Moving abroad is equal parts exhilarating and terrifying - that moment when you hover over the ‘book one-way ticket’ button, wondering if you’ve made the right choice, saying goodbye to friends and family and wondering what happens now! But what if you could fast-forward and meet the version of yourself already sipping horchata in Plaza de la Reina laughing about how much you overthought it? (And it's funny because that's exactly what I was doing as I started writing this on Friday last and I looked to my right on the table and thought "Of course, that's what people want") That’s the magic of learning from those who’ve already taken the final step. From unexpected friendships to the relief of discovering Valencia’s affordable, sun-soaked lifestyle, their stories all share one refrain: ‘I wish I’d done this sooner.’ Let’s quieten those ‘what ifs’ with real experiences from those living here and thriving in their new Valencian life, our clients and more.
Let's start with advice from one of our most well known clients here in Valencia because she has featured on these pages before. Corinne says...
"Leaving the United States for Valencia, Spain four years ago was one of the best decisions I've ever made. The quality of life here is simply unmatched. I love how incredibly safe I feel, a sense of security that has allowed me to truly relax and enjoy my surroundings. I've been fortunate to build a wonderful community, forging great friendships that have made Valencia feel like a true home. My days are often spent enjoying the beautiful natural settings of the Turia Park, a vibrant green lung in the heart of the city where I can walk, bike, and simply breathe. The city's rich artistic scene is right at my fingertips, with fantastic art museums and cultural centers just a short walk or bike ride away. And on top of all of this, the cheaper cost of living has made a huge difference, allowing me to fully embrace this new chapter without the financial stress I felt back in the U.S. This is now home!"
Of course Corinne is not the only one but she is usually the most effusive, I thought, but then I got an excellent and useful message from Julian...
"While I can speak from my (our) experience, I often hesitate to advise others in following in our footsteps because we must each walk our own path. Besides, I don’t want anyone pissed off at me because they do what we did and hate it. Personally we were ready for a change. We just retired, despised Canadian winters and were ready for a new adventure. I am also lucky in that my wife adores researching and spent months doing the legwork in figuring out the necessary steps required to move our life to Valencia. Plus we were able to visit a couple of times, including a reconnaissance trip to rule out other cities. Again, kudos to Paul for all his help with our purchase here! His help was invaluable and attributed greatly to the ease of transition. When the time came to make the move, all the planning paid off and the pieces were all in place. Frankly we expected the language barrier to be more of a hindrance but a few weeks of basic Spanish paid off enough to be somewhat coherent (but not on the phone yet!!!!). We managed to get our padron, residency and even bought a car with minimal inconvenience. However, as I mentioned, we aren’t faced with looking for employment or schools so our situation is probably a little simpler than some others. What advice I would give to someone? Paul actually gave a great piece. He said: “trust the system”. And he was right. A little patience and a little open mindedness goes a long way. Driving isn’t for the timid but isn’t the chaos that everyone says it is. Other things I would say need consideration are: Be honest what you want in your neighbourhood. What is your tolerance for noise? If someone chooses to live in outlying areas, a car will likely be required and it’s our experience that English isn’t as well known. How flexible are you with not finding the same “stuff” that you have at home? Recipes will definitely have to be adjusted :). Another thing that really helps is finding an expat community. We find that support invaluable. Don’t know what else to say. As for do we like it here? We literally tell each other how much we love it almost every day!!! We have not regretted a second of it and we are proud of our new home and our new city."
Chuck was another who sent me a lovely, long message and he said:
"Of course, my first reaction is to not talk about how much I love Valencia because I’m worried about it becoming too popular with Americans. But that would be just selfish of me. So the one thing I would say is that it may seem like an unattainable dream to leave the US and relocate to Spain, but it’s surprisingly doable. You will be amazed at how far your savings will go to afford you a good lifestyle here. The local Valencianos are incredibly friendly and welcoming. And the systems and logistics around things like banking and healthcare are complicated at first, but you will get the hang of them in no time. Especially when you’ve got good advisors helping you along the way. Also, no decision is forever! If you hate it after two years, you can always move back to the US. But I bet you a lot of money that you won’t."
John again confirmed that the move is a positive thing:
"If you are thinking about moving to Valencia-JUST DO IT!! It’s been the best move my wife and I have made and we live here permanently now. While the initial bureaucratic hurdles can be a bit daunting, once completed you will reap the rewards of all your labors. Life just eases here. Such a relaxed pace. No car needed, much safer environment with little crime and surroundings, simple ease of transportation in Spain and across Europe, large parks and green space, great community amenities, rich history and architecture, good medical facilities, and there are many expats already here to assist you in making the move. Graham and his team can truly assist you with all of their offered services. Make the move. You will be pleased in many ways." (I didn't ask for the kudos but thanks anyway John)
Cindy is enamoured of being here;
"Valencia is a beautiful and welcoming city, with so much to enjoy…museums, cultural events, festivals, the beach just to name a few!! What we appreciate beyond all these is the sense of comunidad, neighbors helping neighbors, the kindness and patience of the people as we’ve navigated learning the language, the bus and train systems, medical and governmental bureaucracy, etc.
Of course, there have been a few rare exceptions to this. But the overall sense is that of helping. How wonderful to live in a city like this one!!"
Katie gave us another viewpoint and is another one of those people who live that dream of NOT having a car but living in a city which so many mention to us.
"Don't get discouraged when things don't go as expected. Embrace the different way of life but understand it's not always easy to adapt to. Example, I'll probably always forget the time and realize something is closed that I was trying to go to, or I'll get hungry at 6pm. We eat healthier because we don't stock up on pantry and freezer stuff (default of smaller living space) but also accessibility.... it takes just 2 minutes to get to the grocery store. We don't have a car so we walk when we would have driven in the US. I still doom scroll US news but have the comfort knowing my rights as a woman aren't getting stipped away day by day which leads to my major benefit that I (with a doctor of course) have reduced the medications I took for depression. Hopefully this helps!"
Over the weekend after asking more people for their tips I also got more and more advice and this advice might help you too. Jesse sent me a long and very positive message:
"For a few years prior to moving to Valencia, I had been searching for a change in my life, as well as a change of climate. Living in the far North of Canada was no longer appealing to me even though Gisele and I had well paying jobs and a comfortable lifestyle. After Covid, the cost of living rose to the point of it no longer being worth it. It was really noticable when we could no longer walk out of the grocery store without spending less than $150 CAD and walking out with only 3 bags. Our weekly grocery bill rose from $300 to $500 almost doubling. At restaurants a glass of wine was $20, and a bottle of beer became $9.
In May 2021 a life changing event happened to me when my older brother died at age 49. This triggered some deep internal reflection and I came to the conclusion that life was too short to carry on with the mediocre life I was leading, and that I needed a change.
Over the next few months Gisele and I started to research places to move to, and we came accross Valencia. An additional note from Gisele’s perspective: we have two teenagers so safety of the place we chose was very important to me. I wanted to live in a city where my teenagers could go out on their own with friends and I wouldn’t feel anxious (well just normal levels of anxiety). In my research I found that Spain in general but especially Valencia (in the big city category) was rated as a very safe place to live. We watched a lot of youtube videos and walked the streets virtually on google maps. Valencia had been number 1 on the top 10 places to live for a few years so we decided to start planning the move here.
As a lifelong real estate enthusiast, I discovered Idealista and Valencia Property, where I started reading blogs and researching property prices. It was evident that the market was on the rise and it was good value for your money.
Gisele and I got serious about making the move so we looked at our budget and wondered why we didn’t have more of our disposable income at the end of every month. We saw a lot of wasted money and made the cuts where we needed to so we can save enough to make the move.
It became very real when I called my boss to give him 6 months notice, it signified the begining of an amazing adventure my family and I were about to embark on. We signed up for Spanish lessons online, and started the visa process. It must be said that we used a visa specialist to help us with the application, and it was worth every penny for us. It gave us piece of mind that we wouldn’t be rejected for an administrative error, and it saved us time because we were guided through the application.
On August 5th, 2022 we landed in Spain!
Our lives have changed for the better in many ways:
1. Year round sunshine/great climate
2. Amazing variety of restaurants/bars.
3. Outdoor living/walking more.
4. Learning a new language.
5. Living an adventure and not a rat race.
My advice to anybody that is on the fence about moving to Valencia (or Spain for that matter), is that you only live once. If you are not content with where you are, take the leap and start the change you are probably looking for. While it’s scary to leave your comfort zone, it is something that will help you grow as a person."
We also got a side note from Jesse's sister in law, Lindsay who had also made the change.
Lindsay: word of encouragement- Valencia is the biggest small town in Spain. Still has community vibes, but big city appeal. I chose Valencia for it’s walkability, its climate and proximity to the ocean"
Nancy lives outside the city in the Sierra Calderona, just a twenty five minute drive. And yes, she is surrounded by beauty but it's not all wine and roses!
"I wish I had moved to Valencia 5 years earlier! I am creating a beautiful life here; however, moving here from the United States is not for the faint of heart. I thought I was well prepared for my new life, but the sheer magnitude of EVERYTHING I came in contact with being different, is in a word overwhelming.
From the simplest to most complex task, you will be confronted by the unspoken systems (shopping for groceries, navigating the driving system and signage [especially the rotundas!], the endless and repetitive paperwork, the metro and bus schedules, the infamous bureaucracy, the metric system, and last but not least, learning Spanish.
For me, my odyssey has been a hundred lessons of surrender, learning to request help everywhere and everyday, and letting go of how I think things will happen. It has been critical to remind myself WHY I chose to blow up my old life. I have achieved my why which helps me relax into appreciating the beauty of Spain and its people.
I am surrounded by beauty on this crazy and wonderful adventure. I am creating a new circle of diverse friends, my neighbors are helpful and kind, I feel safe 24 hours a day, whatever I need is here even if I need to look for it, and I am open to the adventure of rebuilding my life.
I have been here for a year and a half and Valencia now feels like home. I have learned to ask for help (especially from Valencia Property), I have slowed my pace, I tackle new problems as they come knowing I will fumble through it, and most if all I will learn to have real conversations in Spanish even though it’s harder than I imagined!"
If I can do it, so can you! Just don’t talk yourself out of it".
Gary has recently bought and cannot wait to get here permanently once that pesky visa arrives;
"While it seems daunting, I tell people that it’s not as complicated as they think, and there are plenty of others that have done it that are more than happy to help. I remind them that they should chase the lifestyle they want and worry less about the small stuff.
I find myself far more relaxed and content. The pace of life here is not as hectic as the United States and people do tend to take more time to focus on their relationships with other people, focus more on the role they play in the world around them, and generally spend more time trying to be happy. We’re loving the change in perspective and pace and can’t wait to finalize our visas and be here full-time."
Aldo was concise and to the point;
"Words of encouragement: ride out the rough spots, the rewards you move here for are worth it. For us the benefits have been, 1) slower pace of life, 2) easier access to Europe, and 3) amazing new friends that value similar experiences that we have tried to create for our family."
Looking back we held an event back in November and plenty of others gave their impressions. Take a look and have a listen.
It's not just our clients though. There are plenty of others who have moved to Valencia and love it here. James put together a video last year with a few people who had moved here of whom not all were our clients*. Take a look.
*OK Erica wasn't our client, however, my colleague David did sell that keyboard to Erica when we heard she needed one and he was getting a smaller one. With Michael and Christine we didn't find that apartment for them as on their first visit there was nothing available that suited (The perils of rental). David and Patrick and the interloper Corinne are our clients and that gorgeous apartment you saw David and Patrick in, we did the modernisation too along with them. And speaking of David...
"Having spent most of our Covid time researching an early retirement, we arrived in Valencia for the first time in the autumn of 2021. Valencia Property showed us some flats and the fifth one had a stunning view of El Rio as we learned to call it (officially the Jardín del Túria). We bought. Immediately. We regret nothing.
Immigration is hard. It can challenge our routines and comforts. There are layers in the change and we had to give ourselves permission to take on only some of the challenges in any given week or day. We had to learn to accept what was and let go of what we might think was supposed to be or should be. Cultural differences are deeper the longer we live as an immigrant. An aspect we love about life in our new country is often in a causal relationship with something frustrating. But we are very happy to be in Valencia and Spain. We are grateful every day for the friends we have made and the kind people we know in our building and our barrio. We would do it again."
In the following video have a listen to Jimmy James all about his vintage store in Ruzafa. (And make sure to visit his store when you are here) You also get to hear about two more cases of people moving here and starting up businesses.
As you can see and hear, people who make the step generally don't regret it. For sure there are those who don't settle, who don't have the same sort of experience and finish off returning to their home country. However, more and more, we find people are coming here and remaining for the long term, their "home" countries have changed beyond the pale so they don't recognise them as "home". Valencia is their home. In the last couple of years I don't know of any of our clients who have found "Valencia was not for them". No, I tell a lie, there was one, previously Italy hadn't been for them either.
BBC Documentary on The Valencia Floods
The BBC broadcast a documentary last week about the floods in October in Valencia, what caused them, the issues surrounding them and how these events will happen more and more the World over. If you have a VPN then take a look as it's worth a watch despite some misgivings about it. What are those misgivings? The usual BBC "balance" meaning that facts: Mazon's irresponsibility and probable illicit liaison along with his drunkeness were not mentioned, but they did blame forecasters for underestimating the amount of rain without mentioning that they put out a red alert 12 hours before the local government decided to do anything about it and they also failed to mention that the University and many local aurthority offices told people not to come into work that day as they took notice of the warning. We wrote an article about the facts that you can see by clicking on the image below.
Property of the Week
A few months ago we put up a house in Ribarroja and used up all of our horse puns and we didn't want to subject you to that torture again so today just a basic description as we get back in the saddle in Barxeta for the second time this week with this four bedroom villa with pool and stables for your favourite three horsey mates.
It's a Stunning Equestrian Property Ready for Immediate Enjoyment
Presenting an exceptional country home that has been meticulously renovated to perfection—offering a rare combination of move-in readiness, breathtaking panoramic views, and superb equestrian facilities. If you’ve been searching for a tranquil retreat with land, space for horses, and modern comforts, this property is a dream come true.
And to read more click through here...
Stepping Stone Rental of the Week
Available from August you can find Beach Harmony in the heart of the Cabanyal's historic fisherman district, just a stone's throw from Mercat Cabanyal, where you can pick up fresh produce, breads, and sit down for some tapas.
Features:
3 large bedrooms with office desks (2 individual beds & 1 double bed)
1 mini office with sea views from the large balcony
- Massive dining room (or, as of current use, an office/lounge space)
Enjoy the hippie kitchen! Fully equipped and functional, although reminiscent of those early college years when modern and new weren't a priority and pieced-together functionality was "cool."
NEW PVC windows and balcony door with a pet door and mosquito netting have recently been installed, although, more likely than not, those windows will be open most of the time, taking in the lovely sea breeze that crosses through.
Located in hands-down one of the best areas of the Cabanyal. You'll find yourself instantly immersed in a Valencian lifestyle after settling into this oasis.
All the trending coffee shops and co-working places are a few meters away, fresh produce in the Mercat is up the road with both the bus and tram running directly to the city center - They are right in front of the apartment. Just 5 5-minute walk and you are at the Port and even closer - The Beach!
A comfortable 4th floor with no lift will keep you fit and healthy, and only 1 neighbour per floor out of 5, also means tranquility.
The owner is open to adding in anything that is missing, if needed, within reason and budget!
If You Liked This...
Then click on the images below to be taken to more Valencia Property goodness including our latest substack post, some previous blogs and podcasts and more.
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Beautifully situated near the village of #Pedralba, which is a 40-minute drive from #Valencia. The house is situated on a large plot of almost 1300m2 and has a beautiful view. A large house that requires some love and attention, but the price reflects that. buff.ly/e3xN3O2
— Graham Hunt (@grahunt.bsky.social) June 29, 2025 at 2:02 PM
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A cute and cozy Lock up and Leave near #Lliria, ideal for a summer bolthole when you require a bit of peace, quiet, and some fresh air with a stroll in the countryside. buff.ly/nvmBwvB
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