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

What is Spanish healthcare like?

We are often asked about state Spanish healthcare. Is it any good? Are there long waiting lists? What if I don’t speak Spanish? Are the doctors and nurses helpful? What about serious operations? Well, let me put your minds at rest by telling you that Bloomberg’s latest report on world healthcare places Spain at No 3 for efficiency of patient care and 8th of 195 countries for patient care. That’s above France at no 88 and the UK at no 30. Statistics are all well and good but what is the health service in Spain really like? I have lived 12 years in Catalonia and unfortunately have had to call up

News update: Spain to protect expat voting rights

As we approach the end of 2018, two subjects remain firmly in the news as they did back in January: Brexit and Catalonia. However, there is good news. No matter what happens with Brexit, Spain and the UK have agreed to pass a law protecting expats’ voting rights in Spain and the UK. Plus, there’s lots of exciting developments on the horizon, including a €27 million investment not far from our office in Mijas. Good news too for drivers: motorway toll cuts!

Spain news update: property investment from overseas grows

Spain’s property market is going from strength to strength, with more and more investment from overseas buyers. For holiday home owners, this is unlikely to taper off even after Brexit. The European Commission’s Vice President has said that visas will unlikely be needed by UK nationals for short stays. 

What is retirement in Spain like?

It is no accident that retirement in Spain is so popular with the British. There are numerous reasons for this, not least of all the climate. It brings on average 2200 hours of glorious sunshine. Then, there are 4,964km of coastline, not to mention the relaxed lifestyle. Imagine waking up to blue skies and warm sunshine and walking onto your terrace to take a dip in the pool before breakfast, or indeed ambling down to the beach for a swim.

News update: Spain number one for healthcare in Europe

There has been plenty of good news this week in Spain, much to do with healthcare, something that concerns us all. The government of Pedro Sánchez is introducing several reforms which will benefit and impact on the lives of people enjoying a Spanish way of life.

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