A German couple have said they were forced to leave Spain after being unable to find affordable housing.
Jennifer Itinga Fontan, 39, and Lukas Reinike, 40, were living in Denia, Alicante, with their children Elian and Noel, aged four and six respectively.
Speaking to Remscheider General-Anzeiger newspaper, the family explained how they initially moved in with Jennifer’s parents, who already lived in the Alicante town.
However, when it came to finding their own home, they struggled.
Jennifer explained: ‘We couldn’t find an affordable apartment. Landlords preferred to rent to tourists or only for short stays.’
She added that the cost of living didn’t match the low Spanish salaries, saying: ‘I can’t work two or three jobs there to make ends meet.’
Jennifer worked as an administrative assistant in a nursing home, for the same salary as a part-time job in Germany, while Lukas worked from home as a customer service representative for the luxury fashion chain Breuninger.
The children, on the other hand, were very happy. The family said they quickly learned to speak Spanish fluently, made friends, and enjoyed the town.
But there were other drawbacks that made them reconsider their decision to take the plunge.
The constant heat, which also meant a different daily routine, and the typically relaxed lifestyle eventually irritated the couple, the Remscheider General-Anzeiger reported.
‘Here we are used to organisation, something that is lacking there,’ said Lukas, back in Germany.
He claimed that many of those who ‘presented themselves as supposed helpers, benefactors, and sympathisers’ were ‘actually only looking for money’.
All of this led them to decide to return after a year, the newspaper said.
