Relocating abroad for lifestyle change - did this all change with recession?

[Somethingtodo]

Thinking more Europe. Back before 2008 - seems that everyone wanted to do this -- and many did...are people more cautious now esp with the recession?

I know two families personally who left (one to Spain and one to France) who are now back in the UK having lost a lot of money. Would love to see it working out for people - sort of A Place in The Sun revisted.....do you know F&F who have done this - did it work out?

It depends what age people are at and what they do for a living. My parents (who took early retirement) moved abroad in 2005 (just outside Europe) and whilst they keep a house here, are more than happy with their choice. We have friends who were still working (mainly in property) who went out to Spain and have come back, and a family at school (also who needed to earn a living) who recently came back from Dubai when then bubble burst.

We also have neighbours who have just moved to Florida (also working age) who absolutely love it.

I think it really depends what stage of life you are at and where you choose to go.

I agree -- seems those who have gone to Australia Dubai etc are doing great - but seems a shame that those who were brave and downsized or changed career to open B&B etc to give their children a better lifestyle have had their fingers burnt in Europe thru the recession.

We did this in 2004 with DS1, since had DS2 in 2008, actually, it's all worked out quite well. But it depends what you want. We're now looking at other things, but just because I think it's time for a change (we're in France running a gite btw)

We went to Spain in 2002. Initially our house there was a holiday home but we quickly realised we wanted to move there full time and sold up in the UK. DS was 10 so it was a good time to go, education wise. We all loved it and when my mum died my dad came to live with us so we moved to a big old country house and did it up. When he died and DS chose to go to Uni in the UK we decided to return. By then the market had crashed and we lost a lot of money moving back.

I don't regret the time we all had there, we were very happy(we go back regularly but don't want the hassle of a property there anymore) but it's hard to take the financial loss and the downsizing required to allow us to come back. OK we could have stayed but it just wasn't the same anymore. Services were being badly affected and lots of our friends had also returned.

Property prices have dropped even further since we returned - back to early 90s prices. Every time we go we get tempted to buy a little apartment but when we go we rent one for very little and it's no hassle. It's also a case of once bitten.

I am glad that you have had lovely experiences to create memories - no one can take that away from you. It is just such a shame that things went sour out of anyones control....for me, someone who always wanted to do it - I missed out on being burnt - but also this recession has blighted my dreams of doing this in the future.

Nobody would move to south dub for the weather but an english family moved to a house four doors away. They seem to be very comfortably off and im not surprised! 400,000 euro would be nothing to a family who'd sold a house in london. No nhs here though. Good bus /dart /schools/ restaurants/ bars/ loads of clubs and activities. But if you are vulnerable in some way, needing access to supports that would be free in the uk then i wwiuld not recommend it. Somebody with a london property to sell could relocate to better part of dublin and enkoy a very nice life i think. Spain more appealing perhaps though!