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cAN ANYONE RECOMMEND....?
Hi, :)
My boyfriend and myself currently have our UK property on the market and are hoping to move out to Spain once it is sold. I'm 22 and he is 24. Are there any young couples that can recommend where would be best to relocate? We want to be on the coast, somewhere where we will be able to find work and somewhere that will be great for when family/friends come to visit. :confused: Also, I am a Travel Agent and my boyfriend is an Air Conditioning Engineer. I would certainly love to stay in the travel industry but maybe that wont be possible as I can't speak Spanish...? My boyfriend would be willing to do anything if he couldn't get work in his trade...he doesn't speak Spanish either. I was also thinking of doing a beauty course before we leave the Uk as maybe there will be more possibilities for me..in hotels etc. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. :D Alison xxx p.s. We are starting a Spanish course soon, but I get the impression it will be much easier to learn once we're out there!!!! |
Re: cAN ANYONE RECOMMEND....?
first of all, YOU MUST LEARN SPANISH BEFORE YOU COME OUT HERE...
also there are lots of women who do a beauty course and think that they can get work doing that, wrong... lots of ladies have done the same. I am sorry to be soooo negative but unless you want bar work on the coast and work your socks off then forget it (oh dont i sound terriable) you really need to put things on hold come out to spain quite a few times and look around , ask lots of people what the work situation is like, do your homework. where I live couples who have come out to spain are foraging for bits of work and find it quite hard to stay here. whatever you decide to do i wish you luck |
Re: cAN ANYONE RECOMMEND....?
Originally Posted by ALISON
Hi, :)
My boyfriend and myself currently have our UK property on the market and are hoping to move out to Spain once it is sold. I'm 22 and he is 24. Are there any young couples that can recommend where would be best to relocate? We want to be on the coast, somewhere where we will be able to find work and somewhere that will be great for when family/friends come to visit. :confused: Also, I am a Travel Agent and my boyfriend is an Air Conditioning Engineer. I would certainly love to stay in the travel industry but maybe that wont be possible as I can't speak Spanish...? My boyfriend would be willing to do anything if he couldn't get work in his trade...he doesn't speak Spanish either. I was also thinking of doing a beauty course before we leave the Uk as maybe there will be more possibilities for me..in hotels etc. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. :D Alison xxx p.s. We are starting a Spanish course soon, but I get the impression it will be much easier to learn once we're out there!!!! |
Re: cAN ANYONE RECOMMEND....?
Originally Posted by patsywhitehair
first of all, YOU MUST LEARN SPANISH BEFORE YOU COME OUT HERE...
also there are lots of women who do a beauty course and think that they can get work doing that, wrong... lots of ladies have done the same. I am sorry to be soooo negative but unless you want bar work on the coast and work your socks off then forget it (oh dont i sound terriable) you really need to put things on hold come out to spain quite a few times and look around , ask lots of people what the work situation is like, do your homework. where I live couples who have come out to spain are foraging for bits of work and find it quite hard to stay here. whatever you decide to do i wish you luck absolutely........... I know so many people here who had 'good careers' in the UK, and are now cleaning, labouring, working in launderettes or bars, for rubbish money & long hours. Just about everyone I know is struggling to some degree, except those who have a business outside spain, and (usually) the husband travels back & forth Also, having been here 3 years now, out of the couples we met in the first months, none of them are still here except one couple, but the husband is away for probably 9 months of the year! The husband of another couple is also still here, but the wife & kids are back in the UK, and a divorce is being sorted. That too is an all too familiar story |
Re: cAN ANYONE RECOMMEND....?
Hi Alison,
You need to live where theres lots of people and money...so along the Costa Del Sol is a good place first of all. If your boyfriend is in air conditioning...this is a brilliant trade...but as said, he will have to deal with suppliers etc so he will need to be able to speak Spanish. if he doesnt, he will more than likely get ripped off. There are many urbanisations here, for example in mine there are 240 apartments. I would say the airconditioning man here is here every week probably 2 or 3 times. There are always problems, cleaning, gas etc needed. Everything here is word of mouth...if he does one good job at a good price and is reliable, his name will be passed on and on and before you know it he can have a little business going....but you do have to work at it. Put cards out not just once....but every week. And start with where you live. I have been on my urbanisiation for nearly 4 years....I had no idea there was a babysitter here...until a couple of weeks ago. Why didnt she continually canvass the developement...during the summer months I was asked numerous times for babysitters. Regarding the spanish...I started a course in the UK before I left and then we paid up front for a 3 month intensive course before we came...that way we knew we would go! There are alot of English Speakers here and you could get by without speaking spanish, but its horrible when you cant communicate with the Spanish people in the Supermarkets, street, neighbours etc. It is true...many people have gone back to the Uk...many of them Estate Agents that were getting thousands per deal as they were on 10% or more. But also they continued to live the life as if they were on holiday. Down Puerto Banus, drinking eating clubbing. Unless you are very wealthy you cannot do this...you cannot do things you do when you are on holiday. YOu need to take it easy I hope its not all be too negative and put you off. I love it here and it was the best decision we ever made. But you do have to work hard to make a living here. Good luck |
Re: cAN ANYONE RECOMMEND....?
Originally Posted by j0197
Hi Alison,
You need to live where theres lots of people and money...so along the Costa Del Sol is a good place first of all. If your boyfriend is in air conditioning...this is a brilliant trade...but as said, he will have to deal with suppliers etc so he will need to be able to speak Spanish. if he doesnt, he will more than likely get ripped off. There are many urbanisations here, for example in mine there are 240 apartments. I would say the airconditioning man here is here every week probably 2 or 3 times. There are always problems, cleaning, gas etc needed. Everything here is word of mouth...if he does one good job at a good price and is reliable, his name will be passed on and on and before you know it he can have a little business going....but you do have to work at it. Put cards out not just once....but every week. And start with where you live. I have been on my urbanisiation for nearly 4 years....I had no idea there was a babysitter here...until a couple of weeks ago. Why didnt she continually canvass the developement...during the summer months I was asked numerous times for babysitters. Regarding the spanish...I started a course in the UK before I left and then we paid up front for a 3 month intensive course before we came...that way we knew we would go! There are alot of English Speakers here and you could get by without speaking spanish, but its horrible when you cant communicate with the Spanish people in the Supermarkets, street, neighbours etc. It is true...many people have gone back to the Uk...many of them Estate Agents that were getting thousands per deal as they were on 10% or more. But also they continued to live the life as if they were on holiday. Down Puerto Banus, drinking eating clubbing. Unless you are very wealthy you cannot do this...you cannot do things you do when you are on holiday. YOu need to take it easy I hope its not all be too negative and put you off. I love it here and it was the best decision we ever made. But you do have to work hard to make a living here. Good luck |
Re: cAN ANYONE RECOMMEND....?
Originally Posted by northsammi
good post j0197. :)
Send her a Karma ;) |
Re: cAN ANYONE RECOMMEND....?
Originally Posted by jdr
Send her a Karma ;)
on its way. |
Re: cAN ANYONE RECOMMEND....?
Originally Posted by j0197
Hi Alison,
You need to live where theres lots of people and money...so along the Costa Del Sol is a good place first of all. If your boyfriend is in air conditioning...this is a brilliant trade...but as said, he will have to deal with suppliers etc so he will need to be able to speak Spanish. if he doesnt, he will more than likely get ripped off. There are many urbanisations here, for example in mine there are 240 apartments. I would say the airconditioning man here is here every week probably 2 or 3 times. There are always problems, cleaning, gas etc needed. Everything here is word of mouth...if he does one good job at a good price and is reliable, his name will be passed on and on and before you know it he can have a little business going....but you do have to work at it. Put cards out not just once....but every week. And start with where you live. I have been on my urbanisiation for nearly 4 years....I had no idea there was a babysitter here...until a couple of weeks ago. Why didnt she continually canvass the developement...during the summer months I was asked numerous times for babysitters. Regarding the spanish...I started a course in the UK before I left and then we paid up front for a 3 month intensive course before we came...that way we knew we would go! There are alot of English Speakers here and you could get by without speaking spanish, but its horrible when you cant communicate with the Spanish people in the Supermarkets, street, neighbours etc. It is true...many people have gone back to the Uk...many of them Estate Agents that were getting thousands per deal as they were on 10% or more. But also they continued to live the life as if they were on holiday. Down Puerto Banus, drinking eating clubbing. Unless you are very wealthy you cannot do this...you cannot do things you do when you are on holiday. YOu need to take it easy I hope its not all be too negative and put you off. I love it here and it was the best decision we ever made. But you do have to work hard to make a living here. Good luck By the way what do you do out of interest? |
Re: cAN ANYONE RECOMMEND....?
Originally Posted by helenp
Good advice positive but realistic, too many negative posts putting people off after all it must work for some people even if lots do come back.
By the way what do you do out of interest? The OP asked for advice, people have replied but you cant moan if there are more negative than positive. Since I have lived here I have found out if you are retired or semi retired you will exist a lot better than if you need a weekly wage. Jobs that give you a steady wage, contract and social security are like hens teeth, and that is the main reason, apart from not speaking the language, why most people give up. People should be made aware how hard it is to survive without money as there are no handouts here as in the UK. The best way to find out is to come out for a few weeks and try to sort things out before breaking ties at the other end. I think every problem ever come up in Spain has been covered in these threads, so if you read through you should be able to make up your mind. But only you can work out the pros and cons and make the big decision, and it is a big decision. Good luck with whatever you decide. :) |
Re: cAN ANYONE RECOMMEND....?
Originally Posted by jdr
The OP asked for advice, people have replied but you cant moan if there are more negative than positive.
Since I have lived here I have found out if you are retired or semi retired you will exist a lot better than if you need a weekly wage. Jobs that give you a steady wage, contract and social security are like hens teeth, and that is the main reason, apart from not speaking the language, why most people give up. People should be made aware how hard it is to survive without money as there are no handouts here as in the UK. The best way to find out is to come out for a few weeks and try to sort things out before breaking ties at the other end. I think every problem ever come up in Spain has been covered in these threads, so if you read through you should be able to make up your mind. But only you can work out the pros and cons and make the big decision, and it is a big decision. Good luck with whatever you decide. :) For example, there are plenty of benefits available. I was given two grants from the Junta de Andalucia to start up my own business - a total of 12,000 euros. Not a huge amount of money, but it could make the difference for someone sucessfully setting up in business, and someone failing. There is no way I would have succeeded in the application if I hadn't been able to speak Spanish. So learn Spanish, and make sure you have skills/qualifications that you can put to use over here. |
Re: cAN ANYONE RECOMMEND....?
Thank you all that replied! ;)
I've applied to many jobs, but have heard nothing yet. I'm just so worried about selling our house and moving....if it doesn't work out then it's a case of moving back to the UK and trying to get back on the property ladder! We were lucky enough to manage this at a young age (I was 20 when we brought our house) and the way the house prices are going up we would struggle to get back to our current position! Has anyone noticed if there is much call for Travel Agents or similar out there? This is what I do at the moment, and I love the travel industry! Would getting bar work be difficult as so many young Brits go out there to do this every year?? Any help is much appreciated! Alison xxx :D |
Re: cAN ANYONE RECOMMEND....?
Originally Posted by ALISON
Thank you all that replied! ;)
I've applied to many jobs, but have heard nothing yet. I'm just so worried about selling our house and moving....if it doesn't work out then it's a case of moving back to the UK and trying to get back on the property ladder! We were lucky enough to manage this at a young age (I was 20 when we brought our house) and the way the house prices are going up we would struggle to get back to our current position! Has anyone noticed if there is much call for Travel Agents or similar out there? This is what I do at the moment, and I love the travel industry! Would getting bar work be difficult as so many young Brits go out there to do this every year?? :D Doing the beauty course wasn't a bad idea in my opinion. If you can't get a job in a hotel you can always go freelance and do stuff in people's houses. That way you don't have to pay any tax. ;) |
Re: cAN ANYONE RECOMMEND....?
Originally Posted by keithwalters
I would avoid bar work if I were you - long hours, low pay. The travel agents that I know of are all Spanish, catering for the Spanish. So your lack of lingo would be a problem.
Doing the beauty course wasn't a bad idea in my opinion. If you can't get a job in a hotel you can always go freelance and do stuff in people's houses. That way you don't have to pay any tax. ;) So if I was freelance I wouldn't have to declare it like we do (or should do...) in the UK?? :confused: |
Re: cAN ANYONE RECOMMEND....?
Originally Posted by ALISON
So if I was freelance I wouldn't have to declare it like we do (or should do...) in the UK?? :confused:
It would be better to stick to word of mouth clients though, rather than putting an ad in Yellow Pages if you were planning not to declare. |
Re: cAN ANYONE RECOMMEND....?
Originally Posted by keithwalters
Well, you are supposed to declare your earnings. A lot of people who have cash in hand type jobs don't bother though.
It would be better to stick to word of mouth clients though, rather than putting an ad in Yellow Pages if you were planning not to declare. Thanks for that advice! I really appreciate it! I think that is probably going to be the best avenue to pursue! If anyone else has any suggestions, please let me know!!! He he! Cheers Keith!!! ;) Alison xxx |
Re: cAN ANYONE RECOMMEND....?
You probably will have more chance than some couples down here. Try some of the Travel Agents like Airtours, First Choice etc, I know they often recruit and I also know many who don't speak Spanish, which might help you whilst you are learning. I think you need to apply in UK to their branches there.
If you husband wants to do airocnditioning it might be an idea for him to learn the relevant words for this area to start with and maybe also yourself. I know a builder who came down here did, and he has a total spanish crew working for him. As someone else suggested I would either look at Costa del Sol or Costa Blanca where you have many expats to start with. The main thing is once he had built up a relationship and shows he is reliable he shouldn't have too many problems. The hardest thing to find is reliable Brits for jobs and some Spanish won't work with Brits because of it. The other side is of course if he is successful you could have it as a business and help him run it. Also maybe rent out your house for the time being in UK until you have been here for a while, in that way it keeps the house as security in case you decide you don't like living here or things don't work out quite how you planned. You get then review it later. But I have seen too many people sell up, then don't like it here or it doesn't work out quite how they expected and are worse off. If things work out well for you and you love it here, you can look at selling it and buying a property where you like and you will also know the areas much better. Best of luck and hope it works out well for you, which I think you have a good chance of doing if you do it right.
Originally Posted by ALISON
Hi, :)
My boyfriend and myself currently have our UK property on the market and are hoping to move out to Spain once it is sold. I'm 22 and he is 24. Are there any young couples that can recommend where would be best to relocate? We want to be on the coast, somewhere where we will be able to find work and somewhere that will be great for when family/friends come to visit. :confused: Also, I am a Travel Agent and my boyfriend is an Air Conditioning Engineer. I would certainly love to stay in the travel industry but maybe that wont be possible as I can't speak Spanish...? My boyfriend would be willing to do anything if he couldn't get work in his trade...he doesn't speak Spanish either. I was also thinking of doing a beauty course before we leave the Uk as maybe there will be more possibilities for me..in hotels etc. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. :D Alison xxx p.s. We are starting a Spanish course soon, but I get the impression it will be much easier to learn once we're out there!!!! |
Re: cAN ANYONE RECOMMEND....?
Originally Posted by Mercedes
You probably will have more chance than some couples down here. Try some of the Travel Agents like Airtours, First Choice etc, I know they often recruit and I also know many who don't speak Spanish, which might help you whilst you are learning. I think you need to apply in UK to their branches there.
If you husband wants to do airocnditioning it might be an idea for him to learn the relevant words for this area to start with and maybe also yourself. I know a builder who came down here did, and he has a total spanish crew working for him. As someone else suggested I would either look at Costa del Sol or Costa Blanca where you have many expats to start with. The main thing is once he had built up a relationship and shows he is reliable he shouldn't have too many problems. The hardest thing to find is reliable Brits for jobs and some Spanish won't work with Brits because of it. The other side is of course if he is successful you could have it as a business and help him run it. Also maybe rent out your house for the time being in UK until you have been here for a while, in that way it keeps the house as security in case you decide you don't like living here or things don't work out quite how you planned. You get then review it later. But I have seen too many people sell up, then don't like it here or it doesn't work out quite how they expected and are worse off. If things work out well for you and you love it here, you can look at selling it and buying a property where you like and you will also know the areas much better. Best of luck and hope it works out well for you, which I think you have a good chance of doing if you do it right. Many thanks xxx ;) |
Re: cAN ANYONE RECOMMEND....?
Originally Posted by ALISON
Thanks Mercedes!!! Really appreciate your advice! Someone else also suggested renting our Uk home out...that's probably a good idea so that we stay on the property ladder! I'm just going to check out the Uk tour operator sites now...hopefully something good will come from that.....!
Many thanks xxx ;) Good luck Sparkle |
Re: cAN ANYONE RECOMMEND....?
There have been alot of negative comments, but the majority are true in certain circumstances.
I know a number of skilled people, hairdressers, beauticians, estate agents, sport coaches who have all gone home, because they said they couldnt make it work....did they really do all they could to get business? No! Their hearts werent in it. Any good skilled person I think has a good chance...if they are good, reliable and charge a fair price. Even do a few freebies if thats what it takes to get your name around whatever it is you are going to do. The travel agents I have seen are generally quite busy, mainly because Spain is a little behind the UK when it comes to the Internet. But you need the language. You can get many cash in hand jobs, bar, waitress, shops, babysitting etc, and if you are confortable with that thats fine, but you need to think about health cover etc. Although paying tax is horrible, you do feel part of the system...well I do anyway. When you are part of the system (i think you need to be part of the system), there are colleges (Arte Y Cultura) where you can go to learn spanish for free or very very cheap. Regarding property in the UK...tricky!!! If you have that to fall back on you may not go to your full potential here! However, if you sell it...you´re right, you may never get back on it. We sold up in the UK but then we were able to pay for a place here and live ok for a year or so without having to worry too much. Wages are low here and it is difficult as JDR said to get jobs with contracts, however, they are around and for every person that goes back, theres another that stays. Get talking to people around the pool, in the local cafes etc...its all word of mouth. I always think its better to regret things you did do rather than the things you didnt! Ps...thanks for the Karma! |
Re: cAN ANYONE RECOMMEND....?
Originally Posted by j0197
There have been alot of negative comments, but the majority are true in certain circumstances.
I know a number of skilled people, hairdressers, beauticians, estate agents, sport coaches who have all gone home, because they said they couldnt make it work....did they really do all they could to get business? No! Their hearts werent in it. Any good skilled person I think has a good chance...if they are good, reliable and charge a fair price. Even do a few freebies if thats what it takes to get your name around whatever it is you are going to do. The travel agents I have seen are generally quite busy, mainly because Spain is a little behind the UK when it comes to the Internet. But you need the language. You can get many cash in hand jobs, bar, waitress, shops, babysitting etc, and if you are confortable with that thats fine, but you need to think about health cover etc. Although paying tax is horrible, you do feel part of the system...well I do anyway. When you are part of the system (i think you need to be part of the system), there are colleges (Arte Y Cultura) where you can go to learn spanish for free or very very cheap. Regarding property in the UK...tricky!!! If you have that to fall back on you may not go to your full potential here! However, if you sell it...you´re right, you may never get back on it. We sold up in the UK but then we were able to pay for a place here and live ok for a year or so without having to worry too much. Wages are low here and it is difficult as JDR said to get jobs with contracts, however, they are around and for every person that goes back, theres another that stays. Get talking to people around the pool, in the local cafes etc...its all word of mouth. I always think its better to regret things you did do rather than the things you didnt! Ps...thanks for the Karma! Also, I'd always be worried that we couldn't get a tennant...there's no way we could afford to pay our mortgage if we was living in Spain. And don't you have to pay some sort of tax in Spain if you have property/assets? Also, although very unethical, has anyone left their debts in the UK? I'm just thinking of loans/credit card repayments whilst working in Spain...could we afford to keep up the repayments?? |
Re: cAN ANYONE RECOMMEND....?
Originally Posted by ALISON
:) Thank for your comments jo197...I certantly see where you're coming from! If we don't sell our house we'll always have it in the back of our mind that it wouldn't be a problem if it didn't work out...we may not try as hard to make it work then!
Also, I'd always be worried that we couldn't get a tennant...there's no way we could afford to pay our mortgage if we was living in Spain. And don't you have to pay some sort of tax in Spain if you have property/assets? Also, although very unethical, has anyone left their debts in the UK? I'm just thinking of loans/credit card repayments whilst working in Spain...could we afford to keep up the repayments?? To think you would not work hard if your house was still here....I don't think you would. A new life and a new start will mean you will work at it and try your hardest if you feel you might not then I wouldn't advise going at all. We made many good friends in Spain and they helped and advised us on many things, but personally I could not live the life they were happy to. Living from week to week earning low wages doing cleaning, bar work and odd jobs would not be a life for me. We were able to run our own business there but it was far from successful and yes we lost a lot of money and I would advise anyone thinking of starting out to really think hard and make as many plans, including what to do if it did not work out. I wish you all the luck in the world and if it is your dream then go for it, but it was our dream and is now our nightmare, so please please look into this carefully. Only you can make this decision and know what is right for you. Spain is a lovely country with lovely people, but it also has it's problems and it is not as cheap to live there as many people think. Sparkle |
Re: cAN ANYONE RECOMMEND....?
Originally Posted by ALISON
:)
Also, although very unethical, has anyone left their debts in the UK? I'm just thinking of loans/credit card repayments whilst working in Spain...could we afford to keep up the repayments?? Keith |
Re: cAN ANYONE RECOMMEND....?
Originally Posted by keithwalters
Have PMd you.
Keith PM'ed you too! Alison. ;) |
Re: cAN ANYONE RECOMMEND....?
Alison I don't know where you are in the UK, but while I agree with the posters who suggested you rent out your property, do be wary. Unless you can leave some capital behind to cover voids, you could easily slip in to the red between tenants. I would investigate whether the council would consider renting the property off you, and the same with housing associations. This way you get a guaranteed rent, and they will usually agree to redecorate before they hand the property back. You could get a lease for 2/3 years or more. Another possibility is if there is a need for rented homes for forces personnel...I know someone in London who does this and he is never without a tenant.
Not sure about walking away from debts in the UK...if you have owned your home for a while I would re-mortgage and repay them, as you can always set the mortgage interest off against the tax liability. I know the argument about people who always have something to fall back on usually end up having to....standard advice to people contemplating stage and show business careers.. however many of the ones who keep going have done just this, building up assets that enable them to ride out the hard times, and keep going. |
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