rdr31

Hi,I am new to this site and was just after some advice, please. And I have searched for posts re moving, but I wanted advice re our personal situation, I apologise in advance if it seems " just another one of those" posts.

My husband and I are looking at moving to Spain. We have visited many times (my grandparents had a place in Torre Blanca), and I have a family member in Alhaurin de la Torre. We would be moving with our 5yr old son, and 1 year old daughter. I have wanted to move there from being 17, but I met my husband and we married and had children instead! We have sold our house and are currently renting in the UK, we would rent in Spain too. We aren't looking for an easy luxurious life, just basic but in Spain!

I work from home (a few hours a day, but always potential for more hours), my husband is a self employed heating engineer. We would be considering me working more hours, and my husband helping at home more and looking at work casually (not a requirement straight away). We have savings which would cover us for at least a year also.

The reasons we want to move there -
- the family rich lifestyle, I love strolling through the park in Benalmadena (can't remember it's name!), On a weekend and seeing all the families.
- the festivals
- I'm not going to lie, the weather!!
- I prefer their views re breastfeeding and child upbringing (okay odd point, I know, but breastfeeding rate in UK is 1%!!!, And there is constant battles between formula vs breastfeeding which drives me insane).
- I am not exactly happy with the schools system here, they are so restricted due to the government, there are so many rules and guidelines to follow that I feel the children are being pushed too hard. My son is happy at school, but they have basically said by next year he NEEDS to be up on par with everyone else , there is no resources to help him a lot more.
- the constant propaganda re people on benefits, it seems people just want to talk about this all the time.
- the public transport is so much better. The trains are out of this world compared to the grubby, stuffy compact trains in the UK. It makes any commute miserable.
- I find the cost of living cheaper in Spain (food shopping wise), if you buy local produce (which we would/do)


Cons
- the economy, how bad is it?
- maybe the schools aren't much better. Do we chose a bilingual or Spanish state school?!
- fitting in, for us and our children.

We love Mijas Pueblo, Benalmadena pueblo, Los Pacos (although not sure we would live there?). Also I imagine Mijas is very busy with tourists in the height of summer. Any insight into these areas? Pros and cons.

Where do I even start ay looking to move? I.e. the legal requirements? What would happen re paying tax, at the moment I don't earn enough in the UK to pay tax, and I would be just below the threshold once I have upped my hours. How does this work with Spanish legislations / healthcare / social security etc.

I will be so grateful for any advice/tips/info.

Thank you

Pulaski

So your son is struggling in the British school system and you think forcing him to learn a new language while trying to keep up with his Spanish peers, will help?

rdr31

Sorry perhaps that came across wrong. He is 5, and in reception (1st yr). He isn't struggling, but is slightly behind with his reading. He is fine in all other aspects. It is the attitude of the schools I don't like, they are so pushy and too worried about the government than the pupils . We (my husband and I), are of course helping with his reading in all ways that we can, but unfortunately you can't be good at everything!

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

rdr31

Thank you, Rosemary.

mikelincs

Your biggest problem is being able to afford to live there, the unemployment rate in Spain is something like 20% and there is no unemployment, job seekers allowance etc there unless you have paid into the system first. You would need to get a properly contracted job to allow you to get into the Spanish Health system, casual work will not fly unless you become self employed, and if that you will have to find some €250 a month working as autonomo (self employed) this has to be paid whether you earn anything or not, otherwise it means private health insurance for you all.
Personally, unless you or your husband is fluent in Spanish your chances of earning a living wage are very low unless either one of you have such specialised skills that you can get a job. Wail, also till after the referendum, if it's for 'leave' then it will, probably, become that much harder.

Sorry to sound so negative, but that's just how it is, so unless you move over with enough cash to live on for at least 6 months while you try and find a job, then I would stay in the UK.

rdr31

Thank you. You do not sound negative, truthful I would say. I wanted proper advice and not just "follow your dreams" type "advice" .

We would have enough money to last us a year without my income. Obviously when I up the hours, our savings would last longer as we would just use a little bit each month as additional spends.

missile

"I have a family member in Alhaurin de la Torre."


What is their advice?

rdr31

To do it and move there, but he owns a large finca with a lot of land, and only really needs casual work here and there to get by.

I think we are going to come out in August again and have a see.

amideislas

I can't speak for everywhere, but from where I am:

Yes, the weather is better.

Lifestyle varies, depending on where you settle and how much money you have. The two are related. If you can acclimate to a different culture and embrace it, you will find that you can live a much better, more comfortable lifestyle for a lot less cost. And the Spanish are incredibly friendly and warm, and not the least bit judgemental. Although it is subtly a markedly different culture, and you can't expect to live the same British lifestyle inside the system here. It just doesn't work. (unless of course, you choose to live in a strictly British enclave, which, aside from the weather, mostly negates almost all other advantages).

Public transport is excellent here. Infrastructure is very good too, albeit virtually all utilities are more expensive.

Schools - an international school will cost you a fortune, and leave your children largely uni-lingual. Being multilingual will only benefit them in later life. A 5 year old is a language sponge, and will pick it up in no time at all. Public schools here are quite good, and the general culture is much less "adversarial" - for lack of a better term. Family values are still very strong here. The values of right and wrong are also still strong.

Economy - Jobs - not easy, if at all. Bring your money with you. This cannot be understated. Don't expect to get a job, especially if you aren't fluent in Spanish (or German, here at least, there is a measurable demand for German-speaking labour).

Having said that, at least around me, I see remarkably few signs of hardship. In fact, virtually everything seems to be improving every year. In all aspects.

Good luck with it all.

Moses2013

Yes and where you are it's basically comparing Jersey to Bridlington.
Mallorca also has the highest foreign population in Spain and most people came with plenty of cash.

amideislas

Yes, that's true, just as I recommended - bring your money with you.

Mallorca does have amongst the lowest unemployment rates though. Although it's primarily in the travel and tourism space, along with maritime services - which is where many of the jobs for "foreigners" are, including Brits.

But it's hardly the highest foreign population, I'd point out the costas, et al... where virtually everyone also brings their money with them.

The tangible difference is more likely that the "foreign" population of Mallorca is far less British than European, in fact, just a small fraction of the foreign population is British.

That fact alone might actually discourage any thoughts of wanna-be Brits considering Mallorca as their new "home in the sun". It's just not very "British" here, and most of the few British expats we know here inevitably find that somewhat discomforting. I also believe I eluded to that in my previous post.

Pica

Hi,
As an ex reception, year 1,2,4,5 and 6 teacher of many years my heart goes out to your son. I've witnessed many a "poor reader" in reception become a fully competent reader later on in their school life.
Some boys can be a little behind their peers in reading because that is not where their interest lies and you really shouldn't worry. Once/and if he finds it worth his time to read for interest or info he will and will do it just as well as others. The biggest problem with the British ed system is that children are pushed too hard and too fast and well before they are intellectually ready for the type of learning that is foisted on them.
Off my hobby horse now. Good luck

Moses2013

Well, according to stats (2014) the Balearics had the highest percentage of foreigners, so Malllorca is up there.


The Balearics has also been named the region with the highest percentage of registered foreign residents in Spain, with 18.3 per cent of the population listed as foreign on January 1 this year, according to the National Institute of Statistics.

amideislas

Maybe that's true, but with a population of about 750K, that might be easy to achieve.

Nonetheless, the same things apply throughout Spain. If you aren't highly skilled and don't fluently speak Spanish, then bring the money with you.

And if you have enough to sustain yourself, then your choice of where and how to live will have significant impact on your overall quality of life. If you are fortunate enough to possess somewhat unlimited funds, then you can live well just about anywhere. Including the UK.