This is a story of Valerie & Owen, now retired and also happily married! What an amazing turn of events, and all for the better!
Where are you from and why did you decide to move to Spain?
Anglesey, North Wales. Originally for 5 years we would spend the winter months from October 1st to April 30th and found the lifestyle so beneficial to our health that we decided to make Spain our permanent home.
When did you move & where in Spain did you settle? Did you move on your own or as a family?
Partner & I Moved to live in East Malaga City full time in November 2021.
Did you use professional help for the immigration procedures (visas, permits, any admin paperwork) and/or any relocation services (property search, schools, etc)?
We used the services of MySpainVisa.com for our first application for the 1st NL Visa. When it was time to renew our Visas, a friend advised to use the services of Irina Saltmarsh of Malaga Expat. Irina has been invaluable
How difficult was it to find your first home and do you still live in the same place?
We have been renting the same property for 8 years. It took us until In December 2020 to find our perfect home & bought a new Build property near to where we are renting and expecting a completion date in late Autumn 2023. We love this area so much and have made great friends in the local community as well as our neighbours. We have a wonderful Spanish landlord and family. We have been so lucky & our landlord is very approachable and aware that we will be moving to our new home once completed.
What is your occupation in Spain – tell us a few words. Has it changed compared to what you did in your home country?
Both Retired and enjoying life here in Spain. In the UK we were both working full time until our retirement.
How integrated do you feel into the local community and lifestyle?
We love the local Spanish community where we live in Pedregalejo & El Palo. We socialize within our area, great friendly local people, and restaurants. It is important to practice our Spanish to integrate within the community and it is very much appreciated.
Do you have any regrets about your move to Spain and/or miss anything from your home country?
None.
Any advice you would like to give to those considering or in the process of moving to Spain?
Use a professional Adviser such as Irina Saltmarsh of Malaga Expat
Irina advised us on renewing our NL Visa, as well as applying on our behalf, what we required to go with our application, and she was invaluable. She has advised/helped us apply/transfer our UK Driving Licence to Spanish as well as transferring Hubby’s UK NHS S1. We will call on Irina again to deal with any official requirements that we have to deal with. Irina is very professional and a great asset to the company Malaga Expat Consulting.