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

Let’s retire to… the Northern Costa Blanca

With warm sun, a warm welcome and easy access from the UK for visits from the family, no wonder so many of us fancy a retirement on the northern stretch of the Costa Blanca. Dénia, Javéa and the villages between are the perfect place to start your quest for the perfect retirement in Spain.

7 ways to make new friends in Spain

In our last readers’ survey, over 30% of you said that making new friends was a big part of your move to Spain. But that’s not always so easy, with language difficulties and people coming and going. So how do you find a regular, reliable and permanent group of friends in Spain?

Let’s retire to the Costa Brava

A retirement on the Costa Brava will never be boring. North-east Spain is the work-hard-play-hard part of the country, and if you don’t need to work hard any more, so much the better! So, what will you spend your days doing if you retire to the Costa Brava?

Where are the best places to buy in Spain for winter sun?

When you woke up this morning did you see grey skies and rain? Have you had your heating on for weeks? Perhaps you are dreaming of a home in the sun? Well, nowhere in Europe is better for winter warmth and sunshine than Spain, not to mention the lighter evenings. In London, by the 21st December, the sun sets at 15:55pm but in Málaga in southern Spain it is light till 18.05!

The joys of autumn in Spain

The clocks went back last weekend in Spain as well as in the UK signalling the start of autumn and later, winter, though Spain is still an hour ahead of Britain. In the summer months there is so much to do it’s difficult to choose where to go, what to join, what to see or listen to but after October things tend to quieten down. Restaurants close, music festivals are few and far between and our beaches are less crowded.

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