We were internet marketers that needed a break...so we started a tapas restaurant in Spain! Some said we were crazy, some said we were brave. We say we are a little bit of both. Read our story, the lessons we learned and our tips...

It has been almost three years since we moved to Spain and finding our way around has been fun and sometimes a struggle. When you move abroad you realize that you are giving up your career, your house, the lease car and all. But in return, there is a romantic future lying ahead of you; a future without stress, traffic jams, thousands of emails a day, dark clouds, rain. An exiting future with new possibilities, new people and new habits.

Our romantic and exciting idea of the future was setting up a tapas restaurant in a pretty little village on the Costa Blanca. We would only open for a few hours per day, run it together, and cook all kinds of delicious tapas for our guests.   more ...

Moving to Spain usually involves a few of basic activities such as learning Spanish, looking for a job (if outplacement was not the reason for moving), finding a new house and a looking for a proper school for your children. Once accomplished, you will experience you are not only living in a different country, but also in a different culture.

Most people do experience living in another culture as an opportunity to learn more about life in general. Reading about another culture is one thing, living in another culture is quite another. Although the Spanish culture is a Western one, it still differs in many ways from British or American culture. The medical culture in Spain is also different in certain aspects. The level of medical care is usually good to excellent. The health care insurance system equals more or less the systems in the United States and in Great Britain: a national health care system which offers the opportunity to all kinds of people to be provided with basic health care and a private system where you can go to if you decided to upgrade your medical insurance by paying more each month.   more ...

by Mark FR Wilkins, The Rights Group in Spain

The Off Plan Market

How to avoid...getting ripped off in making an "off plan" purchase

You'll have seen the wonderful images at the Property Show in Manchester, Leeds, Glasgow or Dublin and you'll have been very drawn to the idea of getting in early on the ground floor of this fabulous new development on the Spanish Costas. And why not - these developments often present really good value for money and, as you are getting involved early, pre-construction, you are potentially making real savings.

You agree to take an inspection flight, which, in any event, even if you don't buy an apartment, is a bargain weekend in Spain. You arrive at the chosen destination and it all seems to stack up - you are ready to buy...   more ...

by Mark FR Wilkins, The Rights Group SL

In the same way that removals companies have countdown diaries to help you remember all those important elements needed before the "Big Day", I felt it would be useful for those seeking to relocate to or acquire a holiday home in Spain, to have a "Check List" featuring those items that required specific attention and which could be ticked off as they were completed.

According to a recent report prepared by Accountants PKF, more than 74% of Britons want to retire abroad. So if you are part of that majority who's interested in moving to Spain why not consider using The Rights Group's Check List to aid your smooth relocation?   more ...

by Mark FR Wilkins, The Rights Group

Would-be relocators who have followed my family's migration from South West London to our new home in Spain may have already been assisted in their search for that dream home by our initial six easy lessons for a comfortable transition to life in Spain.

We have been asked to expand on our preliminary advice. So, from our direct - and thoroughly enjoyable and rewarding experience - I hope you'll appreciate these six further lessons.

Currently, servicing borrowings to purchase a property by way of a Spanish mortgage is an attractive prospect for those of you from Northern Europe, particularly the UK, where interest rates have risen in recent months. The Spanish financial services market is in the formative stages of its development - and whilst it is substantially more advanced than the markets of the former eastern Bloc - certain financial products which are widely available in the UK are simply not available.   more ...

by Mark Wilkins, The Rights Group

Over the last few years we have heard an increasing number of (perhaps apocryphal) tales of UK citizens "not recognising " the country they grew up in. Feeling alienated in their own country and looking for a way out.

When you decide that you are nearing the end a busy working life, your family have fled the nest or you simply want a better quality of life for your family, your mind will inevitably wander to questions of whether there is a better quality of life to be found elsewhere.

We've all attended those "lifestyle" shows at the NEC or Olympia (in the UK) where the prospect of 330 days a year of sun, a milder climate for arthritic bones, a golf course for every day of the week, international quality schooling and a magnificent diversity of influences are dangled carrot-like beneath our noses. Many of us have said "Can I have some of that?"   more ...

by Peter Ellis, Croatia Property Services

Since breaking free from Jugoslavia in the early nineties, Croatia has worked hard to rebuild the tourist industry that it was famous for in the seventies and eighties. Under the slogan ‘ The Mediterranean as it used to be’, it has moved steadily ahead.

Following concerns by their tourist authorities, who had seen for themselves the effects of over development of the Spanish coastline, the country moved to protect its amazing coastline and put restrictions on development directly on the coast and even certain restrictions on developments up to 1km back. They also realised that if they were to have sustainable tourism, they would need to consider the best use of what they had to offer. The outcome of this has been to move towards higher net worth tourism, attracting a wealthier type of tourist and working at this.   more ...

Moving is one of the most stressful things you can do, if you add children into the mix and you’re moving to a new country it’s going to be very overwhelming. Of course it’s not impossible and with a little organisation and forward planning you’ll make the whole process a little bit easier but no one is going to blame you if you need a little meltdown from time to time.

If you are moving abroad with younger children here are a few tips to make the whole thing go a little easier.

Explain why

Whether you’re moving for a new job, a better style of life or even heading back to your partners home country you’re going to know why you’re moving. You need to make sure the kids understand why too, they might understand they’re moving to a new country, that they’re leaving their old house and friends behind but if they understand why it’s all happening they’ll find it a lot easier.   more ...

Courtesy of Bishop’s Move

If you are planning to move abroad this year, there are many things to remember before embarking on your adventure. Apart from choosing the right international removal company, much preparation and organization is required before you leave. Use this checklist of things you need to remember when moving abroad to make sure that everything is covered before getting on your plane.

1. First of all, make sure to arrange your transport. Whether you are travelling by train, plane or car, ensure that you have booked your trip well in advance.

2. Check if your passports are still valid and that there is still a proper amount of time left before they expire. You might need to return home for an unexpected reason. Also remember to apply for the appropriate visas that you need to enter the country you are moving to.   more ...

by Ian Hunt, Managing Director of Gabbitas Education

Being apart from children is one of the taboos of modern life. How could you possibly do it? But the reality for many parents is that they want to do the best thing for both the children and themselves, work and school.

For most expats the ideal is to find a local school, either with a basis of teaching English or even better the flexibility to ease children into a bilingual education. The image of children soaking up a new culture and language, making a cosmopolitan network of friends and life for themselves, is an enticing one. More often than not the integration is much harder than this. English children will be different - which can be a good thing, but not always; they might struggle to learn in an unfamiliar learning environment, whether there's another language involved or not. And ultimately, school is their life, as much (if not more) than careers absorbs the parents, it's even harder for them to come home and leave it all behind them.   more ...