Moses2013

The thing is that Spain is not as cheap as people think and there are a lot more things to consider. Your wife will be alone in Spain and what will she be doing? You won't have huge savings over there, because you're still paying rent, only one of you is working and if you return back home from Gibraltar (most do), you still won't have money for a deposit. You'll then have to apply for a job again (with probation period etc.). You could just rent something cheaper now until your youngest goes to school, then your wife can work full time again. The minimum wage in Ireland would still be over €1300K + your salary, which is well over €5000K a month. It's up to you, but unless it would really boost your career, I don't see the point.

billgates

And?
I also put my six year old into a Spanish state school so I'm talking from experience.

The op has a nine year old that doesn't speak Spanish. I know all kids are different but I wouldn't do that to a nine year old. It's difficult enough for foreign kids to make friends even if they can speak the language. Take a nine year old (probably more like ten by the time they move over) and dump them into a class full of strangers, not understanding a word, a teacher that can't communicate with the kid and probably resents the extra hassle, probably also thinks the foreign kid will only be around for a year or two then disappear back to where they came from like so many other foreign kids do so why bother putting in the effort?
Result: Kid hates school, fails exams, lonely and no friends, resents parents for doing this to them, parents eventually put them into an English speaking school where by now the kid is so far behind the others of similar age that they never catch up.

Ok, might not happen to this kid but I've seen it happen to other English kids that went to the local village school where I live.

It won't be what the op wants to hear but I would think they don't want to make the same mistakes that so many others have made.

cricketman

Actually if the school is full of expat children then you have to be very very careful

These schools often are the worst because the English speaking kids hang out together and dont learn anything, and the parents are often blindingly ignorant

Moses2013

Valid point It can work out, but these things should be considered too. Overall the OP probably won't be better off financially either, so is it a wise move? At the end of the day we're all different, but I don't see it as a step forward. As mentioned, most people return back to the place they came from and in 3 years time you start again. Dublin is growing and in general the whole of Ireland is seeing investment, so by the time they return it will probably be even more expensive. Gibraltar can't grow much more and that part of Spain will remain cheap in the coming years. As always, you can probably have more fun on holiday, without having to stress out.

Fredbargate

Percentage wise Gibraltar has probably grown more than any other country in the last 50 years without invading it's neighbour and will continue to do so in the future

Moses2013

So how much more can you build? I've heard the same in Jersey, but somehow most people were struggling. The colleagues in Gibraltar were actually losing their jobs back then and were complaining about high housing costs. It hasn't changed much in the last few years, because there is no space left. Sure you can build more high rises, but will that be quality of life if flats get even smaller.

Fredbargate

I am refering to increases in land area, not building

davidinspain

And! My daughter was closer to 8 and spoke no Spanish,but like all the foreign children who joined in the same year took to the language quite easily.Just nice to give someone new to the board a little positive info rather than the usual.

Moses2013

And at what cost? Regarding commuting over the border, don't you have the feeling that it's the Gibraltar government wanting people to queue? If so many of them own property in Gibraltar, they surely don't want property prices to drop. If it was so easy to cross, everyone would live in Spain.

Fredbargate

No

Fredbargate

The cost has proved commercially viable judging by it's present use.

Moses2013

And the environment?

jimenato

The people I know who work in Gib have permanent jobs so I assume that's the norm. I'm not aware that short term contracts are a thing.

Fredbargate

More land = more open space = opportunity for better housing + a new hospital & more sports developement = better environment

Anything else you would like to ask?

EMR

More problems with Spain as the disputed waters shrink as Gib expands.
How is more concrete , higher energy consumption, more sewage and rubbish better for the environment.
If these developments were taking plave just across the border you would be puce with indignation.