AmyG1987

Hi all,

To be as brief as possible, my husband and I are hoping to move to Spain over the next few years with our 14 month old daughter, once our savings permit us to do so (we are looking at around £50k). We would like to set up our own business in property maintenance; general cleaning, diy, decorating, electrical work/plumbing etc - my husband is currently a maintenance engineer and I love cleaning! We would also (eventually) like to purchase a rental property to let out to holiday makers as an additional income. We are willing to consider most areas around the Malaga and Alicante regions due to to year round flights from where we live (Newcastle) although we also love the look of areas around Almeria.

Basically we don't know where to start, legally and personally! What should we be doing now? Once we have our savings in place what should we be doing then? We just don't have a clue where to start!

We will be visiting Nerja in October as we want to start visiting places of interest to gauge an idea of where we would like to be

Are there any places that are worth considering based on what we want from our new lives in Spain?

Many thanks in advance for your help

Amy x

mikelincs

Without wishing to burst any bubbles, you really do need to wait until April 2019 to make any firm decisions being as you state you are looking to move 'in the next few years'. Brexit could have repercussions varying from nothing to needing a visa, especially if you are wanting to work there, and as yet, no-one, neither the EU or the UK government knows what, if anything, will change.

Rosemary

Hi and a warm welcome to the Spanish forum on BE. Myself and Fred James are the moderators for the Spanish forums whilst BEVS moderates Europe. Moderators are there to ensure that the site runs smoothly within the rules of BE. This is so that members gain the information that they are looking for and find their experiences on the forums to be friendly and worthwhile.

Problems and complaints should always be addressed to a moderator who will look into the matter and deal with it efficiently and fairly. Our members who post in the Spain Forums are usually friendly and helpful with a wealth of knowledge about the issues of living in Spain. I hope that you enjoy your time participating in the forums.

Please let me know if you need any further help.

Rosemary

tebo53

Hi Amy,

Firstly It is very difficult and expensive to start your own business in Spain. There are loads of forms to fill in and they will need to be done in Spanish. So first and foremost you will need to learn Spanish. If you do eventually start your own business it will cost you around €270 (I think) a month for the privilege but that payment will cover healthcare.

When you visit Spain next on your fact finding mission take a look at the local "English" speaking newspapers, especially the local freebies and you will find that there are many advertisers offering the services that you have mentioned. Unemployment rates here are extremely high and have been since the last recession and there are many ex builders (and hotel cleaners) who are willing to work, cash in hand, for very little reward.

If you come to live here first and then look for work you will need private healthcare and prove you have enough income so that you will not be a burden on the state.

There is a tread running at the moment titled "minimum income" which would be worth looking at. http://britishexpats.com/forum/spain...income-894591/

On a positive note, many families have taken the plunge and ended up having a good job and income (and nice lifestyle) but at this unsettled time it might prove difficult.

As Mike said it might be very different after the UK exit from the EU.

Steve