It is hard to be optimistic for the U.K. economic outlook over the next few years. Brexit, the downwards trend of the U.S. economy and ever-soaring property prices in the U.K. suggest to me that it will soon be time to leave London. Many of my motives are personal but the reality is that almost everything to do with life in Spain is less expensive and of a higher quality.
So I am thinking about Valencia:
For 40-50,000 Euros you can easily buy an 80 sq m, 3 bedroom flat in a reasonable area such as Mislata, near the parks. That money would not even get you a garage where I live, in Ealing. The average price for a similar flat here would be around £400,000.
I'm in recovery for life. I have lost many friends in the past and now have to think forward. While there is a great recovery scene in Alicante it is not my style. Too many Brits and other ex-pats and too touristy. Valencia is a seat of learning and the third city of Spain. It is by the beach which is cool, although I'm getting a bit too slack to be stripping off these days.
In these days of technical revolution living in capital cities is not so important to business success. It is a massive overhead which should be cut out. I think it will take me about 2 years to become established in the business I am interested in and to learn Spanish. Once I have a sufficient portfolio, contacts and some more cash in the bank I'm off!
Maybe you should think about it too.