Has anyone retired to Guernsey?

[PoodlenotDoodle]

Any thoughts on Guernsey as a retirement option? I know there is very little housing stock available as you need to buy in the Open Market (only 1600 or so houses on the island) and it is expensive. I also know that while the income tax rate is a flat 20% that there is also Social Security to pay which adds to that. I know it is extremely safe with very little crime. What I am interested in is what is the lifestyle really like? Are there any wide open green spaces for dog walks or is the entire island very suburban? Do you get island fever? What are the pros and cons versus retiring in a costal location like say Norfolk or Dorset or Cornwall for example? We have a dog and love the idea of being near the coast when we retire but we also love country walks and wonder if this rules Guernsey out?

A GP appointment is about £70 and ambulances several hundred. Both need to be considered if getting on in years.

If you want to ensure you are in the UK for an event you don't travel on the day!

It's bleak, dull, dated, boring, expensive and claustrophobic. Pubs, hotels and restaurants are generally dreary. Its really expensive to get off the island by ferry / plane, and you are at the mercy of weather all the time. There is no NHS, barely any affordable housing (whatever financial bracket you're in), and you will see poverty. Shock, horror, but yes - every tax haven has It's dark side.

Of course there is poverty - it is a rich island which still has a chunk of people who live on lower incomes and struggle to afford day to day life.

Housing is expensive, food is expensive and it costs a stupid amount to get on and off the island.

The NHS doesn't exist which means you have to pay to see the GP but most secondary health care is free. The plus side is that it is generally possible to see the GP you want within a day or two - I have rarely had to wait.

I think to describe it as bleak is a little unfair though. Today is wet and pretty grey but I have been out walking on the cliffs with my sister. The views are gorgeous with many wild flowers already poking through the storm devastation. Our winters tend to be milder than most parts of the UK, which means most activities carry on whatever the weather.

One of the earlier posters commented that there are 'no chain restaurants'. I think that is one of the charming things about it. There are some excellent places to eat over here including the new fine dining restaurant Vraic.

Life in Guernsey is what you make it. The pace of life is slower, the work/life balance is generally good. I love visiting new places, seeing the mountains and cities but I love coming home.

That’s unfair IMO, and if you say that as a resident and it’s your genuine opinion then perhaps it’s time to think about moving yourself?

I was in Guernsey at the weekend and had an absolutely fantastic restaurant meal, as I have many times in various different places.

It’s undeniable that life in the islands is expensive, but whenever I go to the UK I feel like the gap is narrowing actually. Eating out well in the UK isn’t cheap either these days, and I’d rather have my peri-peri chicken from a family owned Portuguese restaurant than Nando’s any day of the week.