ianl
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Posts: 80
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Post by ianl on Apr 25, 2006 22:38:59 GMT 1
To try and turn this back to the original question (I have a lot less posts than anyone else on this thread so hopefully I will be taken purely as me) - we went on holiday to Croatia last year purely by chance knowing little about the country beforehand, really loved it, said it was the first country we had ever been to that we wanted to keep coming back to. Went on a house hunting trip in October, signed in January, have been over again living in the house, had a wonderful time so far. The process of buying is stressful and long but so far we haven't regretted it. Have seen all sorts of advice that we should have bought in somewhere like Bulgaria to get a better investment but that wasn't why we bought the house, it was Croatia we fell for. Its still early days, we're still in a honeymoon period but see no immediate reason why that should come off the rails. What has really overwhelmed and delighted us has been the Croatians around us who have been exceptionally warm, friendly and welcoming. To buy a house as a foreigner is not for the faint hearted, to sign over large amounts of money and you don't actually own the house for a long time but as I said in another thread, we've had considerable help visitcroatia.proboards21.com/index.cgi?board=living&action=display&thread=1145860269Recommend it to anyone? Visiting Croatia, yes undoubtedly. Buying, yes if you do it with your eyes open and find out everything you can about the place and the process and its pitfalls first. Not for the package holiday mentality person though.
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Post by firefly on Apr 25, 2006 23:29:47 GMT 1
Nice to hear about your experiences ianl. Where abouts are you in Croatia, if you don't mind me asking?
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ianl
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Posts: 80
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Post by ianl on Apr 26, 2006 7:01:17 GMT 1
Istria, near Porec.
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Post by mrhappy on Apr 26, 2006 10:03:25 GMT 1
Interesting stuff, Ian. A couple of questions though.
1) Are you allowed to stay in the country or do you have to move out and come back from time to time ? People here are always talking/complaining about the residency problems faced.
2) Are you working at all or there purely relying on your savings etc ? If the latter, what will you do if/when they run out, is the property an also investment as you see it ?
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Post by atavus on Apr 26, 2006 10:11:43 GMT 1
Thanks Ian, that is more what I was looking for, so will you be living in Croatia full time? Just in the summer?
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ianl
Full Member
Posts: 80
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Post by ianl on Apr 26, 2006 10:59:26 GMT 1
We will go and live in it as often as possible at all times of the year but can't afford to give up the day job in the UK as we don't actually have much money, all we do is now owe a lot of money on two houses. Still, no regrets yet!
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Post by valiant on Apr 26, 2006 21:58:31 GMT 1
croatias economy is far from "up and coming" . the only thing thats up and coming is reaestate prices.
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Post by elaine on Apr 27, 2006 12:26:05 GMT 1
Like the other two who have responded to the original question, I came on a package holiday and fell totally in love with the place after a couple of days - an immediate feeling of being completely safe and content and not wanting to ever go anywhere else! This was 22 years ago and I've not changed my mind one iota. I always longed for my own place and now am in the extemely happy position of having just that - and the retirement to go with it. Sheer bliss!
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Post by Slatkica on Apr 27, 2006 18:39:19 GMT 1
Like the other two who have responded to the original question, I came on a package holiday and fell totally in love with the place after a couple of days - an immediate feeling of being completely safe and content and not wanting to ever go anywhere else! This was 22 years ago and I've not changed my mind one iota. I always longed for my own place and now am in the extemely happy position of having just that - and the retirement to go with it. Sheer bliss! Aaaaaah,,,,, so are you perminantly over in croatia or....?
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Post by elaine on Apr 30, 2006 16:42:46 GMT 1
Nope! I have the best of both worlds - Scotland and Croatia!!!!
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Post by Madgolfer on May 2, 2006 21:11:13 GMT 1
Like Ambrose I have experienced the REAL WORLD in the UK.
When people ask us why we have come to live in Croatia our reply is that you would have to have been born and lived your life there to understand why so many people want to leave.
Life is not what you see on the box everynight. Many people on this site have their eyes wide shut.......
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Post by lojalnost on May 2, 2006 22:11:32 GMT 1
Like Ambrose I have experienced the REAL WORLD in the UK. When people ask us why we have come to live in Croatia our reply is that you would have to have been born and lived your life there to understand why so many people want to leave. Life is not what you see on the box everynight. Many people on this site have their eyes wide shut....... what a bizarre post if I may say so. If the UK is REAL then what does that make Croatia? What is particularly REAL about the UK? And "eyes wide shut" what a weird film, famous for Nicole Kidman going a toilet. I don't know why Kubrick made it. Strange. A bit like "one hand clapping". Surreal.
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Post by atavus on May 3, 2006 0:26:24 GMT 1
Like Ambrose I have experienced the REAL WORLD in the UK. When people ask us why we have come to live in Croatia our reply is that you would have to have been born and lived your life there to understand why so many people want to leave. Life is not what you see on the box everynight. Many people on this site have their eyes wide shut....... You seem like the typical brit who falls in love with Croatia, you're walking class and can't afford the nice things in life, the same is true when you move to Croatia, but at least everybody else is even more poor so it makes you feel good.
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Post by lojalnost on May 3, 2006 6:31:55 GMT 1
I think you are wrong, he likes golf! I would make a guess and say that most foreigners who buy in Croatia without "family" connections have already made their money (a lot). If not there is always Spain. Plus, yes as a percentage there are more poor people in Croatia but there are also a few who have a lot of money(through hook or by crook), and therefore enjoy a fantastic quality of life.
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Post by Madgolfer on May 19, 2006 22:17:58 GMT 1
Not rich, not poor. Less stressed, more relaxed. Still working, but less hours. Love golf but not enough courses or people to play with.
Assume nothing and you will not be dissapointed.
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