Your year in Spain team´s support and guidance has been truly invaluable and we cannot recommend them highly enough. From our very first informative zoom meeting 18 months before our move, Christine was a wealth of both concrete information as well as insight and wisdom.
She started by asking us many questions about our goals and desires and used our responses to craft a thoughtful list of suggested Spanish cities for us to consider. When we flew to Spain to see the cities in person, she arranged for us to go on “practical tours” of each city to see the neighborhoods, schools, and leisure activities we might enjoy in a given city. Once we picked Granada, she went in person to check out rental properties, helped negotiate our lease, and hand delivered paperwork to the children’s school.
Immediately after we arrived, she accompanied us to various appointments and necessary trips to city hall, the bank, immigration office, etc, etc, etc. Had we not had Christine as a resource, we would have been overwhelmed by the paperwork, appointments, and requirements. She is impeccably organized and responsive. She saved us countless hours and preserved our sanity during a time of so much transition.
My husband and I decided in October of 2021 that we were ready to move out of the states and move somewhere that our son could use his Spanish. My husband made the trek to Granada and when he came back was raving about how much he loved it and that this was the place for us. With that we decided that we would move full force ahead with no idea of how to make any of it work. Derek had met a few people while he was in Granada doing the research and all had referred us to Christine to help us with housing. We didn’t realize that when we connected with her that she would not only help us with our housing she would help us with enrolling our son in school, after school activities, give us a plethora of information regarding activities for us, for our son and even help us with obtaining appointments to register with the city and get our NIE’s. Christine was absolutely essential in our move. She negotiated our lease with our landlord and explained all of the intricacies of our lease and how Spain renting works. She hand delivered our school applications to the school and kept the processes moving forward so when Antony started school we didn’t have to worry about a thing. Christine scheduled our appointment for us to set up our bank account and went a step further and made sure we had a representative that we could communicate with. She even sent us phone cards so that when we landed in Spain we were up and running with a Spanish number. We cannot express enough how much we appreciate the work that Christine put in to make sure that when we arrived in Spain that the hardest work was done and we could just explore and get to know our new city. We highly advise and recommend Christine and her team! Thank you a million times over!
I have lived in a dozen countries, and never has my transition been so smooth as my move to Granada, thanks to Christine of Your Year in Spain. She knows everyone, caters to all your personal needs, speaks multiple languages, and is brilliant and detailed in helping you realize your dreams. Also, she’s a deeply nice and interesting person. Working with her is like having a really good friend in a new country you want to visit who takes care of all your concerns. Highly recommended.
It is safe to say that this has not been the easiest year to spend away from your home country. Not to mention the complications of getting to Granada in the first place, driving through covid struck Europe from Denmark all the way to Granada after taking the ferry from Iceland.
What made us stick with our dream was the careful preparation and organising that we had done beforehand, all with the invaluable help of Christine and Bianca. The beautiful house with swimming pool that we longed to live in and were prepared to spend quarantine in if worse came to worst. The schools that the girls were already enrolled in and the University course that Einar was going to attend. Everything was ready. Although it has not all been plain sailing, we have had a wonderful year. The girls have integrated well into their schools, made friends and gotten proficient in a new language. We have been able to travel quite a bit, mainly within the province of Granada however, and enjoy much of what the city has to offer. An unexpected part of our experience was the national park of Sierra de Hüetor, which is around 15 minutes from our house that offers a multitude of hiking routes and a welcome respite from the busy city environment. A covid free year would have been different, but we are very happy with the one we got.
We want to thank you for all that you have done to make this such a seamless, enjoyable experience for us. It was easier to find a home in another country with you! When we decided to make the move to Spain, I was completely overwhelmed and didn’t know where to start. It almost seemed impossible to do anything from here. You were so patient with all of our questions about schooling and waiting to find that perfect home…four bedrooms and fruit trees?! Amazing! Thank you again
We moved to Granada on a whim, based on the magic of an extended weekend break three years previously. We are a family of three with a 10-month-old baby and none of us speak a word of Spanish. Looking for a house, renting one, finding out about how everything works, knowing how to navigate the new social and cultural environment with a baby—all this seemed Herculean tasks we didn’t really have the skills or time to cope with. That changed once we came across Bianca’s website while looking for a house to rent in Granada. She has a collection of homes in the Albaicin she has carefully sourced through her valuable contacts in the neighbourhood. Although we had scoured local websites for a house for months, we didn’t find anything we really liked, until Bianca’s website. About two months later, we are now living in the house we dreamed of — waking up to amazing views of the Alhambra from our windows every morning. Bianca facilitated contact with our landlords, drew up the lease agreement in Spanish, and provided valuable information and contacts necessary for settling into our new life. Moving hasn’t been easy, but without Bianca it probably would have been impossible.
We found Bianca online and enjoyed her blog posts about life in Granada. She helped us narrow down our city, neighborhood and home allowing us to make living abroad a reality. Once we secured a house that would allow our dog to join us, we looked at schools. We chose to put our boys in a concertado (a former Catholic school now funded by the government) called Ave Maria Casa Madre in the Albaicin. Since our boys spoke a little Spanish and all three aged 4, 6, and 8 could attend (including our youngest who has Down Syndrome) it made walking the 5 minutes to and from school each day a family excursion. The boys made easy transitions and lots of friends which in turn helped our family find a community of locals. The Albaicin is like a little pueblo attached to the city. It sits on a hill opposite the Alhambra where locals and expats mix seamlessly. Our boys love to race through the maze of streets and play in the plazas. We moved here to find a slower, simpler life but we take every opportunity to travel around Spain and Europe. We do not have a car but find walking everywhere is fun and interesting. When we need a ride the taxies, buses and rental cars are easy and inexpensive. The swing in temperatures is extreme but the proximity to the Mediterranean and Sierra Nevada provide great opportunities to ski and hit the beach. Perhaps Bianca’s greatest gift to us was introducing us to other expats making similar transitions. Together we have enjoyed this beautiful city and the adventures that lie in wait. My husband likes to say Granada is a pretty lady with a dirty face. There is beauty everywhere you look and opportunities for a family to be together in a café, a park or just wandering through the labyrinth of undulating streets. Bianca can provide a great picture of life in the Albaicin that will help you decide whether the city and lifestyle is right for you. The expat community is vibrant and welcoming. Bianca’s ties to it will benefit all who hire her to help with their move.
Bianca’s blog inspired us to move to Granada when we were looking where to spend a year in Spain, and then with her assistance the dream became reality. Bianca helped us find our beautiful apartment in the centre of Granada which was set up when we arrived. Everything went without a hitch and we liked Granada right from the start. She also recommended a terrific Spanish language school which is really good for those who like an intensive, fast paced but fun classroom environment. Bianca knows Granada well and those who come here will understand why there is such an attraction for this city.
Bianca provided us with clear and concise information regarding our move to Spain. We are delighted with the house she arranged for us, and have followed many of her recommendations regarding restaurants and cultural activities now that we’re here. Thank you!
Bianca helped our family tremendously in putting the pieces of the puzzle in order for our year-long move to Spain. In addition to helping us find a lovely home to rent and enrol our kids in the local school, she has also been available to answer questions about mobile phone use, packing and shipping, and Spanish classes. She has helped us make connections with locals and other ex-pat families who are taking the plunge. Thank you, Bianca!
Bianca provided us with an enormous amount of support in the lead up to our year in Granada. Not only did she find us our wonderful house to rent, she also assisted with enrolling our children into school and provided advice on activities in the area. Bianca is a passionate and energetic person with a fantastic understanding of what foreigners are looking for and a great ability to research and synthesize local information. She will be an asset to anyone looking to experience time in Spain and we highly recommend her services.
Truly, our landing in Granada would not have been this idyllic had it not been for you. Your help got us this marvellous house overlooking the Alhambra, our kids in a wonderful school, and our family surrounded by a friendly and helpful community of locals and expats. Thank you!”
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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