HBG

Surely this supposed 'new' member, with his familiar style of writing is not only being rude in suggesting that the only profitable business in Spain would be one of selling coffins to the expats who have come here to die. but is openly taking the piss?

Mitzyboy

And I of course havent even bothered to check have I

AL1492

Sorry, i wasnt being rude. Years ago, someone told me the only two industries that will always exist, are food and drinks, and undertakers, because people never stop eating and drinking, and they never stop dying.

I did say british undertakers kind of toung in cheek, but it is a recession proof business. I also think while a lot of people who re-located to spain, kept one foot in the UK, a lot of them didnt, and have nothing in the UK to return to.

I do know someone in the USA who came into money, first thing she did, was stop paying the mortgage, then the property went into forclosure. She said, the property had a mortgage of 89k, because she had re mortgaged to take money out, and she said it wasnt worth that much, so she just let the bank take it back, and bought another house for cash. I got told in the USA once the bank gets the house back, thats it all over. I saw a program on TV, which was about freeloaders, from people with "work for food" signs, to people who let their house go into forclousure after re mortgaging it several times, to various others.

The main reason I came on this forum, was to get views of ex pats who live in spain. I was though, more intersted in views from people who live away from the tourists traps, and away from the coast. Or from someone on the Atlantic coast.

lynnxa

why would they need a British undertaker though

Kath Las Colinas

If you are serious about starting a business then have a look at the 'businesses in Costa Esuri' thread on 'The Ayamonte club'
Kath

jackytoo

Would he be that crazy

steviedeluxe

There are quite a few pubs closed down in recent years in my part of London (and it seems to be quite common elsewhere too). Those that have survived appear to have diversified into either good eating destinations, or providing cheap back-packer accommodation whilst still keeping the pub element open.
Of course this will depend on location (and proximity to a well-used airport), but opening up a back-packers' hostel (advertised and marketed on the web) may be the way to go. I know of a few places in Madrid that are seemingly doing ok. The location factor is the crucial element though.

AL1492

Well, you would want a british undertaker, because they can speak english, very few british people visiting or living in spain, bother to learn the language. Their is also the thing, where british people living overseas, like to move within their own community, as in other british people, its the same for most nationalities, they feel more comfortable with thier own.

Lynn R

Some may do, but others, sad to say, have suffered at the hands of unscrupulous fellow Brits who have taken advantage of their naivety and inability to communicate with Spanish tradespeople and suppliers to rip them off, and now adopt a "once bitten, twice shy" approach to dealing with British individuals or businesses. Personally, I have always found using Spanish tradespeople and businesses to be cheaper and just as reliable, if not more so, than British ones. I am sure that there are some genuine and honest British people running businesses over here, but unfortunately the ones who are anything but tend to put people off.

lynnxa

having organised 2 funerals (and been to several others) within the last year I have to disagree completely

the funeral in Spain was very simple to organise & took place within a couple of days - I speak Spanish but several of the crematorium staff spoke very good English.......... & French, German & other languages

the funerals for English people I have been to here were all in English too, conducted by English celebrants or priests

otoh, the funeral I had to arrange in the UK was a much more complicated affair - & didn't take place for weeks


I certainly wouldn't agree either that very few people living in Spain bother to learn the language - they might not become fluent, but in my experience the majority do try to learn some Spanish at least

AL1492

A backpackers, would probably do really well, in the villages of the Pyranees, as those places, get tourists all year round. In spring and summer, its hiker, in winter its skiiers. A lot of these people are travelling on a budget. When i went their, we went specifically to a village, which was a good jumping off point for the mountains, but, the guide book told us, their was a backpackers there, their wasnt, we checked the address, and their was no backpackers in the village, we had to stay at a small hotel. Few people in that area, speak english, as its mainly spanish tourists they cater for, and while they could understand my spanish fine, i couldnt understand theirs, perhaps because of the local dialect.

I mentioned earlier about the mountain refuges, they are just like backpackers, well a bit more primitive, but you get a bed, and you can buy a meal. They seem to do well, we stayed at one, (refuge ventosa) that were getting their supplies delivered by helicopter, now that is not cheap.

lynnxa

yep - it's a sad truth that if you are going to be ripped off it's more likely to be by a fellow Brit

and even if they don't exactly rip you off, you'll probably pay a lot more for whatever service, just because they speak English

AL1492

Like i said, it undertakers, was kind of toung in cheek, but i am still pretty sure, that lots of ex pats, would want the services of a british undertaker, they use british estate agents, british property rental agents, british pubs, british cafes, british grocery stores, read british papers, get british TV. I live in the midwest of the USA, but i found a store, in the nearest big town Joplin, that sells HP sauce, and bisto gravy, and tika masala paste, branston pickle, at like five bucks a jar, its not a british grocers, it just sells foods from around the world.

On the south coast, only times i had to speak spanish, was to get info on buses, and buy a ticket, and info on trains and buy a ticket. In santander, and bilboa, you are kind of stuck if you dont have any spanish, I also noticed when you go inland, that it suddenly changes from every spaniard can speak english, to very few can speak english. The impression i got, was the british were not intereste in learning the language, they dont need to, that is why an awful lot less brits move to france, you are really stuck if you dont speak french in france. I dont speak a word of french, and just trying to get through Paris was a nightmare.

jimenato

This chap knows more about Spain than we do - including where we all shop, whether we speak Spanish, where we drink coffee, or beer, from whom we all buy our houses and what newspapers we read.

He should be giving us advice on how to live in Spain rather than asking us.

Mitzyboy

I appreciate what you say ...... but you dont live in Spain now. You have your opinions, but the opinions you encounter here NOW ... are the opinions of people who live here now. I dont agree with a lot of what you say, and as far as France is concerned it really doesnt interest me as I have no intention of ever living there :-)