Going To Live On The Costa Del Sol : Your Practical Guide to Enjoying a New Lifestyle in the Sun

Contents......Page 6 List of Tables......Page 16 Acknowledgements......Page 18 1 Introduction......Page 20 Lifestyle......Page 21 How many Brits live on the Costa del Sol?......Page 22 I want to move permanently to Spain and I have a family......Page 23 I want to work in Spain......Page 24 I propose to retire to Spain......Page 25 2 The Costa del Sol......Page 26 The building boom......Page 27 The eastern end – from Almunecar to Torrox......Page 28 Torremolinos, Benalmadena and Fuengirola......Page 29 Calahonda to Marbella......Page 30 San Pedro to Estepona......Page 31 On to Sotogrande......Page 32 La Linea, Algeciras and Tarifa......Page 33 The hill villages......Page 34 Ojen and Istan......Page 35 Accessibility of your property......Page 36 Summary......Page 37 3 The Climate......Page 38 A climate of extremes......Page 39 Respecting the sun......Page 40 The winter months......Page 41 Dirt track or mud track?......Page 42 Summary......Page 44 4 Quality of Life......Page 46 The relative cost of living......Page 47 Transport......Page 48 Car parking......Page 49 Healthcare......Page 50 Social security......Page 51 No more SAD......Page 52 It could be too quiet in the winter......Page 53 Living in a big resort......Page 54 Coping with the heat......Page 55 Entertainment and culture......Page 56 Travelling outside the Costa del Sol......Page 57 Summary......Page 59 5 Property......Page 60 Location......Page 61 Planning issues......Page 62 The infrastructure......Page 66 Land grab......Page 67 Urbanizations......Page 68 Individual villas......Page 69 Country property......Page 70 A traditional town house......Page 71 Buying a ruin or a potential demolition to rebuild......Page 72 Property to suit your lifestyle......Page 73 Renting property......Page 75 Official and unofficial prices......Page 76 Mortgages......Page 78 The UK bank......Page 79 The mortgage broker......Page 80 Summary......Page 82 6 Banks and Money......Page 84 Opening a bank account......Page 85 Bank statements......Page 86 Credit cards......Page 87 Coping with exchange rate fluctuations......Page 88 Long-term finances......Page 89 The fly-by-night operator......Page 90 Identifying the fly-by-night operator......Page 91 This is too good to be true!......Page 92 Summary......Page 93 7 The Cost of Living......Page 94 Meat and fish......Page 95 Wine and spirits......Page 96 A Spanish or British lifestyle?......Page 97 Electricity......Page 98 Living fires......Page 99 Household repairs......Page 100 Mobile phones......Page 101 Insurance services......Page 102 Clothes......Page 104 Household goods......Page 105 Cars......Page 106 Markets......Page 108 What income do you need?......Page 109 Plan ahead......Page 110 Summary......Page 111 8 Living Legally......Page 112 The NIE number......Page 113 Registration at the town hall......Page 114 Paying your local taxes......Page 115 Residencia......Page 116 Property tax......Page 118 Income tax......Page 119 Capital gains tax......Page 120 Inheritance tax......Page 121 Wills......Page 122 Summary......Page 124 9 Transport......Page 126 Should I bring a car from the UK?......Page 127 Being legal with your car......Page 129 Buying a car......Page 130 Driving licences......Page 131 Driving in Spain......Page 132 Major differences in the laws......Page 133 Public transport......Page 134 Taxis......Page 135 Summary......Page 136 10 Healthcare......Page 138 The effect of climate......Page 139 Organising your healthcare......Page 140 State healthcare......Page 141 Hospitals......Page 142 Private healthcare......Page 143 Doctors......Page 144 How private healthcare works......Page 145 Prescriptions......Page 146 Medical records......Page 147 The definitive emergency service......Page 148 The pharmacy (La Farmacia)......Page 150 The E111......Page 151 Long-term medical care......Page 152 Dentistry......Page 153 Summary......Page 154 11 Education......Page 156 A mixture of state and private education......Page 157 University entrance......Page 158 State education......Page 159 University......Page 160 International schools......Page 161 A typical school......Page 162 How children react......Page 164 Summary......Page 166 12 Working on the Costa del Sol......Page 168 Job centres......Page 169 Social security......Page 170 Working without an employment contract......Page 171 Engineers and mechanics......Page 172 The professions......Page 173 Estate agents......Page 174 Finding work......Page 175 Working in Gibraltar......Page 176 Do your market research......Page 177 Self-employment options......Page 178 Shops and boutiques......Page 183 Business and related services......Page 185 Summary......Page 194 13 Social Life......Page 196 The British way of life......Page 197 Living in real Spain......Page 198 Eating out......Page 199 Christmas......Page 200 San Juan......Page 201 Adjustment to time differences......Page 202 Summary......Page 203 14 Leisure, Sports and Keeping in Touch......Page 204 Golf......Page 205 Sailing and water sports......Page 206 Hiking, climbing and walking......Page 207 Birds and insects......Page 208 Social clubs......Page 209 Religion......Page 210 Charity work......Page 211 Newspapers, magazines and books......Page 212 Radio......Page 214 Telephone......Page 215 The postal system......Page 216 Computers......Page 217 Summary......Page 218 15 Pets......Page 220 Leishmaniasis......Page 221 Dangerous dogs......Page 222 Other restrictions......Page 223 The local attitude to dogs and cats......Page 224 Transporting your animals......Page 225 Summary......Page 227 16 Is a Move to the Costa del Sol Right for You? – A Summary......Page 228 Pace of life......Page 229 Property......Page 230 Living legally......Page 231 Shopping......Page 232 The arts......Page 233 Healthcare......Page 234 Communication......Page 235 Work......Page 236 And finally .........Page 237 Appendix 1 Yearly Expenditure......Page 238 Appendix 2 Comparison of Food and Other Costs......Page 240 Appendix 3 Public Holidays on the Costa del Sol......Page 244 Appendix 4 Connections by Air to Malaga and Gibraltar from the UK......Page 248 Appendix 5 International Schools on the Costa del Sol......Page 252 Appendix 6 Identifying the Shop or Service......Page 256 Appendix 7 Costa del Sol Golf Courses......Page 260 Appendix 8 Further Information......Page 262 H......Page 270 W......Page 271 Tom Provan took the decision to leave England and move - lock, stock, barrel and the dog - to the Costa del Sol. He passes on valuable information about deciding if this is the right move to make, how to settle in quickly and how to get the best out of a new life in the sun