Why Move to Spain?

Moving to Spain will help you see new beauty and gain a new appreciation for life.

There are dozens of reasons why expats are attracted by the prospect of moving to Spain. Beaches…mountains…fabulous cities…cracking festivals. And, of course, guaranteed sunshine. It's not surprising that southern Spain is the most popular country for Europeans seeking a home overseas. Despite what you may have heard, there's far more to Spain than golf courses and the concrete sprawl of look-alike apartments (though it must be said that concrete features highly in many of the resorts in popular package tours).

Climate in Spain
Spain's climate is mixed: it has a continental climate with hot, dry summers and cold winters in the interior, while moderate, cloudy conditions, with spring and autumn rainfall, are typical on the Mediterranean coast. On the Atlantic coast, the summers are cooler, with fairly heavy rainfall during winter. The Balearic Islands have cool, wet winters, and warm, dry summers.

Getting There
The Spanish national airline, Air Iberia, offers flights from many U.S. cities like New York or Miami to Spain (Madrid, Barcelona, the Canary Islands, etc…). Many other airlines based in the U.S. go to Spain as well.   

Language
Away from the popular Costas, English isn't as widely spoken as you might expect. Spanish fluency definitely is not a prerequisite for moving to Spain, but you will undoubtedly want to learn some of the basics. Real estate agents will happily give you listings, but with a focus on local interests, they can afford to ignore the language skills needed to attract international clients. Further complicating matters, most people in Catalonia speak Catalan rather than standard Spanish. Signs don't point to la playa (the beach): here it's called la platja. Similarly in the Basque Country on Spain's northern Atlantic coast, many people speak Basque.

Running costs for a Spanish townhouse
Here are the running costs of a 1,600-square-foot townhouse in a complex with pool and gardens in Calahonda on the Costa del Sol. Priced at $309,600, it has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a newly equipped kitchen, lounge (with fireplace, terrace, and garden), and satellite TV. It is close to all amenities.

? Community fees (includes water)-$160 a month or $1,945 a year
? Local rates and property taxes-$575 a year
? Electricity and gas-$830 a year
? Telephone-line rental-$200 a year
? Insurance-$250 a year
? Total-$3,740 a year

Popular places to move to in Spain

Moving to Barcelona:  There's something electric about port cities-and Barcelona is definitely high voltage. Spain's spruced-up second city has a 24-hour lifestyle and is popular for weekend breaks with Europeans.
Moving to the Costa Brava: Situated between the snow-capped Pyrenees and the Mediterranean, the picture-postcard province of Catalunya boasts Spain's most spectacular coastal scenery-the Costa Brava. The name means "Wild Coast," and it's a ruggedly beautiful place of pine-covered cliffs and secret coves.
Moving beyond the Costa-Rural Andalucia:  For a taste of a more authentic Spain, the hills behind the Costa del Sol's busy resorts and golf course condominiums turn up plenty of treasures. Magical places to go house-hunting include the 31 towns and villages of the mountainous Axarquia area, high in the foothills above Malaga.
Moving to Granada: Baking under Andalucian skies, Granada pleasantly taps into the emotions as well as the senses. It bridges the worlds of Islam and Christianity, meshing together Jewish and Gypsy traditions along the way. With the Sierra Nevada mountain range as a backdrop, it's difficult to envisage a more dramatic setting for a city, or a sultan's palace. And most foreign buyers are impressed by the "wow factor" of Granada's compact center.

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