There are many beautiful places in the world a person can choose to live. At various times in life it may be suitable for a person or family to choose to experience living in a different country and in a different culture. Expatriate living in Spain is a great choice for people at various ages.

Single people may find that they have the time and lack of responsibility that will make living in Spain very feasible. A couple with children may want to give their family the opportunity to observe and live in Spain providing a valuable education.

Retired couples may find that they can live a new lifestyle comfortably with the retirement income they have put aside. Whatever the reason choosing expatriate living in Spain will provide a great adventure and learning experience.

Culture and History

Living in Spain will provide great opportunities to experience the culture and history of the Spanish people. Spaniards are proud of their heritage and have many festivals and ceremonies throughout the year for people to see the rich culture at its best.

Through some basic inquiries of the Spanish locals or on the internet these many opportunities will become quite apparent. The culture and history can be experienced by attending a bull running, a local fiesta, or by visiting one of the many great museums throughout the country. People who choose to live in Spain should take every chance they can to attend these various events and learn about the country and the people.

The Climate

Many people who think of living in Spain realize that the country offers a warm climate in the summer. For some people the climate may even be considered hot at the warmest times of the year. Spain rests just north of the African continent with its southern border being the Mediterranean Sea.

This does offer a great climate for all seasons of the year if heat is not a factor. The country also has several mountain ranges that receive substantial snow fall and allow all types of winter activities including several popular ski resorts. People who enjoy water sports, winter sports, and mountaineering will find that the country has much to offer.

Cost of Living in Spain

People will find that living in Spain is usually quite economical. If a person has their own income they can easily budget for housing, utilities, food, and other such expenses. People who will need to work in the country need to take the time to look at the taxes of the country.

Things such as healthcare, automobiles, and emergency travel funds also need to be considered. When choosing to live in a different country a person should plan well in advance for the governmental and tax structure. This being said, the benefits of living in Spain may far outweigh any additional living expenses.

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Tip! Plaza Monumental de Toros de las Ventas, often referred to as the Mecca to bullfighting, draws some of the finest matadors in Spain. It is believed that a matador who hasn’t proven his bullfighting skills in Las Ventas is not considered to be a top-fight artist.

One of Murcia’s most important tourist destinations, Lorca sits on the banks of the Rio Guadalentin, with the Sierra de Espuna mountains to the north west and the Parque Natural de Sierra Espuna only 40 minutes north. Surrounded by vineyards and only a short drive from eight kilometres of coastline, the Lorca area is renowned for its secluded beaches and expansive, pine tree filled valleys.

Why buy there?
The town of Lorca itself is a relatively new area for British buyers and has seen even higher price rises than the 30 per cent experienced across Murcia. Despite this growth, Lorca has been protected from the mass development experienced across the southern Costas.

Lorca town is only 20 minutes from the coast and only two hours from the ski resorts of the Sierra Nevada. Its many traditional buildings and cobbled streets blend with a cosmopolitan area that offers shops, modern pisos and apartment blocks. There are hundreds of bars, plus restaurants, a theatre, a cinema complex and sports and leisure facilities.

Tip! There has developed a very large and international group of people who would never think of staying anywhere else while in Spain. Only the rare hotel around the world inspires this kind of loyalty.

There are also plans for the construction of several golf courses. Nevertheless, it manages to uphold its reputation as a Baroque city, and has a swathe of cultural attractions, not least of which is the 13th century Moorish castle.

The coastal town of Aguilas is also very popular. This pretty fishing village is surrounded by tomato plantations and boasts sandy coves and beaches, as well as a favourable year round climate. With a selection of fine fish restaurants, there is also a fabulous daily fruit and veg market.

Further inland, Lorca boasts many quaint villages, such as Totana, Calasparra and Caravaca de la Cruz, which is the fifth holiest city in the world. Transport links to the region are excellent, with three international airports within a 90 minute drive of Lorca and a new airport planned for Corvera, a mere 35 minutes away by car. Road, rail and bus links will also bring you right into the heart of the town, with the A7, which serves as the main artery through the region, easily accessible.

Tip! Christmas Eve is a huge family day in Spain and is known as ?Nochebuena?. A massive meal will be prepared for what is the biggest feast of the year and the most important family gathering.

Where to buy?
The best buys are in areas just inland of Lorca town. Five acres of land can be purchased here for as little as 60,000 euros, and townhouses in some areas are selling for a mere 30,000 euros. Totana, in the north east of Lorca, enjoys 3,000 hours of sunshine each year, with temperatures exceeding 30 degrees centigrade for 100 days of the year.

The 25,000 inhabitants follow a traditional lifestyle, which is reflected by the wonderful architecture and many religious monuments. Property here can be picked up for as little as 80,000 euros. A three bedroom finca costs between 100,000 and 120,000 euros, while a four bedroom villa averages 300,000 euros.

Calasparra lies to the north of Lorca on the banks of the Segura river. With only 10,000 residents, it offers an intimate atmosphere, life continues in a traditional way, with lots of fiestas and large Friday morning markets. It offers stunning views over the countryside and rice fields, and is perfect for nature lovers.

Tip! Travel Spain offers too many options for a would-be traveler; a lengthy sojourn or a short tour over a week end. Or a budget travel with limited visits to only known places.

Property here will also suit many budgets, with a three bedroom apartment costing 84,000 euros, and a small finca only 125,000 euros. A four bedroom country home with a swimming pool can be bought for as little as 169,000 euros.

Caravaca de la Cruz has 22,880 inhabitants and is the main town in north west Murcia. 60 kilometres from Lorca, it’s dominated by its Castillo, and the church of Santuario de Vera Cruz.

Slightly more expensive than the other inland towns, a two bedroom log cabin starts at 162,241 euros, while a three bedroom country villa with 2,500 square metres of land costs 190,000 euros.

The property market
Lorca province represents excellent value for money. Prices appreciated by 30 per cent last year, with some investments increasing by 60 per cent. However, as a new kid on the scene, it’s still possible for buyers to discover bargains, some plots can be snapped up for under 15,000 euros!

Tip! The train service is well developed enabling access to the country from both Portugal and France and fast travel between towns and cities within Spain. Fares are cheap compared to some other major European countries.

The Lorca region is ideal for a retirement location, with fincas abounding in the countryside surrounding Lorca town and Totana. There are also many detached houses on the edge of the towns, which are ideal for renovation. These properties offer amenities close at hand, but are still peaceful and tranquil.

The cost of building a luxury three bedroom, two bathroom villa with five acres of land is around 200,000 euros. Many people who buy in this area end up with 20 times the amount of land they could expect in a coastal urbanisation, and at a lower price. The region still offers prices 35 per cent cheaper than the national average, and 54 per cent of all properties throughout Murcia sit within the 35,000 to 100,000 euros bracket. Of course, this is set to rise as government investment in infrastructure opens the region up.

Typical properties
The most popular properties among foreign investors are fincas and village houses, and there are also many people buying plots of land. The most popular property is the villa, which represents 23 per cent of all purchases. However, country houses follow closely, at 18 per cent, and are the more commonly found properties in Lorca. Due to the increased interest in the region, fincas and village houses are steadily declining in number, and more people are seeking new build properties.

Tip! The parachute centre is a British Parachute Association (the governing body for skydiving and parachuting in the UK) Associated dropzone, so all operations are carried out to the highest safety standards. One of the most popular skydiving destinations for British jumpers, the aircraft here fly to 15,000ft, the highest altitude in Spain.

The rentals market
This area isn’t popular for short term rentals, which are generally more common along the coast. However, there’s a burgeoning long term rentals market, and if you have the right property in the right place, you can get a good income.

Expect to secure an average of 925 euros a week for a six bedroom villa, while a two bedroom apartment can generate between 250 and 450 euros a week. The market looks set to grow, and although Costa Calida’s facilities and infrastructure aren’t as advanced as in other coastal regions, the Spanish government is investing heavily in new roads, runways and high speed rail links.

The area is also gaining a reputation for its excellent golf facilities, and these factors are set to have a huge impact upon both the short and long term lettings market, making the area ripe for investment.

Living here
There are very few Brits in the area, although the development of infrastructure and tourist facilities, along with 6,000 new houses, is likely to attract more. There are also very few English residents within the town of Lorca itself, most prefer to live in detached properties offering some land, rather than in the smaller urban pisos.

However, the city is surrounded by farmland, and this has been developed over the last two years, attracting a large number of English buyers. Children are typically enrolled in one of the Spanish schools in Lorca, and seem to integrate well and surprisingly quickly.

As this is still a new area, it’s only recommended for those seeking to integrate themselves fully into a traditional Spanish way of life, buyers should be prepared to learn the language and make an effort to socialise with the local residents.

Tip! So if you are new to cycling in Spain you are in for a real treat with so many via verdes to explore. In many cases there is a functioning station nearby which makes it easier for you to arrive at the greenway of your choice and RENFE, the Spanish railway network, offer some good deals on taking your bike by train.

Thanks to their desire for a sunny climate, cheaper living and a healthier and more cultured lifestyle Jozsef and Sheila Csiszar moved to Lorca to retire. They wanted a three bedroom detached property with plenty of space and 1,000 square metres of land, and their budget was 200,000 euros.

They were keen to avoid urbanisations and what they described as ‘England in the sun’. After initially searching the Costa Blanca, they were disappointed to find that prices were more than they had budgeted for. “It was recommended that we went south to the Murcia region, in particular to Lorca, where we were told prices were much cheaper,” Jozsef reveals.

They will soon be moving into their tailor made, top quality villa with a large swimming pool, set on five acres of land. “We had hoped for 1,000 square metres and we have ended up with 20,000 square metres!” Sheila says. “Not only that, but the views of the mountains and pine forests are spectacular, and we really feel we’ve designed and built our dream home.”

Lorca town is within 20 minutes’ drive of the beach and offers the Csiszar’s everything they need, from hypermarkets and bars to town squares with traditional restaurants. “More importantly,” enthuses Sheila, “we feel safe here and the town has remained truly Spanish.” Jozsef adds: “We’re very excited to be moving into the property and enjoying our retirement in this beautiful part of Spain.”

Tip! Well of course there are beaches: lots of them and good ones at that. From the westernmost point of the region of Andalusia in southern Spain right around to the northeastern Mediterranean region of Catalonia there are dozens of fine sandy beaches having something for everyone.

Murcia statistics
Population: 1.2 million
Population density (inhabitants per square mile): 108.4
Unemployment rate: 11.9%
Length of coastline: over 250 km
Area: 11,317 sq. km
GDP per capita: 12,600 euros
Average days of sunshine per year: 320
Average water temperature: 10.2 degrees C

Martin Dell is Managing Director of Kyero Media S.L. - publisher of the largest English-language property portal in Spain, http://www.kyero.com

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Tip! Major roads provide access from Portugal to the west and France which borders Spain to the northeast. Road travel within the country can vary.

Buying a property abroad is a lot more common these days than before - with an estimated 100,000 Brits alone doing exactly that this year. And who can blame them - warm climate, great lifestyle - cheaper property and much more. But the same people who would argue a ?1 overcharge on a restaurant bill are letting the banks get away with literally thousands either because of blind faith and trust or a complete lack of knowledge.

We’re talking about transferring money.

So how do you ensure you get the best rate for your money?

Very simply you use a currency broker.

You’ve seen the property you want, the price is right, you’ve negotiated the deal, and you transfer the money across from your bank and?. Wham - the property cost you ?10,000 more than you thought it would because the bank gave you a lousy deal and added so many charges.

Tip! Second city of Spain and major Mediterranean port, bustling Barcelona incorporates a delightful historic mix of Roman remains, medieval quarters and 20th century avant-garde art.

All too often this happens - your friendly bank, trying to help you, are really only helping themselves - to YOUR MONEY. Ouch that hurt. If you have ever transferred money from one country to another you will know that banks are NOT your best friend.

Of course it’s convenient to walk into your high street bank or even an exchange bureau and change your money, and this is fine if you are changing a few hundred Pounds, Dollars or Euros. But for larger transactions then it really pays to use a currency broker. These specialist brokers will offer much better exchange rates than your high street banks because they deal exclusively in money transfers and buy millions of Euros every day.

They also have much lower overheads as they don’t need the back up systems the banks do, the sheer volume of people - cashiers and tellers, nor the large mainframe computers which takes a kings ransom to buy and a and a lottery fund to maintain.

Tip! The weather is the main reason that people re-locate or buy a holiday home in Spain. In this area of the Costa Blanca we average 320 completely sunny days per year, with an average Annual temperature 20? centigrade.

Net result? Currency Brokers offer lower rates. Compare this to your bank who probably transfer a few hundred thousand Euros per week and have to make a larger profit from each transaction and you can easily see they aren’t geared up for high value transfers - whatever they may tell you.

Also unlike many bureaux de change and banks, Currency exchange specialists do not normally charge commission on foreign exchange transactions. The rate that you agree with the dealer is the rate that you will pay. In some cases there is a small telegraphic transfer fee of ?15 to cover the cost of the international funds transfer, which delivers foreign currency to the specified foreign bank account, either the same day, or the next working day.

So how do they make their money I hear you ask - what’s the catch?
No catch. They operate by buying very large amounts of money from the money markets, they can then secure the rates not available to the general public - the headline rate or near to it. ‘They make a small margin (usually less than 0.5% or less, the banks often take a margin in the order of 1.5% to 2.00%, sometimes more) between the rate they buy from the money markets and the rate they sell to you the customer - so small you wouldn’t even notice it if they charged it to you directly.

Doesn’t seem like much but multiply that by millions of Euros per day and a small charge per transaction adds up to a working profit - great for you bad for the banks. So they don’t need to add commissions to their transactions. Unlike the banks who have lots of salaries to pay and regardless of what their advertising tells you don’t have your best interests at heart. They seldom have anyone who knows the money markets at hand to advise you - after all we are not talking an insignificant amount here - these are your hard earned pounds, dollars or euros.

Tip! Many people choose to come to Spain because of the fantastic weather ? which means that they can skydive constantly throughout their trip. The centre in Seville also boasts great non skydiving activities as well, whether you would like to go to the beach, discover the rich culture that the city has to offer, or explore the diverse bars and restaurants.

Contrast this with currency specialists and you will find that almost everyone of their staff are fluent in listening and understanding you, and getting the best deal for you on an individual basis - you see they understand that you are a person and have different needs to the next person - so treat you as such.

Its not just better rates that make a currency broker an attractive option. Let’s assume you find a property and you decide to buy it now, but need to come back in a month’s time to complete. You transfer your 10% deposit.

If you did this on June 28th 2005 it would have cost you about ?13,350 to transfer the ?20,000 deposit. (The rate was around 1.505 euros to the pound). 1 Month later on 20th July - you come over and transfer your money - the rate is now 1.43 (the rate on that day).

Your second transfer cost you ?125,874 instead of ?119,601 that it would have cost you. A Difference of ?6,273 - enough to buy a small car here in Spain with change for a new sofa.

How Do You ensure that the price you agree is the price you pay?
In this instance you could fix the rate using a forward contract. What this means is you can fix the rate now by paying a deposit of 10% - 15% and pay the balance when you need the funds - thus ensuring you pay exactly what you thought you were going to pay. Think of it as an insurance policy. You will pay a small premium but it is worth it to know you are covered against fluctuations.

Tip! Barcelona is the second-largest city in Spain and known world-wide for the architectural creations of Jos? Antonio Gaudi, with the still unfinished Sagrada Familia cathedral topping the list. When in Barcelona don’t forget a visit to the Barri G?tic and take a walk on las Ramblas, one of the most beautiful streets in the world, a tree-lined boulevard where you can delight in the talents of street performers.

This is also very helpful if, for example, you are buying off plan and there are staged payments. This allows you to fix the price now safe in the knowledge that you will only be paying what you expected to pay. It is possible to fix a rate for up to 2 years in advance but in reality this is only cost effective over 6 to 12 months.

So who you going to call?
Well there are many specialists around and all offer pretty much the same rates, although one in particular comes up slightly better consistently. Currency UK (www.currencyuk.co.uk) not only offers excellent rates but offer personalised professional service. That’s not to say the others don’t of course but having used currency UK personally we know they definitely do.

Tip! Of course, no visit to Spain is complete without sampling as much wine as possible. The Spanish love their wine, are proud of it, and celebrate it.

How do you set up an account with a Currency Broker?

In most instances it is very easy. Visit their site online and fill in the form. There is a requirement for all brokers now that they have to verify the person, the address and the funds - so don’t be shocked if they ask you lots of personal information - this is a requirement by law (EU tax Directive and money laundering initiatives).

You will need to show some evidence of your current address along with your passport, together with a declaration as to where the money is coming from. Once the formalities are over, which usually takes a day or so, you will be given an account number. You then agree your rate with the broker, transfer the money and give them the ongoing account to be transferred to. Once they receive the money they usually transfer it within 24 hours.

Tip! There has developed a very large and international group of people who would never think of staying anywhere else while in Spain. Only the rare hotel around the world inspires this kind of loyalty.

Some points to note.
Once the money is transferred you will be given a transaction code. If the money was transferred by SWIFT then this gives the receiving bank the instruction to release the money. However some banks hold onto the money (especially here in Spain) for anything upto five days. If this happens take the SWIFT transaction document to your receiving bank and you may be surprised at how quickly they “Find” your money.

Some banks may charge you for receiving this transfer. Before you start sending money you may be wise to agree these fees beforehand (or ask for them to be completely cancelled). Don’t get a nasty surprise when the receiving bank charges you hundreds of euros just for receiving your money.

Tip! Being the last Muslim city of Spain to be reconquered by the Christians, Granada has an unmistakable Arab flavor, and Moorish and Christian elements go hand-in-hand.

Is it safe to use a Broker?
In short YES. For Currency UK Customers’ funds are held in designated client accounts with HSBC plc. Currency UK is the preferred foreign exchange partner of OFTA, the Offshore Financial Trade Association. All UK foreign exchange brokers of this type are regulated by HM Customs & Excise as Money Services Businesses - and you don’t get much more stringent than this

Is it worth going to a broker?
If you’re looking to transfer money from the UK to Spain (or vice versa) you can save a lot of money and time by using a broker. Once set up it is quick and efficient and you can use it for guaranteeing the long term rate, ensuring you don’t pay over the odds for your property because of currency fluctuations. You can also in some instances use the same account to pay regular amounts (like pension payments or mortgages etc). Because all brokers in the UK are regulated you can be sure that your money is safe as houses.

Tip! The Paradores of Spain chain was founded in 1928 by order of King Alphonso XIII. From the beginning, they were meant to provide more-than-adequate accommodations set at appropriate distance intervals around the country.

And if nothing else then it is at least worth going to a broker and getting a quick quote to check against the rate your bank offers - you may be surprised at how much your bank are making from you.

For more information about buying in Spain and how to avoid paying too much for your property - check out www.spanishproperty-direct.co.uk/book.htm. For other interesting articles on buying a property in Spain visit the website www.spanishproperty-direct.co.uk - you can even get a free Course of Spanish Lessons.

Tip! Tap your feet at the tune of Flamenco, a must do when in the Southern part of Spain.

Vince Barnes is the owner of http://www.SpanishProperty-Direct.co.uk - a website aimed at informing buyers about the process of buying in Spain and keeping up to date with news and regulations affecting the Spanish Property Market. He has also just published the book - “The Insiders Secret Guide To Buying A Property In Spain - The Book Estate Agents Don’t Want You To Read” - available at http://www.spanishproperty-direct.co.uk/book.htm

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