Guide to Spain
Living in Spain.
There are many obvious reasons for moving to Spain, below is a guide to give you an understanding of the climate, culture and lifestyle in Spain.
Climate:-
The Spanish Mediterranean has the best climate in Europe. The Costa Del Sol doesn’t translate to Coast of Sun for nothing. In coastal provinces like Alicante, Castellón, Valencia, Baleares, etc… people enjoy the sun, the sea and quiet beaches all year round. Many Brits will actually live in their Spanish homes in the low season months for 2 main reasons:-
- To avoid tourists; and
- To avoid the cold UK weather
Temperatures
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
| 5 | 7 | 10 | 14 | 16 | 22 | 24 | 23 | 20 | 15 | 8 | 7 |
In the peak summer months the temperature can peak at 45 degree Celcius.Madrid can become unbearably hot. In winter the north gets most of the rain.
Types of property:-
Apartments are usually in a purpose-built block, most commonly with two bedrooms and two bathrooms, perhaps with some communal gardens and facilities such as a swimming pool. Owners pay a community charge to cover maintenance fees for the block.
Townhouses (also known in Costa Blanca as a Bungalow) are usually a two or three-storey building which is part of a terrace, possibly with a small garden or outside space. They may be new-build townhouses, often painted a uniform white on a plot of land outside of a town. Or it might be an existing house in the centre of a town or village
Villa's are a detached or semi-detached house, found both on the coast and inland, with a private garden and perhaps a swimming pool. It may also belong to a development which shares a pool and other facilities.
Finca's are a traditional rural house, possibly a former farmhouse, and often in need of renovation or conversion. It usually has some land or at least a garden. It may be harder to arrange for certain facilities such as a telephone line or mains gas in a rural finca.
New Development/ Off Plan are developments which have yet to be built or are in process, and in which buyers invest on the basis of seeing the plot of land and the architect?plans. The price and all specifications are set before building commences. This takes 18-24 months on average. Such properties are usually apartments or bungalows in complexes with good shared facilities such as large communal swimming pools, tennis courts and well-maintained gardens.
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Geography:-
Spain is 505,000 sq km in area. The landscape varies from near deserts of
Click here to view maps of Spain
Healthy diet:-
The Spanish way of life and Mediterranean diet are known for having many benefits. The traditional Spanish diet - grains, cereals, fresh fruit and vegetables, fish, olive oil, and the odd glass of Vino Tinto are much better for you than the typical UK diet. You can take advantage of the excellent quality fruit, fish and vegetables in Spain, and live longer!
Spanish language:-
Spanish is one of the World's leading languages and is spoken by 450 million people in Spain, Latin America and the USA. Take advantage of living in Spain and learn the language. Sign up to do a Spanish language course if somewhere near you offers one, or do one of the free online Spanish courses available on the Internet. If you are thinking of buying a house in Spain, check out our Spanish-English real estate glossary.
Population and People
Population of Spain is about 44 million. Biggest Cities are Madrid (3 Million), Barcelona (1.5 Million), Valencia (750,000) and Seville (715,000). Each region preserves its own culture, Such as Catalonia displaying a strong independent spirit.
Currency is 1Euro =1.45 GBP
Click here for an up to date currency conversion
Getting There
Flying time is 2-3 hours from the UK
Easyjet fly has many flights to spain. Stansted, Luton and Gatwick are the main UK airports and fly to Barcelona, Valencia, Alicante, Malaga, Almeria, Bilbao, asturias,murcia. Other Uk airports include bristol, liverpool, east midlands, Newcastle, Edinburgh and Glasgow
Ryanair's main uk airport flying to Spain is Stansted. From stansted with ryanair you can fly to Valencia, Seville, Almaire, murcia, Alicante, Girona & Reus( nr Barcelona), Zaragoza and Santandar (Bilbao) other UK airports with some flights to spain are east midlands, Durham Tees Valley, Bournemouth, East Midlands and Liverpool.
Many of the airports serviced by easyjet and ryanair have a bus or train link to the nearest City Centre
you can get around spain on RENFE, the national railway company (www.renfe.es). The quickest long distance trains are the AVE . For example you can travel from Madrid to Seville in about 2.5 hours.Talgo is the next fastest fallowed by the inter city (IC)
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Considerations when buying in Spain
