Johnhutchy

Just trying to get an idea on where would be the best place in Spain for a couple from the Channel Islands to relocate to for work and house rentals.

mikelincs

House rentals, anywhere in Spain, work, well you will be joining the othere thoussnds of unemployed, fluent Spanish people, looking for the few jobs that are going. Summer short term work like bar work is very poorly paid, thing 5-6€ an hour, and the vast majority of people who can afford to take such jobs are students living at home, and family members of the establishments owner. If you have an exeptional skill, and/or are a fluent Spanish speaker then it may be a little easier, but do remember that a job 'on the black' i.e. without a legal contract will not get you into the Spanish healthcare system so you will need private cover. Sorry to sound so negatiuve, but the situation is what it is..

Johnhutchy

My partner is a care nurse and I am a satellite/cable TV installer. I'm looking at doing a fibre corse in the near future to give me additional skills. We looking at somewhere between torrevieja and Valencia.

chrisjolly

I was a teacher and my wife a nurse when we arrived and like many people we had a dream of a life in the sun but ended up doing property management, guitar playing, painting and decorating and soft furnishing sewing! You have to be adaptable to survive as there are so few jobs and its very difficult to make a living. Finding somewhere to rent will be the easy bit..its paying for it that will be a problem, alongside health insurance, education, transport and living costs! Good luck though.

Louis5

Exactly 100% correct.

The best place to raise a child is the UK, end of story. I lived in Spain and trust me I would actually commit suicide before going back there.

cricketman

I have two very young children in Spain and it is an absolutely fantastic place to raise children

Both parents need to be fluent in Spanish and at least one have a secure well paid job though.

You can't just "wing it". You need to be skilled and prepared for life in a different country!

Johnhutchy

I'm currently living in jersey in the Channel Islands. I work for sky TV as a satellite/cable TV engineer and looking at doing a fibre course with in the next few months. My partner is a care nurse. We both speak basic Spanish but are going to be taking Spanish lessons. I have 2 older children in there early teens that live in england. I lived in England for 8 years and wouldn't want to go back there again. Jersey is a very expensive place to live and bring up children it's not the beautiful place it use to be and not a lot for children to do and my kids visit from England and get bored very quickly visiting the same attractions they have done for the last few years. Jersey is more so for the financial industry and you need to earn £30k+ to get by. The rental prices for a 2/3 bedroom property is over £1500 a month with out bills on top and it's starting to get overcrowded on this small island.

amideislas

Like anywhere, really. If you have the necessary skills, resources, etc. (along with an open mind), then you can successfully live almost anywhere.

But with respect to raising children, I'd have to agree that if one can meet the above criteria, the overall character of the Spanish culture (especially in more traditional communities) offers a rather rare, but highly desirable set of values that are decreasingly prevalent in more 'developed' societies.

chopera

Is this based on your experience of bringing up a child in Spain? Or your experience of trying to make a living in Spain?

Because if you can do the latter, then Spain has a lot to offer regarding the former.

I've got two young children and, in comparison to my childhood in the UK and what I know of friends and family raising children in the UK, I'm more than satisfied. Not only are the kids bilingual, they also have an amazing social life and plenty to keep them stimulated.

However you generally need to head to where the work is (i.e. the major cities) and you need to have skills that are in demand. The mistake most people make is to turn up at a holiday resort, full of either retired people counting pennies or other people looking to "try their hand at anything" (as long as they don't need to speak Spanish ).

amideislas

I think you'll find quite a bit of cost of living relief in most of Spain, but it depends entirely on where you choose to live, and how much you integrate into the local community.

For example, many expats are unwilling to live outside of an expat community, refuse to subject their kids to Spanish language courses (or Catalan or whatever), and end up paying a hefty premium to live in Britain in the Sun, and up to €1500/mo per child for international schooling.

You're on the right track by upping your Spanish, however, like others have mentioned, jobs are still scarce, and salaries are at an all-time low. But cost of living is consistent with that.

There's an old joke: if you want to be a millionaire in Spain, just bring 2 million with you. The morale of the joke is that by and large, most expats bring money with them.

Nonetheless, if you can manage it, Spain is a lovely place to live. The 'real' Spain, anyway.

iano

S'true, but that said, if you have the nous and the drive there are opportunities to service the expat market. Not only the British, but also other Northern Europeans who by and large speak English. Helps setting up in the more affluent areas, but there are gaps to fill, and if you're lucky enough to spot a niche...

Not all are jobbing builders, gardeners or painter n decorators. Have seen British people run successful and long standing car hire, food distributorship, mobility scooter retailer, glass screening for terraces etc. etc.

Of course, exchange rate is a big factor to consider, especially for those on a fixed income.

mikelincs

I've seen, and known people in those businesses go out of business as well, even after they had been running for several years very sucessfully.

Johnhutchy

Bit harsh would rather commit suicide! Iv just lost a great friend to depression

Moses2013

Not much has changed since you posted the last time and I doubt there will be many opportunities in Spain. I lived in Jersey long enough and I know it can be depressing, but going to Spain will be the wrong move for you. You're still young and a move to Spain without specific skills will mean a huge wage drop. If you have the dream of living in Spain, start saving now while the pound is strong.

Casa Santo Estevo

I thought you had already got your answers on this question about Spain.
And this one covering The Netherlands.
Did you not get anywhere with the recommendations in the answers about working in The Netherlands?