would you be able to keep jobs open here ? then if it didnt work out at least you would have something to come back to

and what about your property here, is that sold or are you keeping that ? again could be a good option if it dont work out and an income if you can rent it out

What? All Spanish?
Sorry, but I've seen loads of dog owners in the capital (warning - you really have to look out for dog dirt on the streets in places like Madrid and Barcelona). Also, I've seen plenty of dogs in country villages - if nothing else they are kept as guards.
May be better to say they're not liked as much in certain resort towns?

we re renting currently but have a place over there which is brought and paid for. our lease is up in september and we both want to move away from the area.

they would not keep my job open here but i know if i wanted to come back and there was something suitable they would take me on again. It is a very large company and i have been here a while so no bridges would be burned.

there is a dog who lives next door to our place, they are a spanish/german couple, there are also a few english who have dogs close by. we are right on the golf course, which although they cant run riot on of course we can probably do lead walks around the outside of it close season. the people who own the micheta restaurant also have a few large dogs who run around quite a bit. the place is in a bit of a german area really who generally seem acceptable to dogs.

never heard of the caterpilla things though- have to be careful with those if we do go!

The thing I noticed most when I moved from London to Barcelona was that in Barcelona all the dogs and children seemed so happy!!

Lisa, re post number 15:
I'm happy your mind is already made up.
And there's nothing wrong with rose-coloured glasses, more so when everything seems tinted with the shades of shit.
I think the soft and easy life of a fixed job and home, is in reality, not really what we are lead to believe. A little bit of a struggle makes us feel the life.
I always had a soft spot for Willy Russell's "Shirley Valentine".

"'Cause it's a bittersweet symphony, this life
Try to make ends meet
You're a slave to money then you die"
The Verve

there was a marine trimmers in Denia just opposite the Club Nautico but it has just closed. There just isn't the work around to support this sort of business - maybe on an oddjob pocket money type basis but as a legal business paying rent tax utilities etc it just didn't work.

I reckon even with no mortgage you're burning 1ke per month without even eating out. Doing nothing is q expensive & Moraira is expensive.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

thank you little lamb found.

poolboy- find it strange that there isnt the work, we live and work on the thames and there are about 5 trimming companies here who cover 10 or so marina's between them, all do a good trade. work is split between river cruisers, sea vessels and inland waterways boats. Looking at the marina's over here, there is about the same qty but many are larger so find it strange that there isnt the work. There probably isnt the same amount of permanent moorers i guess, thank you for the info though, I will pass this onto the OH.

so much to think about!!

I think you will find that the work is there in that people need the work done, but no one is spending any money. When you take into account that as soon as you start "working" you are obliged to pay €250 odd a month in social security payments, regardless of ANY earnings at all, plus rent and equipment and materials and tools and bills and food etc, then you can see that it doesn't take long for the money pot to empty!

there's been a few businesses fail in Spain which in the UK would have boomed, problem is here people have the time to do it themselves, shop around, buy online. There's no shortage of cash but sadly being a Brit excludes 90% of your market, or in Moraira 50%.

Don't shoot the messenger but if you can't live for 2 years without generating a profit I'd look at other options.

I had a bow cushion made for my boat - 100 GBP in UK - had it made by a seamstress for 10e. You have to make a lot of these to pay your way.

thanks guys... the 250e is that fixed no matter of earnings appreciate fixed as a min, but is it also the max?

yes fixed at 270e pcm regardless of income. Covers all the family for healthcare though. 15 years min contribution for a pension.

The lowest band is €238, as basic autonomo, there are higher bands depending on your profession. Best to speak with a Gestor. Bear in mind also that if for whatever reason you stop paying the contributions (it is possible to go on a "Baja" and suspend payments), you will only have 3 further months medical cover.

cool, thanks, i assume there is also income tax? what sort of % is that... that 250 odd is definately less than my NI payment here!

i know there seems to be quite a lot of pessimism out there, seems similar to the situation here but grass isnt always greener as we all know.

despite all the problems at the moment I guess my question is, why do you stay, would you do it again? Do the positives outweigh the negatives?

I stay cos my husband works in the UK and commutes here. The UK house is rented out which pays for the house here.. So the only extras we pay for are his flights back and forth.

I stay here cos I love it, however the plan was that we'd move our UK business over here, but that cant happen cos of the credit crunch, so I thought I'd be able to get work here in the meantime, but there really is nothing much about. I did do some telesales, but it was comission only and I was struggling to make 60€ a week.

Would we do it again???? not with hindsight I dont think so, no, however, like you if we hadnt done it, we would be wishing we had. But it is nothing like I thought it would be. Once the novelty has worn off you're left with the same sh!t, different place! housework, washing, ironing, cooking, shopping, gardening, watching TV...... In the winter when its freezing cold here (and it does get incredibly cold), its not great!

The summer is lovely tho, the scenery is great, the relaxed atmosphere is great and I love the people, the street markets, the costas, the crickets, palm trees..... but as I say the novelty wears off!

Jo xx

I thought you loved it!