Retirement villages

Retiring to a life in the sun is becoming increasingly popular among the British population. Many large property companies are offering the ultimate retiring option where you spend your last days in a secluded area in a house that will cost you about £85.000 to buy and just as much to protect and feel safe in.
These retirement villages are usually located in the most popular areas where the house prizes are booming and ex-pats from several countries such as Germany and Scandinavia are settling down.
The advantage is that you have everything served in a location like this: Beautiful beaches, the very best in entertainment and golf courses and so on.

An alternative
The alternative is to move further south, away from the tourist areas and in to the areas that welcome ex-pats with warmth and open arms.
In such an area you can find many other ex-pats who have created a society where you will find an open and friendly atmosphere of people willing to help each other.
The housing costs are much lower in such areas and for the same price you would pay for a mini-villa in a retirement village, you can get a decent sized house with a large garden.
As for the crime rate in these areas it’s virtually down to zero. Even so, security shutters are always a welcome idea for many with valuables and memories to protect.
The downside is of course that in many areas you will find yourself farther from the golf courses and beaches.

The Almanzora area

However, in the Almanzora area you will quickly find that many of these luxuries are available to everyone who are willing to spend more than 15 minutes travel.
The roads are excellent and the local population are always willing to help any lost soul who’s looking for direction in case you should get lost.

Health service

One thing to remember about living in Spain is that your health insurance could turn out to be a trouble.
Spain is renowned for its up-to-date hospitals and clinics and its well trained staff, something that comes as a welcome surprise to many after having experienced the current degradation of the NHS in the UK.
As we’re part of the EC you will find that the E111 regulations should guarantee you free health service all over the European Union.
However, this is sometimes interpreted differently depending on what area of Spain you are and sometimes even between different hospitals.
Many seek a solution with private hospitals to get away from the hassle, but end up paying a monthly fee. This might however be a wise investment if you feel that you may need that extra bit of care in your older days.
BUPA offers its members to trade their current policy for a policy with Sanitas (owned by BUPA) with an extra option to have all major operations performed in the UK.
A good advice is to ask other people how they have sorted their health service. You will find that there are many options available for you and the ex-pats already settled will be more than happy to help you with any information you may require.