The best services to use when moving to Spain

The biggest hurdle has been communication.  And I'm not talking about speaking Spanish, though obviously that is a hurdle of its own. I mean the differences in expectations and perception amongst expats from different countries and backgrounds.  The 'one man's meat is another man's poison' thing.  What works for one doesn't work for another. We have found that much of the very helpful and friendly advice and suggestions we have been given just doesn't work for us.  This is not about adapting either.  So now, whilst we still seek to glean information, we filter it through the knowledge that our requirements and expectations may be different. 

We are coming to the conclusion that you need to live in a city or in the middle of a major tourist area to get reliable internet of a level suitable for work. We are in a reasonably populated area, near big towns, and have gone through 2 providers and about to try a 3rd, as the service has been unreliable. Having said that it is probably fine for most people.

We are VERY glad that we got a house with central heating.  We certainly needed it for 5 months. It is expensive though. We have gas bottles, supposedly the cheapest form of heating, and it cost us around E300 a month.  It is not directly supplied, though I understand that, again, it might be in cities and higher population areas.  So you have to anticipate when the tanks will run out.

Water quality and reliability of electrical supply fluctuate. Turning a kettle on can blow the fuses! You get used to making sure you are not running several things at once. Electricity is expensive. Water is cheap. Which is entirely the wrong way round for a country that has water problems but could use more solar power!

Our biggest help has been a good relationship with our landlady who lives nearby. That and google translate!! :-)