To move away from the UK to a Mediterranean country. Has anyone done it?

[Justalittlebitmore]

I've been taking a long hard look at my life recently. I've got a great job with people I love to be around. I also have a small second job on the side that I can do from home and DS to ferry around. I don't have any time for myself. But I need to have both jobs to survive financially, DH also works very long hours.

Maybe I've taken too much on but the more I think about it, the more I don't want to be here (UK) anymore. I'm not sure what I am working so hard for. I have health issues that mean I probably won't live to retirement age, although I am very well at the moment. I can't help feel like I need to totally overhaul my life and enjoy it more. I can't stand the weather here, I spend most of my life waiting for summer and wishing away the rest of the year.

I love the Mediterranean and can't stop thinking about jumping ship and moving over there to build a new life. Maybe not now, but in 5 -10 years.

Has anyone done anything like this? Did it work out?

The EU commission considers it Mediterranean. https://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/natura2000/biogeog_regions/mediterranean/index_en.htm#:~:text=This%20biogeographical%20region%20includes%20the,and%20a%20generally%20hilly%20landscape.

So, by the way, does Portugal. So no, its not people wrongly assuming.

However, Portugal does not border the med but the Atlantic, as anyone who has swum in the sea will testify

Yes did it pre brexit. Absolutely zero regrets it's still doable but much more difficult and expensive but if it's your dream you'll find away

But then where would you live - have two properties? How would you work? Would the small side hustle be enough to pay your bills - and double accommodation? Also if you need two jobs and your DH working long hours in order to get by, how is that going to change if you move abroad? You may have visions of things being much cheaper and simpler in some sunny utopia but the reality is that salaries will be much less too, particularly if you don't speak the local language and your initial moving and setup costs will eat up more money than you think.

I have lived and worked in three other European countries and as someone above mentioned you have all the same stuff to deal with there as here - work, shopping, cleaning, gardening and all the other everyday stuff takes up as much (or more) time as in the UK. Maybe it's nicer to do it all in better weather but it still has to be done - and with much more bureaucracy in many cases and in another language!

I don't want to put a downer on your plan but yes, you do need to think much more about this. Surely a good step would be to try and improve your lives here instead through you/your DH changing jobs, moving to a cheaper area etc?

God, so much negativity on this thread.

Yes living abroad isn't perfect and their are challenges that you won't face by staying, but it's a brilliant thing to do. Takes some getting used to, but the rewards are massive!

Do you live in an EU country then?
Otherwise, you may have an 'eu' passport, but if you are British, it soesn't make any difference
https://www.high-net-worth-immigration.com/blog/eu-passport-benefits

It wouldn't help OP make a decision if everyone just said "Sure, it'll work out fine".
I live in Germany, 5 hours from any beach, let alone a sun-drenched Mediterranean beach, so it might be harder for me to imagine the rewards you mention :) - what kind of things are you thinking of, could you be more specific? To be positive, the rewards I have experienced are:

• my German passport
• good healthcare system
• my children are bilingual, which is quite useful to them workwise
• wider range of culture in more than one language
• was interesting learning about life under Socialism
• the transport system here is really good (I hate driving)
• divorce is simpler as you can easily get a nice, cheap flat here! yeay

Of course it makes a difference! With any EU passport I can live and work in any EU country, for as long as I like.

Do you understand how any of this works?

Doesn’t sound like they do.
DH and the DC have EU passports and dual nationality.
They can travel, live and work freely in The EU. I can’t
(I do get to go through the passport checks with them though 😁)

Well you can, as the spouse of an EU citizen you have the right to go with them to any EU country and to work there without a visa. Not without them, but if you go together and stay married, you have many of the same rights as he has.

I know, but I would say “freely” is not if it’s only due to my DH.
I still get my passport stamped

You will need to be fluent in the language of the country you move to otherwise you will have a very shallow connection with the local people and be at risk of being ripped off when buying/renting/renovating property etc etc etc

Yes I have, pre brexit and absolutely love it Was meant to be short term but don’t think I can go back to the uk now.

I did and returned. Wouldn't leave again. Couldn't bear the heat anymore. The awful, endless bureaucracy. How hard it is to start and have a business.

If you have a life limiting illness I would do it sooner rather than later. If your son is a late teen, the time would be after he finishes uni and is living independently. To set up a new life you need to be younger rather than older and have plenty of energy for house hunting, language learning and socialising. Depending on your health condition a good climate could prolong your life and health.

I’ve lived in France and Italy but I spoke the languages. It was wonderful and I plan to go live in S.France when I retire. (Italy I wouldn’t live in as the bureaucracy is barmy).

Well that’s part and parcel of the general British attitude to abroad isn’t? Languages are too hard, the sun is too hot, the food is too different.

“What d’ you want to go abroad for there’s bits of Reading you haven’t been”.

Where did you move to?

So what if people like where they are anyway. People pribably stay in Italy or wherever too because they’re used to it.

I’ve moved a few times and it can be good but I’m happy here now, friends, support, happy dc not to be knocked.

OP isn’t happy where she is or she wouldn’t be asking. I lived in various places in France and Italy.

i’m still frozen from it

People are responding with experiences, not all are positive, that’s fair enough I reckon

Better to not see it as on same level as a holiday

And who has said it would be like a holiday?

jaysus 🙄 people are pointing out the realities. It’s not all a thread of go go, but so what. Moving is a big step and learning a new language isn’t easy or could be isolating.

Just let people say their experiences without the sneery typical you lot don’t do anything post.

I did it & moved to Italy more than 20 years ago. I think I have a good quality of life. I'm in Milan, have a good job which pays better than most of my UK friends make (I know this is unusual though) but I do work longer hours than them too. I wouldn't move back to UK, Milan's a great modern city, healthcare is good, but it's very expensive to live in ( not that different from London) I can't vouch for other parts of Italy but I am very happy here. I do speak Italian, but I didn't when I first arrived and knowing the language makes all the difference.

I travelled around Italy for a bit when younger. I had great experiences with seeing all the typical tourist spots but the letdown was the culture. For example we couldn't buy bus tickets (you had to buy them from a shop before you got on the bus). They simply ignored us and wouldn't sell us tickets. A kind local had to go in and buy them for us.
We were ripped off at almost every restaurant and the men were openly rude about what I was wearing/looking at my chest. I can imagine things like that will grate over time and you can't possibly know what a place is like without living there for a bit first or going over and renting a house for 2 weeks and living as a local rather than a beach resort.

If you are planning on moving in 5 to 10 years, then there is plenty of time to organise what you need.
I worked in a Southern European country for years, but when I was young with no kids, and with some of these countries, I think it's doable if you are young or retired or on a work contract.
I worked there before brexit, and was lucky to do all the work I did, there wasn't much admin to deal with back then. Obviously not the case now.
In the meantime, can't you take more holidays?