British pensioner reveals why she moved to Spain: the real numbers.

According to The Sun: Have you ever thought that after a summer vacation you would like to stay there forever? That's exactly what Mel Netley and her husband Bill did.

Now every evening they enjoy a beer under the sun at a beach bar in Benidorm. In this article, Mel shares how they managed to make this dream come true.

The dream of moving to Spain

Mel, 72, previously lived in Stratford and then in East Ham in London. She always dreamed of moving to Spain.

She told Sun Travel: “We love the sun and tried to go to Spain whenever we could. The Spanish lifestyle is much more relaxed, and we can spend every day outside. It was not like that where we lived in London.”

With over 300 sunny days a year, retirement life in Spain looks very appealing — about 130,000 Britons over 60 have already made the move.

“It has been our dream to buy our own place, so we saved money for many years until the time finally came,” Mel admits.

Moving to Albir

In 2002, Mel and Bill, 74, bought a two-bedroom apartment in a small locality near Benidorm called Albir. Initially, they planned to use this apartment as a vacation spot until retirement.

Mel recalls: “We had never heard of this place before. Of course, we knew about Benidorm, but didn’t want to live right in the tourist area.”

“We wanted to be close to it, to enjoy it when we wanted, but live in a quiet residential area with a larger local community.”

“At first, we thought about moving to Tenerife, as the weather is more stable there. But we chose the mainland of Spain so we could regularly drive back to the UK.”

“Friends on the Costa del Sol were denied access to bars because they were English.”

Speaking about the negative experiences some of their friends had, Mel emphasized that they had never encountered such treatment: “We made a good decision.”

In search of an apartment, the couple traveled along the coast, stopping in Albir for a cup of tea. They fell in love with the place immediately.

“It’s very peaceful, with beautiful beaches and without excessive tourism, like in Benidorm,” she said.

“But Benidorm is only half an hour by bus or five minutes by car, so we get the best of both worlds.”

Life in Albir

Mel and Bill purchased a two-bedroom Spanish apartment in a small complex for £120,000, which is now worth around £270,000. For the next eight years, they used the apartment as a vacation spot until they sold their house in London and retired.

“It’s perfect for us. We can walk into town or take the bus to Benidorm, which we often do. We sit at a table in the beach bar and enjoy cheap tapas and a bottle of beer for 1 euro (£1.20). This would cost about £6 in East London now.”

Mel also shared about life in their complex: “There are Spanish residents, but the largest community of expats is Scandinavians. All our friends and neighbors are either Scandinavians or Dutch.”

The couple actively participates in local communities, attending events and playing paddle.

“Local residents claim that the cost of living has increased in Spain, but it’s still cheaper than in the UK,” Mel emphasized.

Their housing costs them €142 (£130) every three months for electricity, water, and house maintenance.

Plans for the future

Without a resident visa, Mel and Bill have to comply with the new Schengen rule that limits their stay in Spain to 90 days. But they still plan to spend time between Spain and London.

“It’s important for us to be able to celebrate Christmas with family. Perhaps in the future, when our children grow up, we will apply for a visa and move to Spain permanently,” Mel said.

Overall, life in Spain for them is not much different from retirement life in Britain, except for the weather.

“We love going out in Benidorm for a good drink and enjoying the festive atmosphere, but usually, we are already in bed by 10 PM. We enjoy just sitting at home watching TV, but going out is pleasant too.”

Mel and Bill prove that making the dream of living under the sun is not so difficult if you believe in this idea and work hard to realize it. Their story inspires many who aspire to change their lives for the better and embark on new adventures. Life in Spain opens up new opportunities for an active lifestyle and social connections that make each day special.