1 Year Living In Spain - Update! Exciting News, Changes & What Life Is Really Like!
Vložit
- čas přidán 16. 06. 2024
- In today's video I provide an update on life in Spain after 1 year of living here. I cover a lot of topics that you may find useful if you are planning a move over to Spain.
00:00 Intro/Banking/Health
04:03 I Moved/Lifestyle
07:03 Shopping/Cash Back
09:32 Transportation/Travel
12:15 Entertainment/Fiestas
14:33 What is Life Like?/Volunteering/Football
16:49 Do I Miss Anything From North America?
22:42 Questions/Channel/Outro
Link to the Banking and Healthcare/Insurance Video :
• Answering your Questio...
Link to Why I moved from Malaga to Alicante video :
• Why I moved from Spain...
Follow me on social media :
Instagram
/ theemptymiddleseat
Important Links :
Here is a link to the site I use for all the royalty free music in my videos www.epidemicsound.com/referra...
Here is a link to Tube Buddy
www.Tubebuddy.com/emptyseat
I live in Mazarron Murcia we have Christmas day on the beach mucia Costa Caldia known as the warm coast
I remember some of your content when in Costa del sol especially the (La mollina de finca) video you did , great vid and content that one , been here in Malaga myself almost 3 years to the day , all the best.
Thank you
Gracias. Great day to day info. Most appreciated.
Thanks for sharing that was awesome. We will be in Malaga in March. We are planning to move to Spain and will be looking at the Benalmadena, Estepona area as well as Benidorm. The healthcare info was very helpful and things to do after the honeymoon period. Thanks.
Thanks. Glad it was helpful. Those are all great areas. Spain is a great place to live, good luck with the move.
I liked your video's , I visited Spain recently and Costa del Sol area specifically and loved it and because of it I started a youtube channel :) , you are right there is huge difference between North América and Spain but life in Spain is worth it.
Thank you. Spain is a great place to live, it's definitely worth it. I will have to check out your channel.
Love your informative content. We visited Costa del Sol and Costa Blanca recently. We stayed in the city of Alicante. I think we definitely need to check out the other areas like Finestrat as we ran out of things to do in Alicante city centre. Keep up the great work!
Thank you. Finestrat is a great area, there is a lot of new development there.
I enjoy your videos. Currently, we are visiting Malaga from California. Thank you. 🙏👏👏👏
Thanks so much. Enjoy your visit.
Hello Andrew, just came across your video. My husband and l moved to Madrid last November from New York and we love it. We also have a condo in Benidorm so we might run into you when we go there. Glad you're enjoying your life in Spain. It's a beautiful country indeed!!
Nice, thank you. If you see me around town say hi.
Hi Scott, we spent a few days in Murcia and Valencia and noticed Benidorm on the way back to BCN. Looked lovely from the highway. Thanks to your video, we'll be checking this place out next time.
Great vid- look forward to meeting you guys in May 👍
Thanks, we are looking forward to meeting everyone
Interesting to see. I live in the Netherlands but we are looking in the costa Daurada/ Barcelona area between eE vendrell and Gavà
Awesome , thanks 👍🏼
Great information!! Quite inspiring
Thank you
You should check out the litlle towns along and near the coast north from Benidorm up to Valencia.
Hi Scott, great to meet you yesterday at the Oasis, hope you both enjoyed it. Thanks for joining us and I look forward to seeing you again in the future 👍👍
We had a fantastic time. It was nice to meet everyone in person. Looking forward to future meetups.
Very tempting as I am not looking forward to another Ottawa winter…. At least, I’ll be in Fuengirola next week for 15 days…. Thanks for your videos.
It's a big undertaking to move, but it's worth it. Enjoy your trip!
Loving the content and as an early subscriber I have to compliment you on how much your skill set as a creator and editor have improved. I very much appreciate the frank and relatable content as a fellow Canuck (you remind me of some of the guys I served with waaaaay back in the day when I was posted to Calgary-while it was still a base).
We are potentially a few years behind you and taking a similar but slightly different path (my much better half has a Dutch mother so she is weeks away from getting her Dutch Nationality as my British Nationality no longer serves as a gateway to the EU-we won't go into that cluster...).
Keep the content coming as the diversity and down to earth perspective is a valuable one, and happy to see you are still enjoying the big leap even after the honeymoon period and continually refining the process toward that more permanent Casa. Definitely looking at your current area as our first longer term exploratory stay next winter (Alicante/Murcia region looks to offer lots of choices).
Enjoy that sunshine eh...... cheers.
Thank you, I appreciate it. The Alicante region is fantastic. Lots of potential areas to set down permanent roots. It's unfortunate the impact that Brexit had on people who wanted to move into the EU, even the ones that were already here. Good luck with the journey and thanks for being a long time subscriber.
@@TheEmptyMiddleSeatTravel looking forward to whatever you have in the pipeline (the food vids-even the Canadian adventures-are definitely enjoyable).
Sharing the actual nuts and bolts of starting anew in the EU from a Canadian perspective is particularly helpful and informative (one of my tangent searches showed me the potential wrong time to sell here and relocate there given a potential capital gains tax on primary residence-which we don’t have here but if done incorrectly could be costly there). Definitely going to be giving Benidorm a closer look as well. Stay well and keep enjoying your adventure.
Thank you from Texas ❤ Your video is very informative for me.
I'm glad it was helpful
@TheEmptyMiddleSeatTravel please help! I closed my money market account here Dallas with a major bank and got cashiers checks. Would i have any problems opening a bank account with a bank in Spain? Thank you, Remus
Superb! Hi from Ireland
Hi, Thank you
You should check out Gandía as well. I have lived here for a while now and love it. The beach is one of the best in Spain. It is also much cheaper than the other, more international, resort towns down the coast.
Thanks for the tips! I'll check it out
Thanks
Thank you for the great video. Lots of good information. I’m actually retired and been traveling around Asia. I think my next stop should be Spain. Take care
Thanks. Yes Spain is worth a visit, it's a great place to live and explore.
It sounds like a good place. I have one up on many expats as I speak Spanish. Not the same Spanish but should make a difference
I appreciate your honesty and in depth videos on moving to spain. It's making me want to move 😂
Thank you, it's a big undertaking to move but it's worth it.
Si are you retired or digital work? Just curious
@@AlejandroRodriguez-pn2ci we are retired, we can't work in Spain.
That's what I start thinking after watching the videos 😅
Top content man! You're helping me plan my path when we move to Spain. Already contacted Just Law for taxationsimulation and soon for immigrationassistance. All your recommendations are very helpful.
Thank you, I'm glad the videos have been helpful.I hope your visa and move go smoothly.
Hi Andrew,
Such a timely video. My wife are just back from Playa de San Juan to the United States and already missing Spain.
I’ll be looking forward to your video on the renewal/extension of your residency cards as we’ll also need to do so next June.
While in there, we almost bought an apartment, but our application for a loan from Bank of Sabadell didn’t go smoothly and we decided not to pursue it for now. Just like you, we may also opt for a long term rental until we’re sure where we’ll want to buy.
Anyways, thanks again for sharing your journey; and looking forward to collaborating with you soon…
Thank you. Sorry to hear your loan didn't work out. It is best to rent for a few years. A collaboration would be fun
Thank you for this video, it just popped up and I am sold at least to explore for 12 months. Excitement in your voice is contagious. I have had my heart set on Portugal but the high influx of people moving there has extremely increased cost of living. Benidorm sounds affordable and it looks big wity loads to do. Sunshine and ocean lifestyle a cherry on top.
Never heard of Bernidom but Alecante, Valencia etc
Glad it was helpful! I have heard that Portugal is getting expensive. Benidorm has been great so far, we are really enjoying it.
You cannot stay here for longer than 3 months without residency.. for that you need 400x the IPREM to even go for an interview at the consulate. This is around 25000 per year each for five years. Plus you need private medical care, clean record, clean health certificates.. the golden visa has been abolished so you either need to have a well paid job or go for the NLV.
We are looking to move to Alicante in May. I'm very excited. But my wife is having cold feet 😢.
Rent in Alicante is ridiculously expensive though! Only expats can afford to live there now. We found a 3bed 2baths apt for 1500/month... Still looking forward to starting a new life with the kids there. Thanks for your video. I have been to Benidorm many times and I love it there
We love the Alicante region. An unfortunate consequence of having a lot of expats is high rent. I believe Portugal has even discontinued their golden visa because Lisbon has become so expensive. Good luck with your move
I am moving from costa del sol to Torrevieja area soon, thanks for the videos
Hi, we’re thinking of moving from the Costa Del Sol to another part of Spain. Can I ask why you chose Torrevieja? I’m interested to get people’s opinions on other areas, especially if they’re moving from the Costa Del Sol to another part of Spain 😊
@@mummybutch property prices are very very low, sold my house in costa del Sol and bought a similar property for less than half the price Torrevieja has every convenience you could need great restaurants bars nightclubs huge marina, watersports etc and you’re only 5 minutes away from popular places like la Zenia beach, cabo Roig, punta prima, great area
As a Brit , quite a few brits are moving to Spain as well as Americans and Canadians , place to be I reckon , I’ve bought a carravilla on the Portuguese/Spanish border moving in march 2024 . Good vid 👍🏻
Congratulations! How did your move go?
@@thegoldendog7991
Smooth
Living the best life.
Visiting from Canada - was in Alicante and made my way to Benidorm now - stunning beaches. Will head to Denia tomorrow for a day trip - have you been? Then onwards to Valencia for a few days before heading to Malaga to va it family - great videos!
Thank you. I have not been to Denia yet, it's on the list to visit shortly. Malaga is a fabulous place, it's one of my favorite cities. Enjoy your trip!
Thank you!
Thank you for the video! So glad I found your channel as we are planning to move to Spain from Calgary in the near future. Maybe I missed it, but just wanted to ask about taxation for Canadians while on NLV visa. Would you please explain? Thanks!
Thanks. I have not filed a tax return here yet, that will be in May/June. Spain will tax your global income, including property sales in Canada. The tax paid to CRA will be used as a credit towards and tax Spain collects as we have a tax treaty with Spain, so no double taxation. You can get a tax consultation from a Spanish law firm. I use Just Law in Fuengirola, they will do a online consultation for 90 euros. Hope that helps, I will post a video after tax season
@@TheEmptyMiddleSeatTravel Thanks a lot! Looks like it works a bit different than with US. Looking forward to your video 👍
Thank you so much for amazing info 🙏 Let me know if you want to see Copenhagen 😁
Thanks for watching. Denmark is definitely on the list of places to visit.
Wife and I are ready to do the move!! Spent many years in SE ASia, to hot in the summer, lots of other issues. Spain is where we are headed, Malaga, maybe where you ended up???
I started in the Malaga area then moved to Benidorm
Thank you for your honest opinion I like your video always watching it, if possible can you make video on different building in your area to rent apartment, can you go inside the apartment and show us what we can get and how much, some buildings in quiet area and others in party area, do you advise to visit the apartment first before committed to stay a long time, I am thinking to rent BnB then go around look for 6 months rent is this what you did initially I am coming in December
Thank you. I can look into that, that would be an interesting video. When I arrived I stayed in a hotel for two weeks before getting an apartment. In Malaga you had to have your padron within 30 days so must get an apartment rather quickly. In other areas of Spain I believe the time restraints are less. Definitely look on idealista to get a feel for what's available in the area. Some real estate companies highlight their properties on CZcams, you could try searching on there to get some videos of the apartment layouts.
Thank you for sharing this! I am from Uruguay, looking forward to moving to Spain. Which site would you recommend for looking for a place to rent annually in Benidorm?
The best website for short/long term rentals and purchasing property is idealista
Hi, I really enjoy watching your videos and am curious to know how you feel about the Costa Blanca now you’ve been there a while. We have a house on the coast in Mijas and hope to move permanently on an NLV in about 2 years. We’re considering moving once we’re there full time and just wondering where to look. What are your favourite areas on the Costa Blanca?
Hi, I really enjoy the Costa Blanca. It is a great area to live in. There area some notable differences from the Costa del Sol, the CDS is much more lush and also much more crowded. There are some great areas around Alicante, Benidorm, Altea, L'Albir, Elche. We are still going to be exploring the region more in depth before purchasing. I have heard great things about Javea and Denia which I have yet to visit. It's hard to make a decision in Spain as everywhere is so nice.
@@TheEmptyMiddleSeatTravel I think we’re definitely going to consider areas around Alicante. Our house in Mijas is in a lovely small gated community and we can walk to the beach. It’s great as a holiday home, but we want something with more privacy for a permanent home. We would have to go too far inland to get what we’re looking for on the CDS.
Good luck with the search for your perfect place to call home 😊
great update. i'm in the process of sorting out my visa, did you purchase your insurance directly from the asssa website or via an agent? i had a quick look and being quoted from 900 euros... i'm 51 for reference.... keep up the good work! thanks
Thank you. I purchased through an agent in Fuengirola, the team is bilingual and had great customer service. The team lead is Judith, here is her email judithgil@asssa.es if you want to contact her.
Great review, thanks. It's given me a much better picture of the area social variety etc. Can't stand the 10 best things to see or the endless quiet walkers who doesn't explain anything.
Thank you. Glad it was helpful!
We enjoy your videos and how detailed are they. Can we ask you how much you pay rent for your new apartment in Benidorm ? Thank you and
Thank you. 1250 euros/month
Regarding banking, BBVA has absolutely NO fees when the account is opened online and there are no requirements for it. There is no better deal in Spain currently
At Santander you don't have to open the account online to avoid fees. But if BBVA works for you that's great. I prefer Santander.
Interesting. Good for you. If you're shopping at big box stores with those American style parking lots - how do you not need a car? I always thought most people shopped locally.
We get by using the bus and if we have large items we just grab a taxi. Taxis are reasonable here it's only about ten euros to get home. We do shop a fair bit locally but some things can only be found in the big box stores
Good evening from Greece , i enjoy your videos very much , if you can ask a question that i have , what is the average cost of electricity and water consumption per month?
Thank you. The water bill was about 70 euros every 3 months, in my new place the water is included in the community fees. The electricity in the winter was about 70 euros a month and in the summer with A/C going was 80 euros a month.
thank you very much , the community fees beside the water , what else is included?@@TheEmptyMiddleSeatTravel
@@dimitrisliosis9282 garbage collection, a cleaner for the common areas. Also there is a person who works a desk who collects mail and deals with administration of the building
thank you for usefull information @@TheEmptyMiddleSeatTravel
Hi Andrew, great videos. I have a couple of quick questions - it appears that the only document needed to set up a non-resident account with Santander is a passport. To your knowledge is that correct? I have heard that you may also need a non residency certificate - do you know anything about that? Is it possible to open one online or does it have to be in person.
I don't know if you have purchased a residence in Spain yet but when you do (if you do) what financial service will you use to transfer large sums of money without getting gouged with high exchange rates? From your research, is Wise the best route to take or would you use another service?
Thanks, glad you enjoyed them. I was required to bring my passport and a copy of my tax return for my non-resident account. I could not open it online. I have never heard of a non residency certificate. I currently am using Wise it's a great service. I'm not sure if I would transfer large sums with them. I have heard of other companies that have better rates for large sums, but more research is needed. I'm not at the purchasing stage yet. Hope that helps
Thanks Andrew. @@TheEmptyMiddleSeatTravel
Since you lived in fuengirola for a while and you live in benidorm can you tell what are the pros a nd the cons and why the reason I am asking this question because fuengirola is my favorite place to live in however the medical facilities is an important factor to me need to hear your opinion thanks and enjoy your retirement to best of your ability
Hi, the main reasons we relocated were entertainment and quality of life (WHO says it's one of the healthiest places to retire). Also the property situation, you just get more up here on the Costa Blanca. Fuengirola is fabulous, and I will be visiting the Costa del Sol often, but we found it doesn't offer as much for us in our 40s and early 50s. I outlined some other points in a video "Why I moved from Spain's Costa del Sol to the Costa Blanca, you can find it on my channel.
The medical facilities were just a bonus, the Malaga region has great hospitals also.
What about Cartagena?
Is there a site for vacation rentals? Im asking from Edmonton so needs to be in English
Hi besides Airbnb and VRBO idealista is the best one. It has both short and long term rentals, and has better prices than Airbnb
How can u possibly run out of things to do? In Alicante, look deeper, and you'll find the gems. Get yourself away from comfortably, push outside your comfort zone, and see what happens! Always served me well.😊
I can speak moderate Spanish thanks to my late Spanish mother, but my wife speaks virtually none. Would she be able to get by in your town while she learns the language? I think at the very least Benidorm will be a vacation destination. Thanks for the video. Subbed.
Thanks. The coastal areas are definitely easier to get by with no Spanish, because of the tourists and expats that frequent the coast. Benidorm probably is the most English speaking place I have seen.
regarding asssa insurance company, do they have customer service in Chinese?
I have searched, but I cannot find an answer to that question. Maybe try contacting them through their website
Lots of good info, thanks! Regarding private health insurance, could you pls tell me approximately how much it cost per month? I know it depends on preconditions, age, etc., but just an approximate number would be helpful.
Thanks, health insurance is 53 Euros/mo
@@TheEmptyMiddleSeatTravel Ah that's OK, something that I can manage. I guess for children the amount will be less? Also, have you used their services? Will they speak English?
@@SycAamore Hi, I have used their services. The healthcare is very good here. Most staff speak English in the clinics or hospital. Children I would assume would be less.
@@TheEmptyMiddleSeatTravel Thanks a lot! Would you mind telling me which one you're using? I'm currently insured with BUPA here in the UK. I heard they have international coverage as well.
@@SycAamore Hi I'm using ASSSA
I moved to Spain from the USA in 2010 and brought my electrical appliances like my KitchenAid mixer, Kirby vacuum cleaner,vetc. and you only need to purchase a transformer and all of mybappliances work fine.
How its to live in the costa blanca in winter? Hugs from Oslo🎉
The Costa Blanca is great in the winter. It is a few degrees cooler than the Costa del Sol
How many square feet or square meters is your apartment? And did you have an agent help you to find the apartment? Was in Mojacar 40 years ago, and always wanted to retire in the area. Thanks for healthcare and banking info. Cheers.
Hi, we found the apartment on the idealista website, and the listing agent was also the owner. The apartment was about 1400 sqft.
@@TheEmptyMiddleSeatTravel Wow, that’s a fair size apartment. Here in Windsor, Ontario that would be $3200 at least, without the fabulous view that you have. Thanks for the prompt reply. -16C here just now. Lol
Intersting that you like Benidorm. Yes the beach is great but the place is very crowded and its famous for attracting low level tourist its overbuild with beton high raised hotels and its indeed like Vegas with drunken and drugged visitors and basically a party capital :) Restaurants can be overpriced and not very good .
Well there is lots to Benidorm besides the new town/Rincon. I live in the old town. Poniente has basically no partying at all. I think Benidorm is one of the misjudged cities in Spain. It's gets a bad reputation for a few blocks. I found the Costa del Sol boring and Fuengirola was like a ghost town after the summer.
Hi Andrew,
I continue to watch and enjoy your videos. Spain is a fantastic place, the crime rate is a small fraction of what it is in the US, in part due to Spain's common sense gun laws. The people are in general much healthier, with excellent affordable and universal healthcare, and the average life expectancy at birth is nearly 6 years longer in Spain than in the US. I do wish however, that your videos were a bit more balanced. I understand that you don't drive, but you could talk about the ordeal Americans, and Canadians have to go through to get a Driver's license in Spain, there is no exchange policy and many people spend over 4 months and 1000 Euros to get one regardless of how many years of driving experience they have! Bureaucracy including extremely high income tax rates, wealth tax, capital gains tax, and taxes on your worldwide income, are some of the factors that make Spain slightly less desirable for North American's.
Thank you. I would have to research the process to obtain a license, as I do not know much about it. But it is something I could work on. In regards to taxes, I plan on making a video next year, as I have not filed in Spain yet. I became a tax resident in July, and will file in May or June of 2024.
Other reasons why crime is lower in Spain is because, despite higher unemployment numbers, inequality is lower than in the USA. All thanks to a more balanced tax system that supports a great social net based on human values. With respect to bureaucracy, it’s not much different than in the USA. In fact, having experienced the USA immigration system, I’ll choose the Spanish bureaucracy anytime.
Can you do a video on taxes?
I plan on doing a tax video. I will be filing my first Spanish tax return next May/June. So the video will out after then. You only become a tax resident after 183 days, so I missed this years tax filing.
Cost for 1 bedroom furnished places ? Cats in pats? Best part of town ?
1 bedroom start around 650, furnished. Lots of places will accept pets. If you are looking for party new town is best. More culture and Spanish is the old town (I lived in the old town). Poniente side is very quiet, slow speed, great beaches.
Has it been hard to make friends? I hear that is tough. Are your friends from Canada planning to visit? Are your aging parents still alive? I worry about that part. Thanks!
Hi, I found it very tough on the Costa del Sol to make friends. I had one Dutch friend. Once I moved to Benidorm that changed. I have no Canadian friends in Spain, mostly from the UK. My father is still alive, but I have not lived in the same city for a very long time. It's only a short flight away. If you leave Spain in the morning you can be back in North America the same day.
You need to understand the “sobremesa” concept when dining in Europe
I think it's a Spanish way of dining, not European. I just travelled through 5 European countries over the last six weeks. I did not have any issues that I mentioned in the video . The locals were finishing faster than me and I was at nice restaurants.
Sorry meant can you find apt accept pets cats
How is rent there?
It's decent. One bedroom 600-800, 2 bedroom 800-1000, 3 bedroom 900-1300 , that would be in the center too.
What do you pay of your 3 bedroom place?
1250
Wow quick response. Thanks.@@TheEmptyMiddleSeatTravel
@@ReidVV No problem . I usually try to answer the first comments quickly after releasing a video
How is the WEF making its way into Spain? I hear Spain’s PM is a WEF Young Leader just like Trudeau.
They are everywhere in the west
hahaha, you miss being kicked out of the restaurant??
No, I miss the option to finish in a reasonable amount of time. I currently in Slovenia, the customer service is completely different from Spain. It's nice to not take two hours for every meal
@@TheEmptyMiddleSeatTravel it sounds like you are forced to stay 2 hours...XD
@@TheEmptyMiddleSeatTravel My issue in Canada is that we often feel rushed during meals. We’ve gotten into the habit of ordering our apps, eat them and then order our mains. They have arrived together too many times.
I would agree with that. I actually just travelled through four other European countries and did not receive the slow service as I do in Spain.
Nunca debes intentar leer o pronunciar el español igual que lo harías en inglés.
Alicante 😂😂
Likewise if you visit North America, pronounce all of our cities correctly
Would you comment if he wasn't a white guy?
Hola from Queretaro.
RIP
Do not take drugs.
I left the USA at 79 to a safer and less expensive country. USA is dangerous. And expensive.
End of our marriage. Deal breakers..
For the good times Al Green
It's your MAN and never say boy or girl. Respect yourselves.
Everything is less expensive in Queretaro. With my USA pension. The minimum wage is $8.00 per 12-24 hours and 6 days
Not per hour, but per day.
My interest in your adventure is personal and therefore, I need to express myself in order to gather the real information I need. I see where you're recording from Benidorm, which is totally cool, well-known to be a mostly English bubble, and that’s fine. It is what it is. When I went to Málaga, I did so as an American abandoning English as my native language and to embrace the Spanish of Spain and their people as my own. The Brits and English speaking nearly RUINED my trip. I do celebrate that Spain has English menus and charges English speakers 400% more than their own people. To me, it’s an «asshole tax» for people who go to Spain and refuse to learn or speak Spanish. So, that’s fair. I obviously don’t want English speakers near me, at all, when I retire to Spain and I’m hoping, for the best interest of both, to avoid them, I can find a place with German and French and Spanish people. Obviously, Málaga is NOT it. Can you tell me of any experiences you’ve had along the Med where English is far less spoken? I’d heard rumors about La Costa Tropical. No intent to harm towards you about my feelings that English is the Devil’s language, the corruptor of all morals and the Traitors language of the world. Just a me thing. I would love to know any place you might have had difficulty because they didn’t speak English.