities Lots of countryside to explore. Ideal if you have or want a dog.
Town
Cons
More noise from traffic and people. Very busy during the town fiesta which will have loud fireworks. Smaller properties and gardens, mainly apartments.
Cons
Need a reliable car. Longer distances to travel. Need to make arrangements for your post and parcels to be delivered to a central point in town. Smells of the countryside. Takes longer for an ambulance to get to you in an emergency.