Anyone else thought about retiring / living somewhere else in Europe?
Having watched too many episodes of ‘A place in the sun’ has got me thinking about escaping the Minnesota freezing winters and the current excessive housing and income tax.
Any knowledge about income tax, healthcare, house tax etc in Spain and France etc?
Pros and cons?
Mrs Broccoli is thinking Florida, but the summer there is hatefully hot.
Retiring abroad
-
Broccoli
- Posts: 2178
- Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2020 3:30 am
- Has thanked: 1298 times
- Been thanked: 1243 times
-
LynehamHerc
- Boomer, gammon, senile old fart and Eurosmasher!
- Posts: 20831
- Joined: Wed Apr 10, 2019 1:37 am
- Location: Here
- Has thanked: 13925 times
- Been thanked: 3662 times
Re: Retiring abroad
We did for a while but are happy on the Norfolk Coast so are staying put. The winters tend to be quite mild here as well.
Re: Retiring abroad
I've considered emigrating but not really got beyond thinking about it.
A couple of years back I looked at moving to Canada. I was under the impression their system involved registering for a government-run job portal, then if you got a job offer you got a visa.
Nice self-policing system I thought.
One of the requirements to create a profile was an English certificate, so I went through the motions of doing that (and got a perfect score because native speaker) and tried to register for a profile for this job portal.
Computer said no. Didn't tell me why either.
I then just fucked it all off.
At the moment a family friend who just so happens to work at the Italian embassy is looking into the possibility of Italian passports. My grandparents on my mum's side were Italian. Let's see how that goes...!
A couple of years back I looked at moving to Canada. I was under the impression their system involved registering for a government-run job portal, then if you got a job offer you got a visa.
Nice self-policing system I thought.
One of the requirements to create a profile was an English certificate, so I went through the motions of doing that (and got a perfect score because native speaker) and tried to register for a profile for this job portal.
Computer said no. Didn't tell me why either.
I then just fucked it all off.
At the moment a family friend who just so happens to work at the Italian embassy is looking into the possibility of Italian passports. My grandparents on my mum's side were Italian. Let's see how that goes...!
-
mercrocker
- Numb3rP14t3Fun
- Posts: 17117
- Joined: Fri May 17, 2019 2:53 pm
- Has thanked: 12338 times
- Been thanked: 8719 times
Re: Retiring abroad
Mrs Rocker did make the move before I met her. She managed to keep a property here (wherein we now live) as she did feel it wasn't going to be for her.
A few of her friends did the same and have all since come home - some to abject poverty as they sold properties here to buy in Spain and those did not keep up at all with the rise in values here. One or two had really bad experiences with land-search errors and nasty leases too.
The overwhelming thing she did say that I have always borne in mind - the first winter or two is quite a novelty. You walk around in summer clothes, looking the archetypal Brit abroad but after those couple of years the winter becomes like winter here - colder than the summer and stops the outdoor life. It's all about acclimatising I suppose. Also, she just got bored with the same few bars, restaurants and people - something that happens with all ex-pat communities but can easily be avoided by going further afield....
Not putting you (or anyone) off - just passing on the limited second-hand experience I have of it.
A few of her friends did the same and have all since come home - some to abject poverty as they sold properties here to buy in Spain and those did not keep up at all with the rise in values here. One or two had really bad experiences with land-search errors and nasty leases too.
The overwhelming thing she did say that I have always borne in mind - the first winter or two is quite a novelty. You walk around in summer clothes, looking the archetypal Brit abroad but after those couple of years the winter becomes like winter here - colder than the summer and stops the outdoor life. It's all about acclimatising I suppose. Also, she just got bored with the same few bars, restaurants and people - something that happens with all ex-pat communities but can easily be avoided by going further afield....
Not putting you (or anyone) off - just passing on the limited second-hand experience I have of it.
There's a great long bar in Rock & Roll heaven.......
-
Hooli
- Self Appointed Internet God
- Posts: 33614
- Joined: Mon Apr 08, 2019 9:25 pm
- Has thanked: 14394 times
- Been thanked: 11162 times
Re: Retiring abroad
I think about it slightly at times, but unless I ever manage to learn a language I'd never seriously consider it.
Btw, this is in the car section. Did you mean that or would you like it moved to the Lentil Cave?
Btw, this is in the car section. Did you mean that or would you like it moved to the Lentil Cave?
Private signature, do not read
-
LynehamHerc
- Boomer, gammon, senile old fart and Eurosmasher!
- Posts: 20831
- Joined: Wed Apr 10, 2019 1:37 am
- Location: Here
- Has thanked: 13925 times
- Been thanked: 3662 times
-
Hooli
- Self Appointed Internet God
- Posts: 33614
- Joined: Mon Apr 08, 2019 9:25 pm
- Has thanked: 14394 times
- Been thanked: 11162 times
-
Broccoli
- Posts: 2178
- Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2020 3:30 am
- Has thanked: 1298 times
- Been thanked: 1243 times
Re: Retiring abroad
Thanks. Just popped it here as I wasn’t sure if everyone digs as deep as the cave.
Either way is good for me
Either way is good for me
-
Hooli
- Self Appointed Internet God
- Posts: 33614
- Joined: Mon Apr 08, 2019 9:25 pm
- Has thanked: 14394 times
- Been thanked: 11162 times
Re: Retiring abroad
Doesn't bother me, we don't do mod shite unless asked.
Private signature, do not read
-
Bangernomics
- Posts: 1464
- Joined: Sat Apr 13, 2019 6:46 am
- Has thanked: 14 times
- Been thanked: 210 times
Retiring abroad
I can talk about French stuff, I believe [mention]Jazoli [/mention] did Spain, I looked at Spain but 2008/9 so probably out of date.
[mention]Frogchod [/mention] is in normandie or England with more cheese whereas I’m in Brittany or England with more welsh and cheese.
What has buying in France done other than cause me lots of paperwork and endless shit shovelling in my frogwob hobbit hovel?
Houses are damn cheap unless you want to live in a big city that has fancy stuff which means 5 years savings has bought a place and the renovation costs and two years settling in expenses.
Healthcare is expensive initially PHI is a legal requirement and we have been here 3 months now so can apply (no guarantees on processing times) to join the state system. We then have to buy top up insurance to cover the difference in cost but it’s cheap enough.
That’s the application papers and required docs. They’ll ask for it again when they lose it.
French tax is mental compared to the U.K./USA. I mean mental, they want details of everything and they want a slice too. Dividend income is frowned upon tax wise whereas the U.K. is pretty kind.
Property doesn’t really appreciate here so if you’re not handy buy something new, if you are double it, don’t buy a fucking huge field as you’ll have to mow it, endlessly or get a mental old bird to do it for you.
Feel free to PM me for my experiences to date.
Oh and don’t buy via an agent like stupid people (me) do as they’re thieves. Go travel about and look in the notaires windows as they have lots for sale. Prices are very negotiable we paid 86 for a place advertised at 125 and it was probably too much.
Wood burners are romantic apparently until you realise that you need to chop stack season carry empty blah blah.
Less annoying tag line.
[mention]Frogchod [/mention] is in normandie or England with more cheese whereas I’m in Brittany or England with more welsh and cheese.
What has buying in France done other than cause me lots of paperwork and endless shit shovelling in my frogwob hobbit hovel?
Houses are damn cheap unless you want to live in a big city that has fancy stuff which means 5 years savings has bought a place and the renovation costs and two years settling in expenses.
Healthcare is expensive initially PHI is a legal requirement and we have been here 3 months now so can apply (no guarantees on processing times) to join the state system. We then have to buy top up insurance to cover the difference in cost but it’s cheap enough.
That’s the application papers and required docs. They’ll ask for it again when they lose it.
French tax is mental compared to the U.K./USA. I mean mental, they want details of everything and they want a slice too. Dividend income is frowned upon tax wise whereas the U.K. is pretty kind.
Property doesn’t really appreciate here so if you’re not handy buy something new, if you are double it, don’t buy a fucking huge field as you’ll have to mow it, endlessly or get a mental old bird to do it for you.
Feel free to PM me for my experiences to date.
Oh and don’t buy via an agent like stupid people (me) do as they’re thieves. Go travel about and look in the notaires windows as they have lots for sale. Prices are very negotiable we paid 86 for a place advertised at 125 and it was probably too much.
Wood burners are romantic apparently until you realise that you need to chop stack season carry empty blah blah.
Less annoying tag line.
Just when I thought I was out they dragged me back in.