From Washington DC retiring to Alicante region.

Hello Mark and Vicki and welcome to Expat.com

You may want to read our Expat guide to live in Spain which have several useful informations for new expats in Spain.

Concerning your accommodation hunt, you could drop an advert in the Housing in Alicante section of the site.

You could also seek help of professionals if needed : Real estate in Alicante

Regards
Kenjee
Expat.com

Hi Mark And Vicki!


So happy for you guys - you picked the right place in Europe. Although Alicante is an underdog in terms of life quality - many don't know it which is good for us living here - it is also Europe's answer to California.

Saw your post and I wanted to copy in something else I posted for Paddy:


"It is definitely possible to get a good long term rental in Alicante. Here is what I use when renting long term:

#1 - Know what you want
First thing needed to be done is knowing what it is you guys want and detail it clearly (make sure you do this exercise together and find a common opinion). Write down whatever you can about what would suit you, how can you be happy, what will make you stay there for years to come and so on. And this has nothing to do with price, size, contract or square meters by the way - those are not things that will make you happy! Focus more on what you want and what your dreams and goals are (this is not an easy task) and figure out the the rest come later. More than 85% of your motivation, decision and end result is dependent on you knowing what it is you want!

#2 - Lower the monthly rent
Negotiate the terms of payment in your favor and save 10-20% on the rent by agreeing to pay 6 or 12 months up front. With cash on the table the Spanish more reluctant to negotiate with you - I think it's a cultural thing.

#3 - Get a good contract
You could use a gestor, but I would go through the "trouble" of having someone more education and market specific to handle your case. That means consulting a lawyer or responsible real estate agent. By good contract I mean one that is equally and mutually fair for both, with terms and agreement you and the owner are happy with. Good business and future relationships are always built on mutual ground. And for the love of god chose somebody who can offer you this in terms you can understand - English

#4 - Listings in general
Most listings on property portals and at many real estate agencies have the wrong specifications, they are outdated and/or are already rented out. We can agree to this being sloppy work, but it is how it is and you need to find the solution not focus on the problem. You need to contact an agent and ask them what they have available at that very moment. And then you have to see a lot of property to get the right impression and to take an informed decision. The real impression beats the online anytime!
"

I hope this helps and I wish you guys the best of luck!


Let's get to work!

Carsten - H&E

Hi Mark and Debbie,

I hope I got your names right.  In the process of logging in, to send this message your post went away.  Anyway, Susie and I live in Laurel, MD and have already bought an apartment in Valencia, Spain.  Right now it is vacant.  We plan to move there sometime after the Spring of 2018.  It would be nice to get together and compare notes, and maybe dinner or something.  My email address is **

Hope to hear from you,

Phil Komornik

Hi Mark and Vicki,

Did you re-locate yet to Alicante? My wife and I are from Portland Oregon. We recently retired and moved to Barcelona Spain. In fact, we have only been here for 2 weeks. We are living with our daughter but are hoping to find a flat of our own soon. We are considering other options as it looks like it might be difficult to get a place here. Seems like there is a lot of competition for rentals at the moment. Still, not quite as bad as Portland yet!  We will be taking a trip to Alicante to check it out as soon as we can. I wish you good luck on your retirement!

Best,

Bryan

Hi Bryan,

Just saw your mail. We retired at the end of September and took a long road trip out west to say our goodbyes to everyone. We got to Alicante on November 1st, we have found an apartment and should be moving in the middle of next week. We don't know everything about Alicante, but we are glad we are here. If you come down this way, get in touch, we would be happy to show you around. Our email is [email protected]. Email me directly and I will send you my phone number.

Buena suerte,

Mark and Vicki

Hi Bryan,

My wife, Susie and I, bought a 3 bedroom flat in a good neighborhood in Valencia last Nov.  We are hoping to move there permanently in the Spring of 2018, after my wife retires completely.  We now live near DC.  We are having some difficulty with the Spanish tax situation.   We met with an attorney in Valencia in Oct and are trying to see how we can make it not so burdensome for us. 

We love Valencia, not far from Barcelona, about an hour by AVE.  The costs are much less than they are in Barcelona or Madrid.  We used a really good realty company who also does rentals, Found Valencia.  You might check with them.

I will be in Valencia for Easter week then am going up to the France and the UK for a few day.  Maybe we can find a way to meet up.

Phil K

Hi Mark & Vicki,
How lovely that you have made the move to Alicante!  Just wondering six months on, how do you find everyday life in the city?  We have visited twice for short vacations.   Have you joined any English speaking events or activities?  How do find the cost of living? 
We were raised in Ireland, then lived in New York for over 10 years and now live in Ireland for past 18 years.  We have been searching for an apartment in Alicante City area for a while now.  Any info would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Mary and John

Hello Mary and John,

We are enjoying our life here in Alicante. The pace is much more relaxed compared to Washington D.C.
The local people are very welcoming, and really appreciate it if you make an effort to speak Spanish. We are far from proficient, but continue to study, with the hope of getting in to a local language school. We have joined a group called InterNations, it is worldwide and we have attended a number of fun events with them. They are made up of people from every where, we tend to gravitate towards the English speakers, but there is a good mix of local Spanish people. It's very good for networking, and meeting new people. As for the cost of living, we find it much less expensive than the U.S.A. The fruits and vegetables are abundant at the Central Mercado, as well as very good seafood. Prices are good.
If there is anything else we can help you with, please let us know. You can email directly to
markandvicki.alicante@gmail If you are planning another trip please let us know, if we are not traveling we would be happy to meet you for a glass of wine or a pint of beer.

Good luck,

Mark and Vicki

Mark an Vicky,
I've joined Internations and look forward to going along to some of the events when we get to Alicante.  What a change of pace from Washington, perhaps 2017 more than ever!!
It will be important to learn Spanish.  Isn't the central Mercado really wonderful. 
Thanks for your helpful reply.
Look forward to keeping in touch
Mary & John