spain

over the past year I have noticed that the number on Brits going back to UK is rising at a rapid rate - its mostly younger families and generally the reasons for returning are they cant find work, they miss their family too much or living cost are more expensive than anticipated which together with the no work issue means their funds run out

I just wondered if it is the same all over Spain or is it just because there was a big influx of expats in our area (Gandia/Oliva) a few years ago

Living is Spain can be difficult at times and many people dont think it through properly - the grass is not always greener !!!!

Mitzyboy

Well I've read of quite a few people coming over here with insufficient funds and without work, and running out of money after a relatively short period of time. You and I (assume you're in Oliva/Gandia) live in an area where not so much English is spoken as in the big tourist areas, so it makes finding work without speaking Spanish even more difficult

spain

yes Im in Gandia

and even with speaking Spanish finding a job is difficult, a friend of mine was looking for work, she is fluent and had been here over 15 years and she couldnt get anything other than a bar job with rubbish hours and rubbish pay - so what hope is there for the rest of us !!

mikelincs

Too many people do NOT research it properly, come out here to an expats area, think they are bound to find work straight away, even though they do not know any Spanish, don't have sufficient back up funds to cover them. They see TV programmes about the better quality of life that there undoubtedly is out here and think they will have some of that. Yes it is mainly younger families, and they are those who move here on a whim expecting everything to fall into their laps

Danemad

Exactly, Mike! But WHY do people think they can come over here without speaking Spanish and without many funds to tide them over, thinking they can manage?

You wouldn´t dream of going to another country and just hope you can scrape through, even an English-speaking country like the US or Oz for example. You´d go over on a recce and find yourself a job before draging the rest of your family over on a whim!

Beachcomber

I can't say I am sorry that these people are going back.

They have destroyed the ethos and atmosphere of the small inland village in which I live and ruined the previously excellent relationship between the local Spaniards and the handful of foreigners who lived here prior to the invasion over the past three or four years.

Perhaps we shall soon be able to get back to normal but I fear it will never be the same again.

Mitzyboy

But are you saying people don't have the right to try? Not everyone has the same aims in life, but that doesn't make them wrong does it?

scampicat

I too have seen people come here and expect to walk into well-paid jobs that they have no experience of.

Someone I know 'refused' to work for 5 euros an hour. All I can say here in the mountains that is not bad money. She and her husband are now having to downsize and move to a part of Spain where houses are cheaper because they have run out of money.

Anothe guy I know, quite a good builder. But they are two a penny here, and he won't even attempt to speak Spanish (which means he can only get work amongst expats and this is a mainly Spanish area).

Others come out to live on capital for the next ten or fifteen years until they get their pensions, and their money runs out after three years.

They have not planned well enough, have they? We wouldn't have come to live here permanently, much as we wanted to, unless a) we had a source of income (my husband's Teacher's Pension b) we made sure we kept up payments to our UK State Pensions and c) if it had meant not having a UK property, because we may need a bolthole if everything goes pear-shaped, and we'd never be able to get into the UK property market again.

I'm not saying everyone should keep a UK place, but everyone should at least have their finances and income in order and at least try to learn some Spanish.

Beachcomber

Did I say that? I don't think so. I have no objection to them trying. I just object to them deliberately upsetting the apple-cart and creating foreigner's ghettos.

Mitzyboy

I wasn't saying you did ... just trying to see where you were coming from, and what you feel are "these people"

Beachcomber

'These people' are probably better described as those falling into the former category in the saying which I have heard many times from the local population, "La basura de hoy y la gente de antes"

Big_john

I must say that I agree with "Beachcomber" having lived here since 1989, there are many people who come here expecting the gold to pour forth.

It never does and never will do, there are plenty of opportunities but you have to mix with the locals and accept the locals wages, if you don't you will have to leave or start your own business.

It has been said before and will be said again, and not just about Spain ....If you are a practical person i.e. tradesperson, bricklayer,carpenter,welder etc: you will find work easily, but if you are an accountant, lawyer etc it will be very difficult

Ther have been toooo many gettos in Spain not just of Brits, but German's,Finns,Swedes,Danes etc who never will mix with the local lifestyle and therefore will never make it, all of them are missing out on life if you wish to live in theis wonderful country

Research before you leap, if not then you are commiting possible social suicide


Big_john Spain

helenp

We are a family with young kids and were going to risk it all and set up our own business in Spain. However the house not selling has given time for a rethink, after reading advice on this site and a post from a lady who did this and ended up coming back to UK having lost lots of money we have now decided to wait a couple of years. My husband gets a pension in about five years and we will have this aswell as a business. So although I really want to go now we have compromised and it is not so long to wait for more financial security.
Keeping a property in UK is a good idea if you can afford it.
Its all a risk but you have to try!!!

Helen

Mitzyboy

Yes I think I'd have to agree with you also. To be honest, if I had to work I don't think I would have come here .... finding riches wasn't my reason for coming here anyway, it was more a lifestyle change.

Solarwhizz

Hmmm!!, There have been a lot of Brits going back where I live, again mostly younger people with youngish children, the category seems to be problematic when there is no independent income, or the Children are teenagers, younger than about 11/12 the kids seem to fit in OK (Alright Iknow I am generalising).

However I think it is very prudent to not burn your bridges, careful research and financial planning is absolutely essential,
I dont find work a problem, but then it is about finding the right product and market, Having started a couple of companies out here now, I find we are stretched to the limit with workload, so I beleive there are plenty of opportunities, but you GOT to do the research!!!!

And the best piece of advice I have seen is if you own a UK property keep it, rent it and use the income to rent out here, it gives you an almost failsafe fallback position, takes the pressure off a little and allows you to review continuously your position.