If you have ever considered moving to the continent, now may well be the perfect time to do it. With Spain’s economy suffering and its housing market seemingly stagnant, not only is the cost of living and the cost of great housing very low, but those who spend a very small amount of money on a property are even being offered full citizenship by the Spanish government.
However, the economy is not the only reason to look at making a move to Spain now, and whilst cheaper housing will indeed be alluring, the weather may be an even better reason to head abroad. With forecasts indicating a further downward spiral in the quality of British weather, the south of Spain continues to have the most favourable climate in Europe and, should you buy or rent a property on the coast, you are likely to have consistently warm weather all year round without it ever getting too hot.
There are caveats of course. With very little in the way of employment in Spain at the moment, only those who can work remotely, fund their move with money they already have or can generate their own source of finance once out there are likely to be able to get by after they have relocated to Spain, and even highly skilled individuals are likely to be overlooked in favour of Spanish nationals when it comes to finding jobs.
It will also be important to take Spanish classes in London before you head away. Adjusting to a new home in a new area is hard enough without having to traverse a tricky language barrier at the same time. Whilst one will usually be fine on holiday, getting by without some grasp of the language will be a great deal harder if you live there as sorting bank accounts and even paying bills will be far harder if you cannot express yourself.
However, with the low cost of housing and the ease with which one can get Spanish lessons in London, for those with the resources to do so, there is very little reason not to make that move to Spain.