Kazz, if I might suggest, don't leave it too long. Often people buy places abroad because they are affordable at maybe 10% of equivalent prices in England but they often need renovation, and you then have a problem because there just is not loads of trades people around like there is in England.

Where my wifes house is located (Ex communist country) we found that it was almost impossible to get tradesmen to even come out and look at the job, let alone do it.

So you need to be youn(ish) and able to do rennovation work yourselves. That means electrics, carpentry, plastering, brickwork, etc.

Interesting 'getting to know you' isn't it?

Both my parents had died in the 5yrs or so before I left. I have more than one friend who'd put their retirement plans on hold, or abandoned them altogether or, saddest of all died themselves before they could 'do it' on account of their parents becoming very infirm, needing lots of care or going into care.

And in one case, my pal a bit older than me (divorced and had been living on her own in Ascot for many years kids all flown the nest yrs before. Who'd dreamed and planned to retire from teaching and go live on her favourite Greek Island abandoned her plans altogether because her eldest daughter (single mum in her late 30s) had a child who had special educational needs as well as other problems so my pal ended up having daughter and baby back home and home schooling her grandson for the next 10 yrs at least after looking forward so much to leaving teaching as she'd become very disillusioned with it. Very sad really for her. Most she gets to do these days is go down to Torquay or somewhere similar for an annual bowls tournament - at least she had lots of travel when she could - researching where she'd retire to. During those years her younger son married and had 3 kids and she said she'd really miss those if she went too far. Then her son, his wife and kids upped and relocated to AUSTRALIA and she is lucky if she sees them once a year now!

Funny, all my travels around Europe before moving here, I've only ever DRIVEN THROUGH Switzerland (one time on the first day they'd opened up the Gotthard - what an experience - driving with 6ft walls of snow either side of the car!

My initial reaction to your suggestion was - I think Switzerland will be too expensive for me. Same as Austria and Luxembourg and a few others where I've only stopped to buy a few bits! Did once have a holiday in a 5 star in Vienna - lordy what an experience - but even then as I recall (Jen was about 5) it was around 300 a night for the hotel lol!)


I must assure you at this point that I can be guaranteed to LOWER THE TONE of any area I move into in five minutes flat! When I left Paignton my Devonian neighbours made me a huge 3ft tall card and inside it just said 'BYE BYE PAT - IT'S BEEN AN EXPERIENCE!'

Losos I should have made it clear I am no longer interested in BUYING anywhere - I shall continue to rent for the rest of my days now. Unlike in UK it is a lot cheaper to rent than to buy in Cyprus. (Going to renegotiate my rent downwards when I see my landlord in a week or so). And that's true in quite a few mainland EU countries. And I then don't feel trapped and if things aren't going too swimmingly I have in my mind that I could easily 'move' at any time - even if just up the road! I'm always in a position to offer a year's rent up front in cash in any currency they like so always manage to get a good deal on rent.

It is my SON who is interested in buying something RIGHT NEAR ME! I need to have a long chat with him again. If he did that - I'd feel obliged to either stay put or live in it or whatever. He worries about his mum.

If he is insistent I will at least try to make sure I am living in a place where it is easier and cheaper for him to get back and fro (ditto for me and dawg) and my other kids.

I've even thought about a huge motorhome. My daughter HAD A FIT! lol!

I like dreaming up plans and feeling I can 'do what I like' really. Been out all morning looking at beachfront properties. Was awake half the night looking at Agent websites mouth agape at just what you can get for about 300 euro here now!!

(Now I am DETERMINED to get some of those photos I've been taking all week on here).

Oh I wish I could come and JOIN ANYONE who is 'moving' and poke my nose in, as I really do find it so exciting.

Might start a thread about 'dreams you have' as this is veering away from FLORENCE and her search and her plans. For which I apologise if I've steered it off course. But I just can't help getting interested in other people's moving plans!

*when I've finished poring over all those photos Florence! Oh dear looks like that might be going on my list now too!

A great auntie of mine who lives in London has a son who moved with all his 3 (now 4) kids to Australia! It seems it's in the family (great uncle is from switzerland and great auntie from israel, so no one lives where they are from!)
His sister lives in Portugal lol.

Well Switzerland isn't that expensive when you can earn money there. Because you earn good money (not comparable to anything I'll ever earn in the UK) however if you get a UK pension, it's likely not to go too far, that's true.
You could just go across the lake and live in France, Evian is really nice for example and there are ships going across the lake every day!
Another place that I went on holiday once and that blew my mind with it's beauty is the Cinque Terre in northern Italy. I went there with my family and at the time I was reading 'The Outsiders of Uskoken Castle' and imagined I was one of Zora's gang (the place looked so much like I imagined it, even though the book takes place in Croatia)
We were in Riomaggiore and it's one of the most beautiful places I've ever visited. I always thought one day I'm going to have a holiday house there!

I really don't mind you 'hijacking' this thread, I find it interesting to hear everybody's stories!

Lost count of the visits to France - used to go twice a year. But the bit that is on my 'wish list' (which is now growing very long thanks to you and others lol!) is in the Gironde region - little place called CLAOUEY alongside the lagooon. So, though the sea is cold (Atlantic) the lagoon is warm.

You've travelled enough to probably know where I mean:
Claouey, Lège-Cap Ferret, Gironde, Aquitaine, France that region - Arcachon Basin.

Not far from the highest sand dunes in Europe! Doubt I could still climb those these days but have done so in the past. Spent many a happy holiday there in the VW Camper too on an amazing site called Les Viviers. That had all little islands and bridges and was on the side of the lagoon.

Not interested in Brittany or Vendee. My youngest sis spent a year or more living in Grenoble and loved it.

My dream if it was France would be for a hovel something like this ....

Well you do know that there are people who live permantly in their motorhome, some of them can accomodate a small car in the back for visits to town and (I'm not kidding) the floor area is more than some semi-detached houses I even know one couple who run their print business from a motorhome (although they now rent a porta cabin alongside since the business expanded more than they planned)

Yes. do start a new thread Tang, we've hijacked poor Florences thread 'tho she's far too nice to say so

The only thing I can say to that is that maybe it's a shame other people don't comment because they're not aware of the discussion that is going on here, because they read the title of the thread. So yes, starting a new thread might be a good idea

PS: did you mean something like this?

Haaa! Florence I have NEVER seen anything like that! It's a house being towed isn't it?
(I'd need a lot of clean straw to put down on the floor when expecting visitors in that huge home!)

No more realistically a very cheap and cheerful flat or shack in an accessible part of mainland Europe regarding airports and summat like a VW camper for me and muttley to swan off all over with.

Well yes, except I've never seen anything quite like that, has to be American I'm sure.

Apparently so I'm told, all those things sticking out of the top and sides are called 'slide outs' before you move off they are meant to slide inwards so you don't exceed the allowable vehicle width on the road.

Then when you reach your destination you park up and start winding the 'slide outs' out and hey presto you've suddenly got a home bigger than some bricks and mortar houses clever ehh?