Sally Veall

Born in London but having spent many of her younger years between the UK and Tuscany, Sally gained a taste living abroad at an early age. Having gained her A-levels, she “fell” into journalism, which saw her work as a freelance before changing career direction and studying interior design. She speaks several languages: French, Italian and Spanish which became useful when she moved to northern France in 1996 because of her husband’s work. There she helped him as a translator and also had her own business renovating and decorating rural houses for people from the UK and The Netherlands. In 2000 she moved to south-west France and re-established her property career, often working with Notaires as an independent translator for English-speaking clients. In 2006 she moved to Catalonia in Spain, again due to her husband’s work. At that time she had very little Spanish but quickly learnt it and also attended the local adult college to gain a basic understanding of Catalan. To begin with, she continued to renovate and decorate properties but then an opportunity arose in 2010 to return to writing and since then she has worked for the SpainBuyingGuide as the resident copywriter and freelances for other online websites. She says her aim is to tell the truth about moving to another country and to ease the way for new arrivees. With over 25 years’ experience as a “foreigner living abroad” she understands the joys and hardships of making a new life in another country. Books: Richmond, Surrey, As it Was. 1976  Historical and Archeological Section of the Richmond Society. (John Cloake, John Wright and Sally Albrecht (Veall).) Property:  Spain Buying Guide. Resident copywriter since 2010. Interior Design: Owner of Salvia Decor, Salisbury Wiltshire. Showroom/interior design. Working independently in France from 1996 to 2006 and in Spain from 2007 to 2010.

Articles by Sally Veall

The pros and cons of living in Spain

The only way to really know what it is like to live in a different country is by experiencing it yourself, or asking someone who already lives there. Local expat of 15 years, Sally, tells us the truth about living in Spain, including what she loves and what has taken her a little while to get used to.

The proposed new rental law in Spain

The Spanish housing market appears to be recovering from the pandemic. According to the National Institute of Statistics (INE), home sales in August reached their highest level since Spain’s 2007 ‘housing market boom’. And, despite the impact of Brexit and the introduction of the new 90-day rule, the British are still the largest foreign group buying Spanish property.

Where to buy on the coast of Catalonia

While many British buyers fly over Catalonia on their way to the southern costas, local expat Sally Veall explains what they’re missing out on, when they ignore our closest Spanish province and its vibrant city, Barcelona.

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