Moving to Costa del sol
 

Hi Guys

Myself and my partner have wanted to move to the Costa del sol for a while now and have been really looking into things over the last couple of months in the way of long term rentals, work, and play.
But after we have stumbled on a few Youtube videos and watched the English TV program "Cost Del Street Crime" my partner has become worried as the program states crime rates there are the highest in spain and daily robberies take place and that there is a general hatred for the English.

The program goes into great detail about attacks, shootings,child abduction & Spanish youth attacks on the British... Is this true??

Also can anyone really advise a good area to live? we have been looking around Alhaurin El Grande as we want a min 2bed with private pool and a little land for our 2 dogs to play. this area came up as not the cheapest but the area with the larger selection of properties within our budget.

We are also wanting to open a icecream and milkshake venture and need to know if anyone knows if this would be difficult to start..

Soooo many questions :-/ but we would really be great full for any advice from Brits already living there...

Thanks Guys... :D

Re: Moving to Costa del sol
 

No different to the UK crime programmes, however, if you need to work then I would suggest you stay in the UK. There is little or no work even for fluent Spanish speakers, you've seen the recent demonstrations on the UK news, all about the economy.
Spanish bureaucracy is among the worst in the world, and trying to start a new venture will be difficult, you would, in any case, have to prove income and healthcare provisions before you became a resident, and without this the chances of starting a business is low, also remember that the tourist season is relatively short, ven in the area you are talking about. Wait for the Spanish economy to pick up, maybe a few years, learn Spanish, if you don't know it yet, and become FLUENT, a few phrases aren't good enough, you would certainly need it for all the official things and for dealing with suppliers etc. Remember there is NO NHS in Spain, no benefit system like child benefit. You would need to pay at least €250 a month as a self employed person to get free healthcare. If you are employed in the UK, or claiming any sort of benefit, then stay here for the present, however, if you have a few hundred thousand to gamble, then give it a go, you will almost certainly lose most of that. If you have a house in the UK, keep it, somewhere to return to.. Just have a look at the many threads in the Spain part of the forum and see just how difficult it is over there for people who have to work, or have children.

Sorry to sound negative, but I really don't see your ideas as viable at this time.

Re: Moving to Costa del sol
 

I have to agree with all the above.

It really is not that easy in Spain right now and the future does not look much better.

:unsure:

Re: Moving to Costa del sol
 

since an income appears to be a requirement - South of England

Re: Moving to Costa del sol
 

Just to add to the above most of which I would agree with, ice parlours and the like around here close end Oct till spring or ice cream is seasonal for them, They have coffee./tapas trade all year. At various times throughout Sept/Oct I never saw anyone in theyogurt bar in town. I don't line on Coasta del Sol but the town is hit with lots of visitors during the summer.

Oh and the drugs, they appear to be everywhere here too sadly.

Re: Moving to Costa del sol
 

As Concierge for the Spanish section of BE I would like to say hello and welcome.

BE is a very large expat website, so if you have problems finding your way around we have concierges who will try to direct you. The moderators for the Spanish forums are Mitzyboy and Fred James, moderators are there to ensure that the site runs smoothly within the rules of BE. Problems and complaints should always be addressed to a moderador who will look into the matter and deal with it efficiently and fairly. Our members who post in the Spain Forums are friendly and helpful with a wealth of knowledge of the issues of living in Spain. At the top of the page you will find a quirkily named thread called Free Beer which is full of important and useful information. Hope you enjoy your time participating in the forums.

Please let me know if you need any further help.

Rosemary

Re: Moving to Costa del sol
 

Concur
Why do people get the idea that the CDS and surrounds are always baking hot and that no one has tried these things before.

we have a bar which is also an icecream seller and his icecream has been put away for the winter.
who goes out for an icecream when its hissing down with cold rain, the temp is 12c in the middle of the day.:confused:
and its going to get colder for the nex 5 months.
perhaps there would be a market for someone who makes icecream in bulk for sale to both private individuals and hotels etc - but it would have to be really in bulk and have a unique Positive Selling Feature to take on the current makers. It could take several years to get a viable client list by which time any relationship would be in shatters.

There just isnt the turnover and profit to be made in such a venture without coming out of the enclave and "going global" - well at least the major cities and towns in Andalucia.The thought of someone trying a small scale niche market idea fills me with horror at the result - bankruptcy.:eek:

so on this one I will not be my usual helpful self and provide all sorts of information about starting a business - this one has to be a non-starter.

`

Re: Moving to Costa del sol
 

Hi I live in Alhaurin el Grande and we have plenty of ice cream parlours for such a small area so we definitely do not need any more. As for property you would definitely find a country house with pool for around 600 euros. At the moment it is very difficult to find work here and even my Spanish friends who are bilingual cannot find work so that about sums it up here, it is very difficult for everyone. You should come out here and have a look at every option before you commit yourselves.

Re: Moving to Costa del sol
 

Popular quotes about Spain which should be taken seriously:

"Spain is a good place to have money, not a good place to make money".

"If you want to be a millionaire in Spain, bring 2 million with you".

Re: Moving to Costa del sol
 

I share people's doubts about the ice-cream/frozen yoghurt venture. Not to say this can't be done - I saw a new place in central Madrid serving up these frozen yoghurts - but it really needs to be a local Spanish person who knows the local market, and even then it's a risky venture. How long will frozen yoghurts remain fashionable?
However I do feel that there are opportunities in Spain for people wanting to start up a business. It's a country that recieves 50 million tourists every year, and foreign ventures like Apple, Amazon, Ikea, even Primark are expanding all the time!
On my recent visit to Madrid and Valencia I discussed ideas with local partners for 4 separate new business ventures, and will be progressing at least 2 of them fairly soon (the other two will hopefully follow soon after). I'll probably put it in my signature when we launch (est. early Feb) - it's in the educational sector, and it's something we'll probably start in the Turkish market as well as the Spanish one. Ok, so it is something that requires a native speaker partner in both markets, so finding a good partner is key.
As shoptilludrop states, it's probably a good idea to go out and look around. You may find (as I did) that you hit upon good ideas. If not, you can at least enjoy yourself whilst doing your research. But get your Spanish up to a reasonable level - it will prove invaluable if you need a Spanish partner in your business.

Re: Moving to Costa del sol
 

As there is no option for neither, I will not be voting. :)

Re: Moving to Costa del sol
 

The agents I have spoken to say that the Marina in Benalmadena is nearly always busy and that opening a ice cream kiosk requires very little legal paperwork as there is no food preparation involved.
This is what as confused me a little...Maybe I really should research this more..
But I really do thank you for comments. :)

Re: Moving to Costa del sol
 

Income is not a massive requirement.
I'm looking more to doing a casual business and aslong as I can generate a small income out of a seafront ice cream kiosk then I should be ok.
I will still maintain a income from the uk, the business is just ment to top that up and stop boredom kicking in...

:fingerscrossed:

Re: Moving to Costa del sol
 

You're not alone, it's had nearly 250 views with 12 voting.

Re: Moving to Costa del sol
 

On this LinkedIn page there are 3 events on Innovation and Startups, taking place in Marbella. May be of use for anyone (not just the OP) looking into starting a business on the CDS

http://www.linkedin.com/groups/THREE...er_share=1ba88

Re: Moving to Costa del sol
 

Granada gets at least 2million of those
If only I could get €1.00 from each of them
:sneaky:

`

Re: Moving to Costa del sol
 

Theres loads of icecream/bars in and around Benal marina, I'm not sure they need anymore???? oh, and agents would say that - they're all desperate lol!!!

Jo xxx

Re: Moving to Costa del sol
 

I know this is Spain and everyone laughs at the couldn't care attitude but ....
take that with a pinch of salt.
You will be handling foodstuffs, you will need to have experienced the delights of a food handling course and have a certificate to prove it.

You will need to ensure you have it kept at the right temperature both in use and in storage prior to use. Records will need to be kept to prove it wasn't you that gave little Jimmy a funny tummy.

Surely just buying in icecream and selling it anyone can do (and we all know they are already on the plot), but that puts you at the mercy of the manufacturer(s) of product, in quality, price and availability.

you may be interested in this http://malagaweb.wordpress.com/2011/...costa-del-sol/
perhaps there are opportunities to do it on a more structured basis

`

Re: Moving to Costa del sol
 

well.......if you are the very first one coming out of the marina it might work, for a while until someone else comes along

:rofl:

Re: Moving to Costa del sol
 

Depending which end!!!!!!!!????? That would be the last place I'd set up a little business. Rents etc too high and too much competition from restaurants, bars, existing businesses, nationals - all doing icecreams. Regardless of the business paperwork and permissions, you'd be up against the existing, who wont take kindly.

I'm sorry I'm negative, but unless you have good financial backing, experience in the business and are au fait with the Spanish rules, regulations and are totally fluent, its gonna be fraught with dangers!!

Jo xxx

Re: Moving to Costa del sol
 

Hmmm small world...I know 2 people on there, both ex-property agents. Marbella is full (or used to be) of people re-inventing themselves.

Re: Moving to Costa del sol
 

The problem you will face is that, in order to become a registered resident, you will need to prove an income and that you have healthcare sorted, you would need to be registered as a resident to open a business.

Re: Moving to Costa del sol
 

What worries me is the alternative...South of England. At least try somewhere worth living in like Cornwall!

Re: Moving to Costa del sol
 

And Cornwall would be in the North of England then..:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

Re: Moving to Costa del sol
 

As opposed to Kintyre!

Re: Moving to Costa del sol
 

I always thought that Cornwall was described as the south west. Places like Bournmouth, Southampton etc are in the south of England, but as a Yorkshireman living in Scotland soon to relocate to Andalucia, I stand to be corrected.

Re: Moving to Costa del sol
 

You are 100% correct that Cornwall is in the south west. I am from the west country and I was always told when I was young that there are four counties that make up the south west, namely Cornwall, Devon, Somerset and Dorset. We do tend to call it the Westcountry rather than the south west but that is just our way.

Rosemary

Re: Moving to Costa del sol
 

Bournemouth is in Dorset but I wouldn't say that was part of the West Country.

Re: Moving to Costa del sol
 

No, it´s not the West Country is really Devon, Cornwall and Somerset.

I would open a Nando´s and an Hotel Chocolate.

Re: Moving to Costa del sol
 

I can see your logic, although aren't food establishment start-ups the most likely to fail in any country?
You have to be very careful infringing trademarks, as companies will sue. Perhaps change the name so customers will vaguely cotton on - some Indians in Hounslow opened up a venture called Frangos (piri-piri chicken) - I wonder if they had legal problems? Maybe in Spain you could call such a venture "Spicy HerNandos"...;)

Re: Moving to Costa del sol
 

Or buy a Franchise.

Re: Moving to Costa del sol
 

Doesn't really matter does it?. Cornwall is in the Southern part of the UK, not in the Midlands or North. It's a bit nit picking to class the South, which was the area mentioned as being 3, 4 or 5 different regions, South East, Mid South, South, etc, they are all the South of the UK, and that was my point, sorry it fell on somewhat deaf ears..

Re: Moving to Costa del sol
 

Try listening to the UK weather forcast on BBC. They give the south of England almost area by area and the North, Northern Ireland and Scotland are just lumped together.
Shall we call a truce on this one?
Pete

Re: Moving to Costa del sol
 

Here's an idea that I feel could work, but ideally in a large town or city with a decent sized expat population nearby? A specialized beer shop. :beer:

Re: Moving to Costa del sol
 

Now that's an idea. How would you get the beers? Importing lots of different types in (relatively) small would be expensive, and if it is from the UK would you have to pay UK tax? Or are you thinking of brewing it locally?

Re: Moving to Costa del sol
 

having recently been asked what I think of the Spanish beer I had to reply that it was more "lager" than "beer" in the British sense, where beer is brewed with hops but regrettably this was totally lost on the guy I was talking to, and getting him to understand what you do with "hops" to make beer :confused:

a local bar has a tap for a British cider - but all he could tell me was it wasnt working and they hadnt got any.
:ohmy:

Re: Moving to Costa del sol
 

Those are questions that the business starter would have to research. I believe that UK taxes would not be payable, but local taxes would (someone here may be able to confirm or deny that).
There are actually micro-breweries starting up around Spain, and you could sell their offerings as well. However my guess is that northern European beers (especially the famous brands) would sell the best. Of course the shop needn't sell just beer - it could sell t-shirts, ashtrays, dartboards, pork pies, whatever, at the same time.

Re: Moving to Costa del sol
 

not beer and wine kits Stevie ??

back in the uk used to make an excellent beer, at the time my drinking partner was an HMRC VAT inspector, I wasn't allowed in the house unless I had at least 2 bottles with me, ended up his wife was complaining he had more empties than the local pub.
:rofl:

Re: Moving to Costa del sol
 

My OH likes some of the Negra Spanish beers, especially the Mahou Negra one (sold in bottles in the supermarkets, including Mercadona). Have you tried any of those?

Re: Moving to Costa del sol
 

Here are a few Spanish sites already looking at this market, and selling online.

http://cervezasonline.com/
https://tierradecerveza.com/
http://unadocenade.com/una-docena-de...das-en-espana/
http://www.cervezasagra.es/
http://www.latiendadelacerveza.com/