To rent or buy a house?

This is the question that many people will have asked themselves. Renting a house costs money. Selling up in the UK to buy in Spain means you have got off the property ladder in the UK. The way house prices are at the moment, it's probably not the best time. If you sell up and buy in Spain, and it doesn't work for you, selling up out there is along drawn out affair at the moment. It's also an expensive process. I've actually seen a buy one get one free offer on apartments in Spain!! Although we think we have found the right area for us, which happens to be near Alicante, staying there for three weeks is different to living there for years. So it looks like we are going to rent in Spain, and rent our house out in the UK. Hopefully, renting one will cover the cost of the other. This will also leave us the chance of moving back if need be. This might sound a little non committal, but in an uncertain world, it looks like the best option.

Renting our UK house out has some drawbacks. People won't look after your house like you did, so you need to be able to let go, and view it as an investment. And junk. Walking round the house looking at stuff, trying to decide what to keep, you realise just how much you collect after living in the same place for twenty years! Well, back to making my list of what to keep, which is a lot smaller than the wifes'. She still thinks the luggage allowance on the plane is 200kgs not 20kgs. Everything seems to be essential!

Moving to Spain - And my first blog

Ever been to Spain? Ever wanted to live there? Wondered wether you could make ends meet? I have. And so my wife and I have finaly plucked up the courage to make the jump, well dip a toe in the water anyway! Over the next nine months I'll be writing a few lines telling anyone who's interested how we get on. Could be either the best or worst move of our lives. Lets hope its the former.