anewstartplease

Hi Guys

I am so glad this site exists, i could do with some pointers.

My partner and I have pretty much had enough of the UK , and would like to move to somewhere warmer and hopefully with better quality of life.

We at present are looking at the Canaries (or maybe mainland if a more english speaking area as at present we dont speak spanish), any other suggestions based on our circumstances would be great.

We are in our late 40s and 50s and really want a new start, theres no time scale, we are just looking to see what our best option is.

I work in website building/design/marketing, and have a reasonable IT knowledge, my partner is currently working as a Carer and doing her NVQ2.

I also am branching out in creating an income from internet marketing, cant really say how much i would hope to earn monthly by the time we go, but at a worst scenario to start with i would hope EURO1000 a month, or i could work full time for a website company, whichever is better for getting residency.

We also have my partners mother (if she is still alive by then), she is classed as disabled and here gets a pension, pension credit and attendance allowance.

so ok the questions.

In an ideal world.

I see IT skills is on the list of skills required, does that include website work?
Is their a demand for Carers?
Can you get residency if you are self employed?
We would love to live near the sea, is that possible based on circumstances?
Can my partners mother get the same sort of benefits, or where do i look to find out?
How does healthcare work?
How much would we need to start with, to feel at least secure?
What are the most peaceful, nice areas of the islands?
Is their a checklist as to what we would need to do?
Would it be possible to buy and run a guesthouse or B&B?

Anyone else gone their in their 40s/50s and how have u found it?

Rosemary

As Concierge for the Spanish section of BE I would like to say hello and welcome.

BE is a very large expat website, so if you have problems finding your way around we have concierges who will try to direct you. The moderators for the Spanish forums are Mitzyboy and Fred James, moderators are there to ensure that the site runs smoothly within the rules of BE. Problems and complaints should always be addressed to a moderador who will look into the matter and deal with it efficiently and fairly. Our members who post in the Spain Forums are friendly and helpful with a wealth of knowledge of the issues of living in Spain. At the top of the page you will find a quirkily named thread called Free Beer which is full of important and useful information. Hope you enjoy your time participating in the forums.

Please let me know if you need any further help.

Rosemary

cricketman

Hi anewstartplease

Obviously being in the EU, you can move to Spain whenever you want

As regards earning an income with internet marketing. Its not as simple as you make it sound. How much do you currently make every month? 1000 euros per month sounds a lot to me if you are starting from scratch as this sector is pretty saturated, the time for getting into this kind of stuff was 5 years ago

As for working on a company website fulltime. Do you currently do this?

Securing your income will be the most important thing. Once you've made at least your 1000 euros per month for 6 months then perhaps consider moving

Saying that, if you have no other income, then 1000 euros is very low. Out of this you will have to pay social security (250 euros per month) which will put you at around the Spanish minimum wage. Then maybe 500-700 euros per month rent for somewhere modest.

avocados

EU Nationals have no residency requirements and can come and go as they please. If not from EU, I have no idea.

There isn't much of a market for carers, either family do that job themselves or people cope on their own.

All the Canary Islands have quiet areas and all are beautiful. Go West for greenery, go East for beaches. Very easy to live near the sea.

1000 euros per month is more than enough to live a comfortable life. 50% of working Canarians earn no more than that amount.

Decent rentals can be had for 300 - 400 euros, giving 3 bedrooms, etc.

Internet Marketing - not sure exactly what you are marketing, but online buying/selling doesn't work very well down here, due to over zealous Aduanes. Taxes and duty and other charges to pay on EVERY package that comes, so this stops people buying online, so I presume this would affect your marketing ambitions.

B&B - no hope whatsoever in running a B&B or guesthouse, as you would need a licence to do so. They are issuing no licences for this purpose. Also, they are fining heavily ALL the people illegally renting their properties on a short term basis.

anewstartplease

Hi there

what does Social Security cover?

anewstartplease

Is there a reason why no licences are being issued? and is the same for all spain?

cricketman

It is the equivalent of NI contributions in the UK

It gives you access to the health service and pension contributions

strangemother

I'd think it will be pretty hard to get 1000Euro a month just from online marketing unless you already have a well established site/business, go blackhat, or get lucky. Speaking from real experience here. Combined with your internet skills already though i'm sure you'll come up with something workable.

Anyway, i too have been looking at moving to either the Canaries or southern Spain. I have explored the Canaries a fair bit and am due to go on a month long tour of Southern Spain to make a decision about where to settle for a while, so kinda in a similar situation than you - albeit with a larger budget (but a child in tow, lol).

The Canaries is the place i'd probably want to be if i was on a tighter budget, i'm finding many things in the Canaries a LOT cheaper than either mainland Spain or the UK (although not everything, some things are more, look into it carefully based on your needs!). They also have the better climate, with warmer winters but bearable summers, and despite the longer distance it's not much difference in cost to fly there. I believe work could be harder on the Canaries though, but that shouldn't bother you too much if you are working online 100% as i am, but if you do need a real world business you're probably better taking your chances on the mainland, as bad as the jobs market/business is right now. Also, wherever you look, watch out for a decent internet connection, which i've found can be patchy in places (!) and internet being one of those things which is generally more expensive there than the UK and of lower quality... very important for internet business. Should be no problems in the main cities though.

re the carer thing for your partner, i'd think this will be a tough route to go but he/she might be able to help supplement your income with bits here and there eventually, although the prospects for this kind of work are WAY better in the UK i feel. If your partner doesn't speak Spanish it gets yet more difficult as you narrow down the opportunities many times over.

Save up some money and go for a trip and see what you can find out, don't go on "holiday" - try to get a short term rental and practise living like a local for 4 weeks, i suggest going with a long list of things to accomplish, for me this is things like meeting with (a couple of, to get different views!) people who can advise on tax issues/costs you might not know about, viewing apartments, browsing all the local shops (many types of shops, not just supermarkets) to check out prices (food is somewhat comparable, but some things can be shockingly different to UK prices), and getting a general feel for everyday life vs the 'holiday' thing - maybe trying to meet a few expats there who can tell you their experiences and have a good natter, or otherwise making connections with people who can make life a bit simpler and help when you move (and get wise to those who are not going to help!). Since you'll be limited by budget this is so important i think as it's easy for costs and expenses to spiral and then land up stuck in a pile of poop and have to come home before you even managed to settle in.

anewstartplease

Im not too worried about making more than the 1000 euros, thats just a case of keep working till i get there.

I know how as i do it already, its just lots of rinse n repeats.

Yes, broadband would be very important, so a must look into for that.

The Autonomo part was interesting from other posts, being able to keep business in UK but work from CIs would be useful. Not sure what all the implications are for that, but bound to be people who have done it.

We fancied the quiteness of Fuerteventura, but the sand blowing everywhere is a bit off putting, so may look at the more expensive smaller islands, but not sure yet. Loads to look at lol

So much to look into, but thats the good bit of being internet savvy.

I think thats very true of online people not settling, especially for the day in day out way of life, in the cold, why do that when can sit outside in the sun and look at blue skies and blue sea.

JLFS

Because not everyone is the same, there are lots of Gallegos and Asturianos, Welsh, Scottish,British etc who would not want to give up their lush greenery or concrete jungle in Madrid, or the "marcha" of Barcelona for semi-arid, volcanic, barren, dry landscape.

mikelincs

Your partners mother would be eligible for free health care, she would continue to get her pension, + increases + Winter fuel allowance as the the disability part she should get some of it or all of it, but those benefits are under review.

mikelincs

If you, or anyone is thinking about the Canaries, please read this article, there is obviously volcanic activity around there.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012...als?CMP=twt_fd

anewstartplease

At this rate it will be moving somewhere safe ie Canada (why is it the colder places always seem the safest )and having sea and sand muriel wallpaper, and the heating up high

jackytoo

1000 euros pm. is just an existence not living a normal life according to poverty figures. I have been to the Canaries, only as a tourist which seems to be the same as some of you and I thought it was more expensive than mainland Spain.