Your Year in Spain
Bianca Havas, from Sydney, Australia, took a sabbatical from her corporate life to live in Granada, which inspired her to write a blog, “Our Year in Spain,” detailing her family’s experiences.
Christine Giraud, originally from Paris, France, had settled in Spain 15 years beforehand, following extensive world travel. She had already forged deep ties with the local community through her involvement in schools and cultural activities. With a postgraduate degree in Human Resources and a background in cultural event organization, she brought invaluable expertise to their partnership.
Together, Bianca and Christine created YYIS™ to assist families worldwide in achieving their dreams of living in Spain. They combined Bianca’s communications and environmental management skills with Christine’s knowledge of local culture and professional experience to offer comprehensive support for relocating families.
As a result, YYIS™ has evolved into a community for those seeking slow travel. It encourages deep connections with local cultures and communities and creates meaningful living experiences while facilitating a smoother transition for families moving to Spain. Ten years later, the company is now run from Granada by Christine Giraud with the help of a small team of local people. They offer a range of services, from navigating the legal and the educational systems to cultural integration, whilst also giving faraway families access to the local rental market in Spain.
EXCELLENT Based on 18 reviews paige harknessTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Our family of five worked with Christine for our move to Madrid. She managed every aspect of our move seamlessly. She toured flats and schools, helped us find a nanny, and acted as our advocate in so many negotiations related to the move. In addition to being professional and experienced, we found that Christine was friendly and personable, easy to work with, and open to giving feedback in so many areas. Our move from the US to Madrid with three small kids was made so much easier through our work with Christine. 100% we recommend working with Christine for relocation needs in Spain. Adrienne SaxeTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We were referred to Christine when we needed help with a relocation to Granada. Christine walked us through the whole process from helping us find an apartment, to registering our kiddo for school, to referring us to other professionals and paralegals who could assist us with obtaining our visa paperwork, insurance, identification, doctors, and other needs. We loved our apartment and we loved our school. We are so grateful for her help. Zelle GatocTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Finding a place to live was one of the hardest parts of settling in Spain. After getting my visa, I spent countless hours browsing websites and dealing with agents, but everything changed when I found Christine. She made the entire process so much easier, guiding me through every step and helping me find a place to call home in Granada. Not only was she professional and efficient, but she was also generous with helpful info about the neighborhood and essential paperwork like the padrón. I couldn’t have done it without her! Molly PughTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Working with Christine and YourYearInSpain has been wonderful. Christine is gracious, warm, knowledgeable, reassuring and helpful. Hoping to move to Granada in the summer of 2024, we first met with her online in the fall of 2023. She talked us through many different options and really tried to get to know us and what we wanted out of our experience. She helped us decide on (and then amass documents and register) our children’s schools, both primary and secondary. She helped us find a beautiful, light-filled home. She counseled us in so many things…all before we left the US. When we arrived in Granada by train, she had a taxi waiting to bring us home. After we’d settled in, she came to our home and answered a litany of questions from my children about school. She accompanied us to appointments to get our various cards and stamps and approvals, and even went to the sports center with me to help register our family. On top of all this, she is available to answer questions and proactive about sending information about fun, interesting local activities. My family of four from the United States is deeply appreciative of Christine and her services. We enthusiastically recommend Christine and YourYearinSpain. Laura B MayronTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We are so grateful to Christine and Your Year In Spain! It’s been the perfect service for our transition to Granada, and Christine is wonderful to work with. Thanks to her, we found an amazing house and had a very smooth move. She makes getting settled in so much easier, and has a wealth of insider tips that are truly priceless. We highly recommend Christine and Your Year In Spain for anyone looking to make the move to Granada—she’ll make it feel like home! Isa ReynoldsTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. If I could give Christine 10 stars I would- she and her services are exceptional. She is organized, professional, extremely knowledgeable about the entire moving process to Spain. Her advice was invaluable! And the housing options she has access to are the best. I cannot say enough about our experience with her other than I am not sure we would be moving there so easily and definitely not into a place a nice as the one she found for us. Her services are priceless. Below is view from terrace in our new apartment- doesn’t get much better! C ATrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We visited Spain in May/June 2023 and flirted with the idea of taking a sabbatical year. I arranged a call with Christine and at the end of the call we were confident that she could help us make our dream a reality. A mere 14 months later, we are settling into our new home in Granada, our daughter is enrolled in a school a short walk from our fully furnished rental and we are planning the rest of our summer travel in Europe now that our relocation activities have been completed here in Granada. This was all accomplished with Christine's guidance, without us having to make a trip back. She saved us an abundance of time and money. Christine is a comsummate professional. She is detailed, knowledgeable and a joy to work with. We highly recommend her, so much so that we have a family member already working with her to move here in late 2024. VinsonTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Quite simply superb and essential, it is difficult to recommend Your Year in Spain highly enough, and especially Christine's expertise and efficiency to guide you through the process of coming to Spain. Even those self-confident enough to personally negotiate the byzantine path to obtain a Spanish visa should consider the value of using Your Year in Spain. There is enough stress and worry associated with the "non-Spanish" challenges of moving one's family to another continent without adding the stress of figuring out the in-country path forward to settle here in beautiful Spain. Christine is an expert at making things simple for her clients (well, as simple as can be expected in Spanish bureaucracy!). Whether it is obtaining appointments with the right authorities at the right time; ensuring that you have the right documents filled out correctly when you arrive (a critical requirement since it is back to square one if you have anything incorrect); explaining the informal nuances of what is and is not negotiable with Spanish landlords; cellular service; bank accounts; internet; language school recommendations; and; and; and...Christine is one-stop shopping for these and much more at very reasonable rates. And, all is provided with Christine's singular charm, wit and obvious love for Spain. Again, it is quite impossible to recommend Your Year in Spain highly enough! Allan FullertonTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We recently moved to Granada and had a bit of time pressure to find a place to rent due to needing to organise the renewal or our TIE. We found Christine prior to coming to Granada discussed our requirements with her and she got to work immediately finding places and sending through photos and details. Christine was fantastic to work with, super efficient and she didn't mess around at all. We had a place lined up and a contract more or less signed within 24 hours of arriving in Granada, so we couldn't have asked for more. Our experience of working with Christine has been brilliant and we'd recommend her services to anyone wanting to relocate to Granada! Jesse ChristensenTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Christine was instrumental in creating an ideal transition to Spain for us. With her local connections, bureaucratic expertise and talent for managing unique situations, she is an invaluable ally to have. La recomendación más alta que podemos dar!Verified by TrustindexTrustindex verified badge is the Universal Symbol of Trust. 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