DO you imagine yourself leaving the Dublin Bus commute behind to soak up the sun after work sipping a cheap glass of wine in your local Spanish square?
That’s exactly what Jessica Baker-Daza did when she swapped Wicklow for Malaga, buying two houses in less than nine years in the Spanish sunspot.
Jessica bought a property right by the beach for €129k when she first moved[/caption]
Jessica was first drawn to Spain when she jetted over to teach kids English.
Returning to UCD to finish her degree, she decided to make the move to Spain for a brand new life in 2016.
And it’s a case of work imitating life, as the Spain expert now runs her own company –Decipher Spain – to assist other expats who are planning to relocate to the sun.
It was getting on the property ladder and the prospect of better work-life balance that drew her to Malaga and she bought her first Spanish abode at the age of just 28 in a small Malaga suburb.
Five years later, she bought a country finca – a rural property on a larger plot of land.
Jessica told the Irish Sun: “The property that I bought in 2017, which was right by the beach cost me €129,000.
“I sold that five years later for €280,000.
“I bought a house inland, 30 minutes from Malaga city, along the train line.
“I bought a house with a garden, a pool, and space for my chickens, my dog and horse for €182,000.”
But while the benefits of relocating to Spain go beyond warm weather, property prices haven’t stayed so low.
The 37-year-old said: “I have been looking at prices now in the area. There’s no prices like that. Prices are just going up and up and up.
“But obviously the weather is pleasant all year round. If you’re moving with children, it’s a very child-friendly place to live.
“You can eat out cheaper than you can at home. There’s lots of benefits but it does depend on what you’re looking for.”
For Jessica, a major plus of her new Spain life was ditching the Dublin commute.
She said: “I lived in Greystones and I had to commute to Ballsbridge for work.
“The transport in Dublin is notoriously not brilliant. Nothing is connected.
“Here transport is better connected in general, throughout Spain.”
Another bonus for the Greystones native is living in a city while still being “close to the sea”.
Jessica said: “I feel like I was very privileged in where I was able to buy my first house and I feel privileged to have the one I have now as well.
“Life is a little bit slower. You don’t have to constantly be planning ahead.”
Jessica warned people who are considering relocating that life won’t be a holiday.
READY FOR REALITY
She explained: “One of the most important things to keep in mind when considering a move to Spain is to be really aware of what life is going to look like day to day when the novelty wears off.
“Get a real handle on what the rental market looks like and what will be expected of you as a newly arrived foreigner.
“Understand what taxes look like and what you will be liable for even if you have permission to work remotely.
“If you want to start a business or work remotely, be really aware of what that entails.”
While living in the sun is a dream for many, Jessica revealed there’s a lot to plan before hoping on a plane.
And she told how Malaga’s renting scene is now similar to Dublin.
She said: “I always say to my clients, when I was making the decision to come to Malaga, the same decision making process would not apply if I was doing it now in 2025 as to when I was doing it in 2016.
“When it comes to renting, when it comes to buying property – it’s pretty much to Dublin standard
“It’s purely because when I was moving here in 2016, I wanted to get on the property ladder.
“I wanted bilingual job opportunities, I wanted to be near an airport.
“Weather fine, but it wasn’t a big decider for me at that time in my life.
“That has now all changed. At the time [it was] brilliant.”
AREAS TO PICK FROM
The Spain enthusiast suggested that wannabe Spanish home hunters look at “underrated” areas like the northern coast, Murcia, Granada or Cádiz.
Jessica said: “At the time of moving, I was able to do what I aimed to do.
“That was…buy a property, have a better work-life balance. Not have that terrible daily to-and-fro commute.
“There were a lot of things that were positive about the move and are still positive.
“But would I have the exact same experience now if I did it in 2025… possibly not in this part of Spain.
“If I was doing it again [now], I’d choose somewhere different.”
JESSICA’S TOP TIPS FOR A MOVE TO SPAIN
1. Spain is vast, with different opportunities for different circumstances. Don’t hone in on a “dream” and cast aside the real life factors that will make or break your move.
2. It’s not a holiday. Get real about what you can afford long term and understand what your outlays will be at the beginning.
3. Get to know SPAIN. Culture, language, gastronomy, climates. Travel and understand this country. Don’t just treat it as a gateway to Europe.
4.Don’t put the cart before the horse. If you don’t have a visa, you don’t need to be contacting rentals. Make an action plan of most important tasks and follow it.
5. Moving to Spain is unlikely to be instant joy and instant quality of life. Your life and how well you adjust is going to depend on your effort and is your responsibility.
Jessica urged those with dreams of relocating to have a financial plan in place and be aware that taxes are higher.
She said: “I speak to people very often who are moving from Ireland and they were bowled over because a landlord has asked for six months rent upfront and they weren’t expecting it.
“You have to understand how the rental market works, how it moves and what you are capable of financially.
“Understand the tax system. A lot of the time people say ‘I’m going to move to Spain and I will save money’. You don’t necessarily because taxes here are higher.
“You have to be ready for certain things to be harder, that make up for the good.”
Jessica said expats can get fixated on popular spots like Costa Del Sol but Spain offers so much more to explore.
She said: “Remember that Spain is huge, full of different cultures, languages, and gastronomy, a move to Spain doesn’t have to be synonymous with a move to the Costa del Sol.
“There is so much more to Spain than the holiday-heavy coasts, and if you find that where you initially touch down doesn’t suit you, you can move within Spain, often with a better idea of where will suit you.
“Travel as much as you can, stay curious about the cultures within the country.”
