Locations to retire to and why?
Discussion
Depends where you';re buying but in the main Los Cris - La Caleta area a 1 bed near the sea is more like €200k+ (some a lot more - just looked at a 1 bed in Club Atlantis and its €315k with a 3 bed bungalow up at €800k and its sold!!!!), less the further up the hill you go or in quieter areas. Prices have shot up in the last 2 years. We're a 20+ minute walk to the sea and the few 1 beds I've seen for sale on our complex are c€170k, around 40-50k more for a 2 bed. Our complex is residential so only long term rents allowed which is generally 6 months+. We bought next door about 6 years ago and after a few dodgy tennants initially now have a good tenant and she has been there 5+ years now. Rents are c600-800 a month for long term in a 1 bed which again has shot up in the last few years. The lady above us recently (May) moved back to Scotland after the owner ramped up the rent and she had been there c15 years. We've been sensible with our tenant as we don't want to get greedy and lose her, nor do we want it empty or even worse get some poor tenants again for an extra couple of euros- been there done that.
FFG
FFG
Shnozz said:
Sounds good FFG. Wonder what has made the flight prices increase so much?
I am off to my home in Spain on Thursday and although not as warm as the Canaries, much of what you say resonates. Back in the UK to see family over Xmas and then back to Spain for New Year. Although I am a long way away from retirement at 41, I do enjoy spending time between the two countries, with the emphasis being on Spain in Winter and UK in the midst of summer. Being able to have a degree of reliance on the weather makes a big difference to outside activities.
Agreed. You can't beat waking up, opening the curtains and the sun is shining - just instantly makes you feel happier with life. Monarch and TC haven't helped flight prices and Ryanair have pulled a lot of aircraft out of the canaries and reduced the days they fly there (certainly from BHX anyway). Norwegian flew to TFS but don't anymore so options are more limited, so just supply and demand. We were due to fly back with TC in early October (flew out Ryanair) and at 3am (beer induced slash) on the morning TC went under I rebooked but it was c£100 more and the web sites were slow and crashing then. In the morning the same flights were 300-400 more so other airline just cashing in - i saw one one way flight at £800 pp!!!. We paid on C/C so got our TC money back quickly. I am off to my home in Spain on Thursday and although not as warm as the Canaries, much of what you say resonates. Back in the UK to see family over Xmas and then back to Spain for New Year. Although I am a long way away from retirement at 41, I do enjoy spending time between the two countries, with the emphasis being on Spain in Winter and UK in the midst of summer. Being able to have a degree of reliance on the weather makes a big difference to outside activities.
FlipFlopGriff said:
Agreed. You can't beat waking up, opening the curtains and the sun is shining - just instantly makes you feel happier with life. Monarch and TC haven't helped flight prices and Ryanair have pulled a lot of aircraft out of the canaries and reduced the days they fly there (certainly from BHX anyway). Norwegian flew to TFS but don't anymore so options are more limited, so just supply and demand. We were due to fly back with TC in early October (flew out Ryanair) and at 3am (beer induced slash) on the morning TC went under I rebooked but it was c£100 more and the web sites were slow and crashing then. In the morning the same flights were 300-400 more so other airline just cashing in - i saw one one way flight at £800 pp!!!. We paid on C/C so got our TC money back quickly.
Yes, this is my fear somewhat when it comes to flight routes. As matters stand, we are fortunate in competing airlines flying from multiple UK airports to a choice of two Spanish airports, so hopefully negated the risks too much but if we were to see a few of those airlines go under, or routes be dropped, then the cheap commuting back and forth would become not so cheap and at working ages that is what makes it work in terms of our coming and going. We will often do 2 trips a month and at £50 a flight each way x 2 of us x 4 flights thats not breaking the bank. If it was £200 per flight it starts becoming costly. Flight prices, healthcare situation and via requirements/length of stay post Brexit are all slight back of the mind concerns but life is too short to worry about these unless/if they happen.FlipFlopGriff said:
We budget £150 each return but BHX is the most expensive place to fly from but still better than driving to Manchester and paying for parking. We've done some sub £100 returns but not often enough. Overlapping any school holidays normally bumps up the price.
FFG
We don't have kids so not restricted to school hols thankfully. Likewise we like to fly from the local airport (LBA) as it reduces our travel time considerably and going back and forward so often, it would soon become a pain in the arris if we added the 80 mins to Manchester or East Mids. When going sometimes only for a weekend it needs to be as smooth sailing as possible to make it worth its while. That's perhaps why its always a concern in the back of my mind if the route dries up (recently happened for my parent's local airport with FlyBe pulling the route). Fingers crossed, the flights remain pretty busy so hopefully no sign of that happening.FFG
BoRED S2upid said:
hyphen said:
Have you tried it?
In the summer, the coast is alive with people.Seagulls, boats are always about. People swimming, kayaking etc In winter you have the noise and views of the crashing waves.
Sunrise and sunset over the the horizon of the sea is arguably better than hills.
Living by the sea is ace, closer is much better.
Seagulls. In the summer, the coast is alive with people.Seagulls, boats are always about. People swimming, kayaking etc In winter you have the noise and views of the crashing waves.
Sunrise and sunset over the the horizon of the sea is arguably better than hills.
Living by the sea is ace, closer is much better.
Edited by hyphen on Tuesday 10th December 09:20
FocusRS3 said:
Firstly sorry for dragging up an old thread but there are some interesting points here that will be a feature for me at some stage (hopefully) when i retire.
I'd like to retire at 55 and according to my FA i'm on track presently.
We own a small flat on the Essex Coast (Frinton on sea) and if it were just the two of us we'd have relocated by now and i'd most definitely have retired but few more years with the kids yet (one with school fees attached).
We spend as much of our time as possible there and absolutely love it but of course this is 'down time' not actual day to day living.
We figure a lock up and leave is ideal so we can travel and the view over the sea is amazing so we'd miss that if we sold it for a house just for when the kids decide they want to stay.
Anyhow going back to some of the posts here whats the downsides to coastal living on a full time basis?
We are active people and there is enough sports wise to do in the local area so especially during the summer i'm not concerned about fitness.
Plan is retirement in 3.5yrs all being well
interesting thread so thank you Focus!I'd like to retire at 55 and according to my FA i'm on track presently.
We own a small flat on the Essex Coast (Frinton on sea) and if it were just the two of us we'd have relocated by now and i'd most definitely have retired but few more years with the kids yet (one with school fees attached).
We spend as much of our time as possible there and absolutely love it but of course this is 'down time' not actual day to day living.
We figure a lock up and leave is ideal so we can travel and the view over the sea is amazing so we'd miss that if we sold it for a house just for when the kids decide they want to stay.
Anyhow going back to some of the posts here whats the downsides to coastal living on a full time basis?
We are active people and there is enough sports wise to do in the local area so especially during the summer i'm not concerned about fitness.
Plan is retirement in 3.5yrs all being well
We seem to be in a similar situation to yourself - amusingly enough we've even looked at Frinton (though there are a few concerns we'd have about living there - the main one is it's another hours travel for daughter to come back home
). The other issue (from my PoV) is that it does seem to be stuck in the arse-end of nowhere and although there's a train service it does seem to take quite a while to get anywhere.The major downside I can think about living on the coast is the sea air - I'd imagine that it w/could play havoc with a long term car as well as exposed metal/steel in houses
WRT to 'forever houses' I'd be less worried about stairs if there was space to be able to put in a lift (seems that'd solve a few problems!) but I would still prefer a detached bungalow (not really interested in apartments)
There's nowhere in the UK I'd want to spend the rest of my life in so our solution has been to drastically downsize to a small cottage that's just big enough for the two of us that's still reasonably close to family and friends and can be locked and left for weeks.
That's freed up time and cash for the future but I couldn't make the the numbers work for foreign property ownership 20 years ago and still can't do now so our view forwards into full retirement is summer holidays traveling and sailing round Europe and long term villa rental through the winter months in the Canaries.
That's freed up time and cash for the future but I couldn't make the the numbers work for foreign property ownership 20 years ago and still can't do now so our view forwards into full retirement is summer holidays traveling and sailing round Europe and long term villa rental through the winter months in the Canaries.
anonymous said:
[redacted]
Thank goodness someone has said this. My in laws retired to the middle of nowhere on the west coast of Ireland. Utter nightmare to get to and when you get there everything takes ten times longer than in a big city. And that’s if you can get it/do it. People retiring in their late 50s/ early 60s often don’t think ahead to what they’re going to need when they get older. But it comes around really quickly. By all means live for today and cram in as much as you can, but don’t dig yourself or your children a massive hole by moving somewhere that care is very difficult to access.
FocusRS3 said:
TwigtheWonderkid said:
Have a 4 bed detached family home in West London suburbs. Really want to sell up in due course, and retire to.......a flat in Central London. Somewhere with a W1 postcode, Marylebone High St area maybe. Get rid of the car.(not very PH).
Wife not so keen on the idea!!!
Interesting that you want live closer into town Wife not so keen on the idea!!!
Good on retiring though
irocfan said:
interesting thread so thank you Focus!
We seem to be in a similar situation to yourself - amusingly enough we've even looked at Frinton (though there are a few concerns we'd have about living there - the main one is it's another hours travel for daughter to come back home ). The other issue (from my PoV) is that it does seem to be stuck in the arse-end of nowhere and although there's a train service it does seem to take quite a while to get anywhere.
The major downside I can think about living on the coast is the sea air - I'd imagine that it w/could play havoc with a long term car as well as exposed metal/steel in houses
WRT to 'forever houses' I'd be less worried about stairs if there was space to be able to put in a lift (seems that'd solve a few problems!) but I would still prefer a detached bungalow (not really interested in apartments)
The train line means you grab a connection at Thorpe to get into London and the services are usually on the hour or every half hour at peak times but it’s 1,35hr journey into London. We seem to be in a similar situation to yourself - amusingly enough we've even looked at Frinton (though there are a few concerns we'd have about living there - the main one is it's another hours travel for daughter to come back home
). The other issue (from my PoV) is that it does seem to be stuck in the arse-end of nowhere and although there's a train service it does seem to take quite a while to get anywhere.The major downside I can think about living on the coast is the sea air - I'd imagine that it w/could play havoc with a long term car as well as exposed metal/steel in houses
WRT to 'forever houses' I'd be less worried about stairs if there was space to be able to put in a lift (seems that'd solve a few problems!) but I would still prefer a detached bungalow (not really interested in apartments)
The local doctors surgery they have recently turned around as it was an appalling shambles which considering there are lots of elderly leaving there was terrible.
Lots I like there and not least of all how little the place changes and how peaceful it is of an evening.
The beach is always immaculate and there is a good community and plenty to get involved with if you make the effort.
The two flights of stairs could be an issue further down the road so maybe a move to a ground floor flat in later life would be the answer.
What I like about apartment living is the simplicity of it all where you contribute towards a communal gardener and don’t have to do the work yourself.
Plus the maintenance charges take care of any issues.
Fresh sea air I love although I’ve a mate that bangs on about how it would rot his car too.
I get around when I’m there on a push bike so that’s also exercise taken care of .
All food for thought.
I’m guessing you are fairly local to that area ?
Frinton?
Have you gone raving mad?
Simply retire to/stay where you know everybody. Every time you move 10 yards down the High Street, you meet someone else you know.
If you move to Frinton - or Little Piddling on Sea - it doesn't matter which - you won't know a soul and it's full of old people!
Have you gone raving mad?
Simply retire to/stay where you know everybody. Every time you move 10 yards down the High Street, you meet someone else you know.
If you move to Frinton - or Little Piddling on Sea - it doesn't matter which - you won't know a soul and it's full of old people!
The Mad Monk said:
Frinton?
Have you gone raving mad?
Simply retire to/stay where you know everybody. Every time you move 10 yards down the High Street, you meet someone else you know.
If you move to Frinton - or Little Piddling on Sea - it doesn't matter which - you won't know a soul and it's full of old people!
We have already build up quite a group of friends there so that doesn't concern me and its 50 minutes from where we live currently.Have you gone raving mad?
Simply retire to/stay where you know everybody. Every time you move 10 yards down the High Street, you meet someone else you know.
If you move to Frinton - or Little Piddling on Sea - it doesn't matter which - you won't know a soul and it's full of old people!
The wife and i don't struggle with our own company and we are best friends so that's all good.
They also have schools in Frinton so its not only old people there.
Its quite surprising how many are leaving areas further than where i currently live to move there.
I dunno all food for thought
FocusRS3 said:
The Mad Monk said:
Frinton?
Have you gone raving mad?
Simply retire to/stay where you know everybody. Every time you move 10 yards down the High Street, you meet someone else you know.
If you move to Frinton - or Little Piddling on Sea - it doesn't matter which - you won't know a soul and it's full of old people!
We have already build up quite a group of friends there so that doesn't concern me and its 50 minutes from where we live currently.Have you gone raving mad?
Simply retire to/stay where you know everybody. Every time you move 10 yards down the High Street, you meet someone else you know.
If you move to Frinton - or Little Piddling on Sea - it doesn't matter which - you won't know a soul and it's full of old people!
The wife and i don't struggle with our own company and we are best friends so that's all good.
They also have schools in Frinton so its not only old people there.
Its quite surprising how many are leaving areas further than where i currently live to move there.
I dunno all food for thought
My then girlfriend working behind the bar was often reduced to tears by a 12 hour shift of relentless arrogance and rudeness and drunken attempts to fondle her legs or stick a pound note into her blouse if she stood too close to a table taking drinks orders.
I've no idea if it's as bad as that now but some while after I left the Tendring area - thankfully for good - the residents furious indignation of a vulgar Fish and Chip shop opening and lowering the tone of the resort and estate agents still using inside the gates as a selling point rather suggests to me that nothing much has changed.
Harwich for the continent announced a road sign on the northbound A120. Underneath some smartarse had sprayed and Frinton for the incontinent. Frinton. Way too far up its own insular, smug, self-satisfied little bottom for me. You may keep it.
Jaguar steve said:
I worked at the long gone Frinton Lodge hotel on the seafront for a couple of summers in 1978 and '79 and found many of the elderly Frinton residents I encountered were thoroughly obnoxious tiny-minded racist and xenophobic snobs who'd treat junior hotel staff like colonial servants and who were absolutely obsessed with the superiority and enhanced social status of living inside the gates.
My then girlfriend working behind the bar was often reduced to tears by a 12 hour shift of relentless arrogance and rudeness and drunken attempts to fondle her legs or stick a pound note into her blouse if she stood too close to a table taking drinks orders.
I've no idea if it's as bad as that now but some while after I left the Tendring area - thankfully for good - the residents furious indignation of a vulgar Fish and Chip shop opening and lowering the tone of the resort and estate agents still using inside the gates as a selling point rather suggests to me that nothing much has changed.
Harwich for the continent announced a road sign on the northbound A120. Underneath some smartarse had sprayed and Frinton for the incontinent. Frinton. Way too far up its own insular, smug, self-satisfied little bottom for me. You may keep it.
It most certainly WAS like that yes. My then girlfriend working behind the bar was often reduced to tears by a 12 hour shift of relentless arrogance and rudeness and drunken attempts to fondle her legs or stick a pound note into her blouse if she stood too close to a table taking drinks orders.
I've no idea if it's as bad as that now but some while after I left the Tendring area - thankfully for good - the residents furious indignation of a vulgar Fish and Chip shop opening and lowering the tone of the resort and estate agents still using inside the gates as a selling point rather suggests to me that nothing much has changed.
Harwich for the continent announced a road sign on the northbound A120. Underneath some smartarse had sprayed and Frinton for the incontinent. Frinton. Way too far up its own insular, smug, self-satisfied little bottom for me. You may keep it.
You are right the fish and chip shop was fought against and only finally got permission in 2010 which i agree is madness for a seaside town.
The first pub got a licence in 2000 but it has since changed an awful lot.
The town is now mainly bars/coffee shops and Restaurants. The main pub even has live band on a Saturday night!
They also fought hard to keep the manually operated railway gates but lost and now electric gates (thankfully) have been installed.
Basically the old guard have died off and the Frinton Residents association now have very little say which i personally consider to be a good thing although it is nice to have a few unspoiled parts such as the Greensward.
I also need to look at a few other coastal areas up in Suffolk really in order to do a comparison
Portugal sounds tempting with the tax breaks.
I looked into spain for a but it's pretty punishing on taxes if you want to do the odd bit of self employed work which put me off.
Canada / OZ / USA are tempting but they don't make it easy. You would think USA had little to lose with admitting retirees reliant on private health, but apparently they don't have the space.
Always fancied the nordics, but never looked too deep. Do they let you in?
I looked into spain for a but it's pretty punishing on taxes if you want to do the odd bit of self employed work which put me off.
Canada / OZ / USA are tempting but they don't make it easy. You would think USA had little to lose with admitting retirees reliant on private health, but apparently they don't have the space.
Always fancied the nordics, but never looked too deep. Do they let you in?
FocusRS3 said:
I’m guessing you are fairly local to that area ?
not that far away TBH - currently live in Billericay, which is why we're looking at the options of moving. Nice town but already properly crowded, soon to have another 3k/3.5k new homes.... with no extra infrastructure 
For those moving out of London it'll likely seem like heaven (good size houses and cheaper) but now that we no longer need the train station we're looking at a premium for a redundant service
FocusRS3 said:
Jaguar steve said:
I worked at the long gone Frinton Lodge hotel on the seafront for a couple of summers in 1978 and '79 and found many of the elderly Frinton residents I encountered were thoroughly obnoxious tiny-minded racist and xenophobic snobs who'd treat junior hotel staff like colonial servants and who were absolutely obsessed with the superiority and enhanced social status of living inside the gates.
My then girlfriend working behind the bar was often reduced to tears by a 12 hour shift of relentless arrogance and rudeness and drunken attempts to fondle her legs or stick a pound note into her blouse if she stood too close to a table taking drinks orders.
I've no idea if it's as bad as that now but some while after I left the Tendring area - thankfully for good - the residents furious indignation of a vulgar Fish and Chip shop opening and lowering the tone of the resort and estate agents still using inside the gates as a selling point rather suggests to me that nothing much has changed.
Harwich for the continent announced a road sign on the northbound A120. Underneath some smartarse had sprayed and Frinton for the incontinent. Frinton. Way too far up its own insular, smug, self-satisfied little bottom for me. You may keep it.
It most certainly WAS like that yes. My then girlfriend working behind the bar was often reduced to tears by a 12 hour shift of relentless arrogance and rudeness and drunken attempts to fondle her legs or stick a pound note into her blouse if she stood too close to a table taking drinks orders.
I've no idea if it's as bad as that now but some while after I left the Tendring area - thankfully for good - the residents furious indignation of a vulgar Fish and Chip shop opening and lowering the tone of the resort and estate agents still using inside the gates as a selling point rather suggests to me that nothing much has changed.
Harwich for the continent announced a road sign on the northbound A120. Underneath some smartarse had sprayed and Frinton for the incontinent. Frinton. Way too far up its own insular, smug, self-satisfied little bottom for me. You may keep it.
You are right the fish and chip shop was fought against and only finally got permission in 2010 which i agree is madness for a seaside town.
The first pub got a licence in 2000 but it has since changed an awful lot.
The town is now mainly bars/coffee shops and Restaurants. The main pub even has live band on a Saturday night!
They also fought hard to keep the manually operated railway gates but lost and now electric gates (thankfully) have been installed.
Basically the old guard have died off and the Frinton Residents association now have very little say which i personally consider to be a good thing although it is nice to have a few unspoiled parts such as the Greensward.
I also need to look at a few other coastal areas up in Suffolk really in order to do a comparison
Somewhere on the Shotley peninsula or Woodbridge perhaps? Good road and rail links and some lovely quiet countryside and pretty villages just a few minutes drive away, none of which you'll find on the Essex coast.
Gassing Station | Homes, Gardens and DIY | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff