So where is the grass greener to retire to?

[tigersaw]

Following on from a previous 'would you go' thread, I'm wondering where people find to be their Eden.

I personally know of people who have sold up and emigrated to Cyprus and Spain, but both came back. I have a friend who moved to the US of A a fair few years ago, carries a green card, but talks of wanting to come back here.
My parents spent a few months in New Zealand picking their retirement property, but could not bring themselves to sign on the line.

Reading some of the ex-pat websites, its all moans and groans in OZ, Spain, Portugal.

Personally I've always liked the look of France, read a few survival guides and the property is still stunningly cheap despite the relative 80% rise in the last 5 years. However, I only know one couple who have moved there, but not in the 'sell up and burn bridges' way.

I understand money doesn't go half as far as you expect, culture shock, health care issues, (you dont automatically get free health care in the EEC since 2007), climate etc.

So who here knows someone who has uppped sticks, moved abroad and not returned or regretted it, and where to?

[Lozzo]

I'll be retiring to Malta when I'm ready, but it's very different for me because 3/4 of my family are already there and I'm close to all of them. I've never actually lived over there properly but spent a lot of time and some very long holidays there (3 months at a time) and it's a weird situation being on the island - it just feels right for me, where England never has. As the plane comes in to land at Luqa my brain always tells me I've arrived home and everything is good again.

[urbane1]

Although we currently live in Calgary our long term plan is to retire to either the Okanagan (British Columbia) or Victoria Island (if we can put up with the rain, it's worse than England!)

[Nobbylad]

Vancouver Bay

[husky03]

Fancy Alaska but i wanna die in Scotland when my times up.

[Bri w]

Southern Italy.

We've been holidaying over there for years. Why? The weather, the cost of living and the people. Not to mention it's relatively empty compared to the UK.

[Jabba]

Up until a couple of weekends ago I'd have said Cornwall. Opinion changed when I had a chance to take a long look at the Pembrokeshire coast from my push-bike. Absolutely stunning. "Little England beyond Wales" is now top of the list :thumbsup:

Failing that it would be back home to NE Cheshire/Peak District.

[Biker Biggles]

I would think France is a good place,but you absolutely must learn French to a passable standard.They have good healthcare and a good standard of living,and they also have a healthy disdain for "the authorities" which appeals to me.

[maviczap]

Well I was sitting on the beach the other day watching my girls playing happily and care free. To be quite honest I couldn't wish to be anywhere else really.

But if I had to, then Cornwall would be acceptable, otherwise Germany has its appeals, as property in the former East Germany is dirt cheap and my wifes family are there.

Good health care + cost of living is ok.

I could have bought the house next door to her Auntie's for €5000, it was a big 4 bedroom house in a little village in the hills. There's still loads of places like this there

[Razor]

one day when the time is right i will retire to my mary jane farm in belize

[anna]

Most of ex pats dont really want to fit in anywhere though, and go somewhere just to complain that it isnt as good or differences to the UK! :rolleyes:

I moved to pt over a year and a half ago.:smt040

Algarve seems to be the place for most who retire here, and it is now a mini England with better weather.

[dawn07]

Would love a wee cottage near Loch Lomond with my own land, with a few chickens and grow my own organic veg...... bliss!:rolleyes::D

[timwilky]

I quite fancy a land that time has forgotten, simple ways and a slow pace of life. Yup Yorkshire, if only I can find a nice cottage in my price range near Askrigg. I would be happy doing my missionary work and encouraging the inbreeds to spend.

[MattCollins]

Following on from a previous 'would you go' thread, I'm wondering where people find to be their Eden.

I personally know of people who have sold up and emigrated to Cyprus and Spain, but both came back. I have a friend who moved to the US of A a fair few years ago, carries a green card, but talks of wanting to come back here.
My parents spent a few months in New Zealand picking their retirement property, but could not bring themselves to sign on the line.

Reading some of the ex-pat websites, its all moans and groans in OZ, Spain, Portugal.

Personally I've always liked the look of France, read a few survival guides and the property is still stunningly cheap despite the relative 80% rise in the last 5 years. However, I only know one couple who have moved there, but not in the 'sell up and burn bridges' way.

I understand money doesn't go half as far as you expect, culture shock, health care issues, (you dont automatically get free health care in the EEC since 2007), climate etc.

So who here knows someone who has uppped sticks, moved abroad and not returned or regretted it, and where to?

Not out to offend anyone, but...

Do you read this forum? There are a lot of moans and groans, particularly during the winter months. It seems to be your national pastime to be whining about something.

I'd suggest you ignore the ex-pat web sites, avoid the ex-pats and make your own way.

[dizzyblonde]

From friends experiences living abroad, the word 'retire' is the problem. Retired people go out to countries they fancy living in to live out their days in the sun, only to find, they can't speak the lingo, expect everything to be English, think everything will be cheap, rose tinted etc etc.
Then they all wake up when the money they had dries up and then have to come back. They then realise they can't sell the property they bought for vast premium that they expect, just so they can afford something on their return, get desperate and have to sell it for peanuts just to get home....which is what we're kind of cashing in on.
Jeanette and family have lived in the Charente Maritime dept of France for six years now, and its been super hard work for all concerned, but they'd never come back here as the life they have over there, although tough in many ways, is much slower, more simple, but with better standards.
We are considering moving to France at a working age, as she has, as it really does work out much better in the end.

Both Spain and Cyprus are littered with Southern sounding touts who badger you into 'eeeer are you English' all day long, praying on naive holiday makers. Absolutely diabolical, and would drive me nuts if I was to live in either places, the French ignore you, unless you are 'in' which suits me just fine :-)

[Bri w]

I quite fancy a land that time has forgotten, simple ways and a slow pace of life. Yup Yorkshire, if only I can find a nice cottage in my price range near Askrigg. I would be happy doing my missionary work and encouraging the inbreeds to spend.

You'll not get past border control - your eyebrows don't meet in the middle.

[dizzyblonde]

You'll not get past border control - your eyebrows don't meet in the middle.

Hmmm but then they might let him through, if his eyes are close enough together;)

[metalangel]

I never understood why people want to retire to Spain until I went to Mallorca...

Barbados is becoming full of rich people, tragic.

[Bri w]

From friends experiences living abroad, the word 'retire' is the problem. Retired people go out to countries they fancy living in to live out their days in the sun, only to find, they can't speak the lingo, expect everything to be English, think everything will be cheap, rose tinted etc etc.


I'll be one of those retiree's.

What we don't want is 'little England' somewhere warm. The idea of an apartment on a complex just doesn't appeal.

We've sort of got by on holiday Italian up until 2 years back when we started classes. I would still struggle ringing the electricity people but we're getting there.

As we have done for years we would shop where the locals shop, and eat and drink where the locals drink - its miles cheaper, e.g. 2 coffee's in Piazza Navona, 16Euro, 2 coffee's and 2 pastries in a cafe in the 'burbs 3.4Euro.

For less than half the released equity we could buy a small farm, and do as the locals do, i.e. join the local co-operative and let a local farmer harvest it for a small cut to us to top up the pension, not that the top up would be needed.

Your right, the biggest danger is thinking you will enjoy the days just like your holidays. Rose tinted glasses.

[lukemillar]

Grass is most definitely greener in New Zealand!

Only thing which people may have trouble with is being so far away from friends and family. (which admittedly does suck)

[kwak zzr]

my auntie pat rented her house out and went to oz to live with her son (she was living the dream) they cut the journey short and came home? eehhhhhhhh i thought oz was the dream but apparently she didn't, Ive been abroad 4 times and altho i do enjoy the places i think wales takes some beating, id like a cottage in a sleepy welsh village :) easily pleased me lol

[Owenski]

montana! grass ... theres loads of it! and feck all else there to ruin it for you.

if you like horses or off roading - live there!

[Shonky]

Padstow, the Brecons or Yorkshire. Any of those would make me happy.

[timwilky]

My issue with retiring abroad is the wifes health, She cannot even get proper travel insurance so I doubt anyone would let her in. I had to refuse a dream job in the states because of it. Would I want to live abroad as a sad and lonely man.

No Thanks, staying in England and forcing the kids to look after me.

[Specialone]

Id like a property somewhere next to a lake or water so its at the bottom of the garden where i can park a boat.
Id also like land, 10-20 acres should do it.
France, wales, somewhere scenic.

[CheGuevara]

Although we currently live in Calgary our long term plan is to retire to either the Okanagan (British Columbia) or Victoria Island (if we can put up with the rain, it's worse than England!)

Victoria Island?! You want to live in the Arctic Circle? I'm guessing you mean Vancouver Island (where Victoria, BC is). ;)

That's where I spent the first 37 Years of my live before moving here to the UK. Yes certain parts have a lot of rain, but places like Victoria (on the Southern tip of Vancouver Island) are quite sunny and dry, and even further up the Island (Nanaimo) would have less rain than say most of Vancouver (which is of course on the mainland).

Be warned that cost of living is very high in Victoria - particularly relative to wages (as say compared to Vancouver where it's still very expensive, but at least you can earn some money).

Neither of these places is as idyllic as most people seem to think. Great on the surface perhaps, but still plenty of violence, crime, gangs, drugs, corrupt police and government, immigration issues, and a population largely unhappy with the way things are (and are heading). Sound familiar? :)

[CheGuevara]

Vancouver Bay

Where is that? :confused: