Questions and more questions

Others will hopefully give you better advice, not least because I can't answer number 1.

But for number 2 if you are buying a property then your lawyer will be able to do obtain your NIEs for you. Ours did and she had power of attorney so also opened bank accounts, got the utilities transferred into our names and connected. You can do it yourself of course, probably quicker and certainly cheaper but this will probably need a reasonable command of Spanish. A gestor would also be able to arrange it. It can also be done before you arrive via the Spanish Embassy in London. I went for the easy option and left it to our (very hapsolutely fabilous) lawyer.

For number 3, personally I would (and did) bring a laptop and/or tablet from the UK. Locally the range seems much more limited and more expensive than buying from a computer shop or Amazon in the UK. Although saying that amazon.es will deliver (https://www.amazon.es/?tag=cstareg0f-21).

Rob
Los Gallardos/Palomares

also dont forget if you buy a computer in Spain it will be set up to Spanish,so you will need someone to set to English

We bought a replacement laptop in Spain but, of course, the keyboard is Spanish also. Our son changed the laptop to English but it means remembering which keys are for what, long and short dash is to the left of the right hand shift but because we have changed to English this is where I find the / and ?.

No idea about ex pats.

You get an NIE number based on property and you apply to the town hall or local police to issue one.

Buy a note book from the chepest place. The items are identical. Only in China will they be slightly different.

You can set the language up to English no matter where they come from.

If you do not know, best not to answer.

NIE, National police, Almeria or Baza, nothing to do with property, by law you require it to buy anything.

No every computer you buy at setup you can chose the language. However the keyboard is different

Hi. I live on  edge of Garrucha.  If you go past Mercadona towards Vera playa you will come to las Buganvilas.  There are at least a couple of abogados who say they speak English.  Also a card shop, forget me not which is English.  They are very helpful.  Nearby in Pronto Print offices is Androidez owned by George Boracian.  I get all my computer things from him. His english is good.  He has lots of English customers. And he changes all my apliances to English. Good back up also. Don't know of English group meeting in Garrucha.  It is still a very Spanish town but there are free Spanish classes usually starting in the autumn. Go to town hall for information.  If you have a translator on your phone it will get you by initially.  Good luck.

I got my NIE at the Spanish Consulate in London - five minutes and £8.50. You book an appointment via their web page and fill in the forms and photocopy of your passport, they stamp the form which you take home and then two weeks later NIE is sent by email. 

The only cost in time and money was getting to London - but, for me, it was a lovely day out 😉