So, would you do it all again?

[Tom & Sharon]

Following on from Nina's thread on why people leave Tenerife, which seems to have provoked quite a lot of thought........

There are the stalwart long stayers like YG, Timmylish, Bonitatime, DJ, Kirsty Jay, who swear they'll never leave. Then there are others who don't love everything about Tenerife but still stay, due to health reasons or work.

Of the people who stay but would really like to go home, many may be trapped financially by the fall in the property market, some may be renters who have become entrenched maybe by having children in the Spanish school system for example, and don't wish to unsettle them.

So my questions are these -

If you had your time over, would you do it again?

Would you really like to go home but can't?

If so, what are your reasons?

I think people may fall into 3 categories -

1. People who would do it all again, make the same choices, and are never intending to leave.
2. People who would make the same decision to leave the UK again, but would choose a place other than Tenerife.
3. People who would never make the decision to leave the UK again, regret having done so, and can't wait to go home.

Hindsight as they say is 20/20 vision, but which category are you?

[dede]

I fall into category three but without the regrets of having lived in Tenerife, I will never regret it, in fact we loved it but having returned to the uk I am amazed at how enriched our lives are now in the uk. I also know quite a few people who are adament that they love Tenerife and will never leave but it's probably the fact that they are trapped there with property they can't sell and other commitments. It must be a nightmare to be in that position and I feel for them.

[TheBloke]

I wish I had come here sooner

[Andy0210]

I wish I had come here sooner

Not sure Kirsty would agree with that ;)

[ddoyle]

Would we do it all again, in a heart beat we love the Island so much, it's just circumstances with me nothing to do with finance I am thinking mid to long term whats best for my wife should anything happen to me.

[garlicbread]

Following on from Nina's thread on why people leave Tenerife, which seems to have provoked quite a lot of thought........

There are the stalwart long stayers like YG, Timmylish, Bonitatime, DJ, Kirsty Jay, who swear they'll never leave. Then there are others who don't love everything about Tenerife but still stay, due to health reasons or work.

Of the people who stay but would really like to go home, many may be trapped financially by the fall in the property market, some may be renters who have become entrenched maybe by having children in the Spanish school system for example, and don't wish to unsettle them.

So my questions are these -

If you had your time over, would you do it again?

Would you really like to go home but can't?

If so, what are your reasons?

I think people may fall into 3 categories -

1. People who would do it all again, make the same choices, and are never intending to leave.
2. People who would make the same decision to leave the UK again, but would choose a place other than Tenerife.
3. People who would never make the decision to leave the UK again, regret having done so, and can't wait to go home.

Hindsight as they say is 20/20 vision, but which category are you?

and which category do you fall in T & S?

[doreen]

1. People who would do it all again, make the same choices, and are never intending to leave.

subsection b: do it all again, make different choices, never intending to leave :)

[Malteser Monkey]

I'm so glad I did it and when I did. Best thing for the age I was.

23 and was over for the duration of the 1990's. We got away with murder then :D

I'd like to write a book but.................:whistle:

First boyfriend from Sta Cruz and the second a Gomeran - so I was very involved with the local culture...KB and Toto don't even think about any dirty comments !

Spent a lot of time though down and around the clubs - loved the live bands.

Worked in a few bars and in the end a well paid office job.

Met a Welsh fella and moved back to UK.

I'm a firm believer in "it's meant to be this way" it's planned, hopefully for the best - not always the way tho'. I vowed I would never leave Tenerife....but then I vowed I would never leave London !

Don't think I would do it all again now..........hmmmmm

[melm]

You've got lots of great memories Malteser Monkey and nothing can replace them:)

[Malteser Monkey]

You've got lots of great memories Malteser Monkey and nothing can replace them:)

ohhh abso bleedin lutamente ! thanks hun

I wouldn't have the energy to do it all again nor the cojones :D

[Tom & Sharon]

and which category do you fall in T & S?

Well we haven't actually left the UK, but for me it would be category 2. If we were to buy abroad again, I think I would go to the south of France.

The reasons for this are that it has for us what Tenerife lacks. Tom could do his hobbies, and for me there are the shops and smart bars and restaurants. I also think it's more beautiful than Tenerife on the Cote D'Azur. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder though!

[kingbaker]

You've got lots of great memories Malteser Monkey and nothing can replace them:)

Its a wonder that Malteser Monkey can remember that far back!!!! :p:p:D;);):D

[Malteser Monkey]

Its a wonder that Malteser Monkey can remember that far back!!!! :p:p:D;);):D

you were warned!:twak: let's have one thread on topic .....for a change:D

[kingbaker]

you were warned!:twak: let's have one thread on topic .....for a change:D

Would I do it all over again? Deffo!!:p;);)

- - - - - - - - - - merged double post - - - - - - - - - -


you were warned!:twak: let's have one thread on topic .....for a change:D

Actually If I had to do things all over again, I'd copy chifleta......Come to Tenerife, marry a local geeza and stay forever!!

Why make many ladies a little unhappy when I could make one woman reeeeealllly totally unhappy!!:crylaughing::crylaughing::crylaughing::D :tiphat:

[timmylish]

It,ll be no surprise to everyone who knows me and point to no.1 with the one proviso that I,d reduce the mental first ten years or so to four or five years therby, possibly, ending up with having saved some money a wee bit more than I had and dispensing with marrying Russian no. 1 (I say that but should re-affirm that no. 2 is not Russian but since she is a child of the Soviet era Russian is her first language) and maybe dodging the Durban bullet.

[Pooh]

We fall into none of those categories, since we never left UK - we left Sweden... :-D
I wouldn't do the same again; We strongly regret moving to Cyprus first instead of straight to Tenerife!
It had been so much better is we had gone straight here... although I think we may have looked differently at Tenerife if we had - now we know how much better it is compared to Cyprus, but had we moved straight here we might have though less of it. (N.B. I'm talking about North Tenerife here. The South is almost as bad as Cyprus, imho.)
But no, we won't stay here "forever" - that was never our intention. Nothing is ever definite before we actually take action, but the way things look now, we'll probably stay here another 5 years or so.

[mike in chayofa]

I'm not really in any of the above categories.

I didn't 'move' to Tenerife, I had a 2 bedroom apartment in Los Cristianos that I bought for holidays and retirement. I came for a weeks holiday well over 10 years ago and just didn't go back.

After my work contract finished, it wasn't renewed (I knew that would be the case) and TBH there isn't much to do as a single man from a minority group. I have few friends and suffer boredom and loneliness, resulting in depression.

I'm in the UK at the moment and unfortunately the weather has been great and I've caught up with a lot of people 'face to face'.

Although I always said that I would never return to the UK to live, I am seriously thinking of buying a 2 bedroom, ground floor flat (thinking of old age) and splitting my time between the two.

Ideally, I would sell my bungalow here and buy an apartment in Tenerife and buy a bungalow in the UK, but that's not likely to happen and I don-t have sufficient funds to finance two bungalows - well, I do but it would leave me short of finances until I reach official retirement age.

Suggestions?

[Red Devil]

Would I do it again? Without a doubt.

We have been coming to Tenerife for 25 years, starting with one week holidays, moving to timeshare for 12 years and then our own apartment which we use for around 5 months a year.

I realise we are lucky in that we also have our home in the UK but our greatest pleasure is getting away from the cold and damp of the winter months and we couldnt do that if we went anywhere on mainland Europe.

That doesnt mean we are blinkered and dont try anywhere else, we love Majorca, Cornwall, Cumbria and cruises but Tenerife is def our second home and always will be.

[imablue]

In the blink of an eye .........always had it in my mind this is the place to eventually..
to come and live ..somethings are not as how one would like ..but thats the same the world over i suppose .....

[LUCKY]

Following on from Nina's thread on why people leave Tenerife, which seems to have provoked quite a lot of thought........

There are the stalwart long stayers like YG, Timmylish, Bonitatime, DJ, Kirsty Jay, who swear they'll never leave. Then there are others who don't love everything about Tenerife but still stay, due to health reasons or work.

Of the people who stay but would really like to go home, many may be trapped financially by the fall in the property market, some may be renters who have become entrenched maybe by having children in the Spanish school system for example, and don't wish to unsettle them.

So my questions are these -

If you had your time over, would you do it again?

Would you really like to go home but can't?

If so, what are your reasons?

I think people may fall into 3 categories -

1. People who would do it all again, make the same choices, and are never intending to leave.
2. People who would make the same decision to leave the UK again, but would choose a place other than Tenerife.
3. People who would never make the decision to leave the UK again, regret having done so, and can't wait to go home.
:flatcap:
Hindsight as they say is 20/20 vision, but which category are you?

Would you ?

[seanocelt]

Would category 100 be, " i dipped my toe in the water, enjoyed a flirtation with life here but avoided being resident,hated the work, paid nowt into the system, took what i could whilst twighlighting as a resi/ non resi and now will rent out my gaff whilst i try to find myself in Southern France"? Just asking. And hoping you do "find" it.

[junglejim]

Zoot Alors! T&S, the South of France is a long way from Tenerife in terms of cost of living and prices of property - a very fashionable upmarket Benidorm with it's high rise accomodation in many areas .
Eff me !, isn't that where Tourrettes is as well ?

However if that's your scene , with the lovely people , then you could have Seany serenading you with Peter Sarstedt songs , or listening to Sylvie Vartan /Johnny Halliday tapes .
It's certainly a different lifestyle and weather pattern and a lot more cultural than most of Tenerife .
Whatever floats your boat , personally I have been lucky to have the option of relatively long warm winters in Tenerife and cool wet summers in Scotland and a choice , a lot of people can only have one or the other and take a leap - they would be wondering "what if ?" if they hadn't tried .
My hat comes off to them for trying !

[Tom & Sharon]

Would category 100 be, " i dipped my toe in the water, enjoyed a flirtation with life here but avoided being resident,hated the work, paid nowt into the system, took what i could whilst twighlighting as a resi/ non resi and now will rent out my gaff whilst i try to find myself in Southern France"? Just asking. And hoping you do "find" it.

Haha, maybe!

We're not actually going to France, I just said if I had to make the decision again, that's where I would choose. I don't think I'd buy abroad again at all, anywhere, if I had the time over. We don't need to "find" ourselves, we know who we are ;)

Still interested in what others would do, if they had the decision to make again.

[candy2411]

first time trip to Tenerife was over 20 years ago and been to many places , and various countries for holidays since....and that's what they are just places to spend a holiday ,not ever found anywhere I would have considered staying long term. Still to make the final step and live in Tenerife permanently , mainly due to family reasons ( had my apartment now many years and when I walk in the door it really is home ) I've found my paradise on earth and if you have that why look anywhere else!! :):)

[melm]

Haha, maybe!

We're not actually going to France, I just said if I had to make the decision again, that's where I would choose. I don't think I'd buy abroad again at all, anywhere, if I had the time over. We don't need to "find" ourselves, we know who we are ;)

Still interested in what others would do, if they had the decision to make again.


A Frenchman once said to my OH the only thing that's wrong with France is the French rolleyes2:

[Ecky Thump]

A Frenchman once said to my OH the only thing that's wrong with France is the French rolleyes2:

The same Frenchman told me, that the thing wrong with France is the Parisians ....so stuck up their own bums, it's unreal, give them a lollipop and they would lick themselves to death!:D

[primrose]

Would category 100 be, " i dipped my toe in the water, enjoyed a flirtation with life here but avoided being resident,hated the work, paid nowt into the system, took what i could whilst twighlighting as a resi/ non resi and now will rent out my gaff whilst i try to find myself in Southern France"? Just asking. And hoping you do "find" it.

That's the way to do it.:idea:

[Jabba43]

Most people I have met are happy here, the long termers. They all say they think of going somewhere else but when they go back for holidays, they are glad they live here. I met some lady on the insurance office who has been here for 25 years, she looked fantastically healthy and happy. She intended to stay short term but ended up staying and now she knows there is no point as she in her 50's and has some nice businesses here.

The pace of life is so chilled here that going to live in London or somewhere busy makes you see what a real rat race is. I would stay full time but the wife wants 50% city life so we are only part timers, plus we have 3 young kids. The main thing is money though, if you have a decent income/pension then life is all that much better. If you are struggling to make ends meet, anywhere is going to be miserable.

- - - - - - - - - - merged double post - - - - - - - - - -


Well we haven't actually left the UK, but for me it would be category 2. If we were to buy abroad again, I think I would go to the south of France.

The reasons for this are that it has for us what Tenerife lacks. Tom could do his hobbies, and for me there are the shops and smart bars and restaurants. I also think it's more beautiful than Tenerife on the Cote D'Azur. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder though!

Is this to do with your HOA fees? I find that I hate my home when something goes bad in business or one of the locals do something despicable. I then start hating the place because of one person. If it is the asshole in your building try looking at what is good and do not hate the place because something went bad. it is easy to get dragged into the negative vortex of slagging a place off because of something that happened to you.

[DJ Dangerous]

Following on from Nina's thread on why people leave Tenerife, which seems to have provoked quite a lot of thought........

There are the stalwart long stayers like YG, Timmylish, Bonitatime, DJ, Kirsty Jay, who swear they'll never leave. Then there are others who don't love everything about Tenerife but still stay, due to health reasons or work.

Of the people who stay but would really like to go home, many may be trapped financially by the fall in the property market, some may be renters who have become entrenched maybe by having children in the Spanish school system for example, and don't wish to unsettle them.

So my questions are these -

If you had your time over, would you do it again?

Would you really like to go home but can't?

If so, what are your reasons?

I think people may fall into 3 categories -

1. People who would do it all again, make the same choices, and are never intending to leave.
2. People who would make the same decision to leave the UK again, but would choose a place other than Tenerife.
3. People who would never make the decision to leave the UK again, regret having done so, and can't wait to go home.

Hindsight as they say is 20/20 vision, but which category are you?

I'm only a baby compared to the old farts that you listed.

My only regret is working away too many years of my life before moving here.

Never say never, as nobody knows what's around the corner, but I hope to be here for some time to come!

So I guess I fall into category 1.1...

[Malteser Monkey]

I'm only a baby compared to the old farts that you listed.

Finally ! that makes two of us :D

were you there in the 90's ?

[Ecky Thump]

Finally ! that makes two of us :D

were you there in the 90's ?

For you, turn that number 9 over!:whistle:

[Malteser Monkey]

For you, turn that number 9 over!:whistle:

That would not have been possible :D

[DJ Dangerous]

Finally ! that makes two of us :D

were you there in the 90's ?

I was still in school in the nineties!

I think the sun must have gotten to you...

:whistle:

[kingbaker]

I hadn't even started school yet!!:p

[Lissalyon]

Well I had a house in Orlando Florida for ten years so the question for me is would I have rather bought in Tenerife .

Well, the money that was spent going to Florida the forty times I've visited with or without family would have bought something on Tenerife outright.

Florida was great fun and at the same time I had a chalet in Brittany for 3 years as France is another of my favourite places and that was great fun too so I wouldn't change any of the experiences.

As much as I loved having a holiday home on another country, owning a property abroad is stressful. I think if I were to buy now it would be a mobile home just for my sole use.

Hmmmmm! That's got me thinking.lol

[Stoney]

Would move back tomorrow but only for 9 months of the year, spend June, July and August in UK. But not possible at the mo due to family members health.

[chifleta]

Well, I moved over here in the beginning of 1992 with 54kg of my belongings in 2 suitcases (you could get away with it in them those days) with my sexy Spanish barman (who is finally now my suffering hubby of 1 and half years), and NOPE, wouldn't go back .... although last year I did seriously consider moving back to England on a temporary basis, even looked for jobs there for me and hubby, and then thought to myself "sod that" and decided we might as well struggle it out here, which we're both glad we did (mind you, he was even looking for jobs overseas, including Germany (not so bad) and Dubai (WTF!¿ are you MAD?)... apart from this disgusting heat ughhh (roll on November) and albeit i'm looking at the possibility of being out of work again at the end of November probably, but not with huge upset, I must admit, I am glad that we are staying, this is home, this is where I still tend to donate my body to (La Laguna science lab) when I kick the proverbial bucket. :tiphat:

[primrose]

Well, I moved over here in the beginning of 1992 with 54kg of my belongings in 2 suitcases (you could get away with it in them those days) with my sexy Spanish barman (who is finally now my suffering hubby of 1 and half years), and NOPE, wouldn't go back .... although last year I did seriously consider moving back to England on a temporary basis, even looked for jobs there for me and hubby, and then thought to myself "sod that" and decided we might as well struggle it out here, which we're both glad we did (mind you, he was even looking for jobs overseas, including Germany (not so bad) and Dubai (WTF!¿ are you MAD?)... apart from this disgusting heat ughhh (roll on November) and albeit i'm looking at the possibility of being out of work again at the end of November probably, but not with huge upset, I must admit, I am glad that we are staying, this is home, this is where I still tend to donate my body to (La Laguna science lab) when I kick the proverbial bucket. :tiphat:

Just don't kark it on a Bank Holiday or they won't have you.

[chifleta]

Just don't kark it on a Bank Holiday or they won't have you.

OMG I am literally cackle laughing here :laugh::laugh::laugh::crylaughing::crylaughing::cr ylaughing::crylaughing::crylaughing: thanks, that made me laugh right out loud ... that cheered me up sufficiently to get my rear end in gear and off to work, thanks Primrose ;) x

[Malteser Monkey]

Just don't kark it on a Bank Holiday or they won't have you.

:lol::lol:

so that leaves you ermmmm not many days to choose from:D

[primrose]

:lol::lol:

so that leaves you ermmmm not many days to choose from:D

They won't have you on a weekend either,so even less days than you think, Weekends plus Bank Holidays leaves about 10 days to choose from.

[Susief]

Well I had a house in Orlando Florida for ten years so the question for me is would I have rather bought in Tenerife .

Well, the money that was spent going to Florida the forty times I've visited with or without family would have bought something on Tenerife outright.

Florida was great fun and at the same time I had a chalet in Brittany for 3 years as France is another of my favourite places and that was great fun too so I wouldn't change any of the experiences.

As much as I loved having a holiday home on another country, owning a property abroad is stressful. I think if I were to buy now it would be a mobile home just for my sole use.

Hmmmmm! That's got me thinking.lol

Yes get a mobile home in Tenerife. We bought 5/6 years ago and have never looked back.
We get out 3-4 times a year and rent out to family/friends.

[chifleta]

:lol::lol:

so that leaves you ermmmm not many days to choose from:D

I am hoping to enjoy at least another 30 years on this beautiful island though LOL

[kingbaker]

chifleta
Then you'd be weeeeeeely old.
Ah ha!! Ha!! Ha!!:p:p:p:D;)

[Lissalyon]

How does it work Susie. Do you buy someone's caravan that's already on the site? I'd need a wheelchair accessible one.

We've just upgraded our van in the uk to a bigger one. It's a large tourer and although it had some adaptations we've took it much further. It's been stressful enough not sure I could cope with doing one abroad....we'll not just yet anyway. How does site rent compare to the uk. The site we are on charges statics £2.5 k from march to end November. Gas and electric to be paid for by owners.

Also when coming over we would need a car.

If there's any accessible vans on site when you are over please let me know.

[rosemary]

We fall into none of those categories, since we never left UK - we left Sweden... :-D
I wouldn't do the same again; We strongly regret moving to Cyprus first instead of straight to Tenerife!
It had been so much better is we had gone straight here... although I think we may have looked differently at Tenerife if we had - now we know how much better it is compared to Cyprus, but had we moved straight here we might have though less of it. (N.B. I'm talking about North Tenerife here. The South is almost as bad as Cyprus, imho.)
But no, we won't stay here "forever" - that was never our intention. Nothing is ever definite before we actually take action, but the way things look now, we'll probably stay here another 5 years or so.

We feel a lot like you Pooh. We moved here because we had to downsize due to finances slowly going down and down. We had our present apt as a ha haha an investent only. We had the villa in javea Alicante that was losing vale and the pound going down. got out while we could. I have enjoyed living here for 4 years now, beautiful climate, best in the world and no bugs and a safe society compared to Caribbean. But I long for good Hospital care (choose where you live in UK carefully!) and a feeling of belonging. We will go back to UK in about 5 years or so. But it has been and still is a joy, to bask in the sun and the beauty that is so accessible here.
Where will you choose in UK to go back to Pooh? We will rent because we can't afford to buy another home and doubt if we'll sell here. So it has to be......close to a good Hospital, Waitrose and the sea and be cheap but beautiful......any suggestions? LOL. I am at a loss.

[Malteser Monkey]

We feel a lot like you Pooh. We moved here because we had to downsize due to finances slowly going down and down. We had our present apt as a ha haha an investent only. We had the villa in javea Alicante that was losing vale and the pound going down. got out while we could. I have enjoyed living here for 4 years now, beautiful climate, best in the world and no bugs and a safe society compared to Caribbean. But I long for good Hospital care (choose where you live in UK carefully!) and a feeling of belonging. We will go back to UK in about 5 years or so. But it has been and still is a joy, to bask in the sun and the beauty that is so accessible here.
Where will you choose in UK to go back to Pooh? We will rent because we can't afford to buy another home and doubt if we'll sell here. So it has to be......close to a good Hospital, Waitrose and the sea and be cheap but beautiful......any suggestions? LOL. I am at a loss.

Bangor or Anglesey, Menai Bridge, there's a Waitrose there as used by the Duchess of Cambridge herself.

Right on the sea front, spectacular views of the mountains. On a sunny day this part of the North Coast of Wales (IMO) resembles the North of Tenerife going from Puerto across to Icod.

Ysbyty Gwynedd again in my opinion is a very good hospital !

Voila !

[primrose]

Bangor or Anglesey, Menai Bridge, there's a Waitrose there as used by the Duchess of Cambridge herself.

Right on the sea front, spectacular views of the mountains. On a sunny day this part of the North Coast of Wales (IMO) resembles the North of Tenerife going from Puerto across to Icod.

Ysbyty Gwynedd again in my opinion is a very good hospital !




Voila !

Gorgeous part of the UK, is there a Morrisons?

[Malteser Monkey]

Gorgeous part of the UK, is there a Morrisons?

Tesco, Morrisons, Asda, Lidl and even an Aldi all in Bangor - Oh and an M & S food hall with a few clothes and extras in.

We have banks, petrol stations, even running water up here you know LOL

Sorry Primrose I'm a bit doo lally today even more than usual

[primrose]

Tesco, Morrisons, Asda, Lidl and even an Aldi all in Bangor - Oh and an M & S food hall with a few clothes and extras in.

We have banks, petrol stations, even running water up here you know LOL

Sorry Primrose I'm a bit doo lally today even more than usual

Sounds like paradise and no palm trees or you know who's Bananas.:wink2:

[Malteser Monkey]

Sounds like paradise and no palm trees or you know who's Bananas.:wink2:

Yes we have no bananas we have .................i don't know where that came from - a little burst of song there.

I was trying to find some webcams but I can't find the one I want - i think i have it saved on my pc at work

[Susief]

How does it work Susie. Do you buy someone's caravan that's already on the site? I'd need a wheelchair accessible one.

We've just upgraded our van in the uk to a bigger one. It's a large tourer and although it had some adaptations we've took it much further. It's been stressful enough not sure I could cope with doing one abroad....we'll not just yet anyway. How does site rent compare to the uk. The site we are on charges statics £2.5 k from march to end November. Gas and electric to be paid for by owners.

Also when coming over we would need a car.

If there's any accessible vans on site when you are over please let me know.

Yes most of caravans for sale privately. Not sure if there's any that are adapted. Site is mainly gravel roads but there's a chap that buzzes around on a mobility scooter.

The site is 365 days a year. Gas we buy from garage and electricity is included in our rents.

[chifleta]

They won't have you on a weekend either,so even less days than you think, Weekends plus Bank Holidays leaves about 10 days to choose from.

I better snuff it on a Wednesday then, as they rarely have a bank holiday on a Wednesday (as they can't bridge it hehehehe)

[Lissalyon]

How much is the rent please?

[chifleta]

Tesco, Morrisons, Asda, Lidl and even an Aldi all in Bangor - Oh and an M & S food hall with a few clothes and extras in.

We have banks, petrol stations, even running water up here you know LOL

Sorry Primrose I'm a bit doo lally today even more than usual

wow petrol stations AND running water, you are coming up in the world hahahaha