Thread: moving to torrevieja area??

hi there-i am new to the forum but have been follwing it for a few weeks and reading as much as possible to research for our planned move.

everyone seems so helpful i thought i would try asking a few questions as i hate not being organised and wont make the move til i feel i have done my research properly

we are wanting to move to the torrevieja area or anywhere near depending on schools. i have a 13 year old daughter and want her to attend state school for better integration but not so far out that we have no-one to communcate with as although we are learning spanhish we are not fluent.

can anyone recommend a good school in the area or any area for her particular age as we would consider other areas if it meant she would attend a good school and settle well.

with regards to work, i am a qualified hairdresser, work at present as an office manager for a marketting company and am doing the TEFL course but not a qualified teacher.

i hope that with enough strings to my bow it could help with fnding employment although i do understand things are not as easy in the respect as they used to be.

we did think about living in CDS and working in Gibraltar as my husband did 18 yearsin the army and is now a security manager.

any advice on the employmenet situation would be gratefully received.

we are coming over with enough funds to see us through for a least a year but as most people we'd rather work and keep hold of as much of our savings as possible.

we have lived abroad before due to my husbands job so know they perils a new move can bring and having put off our move several times due to work commitments we have decided to wait no longer and our house is now on the market.

will be renting when we get there until we know the area we have moved too is definately for us

thanks in advance to anyone taking the time to reply

Debbie
xx

Hi Debbie ... I have just sent additional information:

There's a wealth of local knowledge and support in there so I look forward to seing you take advantage of it. Good luck and best wishes to you and your family. Michael.

Hi Michael

thanks for the link-will definately do some research on there and hopefully it will answer some of my questions too.

Re this post i was also hoping for info in other area's-not just torrevieja where anyone with experience or advice could advise me on a more suitable area for my daughters schooling. i am prepared to reconsider our location if it meant a great recommendation of school somewhere else.

also wondered about advice on the Work in Gib and live in Spain idea.

not just localised to Torrevieja really, as i want to cover all bases with my research before taking the plunge, which could mean taking advice of people in other locations before we starting arranging a visit out there to look at rental properties.

dont want to set my heart on my area of choice-only to find it was never suitable long term and i should have done my research better-at least this way i have all the info possible and can make an informed decision??

regards

debbie

Hi Debbie,

With respect it doesn't quite work the way you imagine. You could spend months with your head in books; reading replies; weighing things up and modifying your plans. All you would do is tie yourself in knots and make it even more difficult to make a decision. The information you require is truly encyclopaedic and changes constantly. Ask ten people here a question; you get ten different answers. When you get here you will from day one modify your plans and go with the flow; like a stick in a river.

The best advice I can give you is to put several thousand in your British bank to draw on if need be. Bring yourselves down and rent. Around Torrevieja there's a plethora of lovely homes to rent from as little as €300 a month. The running costs might add €50 a month.

What you will find here is a community support system that is second to none; even friends who will help you settle in; and go with you to schools, medical practices, shops etc. Believe me, doing it that way you will learn more in a month than you would learn ten years cruising the forums.

Jobs are tough to find but as living costs are so low if there's a period of austerity there's enough to compensate in return. I came here in a similar situation. Only at the point of a bayonet would I go back; furthermore, I couldn't afford to. Good luck and best wishes.

Hi Michael

Thanks again for taking the time to reply-i suppose in soem way i was looking for some clarification the schools in the area were good enough to be recommended. i read on a forum(not sure if this one) that a certain school in a certain area was not very good, cant quite remeber the area but not in Torrevieja so it got me thinking this is a questio i should ask before we definately decide on an area.

Totally see you point about being there is the best way to find things out and luckily we are in a position to come over with enough money to sustain us for about a year so coming over an getting stuck in may be the best option.

it gives me encouragement that you say the community will help us settle and give advice, have lived abroad before and it always makes things easier when you have someone with the knowledge to help guide you i think.

i have been looking at properties to rent long term on the internet-cant believe the standard of the properties available for the price and there is so many we would be spoiled for choice.

we are really looking forward to being part of the ex-pat community, just wish our house would hurry up and sell!!

Many Thanks again

Kind Regards

Debbie

It will be a lot easier than you imagine, Debbie: The reason being is that once here each of the 'problems' will be dealt with one by one. Frankly, asking others can be problematic. I have been here for three years; familiar (as in working here) for eleven years. In all those years I never heard anything but the highest praise for Torrevieja Hospital, until yesterday that is when I came across a guy whose daughter had (in his opinion) a bad deal there. So who do you believe? It is the same with schools, lifestyle, etc.

It is all a subjective thing. You will either take to it like a duck-ess (duchess) to water or it won't do anything for you. The only way to find out is to do as I suggest, which you seem to be already comfortable with.

On renting; one or both of you get here on a recce; stay with friends or at a hotel. Hire a car. Grab the local freebie newspapers. Like you say (renting) you are agonisingly spoiled for choice. The location will swing it for you. It is unlikely you will find neighbours who don't become part of your extended family. They're a different breed here; happily.

thats good to know as although we have lived abroad before... we always knew when we were going back so missing familywasn't too difficult to deal with but obviously on what we intend to be a permanent move its a different matter.

we have a recce planned for sept/oct and know it prob wont be the only one, our only stumbling block is having 2 dogs so when we do just up and go we will have to find a short term rental that allows dogs until we find something long term.

we are very determined people luckily so we will definately give it our best shot and not go down without a fight haha

are things really as dire as they are made out with regards to work/employment though as although my husband has a small pension through the army it is by no means enough to lve off? the employment situation could be key to us having to research a different area?

thanks for your advice Michael

regards

Debbie

Hi Debbie

My one concern with what you are saying is that your daughter is 13 years old. How does she feel about moving and leaving her friends behind? Does she speak Spanish fluently or at least well enough to understand lessons taught in Spanish? If not, you may have to consider international schools, which I believe can be expensive.

Apart from that, it sounds as if you are approaching things the right way. i.e. renting first until you are sure it is the best area for you, and having funds to keep you going if you don't find work immediately.

Good luck to you and your family.

Regards.

Sue

hi sue

thanks for the reply.

my daughter has a little knowledge of spanish and i have arranged for a private tutor for her to start in a few weeks time to prepare her as much as possible before we go. she has experience of moving around, my husband was in the forces for many years so she has learned to adapt well and i think if i told her now we weren't going to move you would string me up from the nearest lamp post haha

i have looked into international schools but the fact we intend this to be a permanent and final move, i dont think it will help her to integrate into the local community in the long term and we have given her the options of both and chosen a local school herself too-hence the private tutor now.

luckily i cope well under stress!! hehe

Debbie