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Hi Billy, At 80 years old you need the financial outlay, worry and hassle about buying a Spanish property like I need liver cancer. Rent a property for 3 months; if that suits rent for another 3 months later or change location and rent again. Get the Buying Urge out of your system as it doesn't make financial sense unless you're married to a 20 year old. (Please Note:- No Offence is inferred by me, I'm 71).

Hi Matthew thanks for getting back to me, the only reason I thought to buy was that maybe in 7 or 8 years I could sell it and hope to recoup some of the money I’d spent on it, but I see your point and always expected to try for three months before deciding what I should do. So how do you find it livening in Spain are you enjoying your life.
Bill

Hi Bill, Glad you were not offended by what I said. I live in Ireland. It is not financially viable for us to live in Spain although we own an apartment in Mojacar Playa for 21 years. However, our  plan is to spend many months per year in Spain which was scuttled by Covid for the past two years. I am not sorry we bought in Spain, but if I got my money back (unlikely) I'd sell on the spot and for future visits would rent. Renting gives you options that are not available to property owners. 

Hi Billy. Buying property in Spain incurs many costs ( legal fees, tax etc) and there's no guarantee of the property appreciating in value, so probably not a good thing to do for a relatively short period of time. Post Brexit you're allowed to stay 90 days out of 180 so why not do a couple of 3 month rentals a year. Much easier and cheaper!

Hi Billy,

Matthew is quite right, but setting aside the financial aspect for a minute, what about health care, Spanish health care isn't the same as the UK,  unless you speak Spanish you will need an interpreter every time you go to the doctors or hospital, prescriptions aren't free you have to pay approx 10% of the cost of the drug. None of the supermarkets do home delivery, they do a service were as you go to the supermarket market and do your shopping, and then they take it home for you. But this is only in the larger towns they dont deliver to the villages. But it not like the UK were as you can just pick up a phone and get your groceries ordered. I am also same as Matthew 71 and have lived here 12 years and its been great, but now I am finding it hard, there is so much red tape in Spain and its usually at a cost. So my advice also would be to rent, you would have the benefit of Spain without the hassle. I hope this helps.

I quite agree that to rent is a better idea at your age - at any age in fact - as you might regret being in your chosen area after getting to know it better and alternative options as well.  With renting, you need not be committed to sticking out an area which turns out to be less than ideal.

My recommendation for you would have to be Roquetas de Mar.  I don't live there but I've spent time there and so I know that all the essential things that you or any elderly person would need, are there!  These important things are buses, nearby hospital both private and otherwise in Almería.  They have just started building a hospital in Roquetas itself from what I hear, too  There are doctors, chiropodist, theatre, cinema with VO (original language version), one day a week, a long walkway along the sea front where you can take an easy beachside walk every day and various complexes where Dutch, German, British, Irish and other nationalities live permanently.  English is widely spoken by all these nationalities and so you wouldn't have a comm in communication problem.

Having lived in the Mojácar area myself some years ago,now as an older person I would find too meaning things frustrating if I was on my own.  You really must have a car to get to the hospital in Huércal Overa or Almería.  Buses are ok but the routes and timetables are limited.  The beach road is a bottle neck in the summer and the pavements are just the height for breaking your ankle when you cross a road!  The hospital is a long way away and the health centre is not very central.   Mojácar is pretty but I wouldn't believe there if I was on on my own and without a car. Garrucha.

If you rent 

Hi Juanida thanks for your reply and advise I am coming to Spain for a holiday after Easter and will be looking in the area that you suggest 

Wi

another vote for Matthew,

If you buy

1 if the boiler breaks you replace/repair

2 if it is robbed you pay

3 in most areas to buy something decent will be north of 150000 eu, thats a helluva lot of rentals allover Spain

and sorry to be a harbinger of doom you may be fit and healthy now but nobody knows what is round the corner

imagine if there was another covid and lockdowns what would happen then

after all I have said, rent and enjoy,Spain is a very big/diverse country

I see that not only does HartCJHart agree with me on the thread, but Jenni does also. James could be agreeing with me shortly. Now I think I qualify for negotiating a lasting peace in Ukraine!