Top 5 tips to live in Spain

I like that idea. That would be very helpful indeed.

The 5 things you wished you had known before moving but were afraid to ask

Paul

My top tips for a move to Spain are:

1) Rent an apartment/home before buying. Until you have seen an area in each season (Summer, Winter etc) you shouldn´t commit to purhcasing a property. Do the area flood in Springtime? Is it freezing in wintertime and has no heating...

2) Learn as much Spanish as possible. Even if you move to an area with a large expat community you will receive documents and information in Spanish. The more you know the better you are able to adjust.

3) Make friends and contacts who are both your nationality and locals too. This is very important as both groups will have different opinions and views. Listening to both sides will always give you more detail about the area and local activities.

4) Try to fit in with the timetable of the place which you move too. Trying to get things done on a ´festivo´ will just cause you frustration. It´s best to do any admin in the morning between 10h and 1pm when practically everywhere will be open (Weekdays) Don´t try to do anything on Sunday ever.

5) Always have a Plan B. For the move, for work, for financial planning and budget. Things don´t always work out as you may have intended. Perhaps the place you wanted to live was different on a short visit that it seems on a permanent basis. Maybe the job you accepted wasn´t as enjoyed as you´d hoped.. Always have a plan B for a move abroad and if you don´t need to use it, it doesn´t matter.

I´ve been living in Spain permanently since 1998, first in Barcelona and then in Granada (from 2006) Some of the things that have most challenged me were quite unexpected. When I could plan ahead I always have done, but the bureacracy doesn´t have a timeframe here.

I hope my tips prove useful...

Molly
www.piccavey.com

My advise : have a good medical insurance . And don't carry on if have a problem... Be calm ! Spanish hospitals don't respect schedule time. 

i am under retirement age but as my partner has retired I receive free health care as their dependent. Newcastle pensions department can advice you of the details.This dependency rule can also cover a parent and adult child if that child is not working and being supported by their parent financially.
Any one not covered under this scheme can receive 2 years free health care cover in spain if you have previously paid National insurance prior to leaving the UK. Again Newcastle will be able to give you further details.
Finally before rushing to pay private health insurance look into your regions health scheme here in valencia the regional government allows you to pay into it's scheme which gives you the same acces to health care as a spanish citizen. It also has the benefit of covering all previous ailments that private health care generally excludes and although I can't give you the exact figure this moment I do know it is very resonable

Here are 12 curious facts about living in Spain:
itravel4life.com/2014/12/02/12-curious-facts-about-living-in-spain/#more-363
You should also check out these valuable tips for when moving country:
itravel4life.com/2014/10/12/13-valuable-tips-on-how-to-focus-energy-when-moving-to-a-new-country/