Hi M
I couldnt find any upto date or accurate figures for expats returning to the UK, this article is from May this year, and I am confident things have got much worse since then. Its also interesting to note that the UK Foreign Office only added their "Returning to the UK" page to their website a couple of months ago .... it never used to be there!
Sue :ranger:
For many British expats, their dreams of sun, sand and stress free living have finally clouded over and 100’s are returning home to the rat race and cooler shores they were quick to bid “adios” to in happier times.
The low value of the pound to the euro, the collapse of the Spanish construction industry and the global economic crisis, combine to make Britain a more workable option for many expatriates.
Language and cultural differences, endless red tape and almost parity in living costs, means that some ex-pats yearn for the bosom of their motherland, despite the UK’s deepening recession and changes in the social and political landscape.
The sub-tropical climate and laid-back Spanish lifestyle can not conceal the poor state of the Spanish economy any longer.
Ramsey-Douglas, a removals company based in southern Spain, told Digital Journal:
“Even people who we moved here from the UK quite recently (some only 6 months ago) are returning. The vast majority of our enquiries are currently from people going to the UK from Spain, rather than from the UK to Spain.”
The country’s unemployment figure stands at four million; 17% of the working population, which is more than double the European average. The majority of jobs have been lost in the construction and tourism industries, brought about by the financial meltdown which took a real hold last year.
Louise Cant, Director at Hudson Properties in Marbella explained to Digital Journal:
“
The main reason is lack of job opportunities and the need to be able to speak Spanish, which many UK ex pats haven't got to grips with.”
“Those who own properties and who are leaving, tend to be families who are forced to return as they cannot afford school fees.”
“Some are selling at lower than bank valuations, often at 40% reduced prices from the peak valuations of 2 years ago. Others are keeping and renting and those with enough equity in their properties, are able to legally hand the property back to the bank with no legal or monetary penalty
.”
House prices depend very much on what the outstanding debts on the properties are, as some owners are in negative equity and cannot sell for less than they owe the bank. Louise adds:
“As a last resort, some are walking away and facing legal repossession with the prospect of bad debt following them.” She continues: “It is generally apparent that there are huge numbers of ex pats leaving as work is scarce and benefits simply do not exist!”.
No new homes have been built for four months by any major developer.
The British Embassy approximate that around one million Britons reside in Spain for part of the year. Many of them choose to remain officially living in Britain for tax or pension reasons so the British authorities still consider them as British residents.
Julie, from Ramsay Douglas added “Even those who have second homes here and just visit for several months of the year are coming less, as everything effectively costs so much more than it did just a year or so ago.”
The British Embassy has posted advice for those returning to the UK on its website; many retirees who had hoped to spend their autumn years enjoying the lower cost of living and better weather have seen the value of their pensions drop by up to 30% due to the lower value of the pound. They now need to re-apply to gain UK status it would seem.
No official or accurate figures exist for those returning to the darker skies of Blighty. Some might argue that the UK is in fact cheaper when it comes to every day living, and of course, your pound may go further than your euro:
Louise added: “The cost of living in Spain is certainly an issue for those who earn sterling especially the pensioners and also families who have resided here whilst the main earner in the house hold continues to work in the UK.”