Nathan27

Hi all,

We are thinking of moving to spain. We have talked about it as a family before but due to the fact i hate my current job and one or two other changes in personal circumstances if we are going to give it a go we need to put things in place before it is too late. Fear of it failing and effecting my kids is the concern i'm sure all parents have gone through. Both my partner and i are just starting to learn the basics of the language and we have a few things to sort at home in UK. We have set a time scale of 12-24 months to have made the move. My partners experience is in Care (hopsitals and nursing homes and she is currently a childminder (very successful one as well). My experience is in logistics/distribution (tansport manager/Admin)but not speaking the language as yet i appreciate this isn't an option for me job wise. I can however tile and plaster so i thought tiling would be an option but appreciate the Spanish should be pretty hot at this. We are thinking of keeping our home in the UK and renting it out (just in case we struggle getting work and we have to return). Can any one offer any support or advice. I have 2 children (2 and 7). How hard will it be for them? friends etc. Any young families out there wish to share their story as to how they coped?

JLFS

Hi Nathan, welcome to the forum-

To be honest things are very tough in Spain at the moment and finding jobs in your field ie tiling and plastering. There are a lot of Spanish out of work with the same skills as you.

My advice would be to stay in the UK, and review the situation as and when the economy recovers.

Cheers

cricketman

Can I ask why you would like to move to Spain. What can Spain provide you that the UK can't, except the weather?

As JLFS said it is much harder to get a job in Spain than in the UK. Also your wife will need the Spanish qualifications in order to work in nursing/childcare.

In can be done, but you are talking about a huge comitment in language learning and training, unless you want to just provide services to other Brits, and that market is getting smaller and smaller and harder by all accounts.

Nathan27

There are a few reasons as to 'why Spain?' I want my children to grow up bi lingual. We have friends with property over there who have contacts (Spanish and English) in the Costa del Sol and Murcia areas who have said they will help out in getting us started. We feel with work we should have the basics of the language in a year but only living there will we learn the language properley. I have a son who i will be effectively leaving at home so i don't want to move too far away from England. My ex is the one i need to escape from. By the time we are ready to go we are in hope that Spain will be starting to recover as England is. We enjoy the simple, outdoor life and want this fror my kids. We have been told by so many people that the education and healthcare systems in Spain are far superior to that in England. I do have concerns over prospects for the kids as they grow older etc

cricketman

The healthcare system is a little better, but the education system may be a little worse, although definitely cheaper at the uni level.

The problem you have is 1-2 years learning Spanish from the UK won't get you up to the level where any Spanish person will employ you, so you'd need to move to an English speaking expat area to get a job, which in turn, makes it difficult for you to learn the language.

But hey, many good things in life are difficult to achieve so I wish you well and hope you can find a way

jackytoo

Have you asked these friends for any advice? As they know you they are the best people to give advice.

pete_l

First thing I'd suggest is to put aside any ideas you might have got about Spain from holidays there. Forget it. Think of Spain as you'd think of, say, Slovenia or any other country you've never been to. Living and working somewhere is totally different from a couple of weeks by the pool with your feet up. Trying to get work in the CdS or Murcia would be like trying to get a job in Blackpool or Skegness. You'd really have to aim for the big cities if you want a proper job in a hospital or office. And in that case it'll be hot and sticky in the summer and you'll be too busy working to get down to the resorts - except for a couple of weeks a year - which makes it just like living in England, except for the heat .. and the spaniards.

Given the state that Spain is in right now it would be hard to recommend anyone moves there in the hope of finding a job, let alone supporting a family on the wages a new arrival would get.

jojojojojo

Moving to Spain for us has been the most stressful and costly thing we've ever done!! Yes, there are moments of relaxing, but overall its been traumatic and hard work. Possibly the difficulties we've had have been caused by my husband commuting to the UK to work as there isnt anything here. Money has been tight due to the exchange rate and the myth that living in Spain is cheap - it isnt - believe me, its no fun here without a decent income!! My son is at an international school (yes, it costs, but at his age, it was the only option) and is happy, my daughter hates it. She's in a state school, refuses to learn the language, hates the other kids, still misses her uk friends and life and has recently been caught skiving, smoking and hanging around the local skate park - where apparently the drug dealers hang out - not good - she's just turned 13!!!!! This is still an on going problem and I'm not sure how to deal with it

I guess, as I say, this has all been made worse by my husband not being around much and everything seems to have gone wrong for us in the last 6 months, floods and landslides meant we were trapped in our house for several days at a time, our dog died, my son tore a ligament in his leg, husband couldnt get over cos of snow, ash, our entrance gate got jammed, I broke my leg, the washing machine broke, my daughter skiving...........

I still love it here, but its not the dream that I was expecting and once the novelty has worn off, its no better than the UK, its much harder cos the language is a problem and the rules and red tape are so different. Sometimes the thought of going back to the UK are appealing, just to be able to relax and understand life again - and we'd be financially much better off there

Sorry if I sound grumpy, but you should come to Spain because you want to be here and not to escape the UK, which from where I'm sitting aint that bad

Jo xxxx

SueG

Sending Big cyber hugs

agoreira

As you love quoting lists and figures, here's one for you. But people never believe your lists, so why should you believe this!
http://www.groundreport.com/Health_a...rope_3/2908689

jojojojojo

Interestingly, due to several health issues that my family have had recently, I've had to use the local service and altoh its been fairly quick, I've found it to be slap dash and very "conveyor belt" like!!!! I had a plaster put on my leg which had to be taken off due to it being too tight and not left to set in the right position. It was put on in a rush and when it was finished, they ushered me out without any help or advise! My son had several problems with a torn ligament which required several trips to various xray/MRI places, none of which offered any conclusive help or advise. I actually employed a translator who has lived here for over 25 years and her thoughts on the health system in spain - "Spain is deluded if it thinks it has a good health service"????

Jo xxx

cricketman

I was going on the WHO report a few years back when Spain was ranking about 10th and the UK 25th or something. Anyway I personally havent used either for over 10 years.

Although my family's experience of health care in the UK is appaling, mistake after mistake, luckily noone has died though I guess.

Anyway, healthcare definitely should not be a primary reason for moving to Spain. I always think move to Spain of you love the country, not because you are annoyed with the UK, with that attitude you wont find Spain any better.

I personally can't understand anyone who would want to move over, work and bring kids up Spain even though they know little about the country, dont speak the language and have no links to Spain. Maybe they are deluded from memories of their holidays!? Why do they think it will be any better than the UK?

jojojojojo

That was me 3 years ago!!! Your comment is right tho. By all means come over if, you have a decent job/profession lined up, if you havent got children, if you have an independant income, or are planning to retire here! But its not easy and its nothing like those lovely carefree holidays!

That said, its lovely when we all go for a midnight swim cos its too hot to sleep, its great when you arrange doing things and you KNOW that the weather will be good, the beaches, altho full of tourists are lovely, sandy and the sea is blue and warm, the palm trees, sitting outside of little bars...... But the novelty does wear off, life takes over and living from day to day is the same wherever you are

Jo xxx

lynnxa

like my dd's pool party in the rain last week.........................

jojojojojo

oooooopss, sorry lol I bet it was still warm tho!!

Jo xxx