Going to Live in Spain: A Practical Guide to Enjoying a New Lifestyle in the Sun [Paperback]

There are many reasons for going to live in Spain. This book tells you how you can actually do it. The author, one of many Britons who has chosen to make Spain his home, endeavors to provide all the information needed to get the most out of this vibrant and exciting country.

Apart from those following a career, why do people move to Spain? Well, usually the family has grown up and left home, so for the first time people are free to decide how to spend the rest of their lives. Getting to know another country and its culture is an attractive idea, and so is saying goodbye to cold winters. Perhaps more important is a feeling of not wishing to continue for the rest of ones life doing exactly the same thing. Desires to broaden horizons, to see new places, to meet new people, to enjoy new hobbies, to have a challenge are all the ingredients for a new lifestyle.

Many thousands of British, German and Scandinavian couples move for these reasons. Over the years they have holidayed in there thousands in Spain, enjoying the country, the people and the climate. It is still a relatively cheap country where one can enjoy a standard of living that is just not possible in any Northern European country. It is close to home. Travelling by air, rail, and sea, or by using the Channel Tunnel can be quick and it can be cheap. Keeping in touch is easier and visits by friends more likely.

Permanent residence is not just a continuous holiday. It starts with a honeymoon period, going to many parties and making new friends. Of course this does not last. But there is no returning home; there is no office, no salary and no pressure. It is important not to get bored. Cerveza drinking and sun worshipping can take its toll. Keep active by working part time in a non-demanding situation, or by joining several social clubs and partaking in the many sporting activities available. Have a full and busy life, do the things you enjoy, keep happy, healthy and feel young.

Of course there are some problems. Charming people as they are, the Spaniards do tend to speak very rapidly in a regional language which seems to be quite different to the Spanish learned at night school back home. They have a different body clock too. They can be noisy. Then there are the frustrating delays. People do not rush about. If you need something repaired, it often takes longer than it should. But one adjusts and learns to be patient.

The aim of this book is to help you get the most out of living in Spain; impart knowledge on how to deal with problems and give information on how to enjoy life. Lots of people have now spent many years here and if they were still living elsewhere would not hesitate to make the same decision again. They feel Spain is now home. They have been revitalized, enjoy a different lifestyle and feel young again.

Harry King is one of many people who have chosen to make Spain their home and who would not hesitate to make the same decision again. His aim in this book is to give you all the information you need to get the most out of this vibrant and exciting country so that you can enjoy your new life to the full. He lives in Alicante, Spain.