This was very helpful. While I know I want to sell my house if/before we go (still an if, but very optimistic), I can't help but worry that we are losing our safety net. But, I also know I don't want to live in Florida anymore. Hearing your points after having lived overseas for a year+ solidifies selling it.
We are visiting Valencia, Alicante, Denia, and Alcoi late September and early October to get a feel of where we want to start out. Do you have any suggestions on where to check out good, walkable areas?
I’m glad it was helpful! Keeping the house has certainly had its good points, but the bad is beginning to outweigh the good.
I haven’t done much exploring in the areas you mentioned outside of Valencia. But in Valencia, nearly everything in the city will be walkable. Once you get to the outlying villages, it will be less so.
One thing to keep in mind is how much you value public transit. For me, it’s a big deal, so I’m not really willing to be more than 15 minutes’ walking distance from a subway, tram, or bus stop. Alicante should have excellent public transit, but Denia and Alcoi may be lacking other than the Alsa buses.
The other thing I prioritized was healthcare, and because we have preteens, school availability. Valencia has a lot of healthcare options. Less than Madrid or Barcelona but still plentiful.
We live outside the city center, and I actually prefer it that way. Still near all the action but far enough away to have quiet evenings.
See, that sounds perfect. I'm bringing my car, but don't really want to have to use it too much. Our daughter will be going to college and will rely on public transit, so I'll definitely keep that in mind and the healthcare options :)
It's not that overwhelming if you plan and have a reliable partner helping you here. We actually try to make it more fun and to make it look like a breeze.
We kept our home in Virginia for so many of the same reasons. But after living in Portugal for over a year, our desire to return has lessened tremendously and now that home is just a heavy burden. All this to say, I relate to this post so much!
Your post came at an interesting time. We will be moving (in 2027), and we are looking into going abroad. We have just started to look into how and where. We stretched to get a house and property we loved. Wherever we move to, we will probably live very differently. It's going to be hard when we leave, but we are pretty sure that we are going to sell it.
This was very helpful. While I know I want to sell my house if/before we go (still an if, but very optimistic), I can't help but worry that we are losing our safety net. But, I also know I don't want to live in Florida anymore. Hearing your points after having lived overseas for a year+ solidifies selling it.
We are visiting Valencia, Alicante, Denia, and Alcoi late September and early October to get a feel of where we want to start out. Do you have any suggestions on where to check out good, walkable areas?
I’m glad it was helpful! Keeping the house has certainly had its good points, but the bad is beginning to outweigh the good.
I haven’t done much exploring in the areas you mentioned outside of Valencia. But in Valencia, nearly everything in the city will be walkable. Once you get to the outlying villages, it will be less so.
One thing to keep in mind is how much you value public transit. For me, it’s a big deal, so I’m not really willing to be more than 15 minutes’ walking distance from a subway, tram, or bus stop. Alicante should have excellent public transit, but Denia and Alcoi may be lacking other than the Alsa buses.
The other thing I prioritized was healthcare, and because we have preteens, school availability. Valencia has a lot of healthcare options. Less than Madrid or Barcelona but still plentiful.
We live outside the city center, and I actually prefer it that way. Still near all the action but far enough away to have quiet evenings.
See, that sounds perfect. I'm bringing my car, but don't really want to have to use it too much. Our daughter will be going to college and will rely on public transit, so I'll definitely keep that in mind and the healthcare options :)
Hi Karen, Hope you don't mind me chiming in here. The number one tip for Americans coming to live here is sell the house before coming. You can read about why here https://www.valencia-property.com/new/2024/03/25/top-ten-tips-for-americans-moving-to-spain/ As Jen says otherwise it's likely to become an albatross but the main reason is that CGT bill you can avoid
Thank you so much! Please feel free to chime in anytime. I know this is going to be overwhelming, so every piece of advice is appreciated.
It's not that overwhelming if you plan and have a reliable partner helping you here. We actually try to make it more fun and to make it look like a breeze.
We kept our home in Virginia for so many of the same reasons. But after living in Portugal for over a year, our desire to return has lessened tremendously and now that home is just a heavy burden. All this to say, I relate to this post so much!
We went back and forth so much before we left the U.S. Lessons learned, I suppose. 😜
Your post came at an interesting time. We will be moving (in 2027), and we are looking into going abroad. We have just started to look into how and where. We stretched to get a house and property we loved. Wherever we move to, we will probably live very differently. It's going to be hard when we leave, but we are pretty sure that we are going to sell it.