Wanting to move to Crete- wise?
Discussion
As a multi-generational family we're seriously considering starting a new life in Crete as we feel that for us the North of England is no longer a way forward. We are hoping to relocate for summer 2021.
We are a close-knit family and frankly after much discussion we have come to the conclusion that we would benefit from a total change of lifestyle and a simpler outdoor life for the children.
Our family bubble consists of my mum, a 67 year old widow, myself, 37 and partner 38, our 12-year-old son and 18-month-old toddler.
To explain a little about our background we lost my dad, a French national, nearly four year ago. My mum was an English teacher for 17 years in France and 9 in Switzerland. Mum was born in Sheffield, UK, where she lives currently and I live near Wakefield (...)
One of the concerns and principle one is the education of my 12-year-old. Like us, he speaks no Greek but English and Polish as his mother is Polish. My mum and myself speak English and French. Research has shown that possibly the only way forward for him would be at the European school in Heraklion.
Mum has a comfortable pension but employment for me & my other half is of course an important issue. OH is a Polish national with an MA degree in English and holds Qualified Teacher status in Britain where she teaches English as a foreign language.
I've got a background in customer service and hospitality.
We are aware that Brexit is looming but mum & I have dual British/French nationality with French passports, and as for the children, the 12-year-old holds Polish nationality and baby has dual British/Polish nationality so hopefully Brexit should not prove too much of a problem for settlement.
Between us we have a budget of around £350,000 with the possibility of stretching this a little and we would consider the option of pooling resources so that mum could live with us but have self-contained accommodation. We'd require 3-bedroom accommodation and I would like mum to live close-by but have her own self- contained accommodation.
I have an investment property in the very centre of York which I own outright and from which I get an income letting it out as an Airbnb holiday rental. Up until very recently it was doing nicely until Covid hit- however I still get a good income from it and we have no doubt that when the situation improves so will the income gained from it. I have no intention of selling the property- it would just be a reliable source of income while living abroad.
As employment prospects are vague, we have thought of a backup plan. We thought that the option of also providing holiday accommodation in 2 self-contained units could be another possible solution. We would hope that a property could be found to accommodate all of us including the business!
Has anyone made a similar move or could perhaps help out with any advice?
We are a close-knit family and frankly after much discussion we have come to the conclusion that we would benefit from a total change of lifestyle and a simpler outdoor life for the children.
Our family bubble consists of my mum, a 67 year old widow, myself, 37 and partner 38, our 12-year-old son and 18-month-old toddler.
To explain a little about our background we lost my dad, a French national, nearly four year ago. My mum was an English teacher for 17 years in France and 9 in Switzerland. Mum was born in Sheffield, UK, where she lives currently and I live near Wakefield (...)
One of the concerns and principle one is the education of my 12-year-old. Like us, he speaks no Greek but English and Polish as his mother is Polish. My mum and myself speak English and French. Research has shown that possibly the only way forward for him would be at the European school in Heraklion.
Mum has a comfortable pension but employment for me & my other half is of course an important issue. OH is a Polish national with an MA degree in English and holds Qualified Teacher status in Britain where she teaches English as a foreign language.
I've got a background in customer service and hospitality.
We are aware that Brexit is looming but mum & I have dual British/French nationality with French passports, and as for the children, the 12-year-old holds Polish nationality and baby has dual British/Polish nationality so hopefully Brexit should not prove too much of a problem for settlement.
Between us we have a budget of around £350,000 with the possibility of stretching this a little and we would consider the option of pooling resources so that mum could live with us but have self-contained accommodation. We'd require 3-bedroom accommodation and I would like mum to live close-by but have her own self- contained accommodation.
I have an investment property in the very centre of York which I own outright and from which I get an income letting it out as an Airbnb holiday rental. Up until very recently it was doing nicely until Covid hit- however I still get a good income from it and we have no doubt that when the situation improves so will the income gained from it. I have no intention of selling the property- it would just be a reliable source of income while living abroad.
As employment prospects are vague, we have thought of a backup plan. We thought that the option of also providing holiday accommodation in 2 self-contained units could be another possible solution. We would hope that a property could be found to accommodate all of us including the business!
Has anyone made a similar move or could perhaps help out with any advice?
I've got no idea on Crete but I assume you'd face all the similar ideas people face when moving out here (Portugal).
Sure its a lovely place to go on holiday but it won't be a lovely place to go get a normal job.
£350k sounds nice to start with but when you consider you're going to be in your 30's trying to get by in a country where the minimum wage is 8 grand a year... you need a solid plan before going.
I think these sort of moves are far better when you're 19 and can just piss your entire income up the wall and come back to reality in a few years. Or when you're retired/financially independent and you can get the benefit of the lifestyle without having to work for a local wage.
For anyone looking to move to the sun where the local employment market is in the toilet I'd suggest getting set up where you can earn remotely before you go. Its a massive advantage if you can earn in £, uk rates, with no local beuracracy or language issues.
2 kids in private school, no realistic job opportunities locally and a rapidly dwindling £350k pot... how are you going to balance those numbers?
Sure its a lovely place to go on holiday but it won't be a lovely place to go get a normal job.
£350k sounds nice to start with but when you consider you're going to be in your 30's trying to get by in a country where the minimum wage is 8 grand a year... you need a solid plan before going.
I think these sort of moves are far better when you're 19 and can just piss your entire income up the wall and come back to reality in a few years. Or when you're retired/financially independent and you can get the benefit of the lifestyle without having to work for a local wage.
For anyone looking to move to the sun where the local employment market is in the toilet I'd suggest getting set up where you can earn remotely before you go. Its a massive advantage if you can earn in £, uk rates, with no local beuracracy or language issues.
2 kids in private school, no realistic job opportunities locally and a rapidly dwindling £350k pot... how are you going to balance those numbers?
Algarve said:
2 kids in private school, no realistic job opportunities locally and a rapidly dwindling £350k pot... how are you going to balance those numbers?
Totally agree which is why I would not want to work for a local employer.A very nice holiday let should help. I then have York and Crete income...
As for the kids- the European school is free which would help enormously.
Which part of Crete are you thinking of moving to? I've only ever been as a Tourist, but my impression is that south coast is very different from north coast, and west is very different from east. So more like 4 economic ecosystems rather than 1.
Some friends of mine have relocated to Corfu, and have made a very good go of it. They've bought a village house for what would be considered a total bargain in the UK that they are slowly renovating, and they now speak, read and write Greek. However, they both work gig economy jobs that are UK based, but obviously don't require them to be in the UK. They don't need as much money as they would in the UK. We visited them out of season, and that would be my first recommendation - spend a month or two in the part of Crete you plan to live in, outside of the normal tourist season, and see how you like it. Somewhere like Iraklion will be very different from somewhere like Paliochora.
Some friends of mine have relocated to Corfu, and have made a very good go of it. They've bought a village house for what would be considered a total bargain in the UK that they are slowly renovating, and they now speak, read and write Greek. However, they both work gig economy jobs that are UK based, but obviously don't require them to be in the UK. They don't need as much money as they would in the UK. We visited them out of season, and that would be my first recommendation - spend a month or two in the part of Crete you plan to live in, outside of the normal tourist season, and see how you like it. Somewhere like Iraklion will be very different from somewhere like Paliochora.
£350K is a fortune out there and I'd buy a house and some other places for holiday rentals.
The economy is f
ked.
My biggest concern would be your 12 year old lad. What future prospects are there for him? Now cast your mind back to when you were 12. How would you cope not only moving school and area, but to an area where you don't even speak the local lingo.
The economy is f
ked.My biggest concern would be your 12 year old lad. What future prospects are there for him? Now cast your mind back to when you were 12. How would you cope not only moving school and area, but to an area where you don't even speak the local lingo.
My sister in law loved living in Crete but the main Grerk authorities looked at them as an easy target for taxation.
As the taxes kept going up they took the decision to move back to the UK and took a hit on the property they owned.
So look carefully into how they raise / introduce taxes
Other than that they loved the people and lifestyle
As the taxes kept going up they took the decision to move back to the UK and took a hit on the property they owned.
So look carefully into how they raise / introduce taxes
Other than that they loved the people and lifestyle
Sir Bagalot said:
My biggest concern would be your 12 year old lad. What future prospects are there for him? Now cast your mind back to when you were 12. How would you cope not only moving school and area, but to an area where you don't even speak the local lingo.
The lingo isn't my worry- he'll pick it up, he's a bright kid.Future prospect however is definitely something that worries me. If he doesn't leave the family unit when he gets to an age when he needs to pursue that career, then yes, he will more than likely be royally in the s
t.omniflow said:
Which part of Crete are you thinking of moving to?
Some friends of mine have relocated to Corfu, and have made a very good go of it. They've bought a village house for what would be considered a total bargain in the UK that they are slowly renovating, and they now speak, read and write Greek. However, they both work gig economy jobs that are UK based, but obviously don't require them to be in the UK. They don't need as much money as they would in the UK. We visited them out of season, and that would be my first recommendation - spend a month or two in the part of Crete you plan to live in, outside of the normal tourist season, and see how you like it. Somewhere like Iraklion will be very different from somewhere like Paliochora.
It would have to be near Heraklion as my lad needs to go to school there.Some friends of mine have relocated to Corfu, and have made a very good go of it. They've bought a village house for what would be considered a total bargain in the UK that they are slowly renovating, and they now speak, read and write Greek. However, they both work gig economy jobs that are UK based, but obviously don't require them to be in the UK. They don't need as much money as they would in the UK. We visited them out of season, and that would be my first recommendation - spend a month or two in the part of Crete you plan to live in, outside of the normal tourist season, and see how you like it. Somewhere like Iraklion will be very different from somewhere like Paliochora.
And you're perfectly right with spending time in the rougher winter season. Covid permitting, I'm planning on a February trip. I do have to say that I wouldn't have thought winter would put me off that much though- Crete is still experiencing mid 20s temperatures as we speak. Winters are much shorter than the UK which is also what attracts me. And when it gets to Spring/Summer, you can actually count on the weather.
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