Ideal retirement locations

[Addadude]

I must say this issue is becoming increasingly important for me. I don't regard myself as having particularly close ties to my home country (Ireland) as my parents are no longer around and the family home has been sold off while my two siblings and I don't have the closest of relationships. So retiring back to Ireland is not terribly attractive to me - especially with the high taxation and miserable climate.

But the alternatives are not exactly falling out of the trees...

Thailand? http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-34346620?OCID Er, maybe not.

Malaysia? Not if the buggers in charge keep changing the rules as they seem prone to doing.

Australia? http://www.skillclear.co.uk/australia/r ... ntVisa.asp Looks pretty damn expensive.

Spain? See JR8's point.

Greece? Well, if things keep tanking, maybe I can buy a Greek island... but no, probably too uncertain.

Also, as someone else mentioned, access to good medical services will be important too... Hmm.

[Primrose Hill]

Rather depressing that SG may win by default.
Span - JR8.
Malaysia - no even though I am a Msian Chinese, say no more.
Thailand - errr not really
Australia - too far away
Greece- no way, ok for a beach holiday but to spend substantial time there?
UK? miserable weather, too expensive too many taxes.
Portugal?
Italy?
France?

[JR8]

We haven't made a wad of cash unlike JR8

Oh sure PH Just you have a house [ ]in primo central London, bought another home for your daughter, and don't you have a home in SG too?

[Monty Python Yorkshire accent] Oh aye, life's tough up London NW* [/]

[Primrose Hill]

We haven't made a wad of cash unlike JR8

Oh sure PH Just you have a house [ ]in primo central London, bought another home for your daughter, and don't you have a home in SG too?

[Monty Python Yorkshire accent] Oh aye, life's tough up London NW* [/]

The banks are rich, JR8, not me lah and modernish house in London isn't worth a penny compared to old houses aka Victorians/Georgian/Edwardian.

[JR8]

Rather depressing that SG may win by default.
Span - JR8.
Malaysia - no even though I am a Msian Chinese, say no more.
Thailand - errr not really
Australia - too far away
Greece- no way, ok for a beach holiday but to spend substantial time there?
UK? miserable weather, too expensive too many taxes.
Portugal?
Italy?
France?

Singapore - As much as I enjoy the place, I don't see it as a retirement destination except for the $minted, or as one of several retirement homes. To me retirement would be about downshifting, SG is the opposite of that to me.
Span?/Spain? - nothing to do with me maam, never owned property there, and not been for 15/+ years. I can see it has virtues though.
Malaysia... all seems rather labyrinthine over the property ownership laws. Too risky for me.
Thailand... Ok for holidays, nothing deeper than that for me. Scratch the surface and a murkier less agreeable side seems to reveal itself. Politically risky.
Aus - agreed.
Greece - Out of interest why not? Perhaps I'm thinking back to when I last visited any remote islands, c30 years ago. It seemed pretty idyllic then, and the locals very friendly.
UK - perhaps a case of the grass is always greener?
Portugal - never been, but find the language impenetrable.
Italy - don't know it at all well. The people seem nice enough, but living there maybe a bit too shambolic.
France - would rather retire in a place where I'm either welcomed or tolerated, rather than openly despised.

How about the US, PH? Or West Indies?

I still don't see myself buying an overseas property. But maybe one day we could be the equiv of US 'snowbirds', flying south for a warmer destination over the winter... don't know.

[JR8]

The banks are rich, JR8, not me lah and modernish house in London isn't worth a penny compared to old houses aka Victorians/Georgian/Edwardian.

You really are from Yorkshire and I claim my £10! [which of course you won't give me, since that's what they're like oop that way]

My sister and family used to live in a post-war carbuncle in west London. Ugly as sin, but wonderful space, and designed for modern living.

Not everyone wants, nor can afford, a stucco'd period pile of a house, so there's a ready market for space that's more modern even if it's not so easy on the eye. Same way not everyone would wish to own a vintage/classic car... though they look great and there are moments it must be a joy.

[maneo]

I must say this issue is becoming increasingly important for me. I don't regard myself as having particularly close ties to my home country (Ireland) as my parents are no longer around and the family home has been sold off while my two siblings and I don't have the closest of relationships. So retiring back to Ireland is not terribly attractive to me - especially with the high taxation and miserable climate.

But the alternatives are not exactly falling out of the trees...

Thailand? http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-34346620?OCID Er, maybe not.

It's too bad this happened, but Thailand has always restricted foreign ownership of land.
Would think it unrealistic wishful thinking to have expected this to change.
Would also not want to be in Phuket for retirement.

You don't need to buy landed prоperty to retire.
In fact it would be better to get a condо with nice grounds and facilities.

However, don't expect it to be a great investment.
You will have to depend on other future retirees or expats to buy it when you eventually do need to sell.
Thai's rarely (if ever) buy other's prоperty.

If you're still averse to Thailand you could consider other popular retirement destinations, such as Latin America or the Caribbean (e.g. Panama, Costa Rica or Belize).

[Primrose Hill]

http://pro.moneyweek.com/lia-martiallaw ... %7d&h=true
this just made me depressed, then followed by this;
http://pro.moneyweek.com/lia-martiallaw ... rue#cutoff
In truth, I am can pretty sure this is what we will do; when we are done in SG, I would like to sell up here and fingers cross double money and run, back to Europe, Netherlands is pretty much our choice, but its cold. Good connections back to London and out of Amsterdam. Good healthcare and everything else. I want the ability to work part-time. Hubby wants to retire though.
So, therefore, we still need a warmer climes place for 3-5 months out of a year. I don't know South of France that well, Algrave is a possibility or Italy, love the Lombardy region.

[Primrose Hill]

Yup, JR8, we are like your sister and family, we used to own a ugly as sin square box house in NW London. It worked for us, gave us 2 studies, tv room, slightly bigger galley kitchen and a stamp patch for a patio and free 2 off the street parking on a private road.
But it fact is fact it isn't worth as much of those older piles.
Msia/Thailand is aka Spain to me.
Greece - the islands are pretty but not liking the food though and their way of life, maybe a revisit is in order. To me its all too Ibiza like or Menorca/Minorca/Cost Brava like. Scary

[bgd]

You don't necessarily need to buy to retire.

A friend was looking at retirement in Thailand. He did a lot of research and almost bought. But he realised that if he just rented he had none of the hassle that goes with property ownership, his capital wasn't tied up in a foreign country and his rent was covered by his investments. Became a no brainer.

Just as well really, he has moved elsewhere in Asia.

Another friend has moved to the Philippines. He is struggling with a few cultural issues - mainly random relatives of his wife drinking all his beer.

[Primrose Hill]

What about those timeshare stuff that Le Meridien/Marriott/St Regis are selling? Scams or its worth considering? I am wary, though after all the scams in Spain

[maneo]

You don't necessarily need to buy to retire.

A friend was looking at retirement in Thailand. He did a lot of research and almost bought. But he realised that if he just rented he had none of the hassle that goes with property ownership, his capital wasn't tied up in a foreign country and his rent was covered by his investments. Became a no brainer.

Agree.
It's a good idea to be flexible.
It's usually very difficult to pull money out of prоperty when you really need it.

http://pro.moneyweek.com/lia-martiallaw ... %7d&h=true
this just made me depressed, then followed by this;
http://pro.moneyweek.com/lia-martiallaw ... rue#cutoff

Surely you don't really believe such doomsayer nonsense meant to scare you into buying a subscription, do you?

In truth, I am can pretty sure this is what we will do; when we are done in SG, I would like to sell up here and fingers cross double money and run, back to Europe, Netherlands is pretty much our choice, but its cold. Good connections back to London and out of Amsterdam. Good healthcare and everything else. I want the ability to work part-time. Hubby wants to retire though.
So, therefore, we still need a warmer climes place for 3-5 months out of a year. I don't know South of France that well, Algrave is a possibility or Italy, love the Lombardy region.

Portugal shows up on 5 best retirement destination lists I've seen (International Living, Live & Invest Overseas, Telegraph, BBC, AARP).

Since you seem keen on returning to Europe, perhaps this list might be good for you:

http://www.businessinsider.sg/best-plac ... gpD7JfzN1F

What about those timeshare stuff that Le Meridien/Marriott/St Regis are selling? Scams or its worth considering? I am wary, though after all the scams in Spain

There are some people that can exploit timeshares to their advantage, but for most people the continuing (and increasing) obligation of the annual maintenance fee is really a burden.
Do some research online and see how many regret their timeshare purchases and end up offloading their timeshares for almost nothing (or getting scammed by those trying to "help"), just to get out from this.
If you really want to get a timeshare you could get real bargains buying directly from such disillusioned owners. You should be able to find timeshare resale bargains in online auction sites and at Redweek.com.

[JR8]

@PH
Yep, sounds like a very similar set up to my sis/bro in laws ex place. They could have never afforded all of that from a period house in that location so it worked very well for them.

When I was young we had our summer holidays two years running (late 70s) on Paxos island. It was beautiful, and so friendly and peaceful. You had to take a slow ferry down from Corfu which reduced visitor numbers, plus chavdom didn't exist back then I don't remember there being hotels, you rented a place instead. I'm sure it has changed beyond recognition now, but you can see why I have fond memories I agree also though, Greek cuisine is rather monotonous, predictable and unexciting. Considering their quite recent (post-war) poverty, and the isolation of the islands it's perhaps not surprising.

So the question looms again, how do you find unspoilt + easy to get to... hmmm.

p.s. Interesting point re: The Netherlands. Hand on heart I can say if I go on holiday and there's someone I meet and effortlessly click with, odds on they're going to be Dutch. I think it's down to shared history, empire/ex-empire moulding a certain worldview, and culture/habits, plus a lack of the cross-[perceived]-'class' chip-on-shoulder thing going on. Good luck with the language!

[JR8]

JR8: 'So the question looms again, how do you find unspoilt + easy to get to... hmmm.'
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Have you visited Croatia? It's somewhere I keep meaning to book a trip to. I've heard almost solely highly favourable opinions and experiences of it.

[Primrose Hill]

That's my summer 2016- Croatia